《Forensic Imperial Concubine》


 Chapter 1 Travelling Through The Time And Space

    Chapter 1 Travelling Through The Time And Space


    With a lollipop propped in her mouth, Harper Chu opened her toolbox skillfully and said to her


    colleague, Diego Guo, "This one is going to be a bit difficult. I am still trying to figure out the best way to


    cut it open for further examination."


    "Harper, you are a forensic expert. Can''t you behave more professionally by avoiding eating anything


    while examining the corpse?" Diego Guo requested and continued to look at Harper Chu expectantly.


    This was something he had always wanted to say.


    Harper Chu was a very beautiful woman. But in spite of her beauty, she was still single at the age of


    twenty-eight. Men were pulled towards her instantly when they saw her. However, all of them fled away


    when they became aware of her passion for dissecting corpses.


    "Diego, don''t you know that sweet sugar is good for activating brain cells? I believe it helps me in doing


    my work more proficiently. In fact, I think you should try one," Harper Chu suggested and rummaged


    through her bag to find a lollipop for Diego Guo. With a cute smile, she handed it over to him.


    When he saw that, Diego Guo''s face darkened. "No! Forget this and let us get back to work. I heard


    this corpse belonged to a high-ranking official. It''s said that he has managed to gain a lot of confidential


    information. Considering all this, it seems obvious that his murder wasmitted so as to stop him


    from leaking that information. I don''t understand what our leader was thinking. Why did he send us


    here to examine this corpse? I am pretty sure he knew this was a dangerous job..."


    "Stop talking!" Harper Chu interrupted him. Quickly, she ripped off the dead man''s belly and found a


    key in his stomach. "See! Here is a key."


    "What key?" Diego Guo asked curiously and leaned forward to get a closer look.


    Harper Chu cleaned the key, looked at it carefully and said, "It''s a key to some bank custody. The victim


    must have swallowed the key before being attacked."


    "I heard that his house was turned upside down. Could it be that the murderer was looking for this


    key?" Diego Guo asked, sinking deep in thoughts.


    "Diego, you should immediately inform our leader about this discovery. But make sure nobody else gets


    to know anything about this," warned Harper Chu, grinding her teeth.


    "Okay." Diego Guo immediately turned around and went away, leaving Harper Chu alone with the key


    and corpse. In his absence, she continued the examination as if nothing had happened. Just when she


    was about to sew the corpse, a cold gun was pointed toward her head.


    "Give it to me," a familiar voice said, trying to stop her from what she was doing.


    "What? Why does it sound like you are involved in this matter, Diego?" asked Harper Chu. She had


    instantly recognized that this voice belonged to her college Diego Guo.


    "Harper, I don''t want to kill you. Make it easy for me by giving me the key." Diego Guo''s hand, which


    was holding the gun, began to tremble. "I am dead serious. If you hand over the key to me, you will be


    safe. We can go around pretending as if nothing has happened..."


    Before Diego Guo could finish his words, Harper Chu moved. She used her scalpel to cut his wrist and


    knocked off the gun in his hand. But before she could yell out for help, she felt a sharp pain course


    through her chest. Blood began to ooze out of her body, slowly turning her white uniform into red.


    "You promised me you wouldn''t kill her!" Diego Guo shouted at the guard who was shooting at Harper


    Chu with rage. He grabbed her limp body before she fell to the floor. She felt a chill creep over her.


    Then she closed her eyes and could no longer hear what her colleague was trying to say.


    When Harper Chu opened her eyes again, she saw a ruthless executioner holding a machete. The


    scene happening before her was akin to that of ancient times where a prisoner''s head was about to be


    chopped. Realizing she was about to be beheaded, she panicked and was about to struggle. However,


    her neck was sore and her head was about to explode. Numerous memories rushed into her mind and


    she almost passed out once again.


    At a distance, not far away from her, her sister began to let out a cry. She screamed, "Harper, don''t


    leave us..."


    Now Harper Chu carefully and slowly recalled her current situation. She came to realize she had


    traveled the time and space. Her identity waspletely changed. Instead of the modern-day forensic


    expert, she was a daughter of the head of Chu n from the Bright Dynasty in ancient times.


    Moreover, she got into trouble while delivering a baby for the concubine of Maxwell Jiang, a general.


    She was framed and ndered for having killed the unborn son of the general.


    And her sister, who was desperately crying in front of her, was one of the aplices who had set her


    up.


    Maxwell Jiang was furious. The emperor had intended to kill her to soothe his anger. Meanwhile, the


    Chu n had abandoned her. And her sister hade here to witness this cold-blooded execution


    with her own eyes.


    "It''s noon! Execute the death sentence now!" On the stage, Matthew Jun, the younger brother of the


    emperor, gave out the order. He was the officer in charge of the execution. The executioner held up his


    machete. Seeing the crisis, Harper Chu cried out immediately.


    "I''m being wronged... Your Highness, General Maxwell''s concubine didn''t get pregnant. It isn''t my fault!"


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    Matthew Jun was dressed in a ck robe with dragon tattoos, and his hair was tied up with white jade.


    He had an imposing appearance. Besides, he had a well cut and muscr face. His cold and ck


    eyes were as sharp as the de, even though he was an idle and inoffensive prince.


    An intriguing smile crept onto his face when he looked at the woman kneeling before him.


    Only a while ago she had desperately sought for death. It both puzzled and amused him to watch her


    defend herself. ''Did she just change her mind when she saw the machete hung on her neck?''


    "Harper Chu, the imperial edict has been issued, and it''s impossible to disobey His Majesty''s order. You


    are saying that you are innocent. But is there anyone who can prove it?"


    "I can prove it! Your Highness, I have evidence!" Harper Chu turned to look at Matthew Jun. "Your


    Highness, I''m willing to pledge with my whole n that General Maxwell''s concubine deceived me. She


    pretended to be pregnant and framed me because she was afraid that I would expose her secret.


    Please give me a chance to see General Maxwell and clear my name. If I can''t prove my innocence,


    I''m willing to implicate my whole n."


    ''She is willing to put her nsmen in such a crisis to prove her innocence. I have heard that the Chu


    n has abandoned her. I never expected she would be ruthless enough to drag her whole n into


    the matter. She is a determined woman. If it was someone else, they would be afraid of hurting their


    nsmen. But she has the audacity to ask the entire Chu n to die along with her. Her character is


    quite interesting!''


    Matthew Jun thought. He realized he had to make a quick decision since the machete was close to her


    neck.


    Outside the execution tform, people were waiting to see the death of Harper Chu to pacify their


    beloved general.


    Her sister was desperately waiting for her death. Deep down, she was thrilled to take over Harper


    Chu''s resources in the n.


    In short, everyone wanted her dead.


    ''Even if Prince Matthew wants to help me, I don''t think he can change the situation, '' Harper Chu


    thought desperately.


    But seeing the despair and determination on Harper Chu''s face, Matthew Jun said, "In that case, I''ll


    give you a chance..."


    "Your Highness! The imperial edict has been issued," an official standing beside reminded him.


    Matthew Jun raised his hand to stop the official from continuing. "As for His Majesty, I can exin


    things to him in person. I''d like to see whether the Chu n will be ruined if Harper Chu doesn''t have


    any evidence."


    Harper Chu gratefully looked at him and said, "Your Highness, thank you."


    Matthew Jun didn''t respond to her appreciation. Instead, he coldly replied, "If you can''t prove your


    innocence, you will be brought back into this same situation. Don''t go around thinking you can escape."


    Although Harper Chu got a glimmer of hope, she knew her life was still not safe. Watching the turn of


    events, her sister, Felicia Chu, became furious. With gritted teeth, she asked, "Harper, how can you


    gamble on the lives of our whole n?"


    "Felicia, don''t you believe that I am innocent?" Harper Chu looked at Felicia Chu with her sparkling


    eyes. Thetter nodded with clenched teeth.


    "Of course, I certainly believe you didn''t n on killing General Maxwell''s child. However, it was very


    selfish and cruel of you to implicate our n into your crisis!"


    "Can''t I be selfish to save myself?" Harper Chu retorted back, shing a vicious smile.

 Chapter 2 A Moment Of Life And Death

    Chapter 2 A Moment Of Life And Death


    "You..." Felicia was still trying to say something.


    Unwilling to waste any more time, Harper moved closer to her. "I can show you the evidence, but be


    watchful. If I''m proven innocent, you''ll be in danger."


    Felicia''s face changed to one holding fear as she understood the meaning behind her sister''s words.


    She was sure that no one could show any evidence of her actions, let alone Harper.


    "Harper, stop bluffing," Felicia whispered harshly. Despite her brilliant medical skills, Harper wouldn''t be


    able to pull something out her sleeves, not even by a long shot! Plus, she had already offended


    General Maxwell and lost her position as an imperial physician. There was no way of reversing the


    entirety of the situation!


    Not in the mood to convince her otherwise, Harper bowed to Matthew. "Your Highness, please follow


    me to the general''s residence."


    When Matthew and Harper arrived at the general''s residence, Maxwell was busyforting his


    concubine, Jade Su, who was in tears.


    In spite of his tough appearance, Maxwell was a man with a soft heart when it came to women. His


    only regret was that he could never have a child of his own. When Jade Su had announced that she


    was pregnant, he had been filled with joy at least until the news of their child being murdered came in.


    Then, he was as enraged as a bull.


    "General, Prince Matthew is here." A servant came over to Maxwell.


    "What is he doing here?" Maxwell frowned. Five years ago, Matthew had returned from battlefield and


    handed back his military leadership to the emperor. Though he didn''t get his hands on power now,


    many still held him in awe.


    "His Highness is here with Harper Chu."


    "Harper Chu!" Jade Su shrieked at the woman''s name. She clutched Maxwell''s arm. "The bitch was the


    one who killed our child! You can''t let her go! Kill her! Avenge our child."


    "Calm down, calm down. I''ll deal with her immediately." Maxwell assisted his beloved concubine in lying


    down. Once he was sure that everything was all right, he turned and walked outside, his steps quick


    and powerful. Though he had taken some time off the field, his stance and walk were simr to a


    soldier''s¡ªstrong and steady.


    The moment Maxwell came in, he red at Harper before facing Matthew. "Your Highness, what''s


    going on? Shouldn''t the woman be executed already?"


    "General, please calm down. Harper Chu imed she was innocent, so I gave her a chance to prove


    herself. I assume you don''t want to be kept in the dark of her discovery," Matthew answered as he


    turned the jade ring about on his thumb.


    "Greetings, General Maxwell." Harper bowed. "Not only are you strong, but you''re wise as well. I''ve


    heard many songs praising your force and mind in the battlefield."


    "You killed my child," he thundered. "You think I''ll let you off the hook just because of ttery?"


    "No, I wouldn''t dare. I have always admired you; it''s because of you and your soldiers that we live in a


    peaceful country. When I heard of Lady Jade having a difficultbor, being the only female imperial


    physician, I rushed here to help her." She paused and continued, "I was shocked by what I saw, but


    before I could inform you, I was knocked out."


    "You were trying tomit suicide for fear of punishment!" Jade Su screeched out as she stumbled out


    of her room, holding a hand on her stomach. She had thought Harper would''ve died by now; instead,Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Harper had the audacity to waltz right in their household. "Maxwell, please, uphold justice for the both


    of us." She turned towards him, breaking into sobs. "He was our first child, your first child."


    "Don''t cry." Maxwell felt his heart ache at the sight of his concubine sobbing. He turned to Harper, eyes


    shing in anger. "How dare youe to my home and defend yourself after killing my child. Have you


    no shame?"


    "General!" Harper cut him off. "How could I kill your child if it didn''t exist? Lady Jade wasn''t pregnant!"


    Everyone''s jaw dropped, as silence overtaken the surroundings. Jade Su paled. "Harper Chu, you


    vicious bitch! You killed my child, and you even said I wasn''t pregnant! Was a nine-month pregnancy


    nothing to you?" she snarled.


    "Stop lying!"


    Harper folded her arms. "I have evidence. General, you are not only talented, but you''re reasonable.


    You certainly don''t want to kill an innocent woman, do you?"


    Looking at her clear eyes, Maxwell frowned. She didn''t seem as if she was lying.


    "Don''t trust her, Maxwell. I carried our child for nine months. Don''t you know that?" Jade Su''s fingers


    trembled. Maybe she and Felicia shouldn''t have set Harper up. She had nned to get a baby from


    somewhere else and imed it to be her own. She thought she could be promoted to the general''s wife


    that way. But Felicia had said that this wouldn''t be enough for her to be his wife; she had even said as


    long as Jade Su helped her set Harper up, she''d be able to help her be the wife of the general.


    Now, she regretted it so much.


    "General, I began studying medicine with my uncle when I was six. Now, it has been ten years. After


    several trials and Lady Katrina''s rmendation, I''ve be the only female physician in the


    Imperial Academy of Medicine. You know what I''m capable of. Otherwise, you wouldn''t have asked me


    to treat Lady Jade. After I diagnosed her, I found that she had taken a secret medicine that made her


    look like she was pregnant. As long as she took the antidote, everything would be fine and she''d


    recover." Harper exhaled. "I was knocked unconscious before I could report it to you. The next thing I


    know is that I was under arrest for the murder of your child."


    "Nonsense!" Jade Su scoffed as she folded her hands around Maxwell''s. "Maxwell, please. I didn''t lie


    to you. I would never."


    "General, people have used the method of mixing two people''s blood to identify blood rtionship


    since ancient times," Harper said slowly. "I guess the baby''s body hasn''t been buried yet, right?"


    "Not yet." At the thought of the little corpse lying in the coffin, Maxwell''s heart clenched. He was more


    than thirty years old, and yet his only child was now gone. How could he not be devastated?


    "But now that the baby is dead, his blood''s now solidified. We are unable to mix his blood with yours."


    As she said this, Harper nced at Jade Su from the corner of her eyes.


    Jade Su''s shoulders sagged in relief. Since the baby was dead, there was no possible way they''d do


    the test now.


    "You know what? Not a lot of people know that we can identify blood rtionship by dripping blood onto


    one''s bone."


    Jade Su''s face darkened as her heart started to beat even more wildly. ''No, I can''t let her continue, ''


    she thought.


    "If you want to know the truth, General, all I need is a bone from the baby. Then, we will know."


    "You killed my son, and now you want to disturb him in his deathbed! You bitch!" Jade Su threw herself


    into Maxwell''s arms as another wave of tears ran down her cheeks. "Maxwell, please don''t. Please


    don''t disturb him anymore. He''s so peaceful, we can''t disrespect his burial!"


    "Harper Chu, are you that afraid of death that you are ndering Jade to escape the punishment?"


    Maxwell asked calmly. To be honest, he had his own suspicions. His wife had been with him for many


    years, and she had not been pregnant once, nor his concubines. When he heard Jade Su was


    pregnant, he was relieved and happy. But there was a sinking feeling inside of him that it might not be


    what he thought it was.


    "If I can''t prove my innocence, then you can kill me and my whole family!" Harper said firmly.

 Chapter 3 Clear Her Name

    Chapter 3 Clear Her Name


    There was doubt on Maxwell''s face. He didn''t think that Harper had lied. But was Jade really not


    pregnant? Was it really just a hoax? With all of that being said, did that mean he couldn''t have


    children?


    "General, I was born with nothing and I''ll die with nothing. I know for a fact that you are a man of


    indomitable spirit. I will not allow anyone to deceive you like this. Even if I have to risk my life, I won''t let


    you get yed." Seeing how Maxwell hesitated, Harper vowed with the utmost certainty that even


    Matthew almost believed it.


    "Maxwell, the only reason she''s talked so much is because she fears for own life. How could she be so


    cruel to my poor child who died miserably? I don''t want to live anymore. Please just sentence me to


    death so I can apany my poor child!" Jade cried her heart out. Breaking free from Maxwell''s hold,


    she pulled back her arm to hit the pir. However, with his quick reflexes, he was able to stop her just in


    time.


    Although Maxwell still had doubts, he felt embarrassed to see his beloved concubine this way.


    "Lady Jade, are you afraid of being found out?" Matthew interjected.


    "Your Highness, what have I ever done to deserve that usation? How could you treat me like this?"


    sobbed Jade.


    "I''m just curious. As we all know, Harper is a well-known imperial physician. If you had a difficultbor,


    I''m sure it would ur to her to take the child out alive. Since General Maxwell attached great


    importance to the child, she wouldn''t have been so careless," Matthew exined, his eyes squinting in


    skepticism. "I believe there''s something wrong with the whole thing. General, since things havee


    to this, why not give Harper a chance to prove her innocence? She won''t be able to escape anyway."


    "Wait!" Jade said anxiously. "We have to consider the general''s well-being. What if she hurts him? She


    may get some dirty tricks up her sleeve."


    "General, I swear on my life that I''m telling the truth. In addition, you don''t need to worry because all I


    need to do is prick your finger and take a drop of blood. It''s entirely superficial," Harper said calmly.


    Then, she took a deep breath and added, "But we also need the baby''s bone..."


    "Go get the bone," Maxwell ordered a servant.


    Jade''s eyes widened in shock. "Maxwell, no...no..." she stammered.


    "General, there''s a big difference between a woman who has given birth to a child and one who hasn''t.


    If you don''t trust me, you can ask an imperial nanny who has conducted physical examinations for


    imperial concubines to check Lady Jade," Harper said with a hint ofcency. Jade''s hands


    clenched into fists at her sides, her body trembling with anger.


    "You bitch! You hurt me and my baby! I''m going to kill you!" Without warning, she pounced at Harper.


    Harper was able to dodge her attack, making Jade fall embarrassingly on the floor. The way Jade


    reacted made Maxwell more certain that something was indeed wrong. He immediately asked a


    servant to invite an imperial nanny over. "Stay here for the physical examination," he said to Jade


    sternly.


    "Maxwell, we''ve been in love for years! Why do you trust this outsider more?" Jade cried with


    desperation.


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    "Just shut up and stay put! If what you''re saying is true, surely there must be no reason to be afraid of


    taking the physical examination. Am I wrong?"


    "Maxwell...I..." Jade was dumbfounded. Of course she was afraid. She didn''t want Harper to uncover


    the truth!


    "General, the bone is here."


    Standing up, Jade approached the bone and whimpered, "My poor baby..."


    "Shut up!" Maxwell scolded Jade. "Show me the evidence," he then said to Harper, looking at her


    coldly.


    Harper stepped forward, taking a look at the baby''s bone. "Pardon me," she said softly, taking


    Maxwell''s hand. She pricked his finger with a needle that was so thin that he didn''t even feel a thing.


    Carefully, she took Maxwell''s hand over the bone and lightly pressed his finger to draw a drop of blood


    onto the bone.


    Everyone held their breaths, their eyes glued onto the tiny set of bone as if they were afraid to miss


    something important.


    As soon as the blood made contact with the bone, the blood smoothly slid down the side. Everyone


    saw exactly what had happened. Harper sighed, and proceeded to exin, "General, you can see the


    blood can''t¡ª"


    "General, the nanny is here," someone interrupted.


    "Examine her!" Maxwell said, pointing a finger at Jade. Although his tone was loud and using, there


    was some sadness and gloom to it. He was a hero in the battlefield, and yet he was yed by a


    concubine. At this point, he was on the verge of losing his temper.


    Jade nced at Maxwell with a defeated look on her face, and then followed the nanny into the room


    for her physical examination. There was no point in making a scene, she thought.


    As Harper watched Jade go into the room, she couldn''t help but think that that woman would not just sit


    around and wait for her own death sentence. But, since Matthew and Maxwell had not spoken about it,


    she decided to keep her thoughts to herself. After all, she was still guilty at this moment.


    "So Harper, I heard that you have really good medical skills?" Maxwell started, breaking the momentary


    silence.


    "Ah, you''re giving me way more credit than I deserve. I would say my skills are mediocre. Even so, I


    can assure you that I''m not talking nonsense about this whole affair. It''s fine if you don''t believe me


    right now. But surely you would believe the nanny," Harper said calmly. Her manner was quite different


    from that of her father, Charles Chu.


    "Charles Chu is lucky to have a clever daughter like you!" Maxwell said. Harper didn''t know whether he


    was praising or mocking her, but she didn''t care. She looked around the hall, feeling that something


    was off. Suddenly, she realized that her sister wasn''t there anymore.


    "What''s wrong? Are you looking for your sister?" Matthew asked, noticing Harper''s actions.


    "No, it''s okay. She probably is somewhere else," replied Harper, unwilling to give out more information


    than what was needed. Whatever happened in Chu n was their business and their business alone.


    There was no need to let others know their family affairs.


    "Well, you''re very understanding." Matthew sneered as he fiddled with his jade ring. He couldn''t help


    but think how Harper was stubborn and proud, unlike her father, who was very cunning and duplicitous.


    This woman was too straightforward.


    "What is taking so long?" Maxwell blurted out. Standing up, he paced up and down the hall. There were


    a lot of things going through his thoughts. He trusted Harper when she said that the baby wasn''t his.


    Plus, Jade was getting examined for good measure. Maybe she did give birth to a child and she did all


    this because she didn''t want him to be sad.


    "Send someone to check on her. I''m getting worried," Matthew said. In an instant, Maxwell stood up


    and walked towards the room where Jade was having her physical examination. Harper, too, stood up


    and followed closely behind. Matthew then walked slowly behind.


    Upon pushing the door open, Maxwell saw the nanny and two other servant girls on the floor. Jade was


    nowhere in sight. Hurriedly, he rushed towards the women to see what had happened to them. After a


    quick inspection, it looked as if they had been knocked out. Just moments ago, he thought Jade


    deserved another chance. But now that she had escaped like this...


    The nanny was starting to regain consciousness. Seeing the grave look on Maxwell''s face, she knew


    she could possibly be in trouble. "Please, General Maxwell, forgive me. Lady Jade knocked me out and


    then fled," she exined.


    "Lock the doors and find her!" Maxwell boomed in a towering rage. Turning, he red at Harper with


    his sharp eyes. She met his gaze, looking at him right in the eye. There was no fear on her face; she


    had seen a lot of other people more intimidating than he was. It was difficult for her to feel threatened


    by him.


    "You can leave now. I will clear you name to His Majesty," Maxwell said tly.


    "Thank you, General." Harper bent slightly. Then she turned and bowed to Matthew, "Thank you for


    sparing my life, Your Highness. I''ll return the favor someday in the future."


    "Oh really? And how exactly do you n to pay me back?" Matthew sneered and asked nonchntly.

 Chapter 4 Jades Death

    Chapter 4 Jade''s Death


    "Your Highness, I promise to do three things for you that are within my abilities, and I will keep my


    promise even if it means I have to risk my life," Harper said as she looked at Matthew intently. "I don''t


    possess special skills, apart from my medical abilities. Kindly order me toe if you need me."


    "Well, I''ll keep that in mind." Matthew nced at Maxwell as he saw a guard rush over and whisper


    something in his ear. The expression on Maxwell''s face changed in an instant.


    "Harper Chu," Maxwell said grimly.


    "General," Harper answered respectfully.


    "Jade is dead. I request you toe with me to check on her."


    Harper wasn''t surprised upon hearing the news of Jade''s death. Jade had no conflicts with her at all,


    and yet she still chose to frame her. It only meant that Jade was incited by someone to act that way.


    The people behind the conspiracy definitely had nned to kill her in order to keep her mouth shut.


    "Yes," Harper said at once.


    Jade was killed in her room. She had gone straight back to her room, after knocking out the nanny who


    hade to check on her body. She perhaps had wanted to pick up something valuable and flee to the


    people behind the conspiracy for help. However, no one in the imperial capital was stupid enough to


    offend Maxwell, who was greatly favored by the emperor, and therefore, she was doomed to be killed.


    After wrapping her hand with a silk handkerchief, Harper touched Jade''s chest and said, "Her body is


    still warm. She was killed about an hour ago. Someone had stabbed her right in the heart. It looks like


    she had died without any struggle. Perhaps, the one who had stabbed her was someone familiar to her.


    She had died even before she could realize what was going on."


    "You know how to examine the corpse as well?" Matthew''s eyes widened in shock. Coroners and


    doctors were two different arenas. ''How could this woman perform an autopsy of a corpse?'' he


    wondered.


    "Your Highness, offering medical treatments and performing an autopsy are pretty much the same.


    Both involve the inspection of people. The former caters to the living, and thetter involves the dead."


    Harper stood up and looked at Maxwell. "The killer is probably still in the house. General, you better


    search inside your manor. The killer is a man. He is about 1.72 meters tall and is left-handed."


    Maxwell looked at Harper in astonishment. "You could even determine the characteristic features of the


    killer?"


    "I have deduced them from the evidence left on the corpse. General, forget about everything else and


    search the killer based on my clues. After the killer is found, I will tell you everything!"


    Although Maxwell doubted the process, he ordered his people to look for the man. Surprisingly, the


    killer was a guard of the general''s mansion and was found in half an hour.


    "Why did you kill Jade? Tell me!" Maxwell growled.


    "General, I''m innocent. I didn''t kill Lady Jade. Please trust me. I''m on patrol and it''s impossible for me


    to kill her." The guard denied the usations. Maxwell had always trusted his people and couldn''t help


    but cast a suspicious look at Harper.


    Harper turned towards the guard and asked, "What''s your name?"


    "My name is Julian Wang," the guard answered as he hung down his head.


    Harper nodded. "You said you didn''t kill Lady Jade, did you?"


    "No, I didn''t."


    "I see. You haven''t contacted her, either?"


    "I haven''t!" Julian Wang said resolutely.


    Harper smiled and grabbed the man''s left hand. "Then why do you have blood on your sleeve?"


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    Julian Wang''s face reddened with shock. He snapped his head and looked at his sleeve¡ªthere was


    indeed blood stain. He quickly rearranged his expression. "This is mine," he said.


    "You are lying!" Harper sneered. "You are not hurt, but you have blood stain on your clothes. Moreover,


    I''ve made a careful observation. The killer''s foot is sure to be covered in ck mud¡ªthe kind used to


    nt flowers."


    He looked at his shoes and found that they were indeed covered in ck mud. But he was not the only


    one who would step on the ck mud in the general''s mansion. Before he could argue, Harper


    continued, "Open your mouth. You are stained with Lady Jade''s lipstick. I am aware that only Lady


    Jade had this lipstick."


    As Harper was dropping evidences one after the other, Julian Wang knew that he didn''t stand a chance


    to defend himself. So he bit his tongue and killed himself. It had all happened in the blink of an eye. He


    didn''t dare to look at Maxwell. Maxwell''s face turned dark. He couldn''t believe that his concubine had


    pretended to be pregnant, and had lied to him the entire time. Moreover, his guard was a part of this


    facade.


    "You can leave now," Maxwell said as his mind was whirling in a pool of mixed emotions.


    "All right, General." Harper Chu was about to leave.


    "Harper Chu, you can''t leave now. I want you to follow me to the Imperial Pce and give your report.


    You were wronged and I have disobeyed the imperial edict because of you. Therefore, you are obliged


    to report the whole thing to His Majesty," Matthew said and stopped her at once.


    "Your Highness, as you wish." Harper obediently walked behind Matthew as she followed him to the


    Imperial Pce. After watching Harper leave, Maxwell couldn''t handle his confusing mood. He ordered


    his servants to deal with the body and wallowed in silence.


    The spies had informed the emperor about the happenings at the execution ground and the general''s


    mansion. When Matthew ushered Harper into the study of the emperor, he was questioned


    immediately.


    "Matthew, you showed up!" The emperor''s indifferent tone made Harper kneel down and lower her


    head, while Matthew stood erect, wearing a neutral expression.


    "Yes." Matthew''s response was emotionless that made Harper lose her bnce. She thought wildly, as


    panic surged in her veins. ''Prince Matthew, I finally understand, of all his brothers, why His Majesty


    wants you dead. No one dares to be as arrogant as you are. How could you give a terse response


    when His Majesty questioned you?''


    "So, you know that you are wrong?" The emperor raised an eyebrow.


    "What have I done wrong?" Matthew''s face was as serene as the moon. "Harper Chu said that she was


    innocent. Now it''s proven that she''s indeed innocent. I''ve dealt the situation based on the truth. How is


    that wrong?"


    "You think you did nothing wrong?!" The old emperor raised the booklet in his hand, and intended to


    smash Matthew with it, but he thrashed it back on the desk, instead. His face was boiling in anger.


    "After you''ve disobeyed my will, you..."


    "Your Highness, please don''t break in. His Majesty is in a meeting now."


    The door of the emperor''s study was pushed ajar as the eunuch tried stopping the intruder. A young


    man who looked like he was in histe teens, wearing a purple silk robe and a snow-white fluffy cloak,


    rushed in like a walking ko. The cold wind that he carried along made Harper feel cold.


    "Father, look at my new cloak. Isn''t it beautiful?"


    The emperor''s face turned obscure at the sight of the furry thing standing in front of him. "Son, don''t


    you see that I''m talking to your uncle Matthew right now?" the emperor asked through gritted teeth.


    "Really? Father, I know I was wrong." Lucas Jun, the eighth son of the emperor, leaned towards his


    father with a mischievous smile. He looked at his father and his eyes were glinting with amusement.


    "Father, I''m sorry to bother you. Please punish me."


    "You naughty monkey, you are causing trouble every day." The emperor red at him. "Get out of here


    and stop bothering me. Otherwise, I''ll ask your mother to punish you."


    "Father, no. I''ll get out of here, right away." Lucas Jun rolled on the floor as he looked right into Harper''s


    eyes. His face broke into a wide grin, revealing his two cute protruding canine teeth. He finally curled


    into a ball before rolling out of the study.


    "A naughty monkey indeed!" The old emperor couldn''t control hisughter. He loved his eighth son with


    all his heart. But he grew ufortable when he turned around to look at Harper, who had been silent


    the whole time. "Harper Chu, are you ming me?" he finally asked.


    "Your Majesty, I wouldn''t dare," Harper said with the utmost respect.


    The emperor narrowed his eyes. "You are an interesting person. Since you have proved your


    innocence and both Matthew and Maxwell have put in a good word for you, I''ve decided to set you free.


    You can leave now."


    "Thank you very much, Your Majesty," Harper said gratefully as she bowed her head in respect and


    walked out, looking humble. Her demeanor was inplete contrast with how she had looked at the


    general''s mansion. ''This woman is a great actress!'' Matthew sneered inwardly.


    "Matthew," the emperor called out.


    "Yes."


    "You are not a youngd anymore; you''ve twenty-six now. When I was your age, my first son, the


    crown prince, was already born. It''s high time I got you married." The old emperor stared into his


    brother''s eyes. "The youngest daughter of the minister of the Ministry of National Defense will be the


    perfect match for you. I''ll soon make the arrangements for you both to get married. You may leave


    now."

 Chapter 5 Called Off The Engagement (Part One)

    Chapter 5 Called Off The Engagement (Part One)


    Coming out of the Imperial Pce, Harper squinted her eyes against the ring sun. Her vision was a


    little bit blurred, exactly how she felt about everything around her. She stood there in a daze and felt


    like no other than a survivor of a disaster. From her rebirth to now, her life was several times put on the


    edge of life and death. Lowering her head, she heaved a sigh as she thought how she had lived a hard


    life.


    Still standing in front of the empty door of the pce, Harper bitterly smiled. She mulled over everyone


    who was so indifferent to her in the Chu n, and no one cared about her life, except for her


    grandmother, the only one who used to care about her. But the olddy got so angry with her that she


    went out to worship the Buddha and refused toe back.


    When Matthew came out, he saw Harper covering her face with her hand and assumed she was


    shedding tears. But when he walked closer to her, he perceived that she was not crying, but merely


    blocking the dazzling sunshine with her hand.


    "Your Highness, thank you for saving my life." Harper fell to her knees, expressing her gratitude to


    Matthew, who didn''t even nce at her. He wordlessly went away, leaving her kneeling in front of the


    pce like a fool.


    Harper was at a loss for words. Gingerly, she stood up and patted the dust on her clothes. And with a


    heavy heart, she started walking toward her home. Although the Chu n mansion was some distance


    away, for her, it was not a big deal.


    Never did she expect, however, that it would take her nearly two hours to walk from the Imperial Pce


    to the Chu n mansion. Her legs and feet were already aching from the long walk. As soon as she


    came in, she noted that her father was ring at her. Sue Wang, the hostess of Chu n and the other


    people looked at her with amused expressions, seemingly enjoying her misfortunes.


    "Father!"


    "Unfilial daughter!" Reaching for the teacup on the table, Charles furiously aimed it towards Harper.


    She slightly dodged it, and the cup flew past her ear, spilling the hot tea over her. Even though she felt


    the burning sensation on her body, she didn''t let out a single sound. She merely looked at her father.


    "How dare you implicate our whole n! Didn''t you know who you were dealing with? It was Prince


    Matthew! He kills people without batting an eye!" Everyone knew that Matthew was cold, ruthless, and


    bloodthirsty. Charles couldn''t believe that Harper had implicated all the members of Chu n to save


    herself. She was absolutely ying with fire!


    "Father, I don''t want your reputation to be damaged. If I hadmitted the crime of murdering the


    general''s child, the general would surely vent his anger on you. His Majesty likes General Maxwell and


    believes him very much. If I didn''t prove my innocence, Father, you would be implicated."


    "Stop being unreasonable!" Charles roared as he angrily banged his fist on the desk. When the


    ident happened, he had made a clean break with Harper. He even had ced her at Maxwell''s


    disposal. How could Maxwell still me him? "I know you''re always domineering, but I didn''t expect it


    to be to such an extent. You didn''t care the lives of our n at all. I don''t have a vicious daughter like


    you!"


    "Father!" Harper pleaded, numbed with disbelief. She only wanted to survive! If she were not sure of it,


    how dared she gamble with the whole n? The outsiders didn''t want to kill her, but her family wanted


    her life. How could she not feel sad?


    "Harper, you are too proud and arrogant. You shouldn''t get others involved in this," Sue Wang butted in


    as she watched the whole scene, feigning sadness on her face. But inwardly, her heart was swelling


    with happiness. "I...I can''t even plead with your father to let you off!"


    "That''s right. Harper, how could Father forgive you after you did such a cruel thing?" Felicia interjected,


    adding insult to injury. Even though Harper was a girl, she took advantage of her excellent medical


    skills to work in the Imperial Academy of Medicine. Charles should be proud of her, but the truth was he


    loathed this daughter of his.


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    "Father, I didn''t really n to sacrifice our n to save my life. I only wanted to ask Prince Matthew to


    give me a chance to prove my innocence. Father..." Harper exined.


    "Shut up! I''m not your father! I don''t have a daughter as rebellious as you!" Charles kicked her without


    warning. Harper fell to the floor as she lost her bnce. The dull pain in her chest surged as she


    looked up at her father, who was staring at her coldly. She put on a bitter smile and thought, ''Harper, do


    you see these people''s faces? They are your so-called family!''


    "Father, I just..." Harper muttered.


    "Enough! I don''t want to hear yourme excuses!" Charles fumed. "From now on, you must stay in your


    yard and nevere out!"


    "Father, what do you mean?" Harper asked, looking bewildered.


    "That is to say, from now on, you can only stay in your yard, and you are not allowed toe out


    again!" Charles ordered in a grave tone. He had no idea what troubles Harper would bring if he let her


    come out again. This time, it was Maxwell and Matthew. Who knew what would happen next time?


    "Father, I''m still an imperial physician. How can I stay at home all the time?"


    "Harper, don''t worry. Since you offended General Maxwell, Father has sent in your resignation to His


    Majesty to withdraw you from the Imperial Academy of Medicine. And Hailey will take over your


    position. You''d better go back to your yard to reflect on yourself. Don''t piss off Father," Felicia dered


    with a proud face. ''Harper, you have been domineering for so many years, but from now on, you are


    doomed!'' she thought happily.

 Chapter 6 Called Off The Engagement (Part Two)

    Chapter 6 Called Off The Engagement (Part Two)


    "Father, how could you do that?" Harper was shocked. She knew that Charles would be angry at her


    when she went back to the Chu n mansion, but she didn''t expect that he would let Hailey Chu, her


    eldest sister, to take over her position as an imperial physician. They were both his daughters. Why did


    he have to be on Hailey''s side?


    "Why can''t I do that?" Charles went on coldly. "You misbehaved. You can''t me anyone. Leave and


    reflect on yourself. You are not allowed to step out of your yard without my orders!"


    "Father..."


    "Fuck off!"


    "My Lord, Hansen Jun is here to see you." The steward hurried in.


    "Send him in." Charles was quite shocked, and he hurriedly asked the servant to invite him in. When he


    cast a quick nce at Harper, who was still kneeling on the floor, he felt impatient. Soon after, a man in


    a brocade robe strode in.


    "Charles."


    "Have a seat, Your Highness." Charles gestured for Hansen Jun to sit down. "What brings you here,


    Your Highness?"


    Hansen Jun reached for the tea offered by a servant girl and leisurely took a slow sip. He then focused


    his gaze towards Harper, who looked pitiful as she was kneeling on the floor. Noticing the tea leaves on


    her body, he thought she looked really pathetic.


    Charles was a little embarrassed, but before he could utter a word, Felicia cut in, "What brings you


    here, Your Highness?"


    Harper also wanted to ask this question. And she almost forgot that she was engaged to Hansen Jun.


    Since they were engaged, Harper felt relieved that Charles couldn''t prohibit her froming out of the


    house in the future. But what Hansen Jun said next stunned her, blowing off the tiny spark of hope she


    had. Then it dawned on her that it was just a trick prepared by Sue Wang for her!


    "I am here to call off the engagement."


    With those words, Harper was a little dizzy out of helplessness. Although she didn''t like him, he was so


    ruthless that he chose to abandon her when she was having a hard time.


    "Your Highness, you must think it over!" Harper yelled. She was terrified that she would lose her life in


    this mansion if she lost her fiance.


    "I wanted to call off the engagement a long time ago. Now that you have done such a brutal thing, how


    can my wife be such a vicious woman? So I personally came to break off the engagement!" Hansen


    Jun replied without showing interest or concern. It was as if what he had said was just something


    insignificant. He was not even aware that his words would put her life in danger.


    "Your Highness, the engagement..." Charles didn''t know what to do. If Hansen Jun called off the


    engagement, then the rtionship between their two ns would be ruined.


    "Don''t worry. I just broke off the engagement with Harper Chu. My wife should not be a vicious woman,


    so I want to call off the engagement and marry Lady Felicia instead." His tender eyes were filled with


    love as he stared at Felicia, who was silently standing beside him.


    Felicia''s face turned as red as an apple. She demurely lowered her head, seeming to be shy. It was


    easy to tell that they were having an affair for a long time. The original owner of Harper''s body was too


    stupid to perceive this. Harper thought that what had happened these days probably was a trap that


    they set for her.


    "Okay!" Charles agreed without hesitation. As long as Hansen Jun was still engaged to his daughter, it


    didn''t matter that he called off the engagement with Harper. Moreover, Charles thought Felicia was the


    best choice for Hansen Jun. Charles then took a nce at Harper in disgust and eximed, "Since you


    are in love with each other, you two will make a good couple. How can I have any objections? Harper,


    show me the token that His Highness gave you and give it to your sister."


    Harperughed. She took out the token without a hint of hesitation and eagerly threw it on the floor,


    akin to throwing away trash. With a frown, Hansen Jun looked at Harper unhappily, but thetter didn''t


    even look at him. ''All men are untrustworthy, so is Hansen!'' Harper thought to herself in rage.


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    "Harper, how can you throw it away? What if you break it?" Felicia picked the jade pendant up in a


    hurry and gently ced it in Hansen Jun''s hand.


    He got hold of Felicia''s soft hand and gave her the jade pendant. "It''s my token, Felicia."


    "Your Highness, please return my token to me," Harper urged coldly. She thought that since he was


    heartless, she would definitely leave him. Hansen Jun was a cold-blooded man, so she didn''t want to


    be entangled with him anymore.


    Hearing her, Hansen Jun sneered and hurled the jade pendant given by Harper''s mother to the floor,


    breaking it into pieces. There was a hint of anger shed in Harper''s eyes, but she managed to conceal


    it well. She fully understood that the purpose of these people was to provoke her. If she tried to fight


    back, they would have an excuse to get rid of her. No one in this n would protect her!


    Harper gracefully picked up the pieces of the jade pendant and carefully wrapped them with a


    handkerchief. "I''m leaving, Father," she mumbled.


    "Okay," Charles said with disdain as if Harper was not his daughter, but his mortal enemy. Hansen Jun,


    on the other hand, was delighted. His lips curled into a triumphant smile when he saw Harper bite her


    bleeding lips. He loathed her domineering behavior, but now, seeing her bend herself to others and


    endure the suffering, he felt pretty good.


    "I am leaving now," Hansen Jun said.


    "Take care, Your Highness."


    Charles stood up and followed Hansen Jun with his eyes.

 Chapter 7 Please Forgive Me

    Chapter 7 Please Forgive Me


    As soon as Harper returned to her yard, her maid, Nina, rushed to her anxiously. "What happened, My


    Lady? You went to deliver the baby of General Maxwell''s concubine yesterday. Lady Sue had us locked


    in the house and didn''t allow me to go out. Are you all right?"


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    Seeing the concern in the maid''s eyes, Harper let out a weak smile and said, "I''m fine."


    "Are you sure, My Lady?" asked Nina. Nina helped Harper enter her room and poured her a cup of


    warm water. Harper drank some water and started to look better.


    Harper looked up at Nina with a wry smile. "Nina, you have suffered a lot."


    "Why are you talking like that, My Lady? What''s wrong?" Nina held Harper''s hand and shuddered. She


    looked at Harper''s face and asked, "Your hand is so cold. Did Lady Sue scold you?"


    Harper shook her head. She was grounded by Charles. Sue and her daughter definitely would seize


    such a good opportunity. After she had lost her position in the Imperial Academy of Medicine and was


    rejected by Hansen, they would take advantage of her weak moment and try to kill her by all means. At


    this moment, the only person who could save her was Mavis, her grandmother.


    Harper turned towards Nina and gritted her teeth as she wrote something on her palm carefully. Nina


    was surprised, but she remained silent. She looked at the handwriting carefully and nodded.


    "Just go out secretly so that no one sees you. Remember, your attitude must be sincere when you tell


    her that I am truly wrong." Harper then went into her room and took out a book of Buddhist sutras she


    had transcribed. She handed it to Nina and said, "And one more thing. Remember to be as quick as


    possible. I''m afraid I don''t have much time left now."


    Nina was too frightened to say a word, but she understood the great significance of the task she was


    asked toplete. After Nina left, Harper called in another maid. "Anabel, did Lady Sue give you some


    hard time yesterday?" she asked.


    "No, My Lady. Lady Sue didn''t do anything to make things difficult for us. She just locked the door and


    didn''t allow anyone of us to go out," Anabel answered respectfully. Although Harper was a little


    dominating, she was never harsh to her maids.


    "My father grounded me. We can''t go out of this ce for a long time." Harper let out a pale smile. "Tell


    others to be careful and not to provoke them."


    "My Lady, why did His Lord ground you?" ''Although His Lord has a preference for Lady Hailey and


    Lady Felicia, I don''t understand why he decided to ground Lady Harper. Lady Harper will be the wife of


    Prince Kevin''s heir in future. It''s not wise to offend Prince Kevin, '' Anabel thought to herself.


    "Because Hansen has called off our engagement, and I have also lost my position in the Imperial


    Academy of Medicine," Harper exined with a wry smile. "You''ll have a tough time being my maid."


    "How could His Highness call off the engagement? This marriage was proposed and agreed upon even


    before the two of you were born! My Lady, what should we do now?" Anabel became unsettled to hear


    that. She knew it very well that it would be difficult for Harper to find a husband in the future after


    Hansen called off the engagement.


    "Just stop it now. Gather everyone here. I have something to tell." Harper took a deep breath, hoping


    that she could put up with it and buy some time for Nina to bring back Mavis. Otherwise, she would die.


    Soon, Anabel gathered all the maids here. Harper addressed them and made them aware of her


    current situation. She told them that she had been grounded by Charles and that she had even lost her


    position in the Imperial Academy of Medicine.


    "Now that you know my situation very well, you can understand that there is no future for you if you


    continue to follow me. If you are willing to leave my ce, I will give you two taels of silver. If you are


    willing to stay, I won''t treat you harshly. My father doesn''t like me, and I believe I''ll live a hard life from


    now on. Is there anyone who wants to leave?" Harper ended her speech and looked at her maids,


    waiting for them to answer.


    As soon as she finished speaking, a sudden silence befell the hall. All maids exchanged looks with


    each other. Harper was the daughter of Charles'' first wife, who had passed away. She had two first-


    ss maids, two second-ss maids, two third-ss maids, three cleaning maids, and a nanny.


    After a while, the three cleaning maids and the nanny stepped out together. They came to serve Harper


    only because she was going to marry Hansen, the heir of Prince Kevin. Now that Hansen had called off


    the engagement and Harper was even fired from the Imperial Academy of Medicine, she would never


    have a chance to regain her status. Needless to say, it was useless for them to serve her anymore.


    "Anabel, give them the money and let them leave."


    "Yes, My Lady." Anabel followed Harper''s instruction and gave each of them two taels of silver. The


    four of them packed their belongings quickly and left the Emerald House. Harper looked at the rest of


    the maids and asked, "Is there anyone else who wants to leave?"


    "I''m sorry, My Lady. I can''t serve you anymore. Please forgive me." Two second-ss maids knelt


    down immediately and kowtowed to Harper. Anabel opened her mouth to say something, but she was


    stopped by Harper. She instructed Anabel to give them the money and let them go.


    "And? What about the two of you? Are you not nning to leave?" Harper looked at the two third-ss


    maids who were standing silently with their heads bowed down. One of them was Enya and the other


    was Elsie.


    "My Lady, I am willing to serve you." Both of them, then, knelt and kowtowed to Harper. "You have


    always been nice to us, My Lady. Now that you are in trouble, we will not leave you!"


    Harper nodded with satisfaction. Although the former owner of this body was dominating, fortunately,


    she had some loyal maids by her side. "Since you''ve decided to stay, I have something to say. As my


    maids, you don''t need to be clever or eloquent, but you must be loyal. If anyone is ever proved to be


    disloyal, then she will face extreme consequences. Do you still want to serve me after hearing this?"


    Enya and Elsie looked at each other and answered decisively, "Yes."


    Sue was well aware of what was going on in the Emerald House, but she did notment.


    "Mother, this is a good chance!" Felicia said.


    "Yeah, this indeed is a good chance," Sue said with a sneer. "Felicia, Harper has given you such a


    good marriage, and you should go and thank her."


    Felicia raised her eyebrows and smiled, "Of course I should thank her. Had it not been for her, I could


    have had the chance to marry His Highness!"


    "Go ahead then. Your father will be in my room tonight."


    "All right." Felicia nodded. After that, she left.


    At dusk, Felicia visited Harper with some food. As soon as Harper saw her, she knew that Sue and


    Felicia couldn''t wait any longer. They didn''t want to spare a single day to get rid of her. After that, they


    could prove her death to be a suicide following her rejection by Hansen. In this way, Sue and Felicia


    could remove the biggest hurdle from their path as well as protect the good name of the Chu n.


    "Hi, Harper. I brought you some food." Felicia''s maid put the dishes on the table. Harper squinted as


    she looked at the food with suspicion. ''Has shee here to poison me?'' If Harper got Poisoned,


    Mavis would look into it. Felicia would not dare to do such a thing.


    "What are you doing here?" Harper ignored her gesture and asked. Felicia was very cunning. She had


    been flirting with Hansen for such a long time without a single personing to know about it.


    Felicia poured a bowl of soup for Harper and said politely, "I know that you are not happy since His


    Highness has proposed to me. But please don''t be mad at me. It was His Highness''s decision, and


    Father has agreed to it as well. You know it very well that neither you nor I have the audacity to disobey


    him. Ie here to apologize to you. Will you forgive me?"


    Harper frowned and refused the soup offered by Felicia. She knew both Sue and Felicia too well to


    trust them to be nice to her. She was aware that she came in their away. Now that she had hit the


    lowest point in her life, how could Felicia possiblee to see her and apologize to her?


    "What trick are you trying to y?" Harper asked in a cold voice.


    "Trick! What are you saying? Are you afraid that I will poison you?" Felicia''s voice was choked with


    sobs as if she was deeply hurt by Harper''s allegations. She then took a sip of the bowl herself. "Harper,


    trust me. I''m sincerely apologizing to you. Please forgive me."


    Harper could still not rest assured. She could not believe that Felicia would be so nice. She winked at


    Anabel, who gave her a pair of silver chopsticks immediately. Felicia bit her lip but remained quiet. She


    sat down to have dinner with Harper.


    "You really made me sad. I came to see you out of kindness, but you suspected that I was going to


    poison you," Felicia said in a sad voice. "Harper, His Highness wants to marry me, which is also very


    surprising for me. You cannot force him into a rtionship with you. Even if I want to give him back to


    you, I''m afraid that he won''t agree!"


    Harper was suspicious, but she didn''t show it. "There is no need for that. I don''t like such a fickle and


    lascivious man anyway."


    Felicia was stunned to hear that. She had thought that Harper would react violently and make a scene


    out of anger when she said that. But she didn''t expect that Harper would have such an indifferent


    attitude. ''Doesn''t she love Hansen anymore?'' she thought to herself.


    ''No way! She has done so many things and made a joke out of herself for Hansen. Now, how could she


    give up so easily? I don''t think so.''


    "Harper, I can understand your state of mind, but His Highness is not fickle¡ª"


    "Fickle andscivious. A perfect match for you." Harper let out a cold smile. "I was already disappointed


    with him. It was good for him to call off the engagement, which saved a lot of trouble for me. But I never


    expected you to fall for such a man. Quite an eye-opener for me."


    "Harper..." Felicia called out as Harper''s words pierced her heart like a sharp arrow. She had never


    believed that Harper would really let go of Hansen so easily. Now that she knew that she was unable to


    irritate Harper anymore, she had to find out some other way.


    Harper was indeed on guard against Felicia. Felicia used to y such cunning tricks to create a rift


    between her and Hansen. But Harper managed to pull that off only because she truly loved Hansen.


    However, at the moment, she didn''t love him anymore. Rather, she hated him. So she was not angry at


    Felicia''s words. Instead, she was eager to see what Felicia was going to do next.

 Chapter 8 Beat Her To Death (Part One)

    Chapter 8 Beat Her To Death (Part One)


    Harper wasn''t naive to think that her younger sister Felicia was kind enough to visit her or bring her


    food. She had even apologized for ruining Harper''s engagement when it was evident that she had


    worked hard to seize her engagement.


    To Harper''s surprise, the food that Felicia had brought wasn''t poisoned. Nothing happened and she


    seemed normal even after consuming the food. Then why was Felicia here? She wouldn''t meet her


    without a hidden agenda. But Harper couldn''t figure out what her sister was up to, which made her


    apprehensive.


    "Felicia, what on earth..." The exact moment Harper started to talk was when blood started dribbling


    from the corner of Felicia''s mouth and her face turned pale. She was poisoned!


    Harper had used silver chopsticks to test the food and found that the food wasn''t contaminated. But


    how was Felicia poisoned?


    "Oh my God!" Felicia''s maid screamed as she stormed out of the room. "Terrible news! Lady Harper


    has poisoned Lady Felicia! My Lord, My Lady, bad news..." The maid was in utter shock as she


    fumbled with the words.


    The corner of Harper''s mouth twitched in anger when she saw the maid rushing out. Felicia was


    ying a trick to frame her own sister¡ªshe had poisoned herself. Disgust and coldness surged


    through Harper''s eyes when she saw that Felicia was spitting blood on the table. She couldn''t believe


    that Felicia had loathed her enough to go to the extent of poisoning herself, in order to frame her for it.


    "You are a heartless wench! You''ve gone to the extent of poisoning yourself to frame me. I can''t believe


    this!" Harper said through gritted teeth as bile rose in her throat. Their father Charles had been cold


    and distant to Harper ever since she had dragged her n into her crisis. If he was convinced that she


    had tried to kill her sister out of jealousy, he would never forgive her and might disown her.


    The physician arrived soon and gave medicines to detoxify Felicia. Charles and Sue rushed in as soon


    as the physician had left. Thetter rushed towards Felicia and swept her into a tight embrace. She


    began to sob uncontrobly.


    "Bitch!" Charles red at Harper and hit her right in the face. The intensity of the p caused Harper to


    spin around and fall on the floor. Her forehead hit the corner of the table and was cut deeply. Blood


    gushed out and dribbled on her cor, staining it red. Charles didn''t care that his daughter was


    bleeding. "I didn''t expect you to be a vicious bitch!"


    "I didn''t poison her." Harper looked at her father, whilst covering her wound. Charles was shaking with


    rage and remained impervious to his daughter''s words. The intensity of his look made it seem like he


    wanted to eat Harper alive. At that moment, he didn''t look like her father, but like an enemy who


    wanted her dead.


    "You''re lying through your teeth. How dare you! I should have never indulged you before. Guards, drag


    her out and beat her to death!" Charles spat as his hatred grew in intensity with every passing second.


    Harper was astonished to see her father treat her like an enemy. How could he do this to her? Wasn''t


    she his daughter as well? Harper''s heart bled when her father wished death upon her.


    "Father, even if you love Felicia and not me, I don''t deserve to be treated this way. You haven''t given


    me the chance to exin. You want me dead, don''t you? Am I not your daughter?" Harper bellowed as


    her eyes turned red. Charles was dumbfounded as his heart was drumming in his chest with panic. But


    his face had regained the same ferocity with which he had hit his daughter a while ago.


    "Someone as cruel as you can never be my daughter. First, you risked the lives of the entire n to


    save yours, and now, you are jealous of your own sister and have tried to kill her. You are a vindictive


    woman. You don''t deserve to be my daughter! Now is the time for me to be righteous. I should ce


    what is right above the love for my family. I should kill an unfaithful, evil daughter like you."Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Harper was astounded upon hearing her father''s words. How could her father want her dead? Wasn''t


    he supposed to love her and give her a chance even if she was arrogant and had a bad reputation?


    Why did he have to hate her so much?


    "Father, you are a vicious man!" Harper roared. She was already hurt and didn''t have the strength to


    fight him. She stared at him as blood continued to gush from her forehead. She looked at the malice in


    her father''s face and felt that he was not a human, but a vengeful beast under the skin of a human.


    Charles was shocked to see Harper''s eyes filled with hatred. "You are the vicious bitch that wants her


    family dead," he snarled.


    "You''re right, I''m a bitch. But what about you, my dear father? An old bastard who wants his daughter


    dead?" Harperughed bitterly and struggled hard to stand up. "As the prime minister of the country,


    you indulge your concubine and allow her to bully me. Even a vicious tiger doesn''t eat its cubs, but


    you...you''ve tried to kill me so many times. You''re evil! I''m your daughter, not your enemy!"


    Charles'' anger reached another level when he heard Harper''s words. "Beat her now!" he ordered his


    guards. "Beat the unfilial daughter to death! How dare she yell at me, this cunning bitch!" He paused for


    a moment and turned towards Harper. "I would spare your life if you weren''t vicious. Our family would


    never be at peace as long as you are alive."


    The guards were very loyal to Sue and knew that she hated Harper very much. Thus, they pinned


    Harper to a bench. Without showing a hint of mercy, they raised their sticks to hit her.


    "No!" Harper''s maids, Anabel, Enya and Elsie, screamed in unison as they raced towards the guards to


    stop them. Unfortunately, the maids weren''t strong enough and were subdued by the guards. Looking


    at her crying maids and her father''s cold face, Harper sneered. ''Is this the family that you''ve loved with


    all your heart? This is the man you''ve respected all your life. Harper, haven''t you given up yet? You


    don''t deserve this!'' she mentally reprimanded herself.


    Tears streamed down her cheeks. She knew that the tears were not hers, but belonged to old Harper


    who had loved her family more than anything else in the world. This moment, only her life mattered to


    her. She had desperately tried to escape the death sentence, but now she was going to be beaten to


    death. She used to be an arrogant woman, but today she was doomed as death was waiting for her.

 Chapter 9 Beat Her To Death (Part Two)

    Chapter 9 Beat Her To Death (Part Two)


    Sharp pain rushed through her every time a sticknded on her with a huge thud. Although Harper was


    dying in pain, she did not even let out a yelping sound and continued to stare at Charles with her ck,


    resentful eyes. A chill ran down Charles'' spine, but he regained hisposure. He couldn''t let Harper


    stay here any longer as he had gone through enough trouble because of her.


    "Beat her! Beat her to death!" Charles ordered as he continued staring at his daughter.


    "Stop this torture!" A voice boomed out of nowhere. The guards had paid no attention to the voice as


    they continued to hit her, until a crutch smashed their skulls.


    "Mother, why did youe back?" Charles began to tremble with fear as he saw his mother standing in


    front of him. He swallowed loudly and quickly ushered her inside.


    "Harper," the old woman cried painfully.


    Harper''s face was covered in blood as every inch of her body was wounded. It was a sorry sight. The


    old woman had thrown herself at Harper, and hugged her tightly, before Harper could gather the


    strength to look at her grandmother. She began to wail loudly seeing the state that Harper was in. The


    old woman sniffed and red at Charles. "You are a monster! You want to kill your own daughter. Beat


    me as well; let me die along with her," she growled in anger.


    "Mother, what are you talking about? I wouldn''t even think of harming you, not even in my dreams. This


    unfilial daughter has caused a terrible disaster. If I don''t punish her, I''m afraid our whole n will be in


    trouble," Charles replied hurriedly, leaving no chance for Harper to exin.


    "My Lady, are you okay?" Tears streamed down Nina''s face. Harper was feeble and struggling hard to


    keep her eyes open as her face was covered in blood. "It''s my fault. Everything is my fault. I''m sorry it


    took very long for me toe back," she said in between sobs.


    "Mother, it''s alreadyte. Why didn''t you inform us that you wereing? I would have..." Sue started.


    "Shut up!" the old woman, Mavis, yelled. "You are evil. You are the hostess of the Chu n, yet you


    can''t even tolerate a child."


    "Mother, you have misunderstood me." Sue knelt down and bowed respectfully. "It isn''t about me


    tolerating Harper, but she wanting her sister dead. She is a vicious woman and has poisoned Felicia. I


    was mad at her, but would never think of killing her. Charles was merely giving her a small punishment


    for her act."


    "You are going to kill her. How is that a small punishment?" Mavis was so angry that she hit Sue with


    her walking stick. Sue was hurt, but she didn''t dare to dodge. "Mother, Felicia is also your


    granddaughter, but you only cares for Harper and doesn''t care for Felicia at all. Felicia is still in


    danger," Sue cried loudly.


    "Grandma," Harper said as she held Mavis'' hands. "Grandma, someone has framed me for this. I didn''t


    do it."


    "Harper, Felicia hade to visit you, out of sheer kindness, but you wanted to kill her. You poisoned


    her. Moreover, the poison was in your room. How dare you deny all the usations!" Sueined.


    She had nned to kill Harper when Mavis was out of the mansion. But Harper was smart enough to


    ask Nina to request Mavis toe back immediately.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    "Grandma, I am innocent. Felicia was poisoned by some kind of deadly poison. If she hadn''t taken the


    antidote in advance, the poison would have killed her immediately. It is impossible even for the


    physician to cure her so easily. Unless she had prepared the antidote in advance, it''s impossible for her


    to be alive," Harper said grimly as she held Mavis'' hands so tight that it began to hurt her. She gathered


    all her strength to finish her words.


    "Nonsense!" Sue eximed.


    "Grandma, Physician Jaden, from the Imperial Academy of Medicine, is an expert with integrity. If you


    don''t believe me, you can ask him to find out the truth. Moreover, it was Felicia who brought the food; I


    had no chance of poisoning her." Mavis'' heart ached when she saw Harper''s bloodied face.


    "Somebody, just go and ask Physician Jaden to our mansion immediately," she ordered.


    "Mother, please think about it. Our reputation will be at stake if outsiders find out the truth," Sue said at


    once.


    "Shut up! How dare you speak here!" Mavis snapped at Sue, and the nanny of Mavis stormed out to


    call for Jaden Jiang. When Charles saw Sue''s pale face and restless eyes, Harper''s words finally


    began to sink in his mind. He finally realized that the whole y today was directed and performed by


    Felicia to frame Harper.


    "Mother, it''s alreadyte and Physician Jaden is an old man. It''s not right to disturb him at this hour.


    Now that Felicia has been detoxified, there''s no harm done. Harper is also fine. I think it''s better for us


    to let go of this," Charles suggested.


    "Let go of it? How can I let go of this?" Mavis snarled as she was shaking with fury. "How dare you say


    that Harper is fine! Don''t you see that she is bleeding? How can you say that she is fine? Charles,


    Harper is also your daughter. Now only Hailey and Felicia are important to you. I don''t me you, but


    you can''t be unfair to Harper!"


    "Mother, what are you talking about? When was I unfair to Harper?" Charles protested and looked at


    Harper. His face had turned pale. He had rescued Harper from many problems. If he had been unfair to


    her, she would be dead by now.


    "No matter what you say, I will not give it a rest. We have to investigate this usation. Harper is the


    daughter of yourte wife. How can she be charged of murdering the daughter of a concubine?" Mavis


    dered. She was adamant about finding the truth. She was so angry that she even degraded Felicia


    as the daughter of a concubine.


    "Mother, Felicia is also the daughter of my wife," Charles stated.


    "What are you talking about?" Mavis burst into another fit of anger. "This woman, standing right here, is


    just a concubine who has been promoted as the hostess of our mansion. Do you really think that she is


    your legal wife? I haven''t questioned your decision since our n indeed needs a hostess. But look at


    what has happened. This woman can''t even tolerate Harper." She emphasized every single word. "A


    woman like her doesn''t deserve to be the hostess of our n!"

 Chapter 10 Go To The Country House

    Chapter 10 Go To The Country House


    Sue felt scared at Mavis'' words. She knelt again, ready to beg for mercy. If Mavis didn''t allow her to be


    the hostess of the Chu n, her children would be looked down upon by everyone.


    "Mother, even if I have done something wrong, please don''t be angry with my children. Howard is


    Charles'' only son. If he''s treated as the son of a concubine, people willugh at him." Sue always knew


    that if Mavis cared about anyone, other than Harper, then it was her son, Howard Chu.


    Mavis hesitated for a moment and did not say more. She just continued to wait for Jaden to make a


    diagnosis. Harper, meanwhile, was fussed over by Nina and Anabel as they began to bind the wound


    on her head.


    Harper kept her silence. Her energy had run out after she cried at how much she was wronged. Mavis


    felt sorry and angry seeing her granddaughter''s condition.


    As soon as Jaden arrived, Mavis asked him to check Harper''s wound and asked if there would be any


    scarring left after it healed. Jaden reassured her that hopefully there would be none, which relieved


    Mavis. After tending to Harper, Jaden prepared to check on Felicia under Mavis'' instruction.


    Felicia huddled up in bed and refused to let the physician check on her no matter how hard Sue tried to


    persuade her. As an experienced physician, how could Jaden not understand? He looked at the bowls


    on the table and asked which bowls Harper and Felicia had used at that time. When he knew Harper


    used the silver tableware, a hint of pity shed in his eyes. Then he checked the bowl Felicia had used.


    "My Lady, only Lady Felicia''s bowl was poisoned. It''s a special kind of poison, which can flood the


    victim''s lungs with blood. It''s extremely aggressive, and after eating it, one will die before there''s any


    time to rescue. But Lady Felicia is safe and sound. She must have taken the antidote soon after being


    poisoned, right?"


    Hearing this, Sue wiped the cold sweat off her forehead. They had heard that Felicia was poisoned and


    rushed here as soon as possible. They had tried to make it in fifteen minutes but in reality, it had taken


    them half an hour to get here.


    "Physician Jaden, is the poison really that strong?" Sue asked awkwardly.


    "Yes, this poison is very toxic and rare. Since both Lady Harper and Lady Felicia are fine, I''ll be going


    on my way now."


    "Physician Jaden." Harper finally spoke. "There''s something I don''t understand. Please enlighten me,


    Physician Jaden."


    Jaden paused in collecting his things and looked at Harper. Well-versed in the medical science, she


    had so much great potential but circumstances hadnded her in a bit of hot watertely. "Go ahead,


    My Lady. How can I help you?"


    "If one takes the antidote before eating the poison, will they die from it?"


    "No," Jaden said without hesitation. "In that case, the one poisoned will only spit blood. After they spit


    out the blood, then they will be okay."


    "Thank you so much, Physician Jaden."


    "See you."


    "Annie, see Physician Jaden off," Mavis ordered.


    "Yes, My Lady."


    As soon as Jaden left, Mavis threw the teacups to the floor. Sue hurriedly took hold of Felicia and they


    both knelt. "Mother, Felicia is not such a vicious person. Someone must have framed her. Felicia,Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    apologize to your grandma, now."


    "Grandma, I was wrong. I didn''t mean to do that. It was this bitch!" Felicia suddenly pointed at her


    maid, Penny. "She prepared the food. She must have put the poison in the food."


    Penny, who had no idea she was going to be the scapegoat, fell to her knees. "My Ladies, please


    believe me. I didn''t put any poison in anything. I didn''t poison anyone. Please, My Ladies, I didn''t do it."


    "You bitch! You did not only poison me, but also caused Harper to be punished by Father. I''ll beat you


    to death!" Felicia rushed to Penny and started to beat her up.


    "Enough!" Mavis roared. Felicia trembled with fear and went down on her knees again. The trouble


    brewing in their family brought a horrible headache to Mavis. "Charles, it''s up to you now."


    Charles heard that and understood at once. Mavis intended to seek justice for Harper. "Felicia, Harper


    was wronged and got beaten because of you. Maybe I spoiled you too much. Stay in your room and


    take a month to reflect on your mistakes!"


    "Father..."


    "Do as your father says!" Sue immediately stopped Felicia from trying to protest, and was about to take


    her away. But Mavisughed with disappointment.


    "Well, well, well. You really are a good father!" Mavis stood up, a cane holding up most of her weight.


    Her body swayed a little before Belinda, one of her maids, rushed to support her.


    "Mother, are you all right?"


    "I''m too old now." Mavis was furious. "Annie, arrange a carriage. Since Harper and I are no longer


    wee here, we''ll just go to the country house!"


    "Mother, what are you talking about?" Anxiety was written all over Charles'' face. If the news spread, he


    would be regarded as a horrible son. If the emperor heard how he just let his mother and daughter


    leave his mansion and stay in the country house, his future would be ruined.


    "Just discipline your dear Felicia. Don''t bother to care about Harper!" Mavis pushed Charles away and


    left with Harper that night. Nina and Anabel immediately followed them. After looking at each other for a


    moment, Enya and Elsie hurried into the room and packed up some clothes before going to the country


    house with them.


    As soon as they arrived, Harper developed a fever that made her dizzy and weak. Mavis worried so


    much and called for a physician. The maids boiled herbs to cure Harper while Mavis looked after her.


    While Mavis fussed over Harper, Annie worried that tending towards Harper might stress out Mavis.


    She was old and didn''t have the stamina of a youngerdy. But Mavis was stubborn. She wouldn''t let


    anyone persuade her into retiring to her room.


    "It''s all my fault. I always know Charles doesn''t like Harper, but I still left her alone at the mansion. If I


    were there to look over her, she wouldn''t have suffered so much." Mavis med herself.


    "My Lady, please don''t me yourself. You didn''t know what would happen. Poor Lady Harper. She


    lost her mother, and it is you who has brought her up. We didn''t expect that she would suffer so much."


    Annie looked at Harper''s pale face and felt sorry for her.


    "My Lady, you have stayed with Lady Harper for a whole night. You better go to bed now. If she wakes


    up and knows that you have stayed up all night because of her, she will me herself for worrying you.


    My Lady, you are the only one she can rely on now. You must take care of yourself," Nina said to


    Mavis. Mavis was the only person Harper could depend on. If anything happened to Mavis, Harper


    would most probably get into danger. Charles and Sue wanted to kill her.


    "My Lady, Nina is right. You should rest now. We will let you know when Lady Harper wakes up," Annie


    also advised.


    "Well, Nina, take good care of Harper."


    "Yes, My Lady."


    Harper had been in aa for two days. On the third day, she woke up in a daze and saw Mavis sitting


    by the bed. Tears fell from her eyes as she struggled to get up, but Mavis told her not to move. Harper


    shook her head stubbornly, got out of the bed, and knelt respectfully in front of Mavis.


    "Grandma, I''m sorry." Harper made a kowtow to Mavis. "I''m so sorry. I was ignorant. I shouldn''t have


    been such an unreasonable and arrogant girl who confused right from wrong. I should know better. I


    am sorry I broke your heart."


    Tears coursed down Mavis'' cheeks after she heard that. "Good girl, get up now. You''re still weak. I


    forgive you," she said.


    "No, Grandma, please listen to me." Harper was still on her knees. "I have done a lot of stupid things. I


    didn''t win my father''s love but instead, he detested me more. I was too dull. I thought that doing


    something wrong would make him notice me. I was wrong. I will try to behave myself from now on and


    never make the same mistakes again."


    "Okay, okay, I know. Get up now." Mavis pulled Harper up. "I am d that you''ve realized your fault. It''s


    great that you can admit and correct your mistakes. I raised you as if you were my own child. How


    could I me you? You have been injured and in aa for two days. You must be hungry now. Annie,


    bring Harper some food and let her eat something."


    "Thank you, Grandma. You are the best."


    "My silly girl." Mavis held Harper''s hand as she watched Nina feed her. "Just take good care of


    yourself. When you recover, your father wille and take you back. He was furious and blinded by


    someone, but he didn''t mean to beat you so hard. Don''t hate him."


    "I understand," Harper responded obediently. She had lost all trust in Charles when he ordered guards


    to beat her to death. From now on, she wouldn''t expect him to love her. Of course, she wouldn''t love


    him anymore. In this family, only Mavis treated her as blood sincerely.


    "It''s good that you understand. Your father was too stupid." Mavis sighed. She always favored her


    younger son, Daniel Chu, thinking that he was the weak one. He had loved his niece Harper the most


    before he was gone. So she also loved Harper the most. Butpared with her granddaughter, she


    loved her son Charles more. Though she had a fight with Charles, she still thought Harper shouldn''t


    hate him.


    "When your fatheres to pick us up, you should be humble and apologize to him. Be kind and


    respectful to him. After all, he is the prime minister of the country. He wants to keep his dignity."


    "I know." Mavis was amazed at the unusual obedience of Harper. In the past, Harper didn''t do anything


    she didn''t want to do. She didn''t expect Harper would be so obedient now. It seemed that being beaten


    was a blessing in disguise for her.


    "Have a good rest. I''ll go back to my room first. There are few people in the house. If you feel tired, just


    take a walk."


    "Yes, Grandma."


    After Mavis left, Nina shared with Harper that she had a fever and Mavis had spent a whole night with


    her. Harper nodded, taking in the ount of how far her grandmother went to keep her safe. She


    would always remember and cherish the fact that Mavis was the only one who treated her as family. As


    for others, she would try to forget what had happened in the past. However, if they dared to plot against


    her again, she would not spare them.

 Chapter 11 An Unlucky Day (Part One)

    Chapter 11 An Unlucky Day (Part One)


    After six days, Harper recovered. But as Mavis fussed over her, anxiety and anger took a toll on Mavis


    and she caught a cold. It was a good thing that Harper was a physician and knew how to treat her. She


    wrote out a prescription and went out to collect some herbs.


    With much time on her hands, Harper came to realize and epted her fate. She was not the forensic


    expert anymore, but the second daughter of Charles, the prime minister in the Bright Dynasty. She


    wasn''t favored by her father, and her mother was dead. With this eptance, she decided to be a


    physician in this secluded ce.


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    There was a mountain near the country house with plenty of herbs. The vigers would often go up the


    mountain to collect herbs and trade them for a living. In order to find herbs that could help Mavis,


    Harper went on a hike up the mountain.


    "I found it!" After half a day of hiking and foraging, Harper finally found the Heavenly Spirit Herb. The


    rare nt grew on the edge of a cliff. To reach it, Harper tied a rope around a tree, the other end


    wrapped around her waist. Before going down, she sprinkled some poisonous powder on the ground.


    She then lowered herself before finally picking out the herb she had been looking for.


    The herb would help Mavis, who had been suffering from depression and emotional disturbance. The


    Heavenly Spirit Herb was so hard to find. Harper had to take a chance that it was growing in the


    mountain. It was good luck that the herb was truly avable. But it was bad luck that it was growing on


    the edge of a cliff.


    As Harper went to pick the Heavenly Spirit Herb, she wasn''t aware that a stranger found the tree she


    looped her rope around. He took out a knife and cut off the rope. As he did so, he suddenly felt dizzy.


    He immediately fell to the ground. It was only then that he realized there was something on the ground.


    He struggled to leave this ce by crawling.


    Meanwhile, Harper was on her way back when the roped suddenly gave. She dropped off cliff.


    Listening to the wind howling her ears, she felt like weeping. But no tears came out of her. ''Is God


    punishing me right now? I almost died several times before. And now I''m about to die again while


    picking up the herb!'' she thought to herself.


    "Aaaaargh!" Fortunately, she fell into a hot spring. Coughing out several mouthfuls of water, she


    emerged soaked to the bone. As soon as she broke free of the water, someone grabbed her by her


    neck. Frightened, she choked on water. She struggled to escape as she lifted her leg and kicked the


    stranger''s crotch. As her captor loosened his grip, freeing her from the struggle, she climbed up the


    bank.


    "Don''t move or I''ll kill you!" he shouted as he ced a sword on her neck.


    Harper wanted to cry but she couldn''t. It was such a horrible day for her. First, she fell off the damn cliff.


    Then, she almost drowned to death. Third, she had almost choked to death by a stranger after wing


    her way out of the water. At the rate things were going, she was going to be dead meat in a few


    seconds.


    "Master, are you alright?" Hearing a cry from behind her, Harper wanted to turn and take a look. But


    she was hit at certain acupuncture points, and now she was unable to move. Someone carried her into


    a room and ced her in the middle where a group of people stared at her curiously.


    "Physician Denny, how is our master?"


    "How do I know?" Denny spat. "I''ve told him not to exercise internal force but he didn''t listen. I just


    asked him to take a medicated bath. It didn''t ur to me that such a thing would happen to him. He is


    really making me worry!"


    "Sorry, it''s our fault. We didn''t protect our master well."


    Denny grumbled as he put the needles into the patient''s body. Harper observed carefully how the


    acupuncture was done and felt a little strange.


    "Physician, since the patient has been poisoned, why did you use the needles to block the poison?"


    Harper asked. She was afraid that the patient would die if she didn''t speak out.


    "You know anything about medicine?" Denny turned around. It surprised Harper to find that he was


    very young. Although he tried to sound casual, he was obviously curious about her.


    "A little bit."


    Denny squinted at the man who held Harper. The man suddenly understood what was going on. He hit


    her acupuncture points and threw her basket on the floor. The herbs in the basket poured out.


    Denny raised his eyebrows. He tied the poisoned man''s wrist with his golden thread and flicked the


    other end of the thread to Harper. "Then you should know what is going on with him."


    ''He is able to use the gold thread to feel the patient''s pulse, '' Harper thought to herself. Frowning, she


    still put her fingers on the thread. When she felt the pulse of the patient, she couldn''t help but shiver.


    "How is he?" Denny caught Harper''s reaction. She seemed to have reached a conclusion.


    "The toxins have spread all over his internal organs for a long time. He doesn''t have much time left.


    Logically, he should have died of the toxins long ago. I guess the reason why he is still alive now is that


    you used the needles to block the toxins from getting into his heart. But I''m afraid that you can''t block


    the toxins for long now. He will die within a month."


    "That''s bullshit! I''ll kill you!" a guard shouted.


    "Stop!" Denny stood up and walked to Harper. "Do you have any antidote?"


    "No, I don''t have any." Harper shook her head. "He has a variety of toxins in his body. If he only has


    one, he will be cured. Unfortunately, the toxins in his body areplicated. It has already affected most


    of his internal organs. It will not take a day for the toxins to affect the rest. All of our efforts will be for


    nothing. We can only prepare for the funeral."

 Chapter 12 An Unlucky Day (Part Two)

    Chapter 12 An Unlucky Day (Part Two)


    "You muste up with an idea!" Denny said with a hint of foreboding in his tone. "Because they won''t


    let you go after he dies."


    The corners of Harper''s mouth twitched slightly. Looking at the fierce looking people, she knew that


    Denny was telling the truth. If she couldn''t save the patient, then she would die here today.


    "I know of a method which can extend his life for two years. In two years, if we can find a method to


    remove the toxins from his body, he can be saved." Harper clenched her teeth. "But he has to pay a


    price for this."


    "You can tell me the price. Master will pay you whatever you want!"


    "My method is to direct the toxins to his legs and block them there. He will be safe for two years but he


    will lose the ability to walk."


    "It''s not up to us. We should ask him." Denny sighed and immediately thrust a few needles at the man''s


    body. After a short while, the man woke up. As if he had thought of something, he sat up in an instant.


    "How dare that woman..."


    "Your Highness!" When Harper caught the first sight of the man''s face, she cried out in surprise. She


    had never expected that the man who attacked her after she fell off the cliff was Matthew.


    Matthew cast a cold nce at Harper, which made her tremble in fear. She swallowed and said, "Your


    Highness, I didn''t know it was you..."


    "Did you two know each other?" Denny asked.


    "No!" Matthew replied without hesitation.


    Denny took a look at Harper, who was wet, and then at Matthew, who had a dark face. His wild guess


    was that thisdy was probably obsessed with Matthew. She must have heard from somewhere that


    Matthew was here, so she came to hook up with him. However, he didn''t realize it and was annoyed at


    her. "Your Highness, thisdy said that she had a way to block the toxins within you for two years. Then


    there will be enough time for us to find the cure."


    "Really?" Although Matthew knew Harper''s medical skills were excellent, he didn''t expect her to have


    such great capability.


    "Yes. But in that case, your legs will be unable to work," Harper replied. "Your Highness, you''ve saved


    my life. If you trust me, I''m more than willing to treat you."


    "Why are you here and not in the Chu n mansion?" Matthew asked.


    "It''s a long story..."


    "Well, then save your breath. Two years is enough. Let''s get started," Matthew answered without


    hesitation. He had been poisoned for a long time. The only reason why he was still alive was that he


    wanted to take revenge. In two years, everything would be finished.


    "I need Physician Denny''s help." Looking at Denny, who was about to leave, Harper hurriedly added, "I


    can''t do it alone."


    Denny took a look at Harper and smiled. "Sure. What do you want me to do?"


    "Well, listen carefully." Pointing at the man who had held a sword on her neck, Harper said, "You two


    should use internal force together to force the toxins out of His Highness''s internal organs."


    "Barry, listen to her."


    "Yes, Master."


    Matthew never believed that someone would show kindness to him for no reason. He didn''t really want


    to save Harper that time. He just wanted to see Maxwell''s angry face. Now that Harper wanted to save


    him, he couldn''t help but wonder if she had any ulterior motives.


    However, during the treatment, Harper didn''t do anything inappropriate. She barely even looked at


    Matthew. Her earnest appearance attracted a lot of attention. Denny was shocked by her skillful


    movements. He didn''t expect that such a young girl could be so deft at the arts of medicine.


    "Who taught you this?" he asked her.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    "My uncle," Harper replied without raising her head. All her mind was concentrated on the needles.


    Beads of sweat began to form on her forehead. "Wipe the sweat off," she ordered.


    Matthew had a confused look on his face. Both Denny and Barry were busing. With a quick nce at


    her, he realized that Harper seemed to be talking to him. He then reluctantly lifted his hand and wiped


    the sweat off her forehead. Barry was stunned as he watched the scene. ''His Highness just wiped


    sweat off a woman''s forehead. He didn''t allow any women to get close to him. Unbelievable!''


    Harper was concentrated on the process, so she didn''t notice the stare everyone gave her. If she


    overlooked one point, Matthew''s life would be on the line and she would not be able to get out of here


    alive.


    Tiny beads of sweat ran down her cheeks and dropped on Matthew''s legs. The warm liquid made him


    ufortable. Was it the impending loss of his legs? He didn''t know. He just knew that it felt like


    something was aching in his chest.


    "Please don''t move, Your Highness. It will be finished soon. I am afraid that I will make a mistake if you


    move around." Harper shook her head to prevent her sweat from blurring her vision. A drop of sweat


    fell down on Matthew''s face. He froze and dared not move, let alone wipe the sweat on her face. Not


    until the toxins werepletely directed to his legs did Harper fell onto her knees.


    "It''s done."


    Denny immediately checked Matthew''s swollen and ck legs, feeling his pulse. There were no toxins


    in his internal organs and all the toxins were blocked in his legs. It was incredible.


    "Bring me a basin," Harper said.


    Barry jumped to his feet and handed a copper basin to her. She took it and stretched her hand out to


    him. "Give me a dagger."


    "For what?"


    "We have to release the toxins out of his body!"

 Chapter 13 She Might Have Ulterior Motives (Part One)

    Chapter 13 She Might Have Ulterior Motives (Part One)


    The toxins that Matthew suffered were extremely strong and aggressive. Even though Harper had


    helped to remove the toxins through acupuncture, it only made his legs look less terrible and recover to


    the normal size. The toxins inside his body were not removedpletely and still remained in his legs.


    "Your Highness, how do you feel?"


    Harper was worried as she saw Matthew try to stand up. But in the end, he failed. His face was still


    cold, and there was no emotion on it. Her hands were shaking¡ªshe had been trying to remove the


    toxins using her needles for about four hours until now. Now her hands were too sore to even hold


    things as light as a pair of chopsticks.


    "It seems that I underestimated you in the past," said Matthew.


    Harper smiled awkwardly. "I''m ttered, Your Highness."


    "Is Hailey Chu also a good physician like you?" Matthew followed immediately.


    Harper, surprised by his quick question, looked at Matthew. Hailey was a paragon of beauty. More than


    that, she was appointed as an imperial physician. She was living a pretty good life, a life that could


    have been Harper''s had Hailey not stole it away from her. But to give credit where it was due, Hailey


    was a good physician in her own right.


    "Like me, she has learned medicine from our uncle since she was a child," replied Harper meekly. She


    did not answer Matthew''s question. In a roundabout way, she just told him how they studied under the


    same teacher, letting him take from it whatever he wanted to. In any case, she wasn''t really sure how


    good Hailey''s skills were.


    "What a cunning answer!" Mathew barked out augh.


    Harper blushed at hisment. She wasn''t trying to be cunning. She really had no idea about Hailey''s


    medical skills. She did, however, hear praises about how kind Hailey was. She heard how people


    compared Hailey to a fairy. Lest she popped the bubble Hailey surrounded herself with, Harper wouldn''t


    say anything about Hailey''s vanity. After all, she knew for a fact how Hailey enjoyed the attention she


    got from men. Most women felt threatened with Hailey around.


    "She probably enjoys the pomp and extravagance like a peacock," Matthew added.


    Harper kept silent and did not made any reply, leaving him free toment.


    "By the way, why are you here?"


    "My grandma is sick and we are short of several herbs to cure her. So I went out to gather those herbs.


    But unfortunately, the rope I was tied to broke. I fell off the cliff. I didn''t expect to see Your Highness


    here and I didn''t mean to offend you. Please forgive me," Harper replied immediately. His question


    made her remember the reason why she was out in the first ce. "May I know what time is it, Your


    Highness?" she added.


    "It''s already midnight."


    "Oh, howte. I should head back now," Harper responded, her voice growing lower as she looked at


    the cliff. It was really impossible for her to fly skywards or climb along the cliff upwards to leave here.


    The only thing she could do was to look at Matthew and hope that he could tell her the way out. She


    must hurry back before dawn or else the consequences might be serious.


    A few momentster, Barry came in and whispered something in Matthew''s ear. After Barry finished


    speaking, Matthew narrowed his eyes and called Jack.


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    "See her out of here."


    "Yes, Your Highness." Jack grasped Harper with one hand and her herb basket with the other before


    flying out. Surprised, she covered her mouth to stop herself from screaming. It was the first time for her


    to fly. Although she felt ufortable being carried by a man, she didn''t mind it now. As she enjoyed


    the feel of the wind caressing her face, the ball of fear in her stomach shrank.


    "It must be good to master flying skills!" Harper couldn''t help but sigh and admire Jack.


    Hearing her words, Jack chuckled, "Lady Harper, I must admit that you are very lucky. His Highness


    saved youst time. And this time, you met him after you fell off the cliff. It seems to me that you two


    are destined to meet."


    ''Destined?'' she repeated in her heart incredulously. A wry smile broke across her face. She didn''t want


    to be destined to meet Matthew. If possible, she would rather stay as far away as possible from him.


    Everyone knew that Matthew was a serious man with a taste for the horrific. But he had saved her life


    and she had promised him that she would fulfill his three wishes as long as she could. At the moment,


    she would savor the time away from him and try toplete his three wishes as soon as possible.


    After that, they would be even.


    After he transported Harper above the cliff, Jack flew downward again. She checked the rope she tied


    to the tree earlier. She found that the rope was cut off by someone and there were traces of crawling


    near the tree. The person who cut off her rope must have been poisoned.


    "Why are there so many people who want to kill me?" Harper said coldly before she walked down the


    mountain, her herb basket on her back. As soon as she reached the foot of the mountain, vigers


    flocked towards her. They were all so happy to see her.


    "My Lady, you are finally back. We''re so worried about you," Nina said, frantic with worry as she


    checked Harper from head to toe. After confirming that Harper was fine, Nina took the basket from her.


    "I''m sorry for beingte. The Heavenly Spirit Herb is rare, so I looked for it for a long time and got lost.


    That''s why I didn''te back until now. And thank you for worrying about me," Harper said to


    everyone.


    "It''s just so good to hear that you are all right, My Lady. We haven''t told your grandma yet. We were


    very worried that you might have been trapped in danger. All right, let''s go back now. If Lady Mavis


    wakes up, she may want to see you," Nina urged. She knew that Mavis would be unhappy if she knew


    that Harper stayed in the mountain alone for such a long time.


    After Harper returned, she prepared some medicine and came to her grandmother''s bed to take care of


    her. Mavis was pleased to see that Harper had be so sensible all of a sudden. She swore that she


    would take care of her, especially after Harper earned a bad reputation from Hansen refusing to marry


    her. Mavis swore secretly that she would treat Harper well and would find her a good husband.


    "Harper," Mavis called softly.


    "Yes, Grandma. I''m here."


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    "Don''t worry. I will find a good husband for you."


    "Grandma, I don''t want to get married so soon. I just want to spend more time with you," Harper said in


    a hurry. She knew what kind of situation she was trapped in. Hansen hade and told that he was


    calling off the engagement to her. Apart from that, she was dismissed as the imperial physician,


    Charles disliked her, and Sue wanted her dead. She couldn''t have imagined a worse situation than


    what she had right now. If her grandmother sessfully found her a good husband, Sue would


    probablye up with more ns to get rid of her.

 Chapter 14 She Might Have Ulterior Motives (Part Two)

    Chapter 14 She Might Have Ulterior Motives (Part Two)


    "You silly girl. How can you not want to get married? I''m old and I can''t always protect you. I need to


    find someone for you to rely on," Mavis sighed as she leaned against the headboard. She knew that


    her son favored his other daughters and disliked Harper. What was worse was that Sue was too


    narrow-minded to ept Harper. Mavis was worried, if she died one day, Sue would humiliate and treat


    Harper even more terribly.


    "Grandma, don''t say such words. You will have a very happy and long life," Harperforted Mavis


    and held her hands. "Don''t worry about me too much, Grandma. I''m a physician and I know well about


    your health condition. You are just too tired. I''m sorry for making you worry about me all the time."


    "I know my body very well. Girl, you should make some ns for yourself and your future. You know


    your father is biased against you. But no matter what, he is still your father and you can''t hate him for


    this. It''s all Sue''s fault. I really have no idea why your father likes her so much that he listens to


    whatever she says!" Mavis said. She would always get angry whenever she talked about her son and


    his idiotic ways.


    Harper patted Mavis'' back to soothe her and said, "Grandma, calm down. I know how Father is with


    Sue. I don''t me him. Really. I just feel sorry that I only brought trouble to you and Father."


    "It''s good that you understand," Mavis said and patted Harper''s hands slightly. "Harper, you are an


    unmarried woman. And it''s not appropriate for you to show up in public. It doesn''t matter that your


    position as an imperial physician has been taken away. After you return home, I will ..."


    "Grandma," Harper suddenly interrupted. She then knelt down in front of Mavis and made a kowtow


    respectfully. "Grandma, I want to learn the imperial etiquette. Please do me a favor and help me."


    Mavis looked at Harper in surprise. She asked curiously, "Do you know what you''re talking about?"


    "Yes, I know well. I want to learn the imperial etiquette. Can you help me please, Grandma?" Harper


    made a kowtow to Mavis again. She then continued, "Now that His Highness has already cancelled our


    engagement, everyone has already known that he refused me. My reputation has already been ruined.


    No one would dare to propose to me because they dare not offend Prince Kevin. However, as a woman


    of marriageable age, I have to marry a man sooner orter. So I think it''s better for me to make a


    contribution to the Chu n by bing His Majesty''s concubine than to marry into amoner


    family!"


    Mavis was shocked by Harper words. It took her a long time to collect herself. "I need more time to


    think about it. I have to discuss it with Lady Katrina."


    "That is more than enough. Thank you, Grandma," Harper said gratefully. Her agreement meant that


    Mavis was seriously thinking about her proposal. In her mind, she thought that maybe her grandmother


    was thinking about what to discuss with Katrina and whom they should send to teach her the imperial


    etiquette.


    "If you want to learn the imperial etiquette, then we must go back home as soon as possible," Mavis


    said after she thought for a while.


    Harper, however, said immediately, "Grandma, I think it''s better for me to study here. It''s more peaceful


    here. Plus, I don''t want to go home with nothing. I know I''ve hurt father with so much disappointment. I


    want to return home as a daughter he can be proud of. So let''s just keep this to ourselves."


    Mavis looked at Harper curiously. She was sure Harper wouldn''t have said such words in the past.


    Everyone was well aware that Harper was an arrogant girl. On the other hand, Mavis also worried that


    Sue would find fault with Harper if she learned imperial etiquette at home. So after thinking for a while,


    she nodded and agreed.


    "If you want to keep it from your father, I''m afraid I can''t go to the pce to talk with Lady Katrina,"


    Mavis murmured. She held the Buddha beads in her hand, and thought for a while. "I''ve already had a


    candidate. She is not working in the Imperial Pce anymore, but she knows more than those nannies


    there. But, Harper, let me ask you one more time. Are you sure you''re ready to face all the challenges


    and struggles of learning imperial etiquette?"


    "Yes, Grandma, I''m sure of it. I have suffered in jail. I don''t think learning it would be as terrible as what


    I have suffered on the execution ground. I really want to do something for the Chu n. Being a weak


    n is why those people dared to bully me and the Chu n like that!" If Harper was doing this for the


    Chu n, then Mavis felt better to acquiesce to her request.


    "Well, good. Just wait for my news. The nanny wille here within three days. If you start


    comining about the training being too tiring or painful, I will disown you!" Mavis said with a serious


    look.


    "Thank you, Grandma, for your help," Harper said as she made a kowtow in gratitude to Mavis.


    News traveled fast that Mavis hired a nanny for Harper. Eventually, Matthew heard about it. Sitting in a


    wheelchair and staring at the dark sky, he said in a cold tone, "All women in the world have their own


    motives. Even that woman is no exception."


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    "Your Highness, do you need us to...?" Jack made a shing gesture against his throat, a known


    gesture for killing.


    "No need. She''s more valuable to us alive than dead. Since she wants to learn the imperial etiquette,


    I''ll grant her wish! Tell Mary to try her best to teach Harper. I''d like to see how far she can go!" Matthew


    said.


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    Looking at Matthew, who had a poker face all the time, Denny whistled mischievously, "Matthew, I think


    that woman has her own ulterior motives."


    "What do you mean?" Matthew narrowed his eyes and asked.


    "I''ve just met that woman once. But I can feel that she is cunning and quite capable. She proposed to


    learn the imperial etiquette. Somehow, I think that she has other intentions. I can see whether a woman


    covets wealth or not. Harper has a pair of clear eyes. She is not obsessed with handsome men like


    you. So in my opinion, it''s almost impossible for her to be willing to be an old man''s woman in the


    Imperial Pce!" Denny exined and then raised his eyebrows. "How about we make a bet? I bet she


    has other intentions. What do you think?" There was a cunning smile on his face.


    "Don''t be ridiculous," Matthew snorted.

 Chapter 15 Going Back Home

    Chapter 15 Going Back Home


    Harper originally thought it would take Mavis at least some time to hire a qualified nanny for her. But


    she was surprised at the sight of Mary. She couldn''t imagine what it took for Mavis to invite Mary.


    Although she wasn''t a maid in the Imperial Pce anymore, she had served the emperor''ste mother


    for more than thirty years. Therefore, she was an experienced nanny. Even the empress had to show


    due respect to her.


    "Pleasure to meet you, Nanny Mary." Harper bowed to her politely. She really respected those who had


    outstanding abilities.


    "My Lady, it has been a long time since Ist saw you. You don''t look well," Mary said with a smile,


    which brought a sense of relief to Harper.


    "I heard from Grandma that she would find a nanny for me, but I didn''t expect that it was you. To be


    honest, I''m a little ttered," Harper said with a smile. "I am not a talented girl, so please do your best


    to instruct me. Don''t hesitate to let me know if I make any mistake."


    When Mary saw Harper behave so polite and eager to learn, a gleam of doubt came into her eyes. The


    last time she saw Harper, she told her it was no good to be too overbearing. At that time, Harper just


    snorted and left arrogantly. But now, the girl in front of her lookedpletely different, as if she had


    changed into another person.


    "My Lady, you have changed a lot." Mary was quite relieved. If Harper was still as arrogant as before,


    she wouldn''t teach her even if Matthew ordered her to do so. But it was a good thing that Harper


    seemed willing to change her arrogant behavior.


    "I have already died once, so I ought to change myself. I want learn the imperial etiquette as I don''t


    want to be a rudedy anymore. Please help me, Nanny Mary," said Harper in a humble tone.


    "Well, you only have a month. I have to remind you first that what you can learn in this short period


    totally depends on your own." Mary was very pleased to see the change in Harper. Now that Mavis had


    offered her many benefits, she was also supposed to give the best instruction to Harper. Besides,


    Matthew wanted her to see if Harper could be useful. She couldn''t afford to be soft-hearted to Harper in


    the following month.


    A month passed quickly and the day of Harper''s departure finally came. Mavis looked at Harper, who


    was standing near the carriage quietly. Although she just quietly stood there, the passersby couldn''t


    help paying attention to her. Having Mary instruct Harper kept the worry from Mavis'' heart. The


    experienced nanny would not hold back in teaching Harper. Under her great tutge, Mavis was sure


    her granddaughter would learn a lot.


    "Grandma, let me help you." Mavis went into the carriage with the help of Harper. Her every move and


    smile exuded a charm that no one dared to criticize. Even Mavis was impressed by her.


    "Harper, sit with me." Mavis stopped Harper and asked her to take the same carriage with her. To be


    honest, she only wanted to know if Mary would even consider taking Harper under her wing. But to her


    great surprise, Mary only thought for a moment and agreed to her proposal. Mary had once served the


    emperor''ste mother. After the dowager empress passed away, the emperor allowed Mary to retire


    from court lifefortably. Even at present, all the servants in the imperial pce would show due


    respect to her.


    "Yes, Grandma." Harper agreed to her request and sat quietly beside her. The more Mavis looked at


    her, the more satisfied she was. She had high hopes for Harper and she believed that many men would


    fall for her. Surely, Mary would know the best way to cultivate a girl''s etiquette and manners. After all,


    Mary had stayed in the Imperial Pce for decades now.


    "I once thought that you would soon give up under Mary''s strict guidance, but you finally proved


    yourself. Good girl!" Mavisplimented Harper on her great performance sincerely. While saying that,


    she held Harper''s hands slightly. She knew how strict Mary was, but she never heard Harperin.


    And Mary had never said anything against Harper. Maybe Mary had a soft spot for Harper. ''If I send


    Harper to the Imperial Pce, she will surely be selected as an imperial concubine and be a good


    helper to my daughter, '' Mavis thought.


    "I know how difficult it was to pull strings just to have Nanny Mary take me under her wing. I could only


    study hard to repay your kindness. And by the way, I haven''t thanked you yet, Grandma!" Harper was


    about to kneel down before Mavis, but thetter stopped her.


    "I know you are a filial girl. We areing home now, and you shall not fight with your father and Sue.


    Is that clear?" Mavis said in a grave tone. "Your father doesn''t like anyone to contradict him. Keep your


    head down and obey whatever he has to say."


    "I understand," replied Harper.


    "That''s great. Then I am relieved," Mavis said with a smile. Although she didn''t get along well with


    Charles because of Harper, he was his only living son. Besides, she couldn''t live in the country house


    all the time. So she returned home when Charles sent servants to pick her up.


    At the gate of Chu n mansion, Felicia was unhappy to see that Mavis wasing back. Her


    presence only meant Harper was in tow. Thinking of her punishment caused by Harper, Felicia became


    furious again.


    "Felicia, when you meet your sisterter, remember to apologize to her," Sue said in a soft tone. She


    knew what kind of person Harper was. She intended to make Charles dislike Harper forever. If all went


    well, he would disown Harper and even when Mavis would be unable to protect her.


    "Yes, Mother," Felicia reluctantly agreed. Behind her stood Yvonne Chu, daughter of Carrie, one of


    Charles'' concubines. Yvonne Chu remained silent all the time. She knew exactly just how cruel and


    heartless Sue was. She was going to be old enough to marry soon. And if Sue randomly assigned a


    wedding for her, she would have to ept her fate withoutint.


    When Mavis'' carriage appeared at the entrance, Charles stepped forward immediately. "Mother, you


    are back atst."


    The carriage door opened as Harper helped Mavis out of the carriage. She wore a green dress, looking


    elegant and lovely. At first sight, Charles didn''t recognize his daughter.


    Harper helped Mavis get out of the carriage, and then bowed to Charles and Sue. "I wish you good


    health, Father and Mother."


    £¨TN£ºIn ancient China, the children of a man''s concubine also needed to call the man''s legal wife


    "Mother." Although Sue was Charles'' concubine on official records, Charles made her the hostess of


    the n and the n members all treated her as Charles'' wife.£©


    Squinting his eyes, Charles looked at Harper from head to toe. Her daughter looked exactly like her


    deceased mother, an elegant and graceful woman. Emotions clogged at his throat, rendering him


    speechless.


    "Charles, Harper is still bowing to you," reminded Sue. Sue was unhappy to see Charles speechless.


    He didn''te to his senses again until Sue pulled his sleeve. He then said, "Rise, Harper. And please


    walk slowly and carefully, Mother. Let me help you."


    Mavis let Charles help her and together, they made their way into the mansion. Harper followed the pair


    unhurriedly before Felicia intercepted her. With a bow, Felicia started, "Harper, I''m so sorry. It was my


    fault you were beaten the other day."


    "What are you talking about?" Harper asked, greatly confused at what Felicia was saying.


    "The other day, you were wrongly used of poisoning me. Father ordered to beat you up before we


    found out who the real culprit was. We were wrong in using you. You can find it in your heart to


    forgive me, right?" Felicia asked in an over-the-top way, her bodynguage screaming superiority and


    sarcasm despite her words asking for forgiveness.


    "I''ve already forgotten that thing," Harper said coldly, appearing calm and sober.


    The expression on Felicia''s face immediately changed. Harper''s hand in hers felt like lead. She thought


    Harper would shake her hand off. She nned to provoke her into a rage so Charles could see how


    hopeless Harper was. But Harper didn''t behave as she and Sue had expected.


    "Felicia," Mavis interrupted her. Charles remained calm, but Mavis was unhappy about Felicia''s little


    trick.


    "Grandma." Felicia lowered her voice right away. She was a little afraid of Mavis.


    "Let bygones be bygones. Harper is generous enough to forgive your fault, so don''t cling to the past


    anymore. After all, it was you who made a mistake." Mavis''ment was harsh. Tears welled up in


    Felicia''s eyes at what Mavis said. Sue immediately pulled her back. If Felicia cried on the day Mavis


    returned home, it would probably make her angrier.


    "Felicia, don''t be rude." It was rare for Charles to scold Felicia like this. She felt even more aggravated,


    with tears rolling down her face. In fear of being seen by others, Felicia lowered her head and sobbed


    quietly, as if she was greatly wronged.


    Mavis was unhappy about Felicia''s behavior. She hit the ground with her walking stick and said, "You''re


    not happy to see me back, aren''t you? Why are you sobbing the minute I step my foot back here? I am


    not dead yet!"


    "Mother, don''t be angry. Felicia is just a kid who needs strict guidance," Sue said to calm Mavis down


    while Charles also put in a good word for Felicia. Although Mavis was unhappy about it, she decided to


    save her son''s face and save the argument forter.


    Holding Charles'' hand, she then said, "You are the backbone of our n, the prime minister of the


    country. If people know that your family holds grudge against each other, your future will be affected.


    Moreover, Felicia isn''t a child anymore. She is about toe of age and has been engaged to His


    Highness. How can she be so ill-bred?" Mavis took a disgusted look at Felicia, thinking that this girl


    could do nothing but cry.


    "Mother, don''t be angry. I''ll give her a strict talking-toter." Sue quickly pinched Felicia. Feeling a sharp


    pain, Felicia cried even harder.


    Harper hurriedly offered her handkerchief to Felicia. "Felicia, don''t cry. Look, your make-up is ruined by


    your tears."


    "Stop your crocodile tears!" Felicia pushed away Harper''s hand and ran away, crying harder. Unable to


    hold her back, Sue had to ask the maids to follow Felicia. She could only hope that Felicia wouldn''t be


    foolish enough to do something stupid, or else Mavis would have a worse impression of her.


    Embarrassed, Charles tried to ignore the fiasco. He had always been proud of his eldest daughter


    Hailey and fourth daughter Felicia. But he didn''t expect Felicia to act ridiculous today. Sue was also


    irritated. She had nned to expose Harper today to make Charles hate her forever. But now it was her


    own daughter who had fallen into the trap and left a bad impression on everyone present.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    "Watch out your step, Mother," Harper reminded Sue, for she almost fell over when she kicked a stone.


    Instead of thanking Harper, Sue shook off her hands. Harper''s newfound politeness made her have an


    extremely ufortable feeling, like a swarm of bugs crawling on her skin. Creepy and unnatural.


    At the wee banquet for Mavis, Sue had a bad time and lost her appetite. Among all the people,


    only Harper enjoyed the meal. She behaved so elegantly and beautifully, which even impressed


    Charles. And this unnerved Sue even more. Charles looked at Harper like he was solving a


    complicated problem, which was not good for Sue or her ns. Sue had a strong feeling that Harper


    woulde to make trouble for all of them!

 Chapter 16 A Masked Man

    Chapter 16 A Masked Man


    Charles escorted Mavis back to the Peony House after their dinner. There were words on the tip of his


    tongue but he didn''t know where to start. On the other hand, Mavis knew that he wanted to ask her


    something, but she didn''t open her mouth either. Charles was curious of Harper''s changes and wanted


    to know what had happened.


    It wasn''t until they were at the Peony House that Charles managed to ask, "Mother...Harper..."


    "Son, what do you think of her performance?" A meaningful smile was on Mavis'' lips. She was very


    satisfied with how Harper behaved today.


    "It''s like she has changed into another person." Harper used to be proud, domineering and arrogant,


    but now she was introverted and elegant, and had a temperament like Kelly Qin, Charles'' first wife.


    "I, too, feel like she''s changed. Mary''s really a good nanny."


    "Nanny Mary!" That surprised Charles greatly. He had asked Mary in person to teach Hailey imperial


    etiquette, but had been rejected. He couldn''t help but wonder how much his mother had paid to hire


    Mary.


    "Mother, I can''t believe that you managed to ask Nanny Mary to teach Harper!"


    "Mm." Mavis nodded. "In just a month, Harper has changedpletely. Her every move is gentle and


    charming. What''s more, she looks just like her own mother. That kind of tenderness makes her more


    attractive. Don''t you think His Majesty will like her?"


    Her words shocked Charles. "You mean you want Harper to enter the Imperial Pce and be His


    Majesty''s concubine?"


    "Since His Highness broke off the engagement to her, no one in noble ns dares to ask for her hand


    for fear of offending Prince Kevin. Harper is your daughter and can only marry a man with a superior


    position than hers. There''s no way I''ll arrange for an ordinary man for her. After I pondered over this, I


    decided that it''s a good idea for her to enter the Imperial Pce. Moreover, Lady Katrina is alone in the


    pce with no children. Harper''s young and beautiful, and if she gives birth to His Majesty''s child, Lady


    Katrina will help her raise the child," Mavis exined slowly. She adored Harper but she cared more


    about the glory of the Chu n.


    "Will Harper agree? She''s a stubborn girl." It worried Charles because he didn''t treat Harper well. If


    Harper gained power in the Imperial Pce, he feared that she would turn against Katrina and the Chu


    n.


    "It''s impossible for her to survive in the Imperial Pce without the support of the Chu n. And I''m


    sure that Hailey will marry the crown prince. It''s inevitable that they would help each other in the


    future." There was a twinkle in Mavis'' eyes. "You should treat Harper nicely from now on, even if you''re


    just pretending!"


    The words made Charles pause in thought but he eventually nodded. "I see. But has she really


    changed?"


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    It was hard for Charles to believe that Harper really changed, and that made Mavis unhappily re at


    him. "I''ve seen her changes. She went through tests of life and death. How could she not learn her


    lesson?"


    "It''s my fault. I''m overthinking, Mother."


    "I''m tired. Go back and discipline Felicia. Don''t let her make trouble." It cost her a lot of effort and


    money to get Mary to teach Harper, so she couldn''t let anyone ruin it.


    "I''ll ask Sue to discipline her."


    Meanwhile when Harper returned to the Emerald House, she said nothing about the dust and stain in


    the ce. She just asked some maids to fetch water to clean and even cleaned up with them.


    The words Mavis told him remained in Charles'' mind even after he came out of the Peony House, so


    he decided to see Harper. He was greeted with the sight of Harper cleaning the house with her maids,


    which made his face darken. He immediately sent someone to bring the steward to him. Charles


    scolded the steward in front of Harper, "You''re an amazing steward, aren''t you? Harper has to clean the


    house by herself."


    "I''m so sorry. It''s all my fault." The steward was scared out of his wits. "I''ve been cleaning the Peony


    House for the past couple of days and forgot to take care of Lady Harper''s Emerald House. Please


    forgive me, My Lord. I''ll have the house cleaned up now."


    "Hurry up!" Charles yelled at him because he didn''t know what else to say with Harper being so quiet.


    She used to love drama and pester him with trifles. Her sudden change made Charles feel a little


    ufortable.


    "Harper."


    "Father."


    "Now that you''re back, let bygones be bygones. Don''t take it to heart. If the maids fail to serve you well,


    you have to tell me and I''ll help you punish them." With Harper''s beauty, Charles was sure that the


    emperor would fall in love with her, and he wanted to build a good rtionship with her. The emperor


    wasn''t getting any younger, but he still loved beauty. It didn''t bother Charles to be nicer to Harper since


    she''d earn glory for the Chu n.


    "I know."


    It satisfied Charles to see Harper being well-behaved. "You must be tired after a long journey. Go to


    bed early."


    "Thank you, Father."


    A flicker of smile emerged on Harper''s lips as she looked at Charles'' receding figure. But after a


    second, the faint smile disappeared without a trace. Enya felt that Harper became a little strange but


    she couldn''t put a finger on it.


    In ordance with Charles'' orders, the steward called several maids to clean the Emerald House and


    by nightfall, the house was fully cleaned. Hot water was brought by Nina and Anabel to help Harper


    bathe.


    "You can go and rest. I don''t need anyone to look after me." Once everyone had been dismissed,


    Harper bathed herself. A sly expression shed through her face when she saw the wound on her arm.


    That day, only her four maids knew that she was going to pick herbs for Mavis, yet someone cut off the


    rope and tried to kill her. She wondered which one of them had betrayed her.


    Immersed in her thoughts, Harper didn''t even notice that someone entered the room until she smelled


    the faint trace of blood and saw a sword on her neck.


    A very ferocious mask greeted her when she turned to look. "You''re bleeding," Harper said.


    "Shut up! Don''t make a sound or I''ll kill you!" The man''s breath became shorter and the smell of blood


    was stronger. Harper was certain that he was seriously injured.


    "You''re seriously injured. I''m a physician. If you trust me, let me get dressed and clean your wounds.


    What do you think?" Harper offered tentatively.


    "If you try to call for help, I''ll kill you instantly!"


    "Don''t worry. If I call for someone, my reputation will be destroyed," Harper said calmly. "I''m walking on


    eggshells around the Chu n. Sue, the hostess of the mansion, would like to find a reason to kill me.


    If I call for someone, she will take this chance to kill me." The smell of blood became heavier and the


    man looked even fainter.


    "Come out quickly and don''t try to ask for help. I''ll kill you before you can utter a word!"


    With a nod, Harper put on her clothes after the man retreated behind the screen. The man sneaked


    into the Chu n mansion with injuries. If someone searched for evidence, she wouldn''t be able to


    stop them from arresting him with any excuse.


    The man''s eyes darkened as he saw the silhouette flickering on the screen. ''How dare this woman be


    so bold!'' he thought to himself.


    It didn''t take long for her to finish and fetch the medicine box. Harper studied his bloody shoulder and


    cut his clothes near the wounds. The grievous wounds made her frown and say, "I need to clean your


    wounds. It''ll be a little painful. Try to bear it and don''t scream."


    The words made the man frown. Did he look like the kind of person who would scream out of pain? But


    when he saw her deep in concentration to clean his wounds, he swallowed down his anger and


    pretended not to hear her words.


    It didn''t take her too long to handle the wounds, and she even wiped away the bloodstains in the room.


    She then lit sandalwood to remove the smell of blood in the room. Every move was skillful as if she was


    used to doing it.


    When he saw how she behaved, the man felt unreasonably ufortable. "Why are you so good at


    this? Do you often have men breaking into your room?"


    The words made Harper roll her eyes. "I just don''t like the smell of blood, nor do I want any trouble. You


    better leave as soon as possible. As far as I know, my father will search the whole mansion soon and


    there''s no ce you can hide from him in here!"


    "Are you afraid that you''ll be implicated?"


    "Of course I am. I worked so hard to deceive him and make him change his mind on killing me. If I


    make trouble again, I''ll be courting death." The man made a face when Harper offered him a cup of tea


    after she tidied up.


    "What''s this?"


    "Longan and reds date tea. You''ve lost too much blood. Drink some of it and it''ll be beneficial to your


    health," Harper exined as she poured a cup of tea for herself, sitting far away from the man.


    Eventually, they heard noise from outside the room.


    The man nced at Harper and gulped down his tea. He then jumped out the window and disappeared


    into the night like he wasn''t even there at all.


    The cup the man used was turned upside down as if no one used it at all. Then Harper took a medical


    book and quietly read it. She looked bewildered when Charles broke into her house with his men.


    "Father, it''s sote. What''s the matter?"


    Seeing her wet hair, tea cup and medical book, Charles squinted at her. "Harper, did you see anyone


    come in?"


    "No. I''ve been in my room all this time and didn''t see anyone. Why not call my maids here? You can


    ask them about it." Harper shook her head.


    Charles then thought that it was impossible for a girl like Harper to hide a man in her room. "It''s fine.


    There was a thief in the mansion. I was worried about you, so I came here to have a look," he said with


    a frown.


    "Thank you, Father. I''m fine."


    "That''s good. It''ste. Go to bed early."


    "Yes, Father."

 Chapter 17 The Greek Gift (Part One)

    Chapter 17 The Greek Gift (Part One)


    Once out of the Emerald House, Charles shouted at his men, "Go and find him no matter what it takes!"


    "Yes, My Lord!" The men shot up at the newly addressed order before rushing away to find the man.


    The loud footsteps and tense atmosphere stirred the entire mansion at its rest. Sue, who was just


    having tea in her room, got out with her maids to check what had happened. The moment she saw


    Charles, she caught sight of his dark look. "Charles, what happened?"


    "A thief went inside. Please don''t be afraid," Charles said, sounding as calm as possible. On the inside,


    he was raging. The thief had broken into the most guarded ce of the mansion, his secret chamber.


    He had stolen something from him, and if he didn''t take it back, he''d be dead.


    "A thief?" Sue raised her eyebrows. "Isn''t it a coincidence? Just as Harper came back, a burry


    urred?"


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Charles shot her an unhappy look. He had no time for dealing with the disputes between her and


    Harper. Sue stopped the subject at once and then asked, "Has the thief been caught?"


    "No. But he is somewhere nearby. We''ve lost sight of him," Charles said. His face reddened in fury. He


    wasn''t expecting the thief to escape his mansion so quickly yet remain unseen by his guards. He had


    been hiding a powerful device in the chamber, one that could''ve injured the thief. But even then, the


    man escaped, without a drop of blood in sight. The thief wasn''t just any other man out in the streets. He


    was trained.


    "I suggest we do aplete search in our mansion, especially the Emerald House. Maybe the thief is


    hiding in¡ª"


    "Enough!" Charles roared. "Mother intends to send her to the Imperial Pce. You know what to do.


    Don''t trouble her."


    Sue looked at him exasperatedly, only to see that he wasn''t joking at all. She paled. ''If the bitch


    bes a concubine of the emperor, she''d be favored with that sick face and she''d go through every


    length possible to torture us. No, no, I mustn''t let that happen.''


    "I got it." Sue pretended to be calm, fixing her skirts. Deep inside, she was furious. ''If Harper wants to


    enter the pce, let''s see if she has the ability and guts to stand all the politics.''


    "If Harper is favored by the emperor, it can greatly help Hailey and Howard in the future," Charles said


    meaningfully. The reason he had reached where he was today was only because of the help of two


    women, Katrina and Kelly. Just thinking of Kelly sent an ache in Charles'' heart. Thus, he''d just prefer


    not even mentioning or even thinking of the woman. Yet, every time when he saw Harper, he''d be


    reminded of the times he''d been despicable.


    "Of course I''ll take care of her. I hope one day she''ll be selected by the emperor and climb the ranks to


    his favor. She''ll bring endless glory to our n," Sue said and congratted Harper as if she were her


    own daughter. However, Charles was unaware of the way she was digging her fingernails into the


    palms of her hands. ''Over my dead body does that bitch be the emperor''s concubine. I''ll never


    give her a chance to rise higher than my daughter!''


    "I''m d we''vee to an agreement. Go and rest. For the Emerald House, pay more attention to it, if


    you may."


    "Yes, My Lord." Although Sue had given birth to three children, her body could rival that of a teen. If not


    for her curves, her charm could draw anyone in. That was why it was so easy for her to convince


    Charles to spend that night with her.


    The next morning, Sue quickly ordered someone to get Harper''s measurements to order some clothes


    for her. As maids came back and forth trying to get her appropriate measurements, Harper already had


    her doubts. Though she knew of the purpose behind all these fittings and dresses, she had a theory


    that Sue had a n of her own. She knew the woman would rather die than help her get to the


    emperor''s good side.


    "My Lady, why does Lady Sue want to make clothes for you all of a sudden?" Nina furrowed her


    eyebrows as she felt something wrong about the whole thing.


    Harper turned to another page of her medical book. "As the saying goes, the weasel can go pay his


    respects to the hen but not without his own intentions behind him."


    "My Lady, then why...?" Nina hesitated.


    Harper chuckled, knocking the book on Nina''s head. "Calm down, Nina. Let here if she wants to.


    All we have to do right now, is wait and see her next move. She hasn''t even taken any action yet and


    you''re already so scared. What will you do if she finally acts? Surrender?"


    "My Lady, I am worried about you," Nina pouted. "What does Lady Sue want with us? It''s impossible for


    us to guard you against surprised attacks, especially if we don''t know in what shape or form they''ll be


    in."


    Harper smiled, "As I said, we''ll sit and wait. We could deal with it when ites. What I am afraid is


    that she does nothing. If so, how can I deal with her?"


    Nina wildly looked around to check if there were any eavesdroppers. When there were none, she


    bowed her head. "You can''t say things like these, My Lady. Even the walls carry ears."


    Harper smiled and shrugged in response, not really bothering to care. She had already implied to her


    grandmother Mavis that she wanted to go to the Imperial Pce. One reason was to let Charles see


    her value to avoid killing her. Another was just to annoy Sue and the others. There was nothing to do


    about the grudge between them already, having exchanged multiple threats. If she became the favored


    concubine, she''d be able to stop Hailey from marrying the crown prince. That was why she knew for a


    fact Sue would be taking action against her before it was toote. Once Sue would act upon it, Harper


    would finally be able to analyze the situation at hand and n a harder strike back.


    While Sue was sending presents to Harper, she was also trying her best to persuade Charles. She had


    tried fueling his thoughts with doubt, even going as far as asking him where Harper''s loyalties would lie


    if she''d be an imperial concubine given their bad treatment against her.

 Chapter 18 The Greek Gift (Part Two)

    Chapter 18 The Greek Gift (Part Two)


    Charles onlyughed and said, "Sue, you know for a fact that no imperial concubine would have an


    easy life without the backing of a powerful n. She is a clever girl and will never do the things good to


    none but worse to herself."


    Sue nodded and agreed, but deep inside, her mind was already fueling with so much rage. If Harper


    became an imperial concubine, she knew that she would do everything in her power to humiliate her. If


    Sue wanted Charles and Mavis to give up their n, then there was only one thing left to do¡ªdestroy


    her precious face!


    The clothes made by the Brocade Chamber were immediately sent to Sue for her examination. The


    moment they had arrived, Sue kept the clothes and asked Ruby, her wet nurse, to deliver the clothes to


    Harper.


    "Nanny Ruby, I didn''t expect that you came to my ce in person!" Harper said brightly.


    "My Lady, Lady Sue was worried that these maids wouldn''t be too careful with the task and would ruin


    your new clothes. That''s why I''m here. My Lady, please try them on. If they don''t fit to your tastes, I


    could ask the tailors to make adjustments," Ruby said calmly, patting them. She was quite aware that


    the fabric was contaminated by some special poison, one that could leave Harper''s face disfigured as


    long as she wore them.


    "No, thank you. The Brocade Chamber already measured for me, so I''m sure they''ll fit perfectly. Please


    send my appreciation to Mother." Harper waved it off dismissively, eyeing the clothes that Ruby was


    holding.


    Ruby felt bad that she didn''t coax Harper into wearing them. To make Harper like them and wear them,


    Sue had spent a lot of money on them. The clothes were created to fit thetest style and made from


    the finest material the Brocade Chamber could ever acquire.


    "I''ll leave them here for you then." Ruby nodded and ced the clothes on the table. Once she left, the


    smile on Harper''s face turned cold.


    "My Lady, the clothes are exquisite. I didn''t expect Lady Sue to be so generous." Anabel swooned at


    the beautiful threaded designs and the diamonds attached to their cors. When she reached out to


    touch them, Harper quickly swatted her hand away. "They''re from Sue. Don''t touch them yet."


    Though Anabel was left confused, Nina quickly closed the door, understanding her meaning. "My Lady,


    do you think there''s something wrong with the clothes she sent?"


    "You''ve been in our mansion for so many years. Have you ever seen her being kind?" Harper sneered.


    "There''s something sneaky about this."


    She picked up one of the clothes and felt it carefully. She didn''t find anything special with the fabric.


    She lifted it up higher to smell. There was a very faint scent on the cloth, reminding her of incense, but


    it wasn''t. She just couldn''t put her finger on the smell!


    "The smell of these clothes is a little strange." Harper eyed them. "I think I''ve smelled it somewhere


    before."


    "Let me smell." Nina took a sniff. "It smells like the face powder you''ve been using."


    "My face powder..." Harper''s eyes widened in realization. Suddenly, she pushed Nina immediately to


    wash her hands. "Stay away from the clothes! That''s not the smell of my face powder."


    "What''s wrong, My Lady?" asked Nina, confused.


    "She is smart. She must be willing to pay so much to set me up," Harper muttered, shaking her head.


    She took another sniff at the scent to find it emanating from the cor. When Harper rubbed the fabric


    around its corners, she could feel something creamy. Sue hid the poisonous powder right in the cor.


    "My Lady!" Nina shouted, rmed. However, Harper didn''t seem fazed as she scrapped the powder


    from the fabric.


    "My Lady, what kind of powder is this?"


    "The Fallen Red Flower." Harper raised her eyebrows and smiled. "It''s a poison that can disfigure a


    person''s face. Once held close contact to the face, the victim would develop swelling red bumps across


    their skin, like fallen red flowers. They''ll be so unrecognizable the people would treat them as


    monsters."


    "Oh my God!" Nina covered her mouth with her hands and asked, "My Lady, why did Lady Sue...?"


    "In order to stop me from being selected by the Imperial Pce, I assume," Harper answered


    indifferently. "You can leave now, and tell no one about this."


    "Yes, My Lady."


    After Ruby had sent the clothes to Harper, Sue had been waiting for the moment she''d see Harper


    wear those poisoned clothes. The moment she did, bright blisters would pop out of her face and she''d


    be ruined forever!


    To be selected by the emperor, one must have a beautiful face and an equally proportioned figure. With


    a scarred face, Harper wouldn''t even be allowed to enter the Imperial Pce. She''d be useless! That''d


    mean she could do anything she wanted with her.


    But after a few days of waiting, to Sue''s disappointment, Harper still hadn''t put on the clothing. At first


    thought, fear crippled inside of her. Maybe she''d known already, but Sue shrugged the thought away.


    The fragrance of the drug was simr to the face powder Harper used, and she wouldn''t even notice. In


    fact, Harper would''ve even appreciated the smell.


    "Nanny Ruby, have the clothes been sent there?" Even then, Sue couldn''t help but feel worried. Harper


    had always been a thorn she tried to remove countless of times. She even got away when the emperor


    was about to kill her. The woman was impossible to kill!


    "My Lady, I was the one who personally gave the clothes to Lady Harper. She loved them so much and


    even praised the exquisite workmanship of the Brocade Chamber," Ruby said affirmatively. "I think she


    wanted to find an opportunity to wear them to show off in public."


    "Find an opportunity..." Sue narrowed his eyes slightly. "Then I will give her a chance to show it off!"


    "My Lady, you mean you''ll make Lady Harper put on those clothes voluntarily?" Ruby''s eyes were


    twinkling with excitement while Sue tapped her long slender fingers on the table beside her, smirking.


    As long as Harper wore the clothes, she''d be disfigured for life with no ce in the Chu n mansion.


    Then, Sue could find an excuse to send her to the ancestral temple and kill her. After all, no one would


    care over a disfigured and scarred woman. She couldn''t wait. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.

 Chapter 19 An Eye For An Eye (Part One)

    Chapter 19 An Eye For An Eye (Part One)


    Sue was nning to throw a party for celebrating the beautiful flowers in the Chu n mansion. She


    had also invited Harper to the party, hoping with all her heart that Harper would wear the poisonous


    clothes. Everyone was supposed to dress up. Sue had also invited many guests to avoid Harper''s


    suspicion.


    Harper''s lips twitched into a smile when Sue invited her. "Nina, bring the clothes that Lady Sue had


    sent me a few days ago." She nudged Nina.


    "My Lady, that dress..." Nina swallowed the rest of the words that were lingering on the tip of her


    tongue. Seeing Harper''s determination, Nina had no other choice but to take out the clothes for her.


    ''Lady Harper is aware that the clothes are coated with poison, but why is she determined to wear


    them?'' she thought.


    Harper smiled at Nina''s confused face. She pinched her cheek and said, "Don''t worry about me. Lady


    Sue has prepared the clothes specifically for me. If I don''t wear them, all her efforts will be in vain. I am


    going to surprise her." Harper waggled her eyebrows, and there was a mischievous glint in her eyes.


    Although Nina didn''t understand what Harper''s ns were, she knew that Harper must havee up


    with a n to deal with the situation. "As far as I know, Lady Sue is not a kind woman. I can''t believe


    that she has invited all thedies of our mansion to dress up. Wouldn''t she be afraid that otherdies


    would also be under the limelight and outshine Lady Felicia?"


    Harper cast a knowing smile and remained quiet. She was aware that Sue''s primary motive was to


    make her wear the clothes. Harper decided to fulfill Sue''s wish as she was desperate to see her wear


    them. But would Sue witness what she had always wished for?


    Perhaps, Sue was afraid that Harper would outshine her daughter, Felicia. Therefore, she had only


    invited thedies of the renowned officials, instead of the ones from the imperial family. She had taken


    extreme care in dressing up Felicia. She wanted her daughter to look the best. Felicia was going to


    When Harper arrived at the party, everyone was swarmed around Felicia and was gushing about how


    beautiful she was.


    "Oh, Lady Sue, you are incredibly lucky to have such a beautiful daughter. Look at Lady Felicia, she


    looks divine. It is no wonder that the heir of Prince Kevin insists on marrying her. If I were him, I would


    have also agreed to marry her in a heartbeat," one of the women said.


    "I''m ttered." Felicia blushed as her heart swelled with happiness.


    "She''s right, Lady Sue. Both your daughters are fine girls who look gorgeous. You are blessed to have


    daughters like them. We have always admired you," another woman chimed in.


    "Don''t tter her. Otherwise it would go to her head." Sue scanned the crowd and finally caught a


    glimpse of Harper. Harper was wearing the clothes that she had sent her. Her stomach did a little flip as


    she was thrilled to see that her n was finally working. "Hello, Lady Harper. Why are youte? We all


    arrived here a long time ago," she said, smiling sweetly.


    The women were not happy about what Sue had said. They were women born into families of the


    highest ss. It had been an insult for them to wait for Harper¡ªthe one who was disliked by everyone


    in the Chu n mansion.


    "Lady Harper, you have disrespected us. Isn''t it rude of you to make us wait for a long time?" a woman


    said.


    "Good day,dies." Harper greeted everyone with a sweet smile. She turned around to nce at Sue.


    Sue was always known for provoking people and turning them against her. She had done the same


    thing today as well. "Please, allow me to exin,dies. I''m notte. I''ve been here for a long time,


    watching you all have a good time. I didn''t want to disturb you."


    "It''s good to have you here, Lady Harper. Take a seat," Sue smiled.


    Harper grinned at Sue and walked towards Felicia and held her hands. "Felicia, you look beautiful in


    these clothes. I''m sure your mother must have put all her efforts in making them for you. You are


    always so beautiful, but these clothes make you look even prettier."


    Although Felicia was confused to hear Harper''s kind words of appreciation, she looked pleased. "Thank


    you, Harper. You are also incredibly beautiful, and I feel inferior next to you."


    Harper stretched out her hand and caressed Felicia''s hair. "You look stunning, Felicia. Come and sit


    down. People are waiting for us."


    Felicia then pulled herself away from Harper and walked to her seat. Harper sat down quietly as she


    watched the other women chat. She asionally answered when she was being questioned. But she


    was quiet during the rest of the conversation, and smiled from time to time.


    Sue kept ncing at Harper, waiting for her to turn into aughing stock. The poison would do its work


    anytime soon. If Harper made a fool of herself today, the rumor of her disfigurement would spread like


    fire, all over the imperial capital. And Harper would not be weed in the Imperial Capital, even if


    Mavis wanted to send her there.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Time had passed, but nothing had happened. Sue rubbed her hands as she grew anxious. She turned


    to look at Ruby, who gave an affirmative nod. No one would find out that Harper''s clothes were


    poisoned, and the poison was strong enough to devastate her.


    Sue let out a huge breath, waiting for the poison to do its work. "Oh my God, look at her," a woman


    yelped in surprise.


    "What''s the matter?" asked another one.


    "Look at Lady Felicia! Her face..." The woman who had screamed pointed at Felicia.

 Chapter 20 An Eye For An Eye (Part Two)

    Chapter 20 An Eye For An Eye (Part Two)


    Everyone turned to look at Felicia. Felicia''s wless face was covered with angry, red rashes. She was


    looking dreadful.


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    "My face? What''s wrong with my face?" Her face started to itch. Felicia couldn''t restrain her urge to


    scratch the skin. Little drops of blood began to ooze out from the ces she had scratched. Felicia''s


    face was soon covered with blood that ruined her look even more.


    Sue''s face grew pale as she became dizzy when she saw Felicia''s face. She tried to calm down. She


    couldn''t afford to be a mess because her daughter needed her. Sue jumped out of her seat and stood


    in front of Felicia, trying to conceal her from everyone''s sight. "What are you doing? Don''t you know


    that Felicia is allergic to lotus seeds? How dare you bring the lotus seeds porridge to her! Come over


    here and help Felicia get inside. You, call the physician over now!" Sue ordered the maids as she was


    shaking in anger.


    Ruby and maids ushered Felicia out of the party. The women let out a sigh of relief when they found


    out that it was a mere food allergy. "It turns out that Lady Felicia is allergic to lotus seeds. My daughter


    is allergic to mandarin fish. She had a bite of the fish a few days ago, and it had almost killed her. Lady


    Sue, I understand how you feel. You better leave right away and take good care of Lady Felicia," a


    woman said.


    Sue red at Harper, who looked calm as if nothing had happened. Sue''s ns had failed, and she


    never expected Harper to be heartless enough to poison Felicia.


    "Harper," Sue called.


    "Mother, what can I do for you?" Harper said, trying to look sincere.


    "I''m going to take care of your sister. I''ll leave this ce to you. Take care of everything here, will you?"


    Sue said through gritted teeth. She had wanted Harper to suffer, but in the end it was her daughter who


    had be the talk of the people. Sue promised to herself that she would make Harper pay for all this


    when everyone had left.


    "Yes, Mother. I will." Harper gave a reassuring smile. Everyone was surprised at Harper''s attitude. She


    wasn''t as bad as everyone had imed her to be.


    "I''ve heard that Lady Harper was also an imperial physician and that she was fired for killing the son of


    General Maxwell," a woman mumbled with an using look.


    "Lady, tell me something. If I had really killed the son of General Maxwell, do you think that he would


    have set me free? How could His Highness and His Majesty release the murderer of a general''s son?


    I''m standing in front of you because I''m innocent. The despicable concubine of General Maxwell had


    framed me for his murder,"


    Harper exined in a calm tone. Everyone was upset at the mention of concubines. In their eyes,


    concubines would always cause problems for them, the legal wives.


    "Concubines are jealous bitches!" a woman said as she was clearly annoyed. "Fortunately, thew


    clearly states that a concubine will never be able to take the ce of a legal wife. Even if a concubine


    is acknowledged by her husband to be his legal wife, she would remain as a concubine in the official


    documents."


    "Ahem! Ahem!" Another woman cleared her throat to make her stop. But thedy didn''t seem to notice


    it. "My husband is bewitched by a seductress, and he wants to turn her into his legal wife." She rolled


    her eyes. "Humph! Not even in his dreams!"


    "What''s the matter, everyone? Why does she look angry?" Sue asked when she walked in. She heard


    someone trash concubines, and it made her furious.


    "It''s good to have you back, Mother. How is Felicia? Is everything okay?" Harper asked, looking


    concerned.


    "She''s doing well. Stop pretending that you care. I don''t need your sympathy." Sue red at her.


    Harper smiled at Sue without a hint of embarrassment.


    The woman who was using concubines smiled at Sue. "We are d to hear that Lady Felicia is


    doing well. Lady Sue, please keep an eye on Prime Minister Charles'' concubines. Don''t let them


    bewitch him."


    "Thank you. I appreciate your kindness," Sue said coldly.


    The woman didn''t understand why Sue was being rude to her. She felt that she was perhaps upset due


    to her daughter''s condition. But the woman sitting next to her exined that Sue was also a concubine.


    "I invited you all to this party for you to have a good time. But it is unfortunate that my daughter got


    allergic to the food and caused amotion. Please forgive me," Sue said as she picked up the ss


    in front of her. "I''d like to propose a toast."


    "It''s all right, Lady Sue." Everyone was frustrated. No one had bothered to investigate Sue''s identity,


    and they were all frustrated when they found that Sue was Charles'' concubine. They were all ashamed


    to attend the party conducted by a concubine. They wanted to leave as soon as they could.


    The guests began to leave, one after the other, leaving Sue all alone. Harper had gone to the entrance


    to see them off. Once everyone was gone, Sue was furious and raised her hand to hit Harper.


    Harper dodged quickly. Sue had exerted too much strength that she almost fell down. She stood up to


    steady herself, gasping in pain as she had twisted her hip. "You fucking bitch! How dare you!" she


    grunted.


    "Mother, I''m the first born of Father''s legal wife. You are just a concubine. You are offending me by


    trying to hurt me," Harper said as she gave a nasty look at Sue. "Are you insane?"


    "Harper Chu! You..." Sue was too angry to say a word.


    Harper smiled scornfully before leaving the ce. Sue was standing in shock as she watched Harper


    leave. Hatred settled in the pit of her stomach.

 Chapter 21 An Exclusive Kitchen (Part One)

    Chapter 21 An Exclusive Kitchen (Part One)


    Sue had twisted her hip whereas Felicia''s face had been disfigured. Even though they were in pain,


    they had no choice but to endure it. It was Sue who had asked her maid to buy the poison in order to


    hurt Harper. If Mavis had any idea about this, she would have burnt Sue alive. Anyway, Sue''s ns had


    backfired. When Sue realized that Harper had harmed Felicia in secrecy, she couldn''t help but feel pure


    hatred for Harper.


    "Mother, my face! It hurts!" Felicia cried, unable to let go of her urge to scratch her face. Seeing that


    she would do it any second, Ruby grabbed her hand to prevent her from touching the wounds. The


    itching was almost more than Felicia could stand. However, the more she scratched it, the itchier it was


    bound to get.


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    "Don''t be afraid, Felicia. I''ve asked someone to look for the antidote. Just bear with it for a while. If you


    scratch your face, it will only make things worse," Sue said, hoping tofort Felicia. "I am here. I will


    protect you and make sure it will be alright."


    "Mother, am I disfigured?" Felicia asked in fear. "Look at me. Am I very ugly now? Give me the mirror. I


    want the mirror."


    "Felicia!" Sue snapped at Felicia. "Don''t you believe your mother''s words? I give you my assurance that


    you will be fine. I have sent someone to seek the antidote. Even if we can''t find it, don''t forget that your


    sister, Hailey, is an imperial physician with superb medical skills. She can definitely cure you!"


    "Mother, it is Harper who poisoned me! You should not let that bitch go!" In her heart, Felicia believed it


    was Harper who had brought her this misery. Even in this miserable state, she could think of nothing


    but taking revenge. Her already wounded face contorted with rage.


    When Sue was listening to this, an intent to kill shed in her eyes. "You can rest assured! There is no


    way I am letting her go. I was looking forward to seeing her make a fool of herself today. But instead,


    she made you the victim! How dare she do this! When you recover, we can torture her together!"


    Harper didn''t return to her Emerald House. Instead, she went to Mavis''s Peony House. She paid her


    respect to her and gave her a massage. Mavis was the only one that she could rely on in the mansion.


    In fact, she was the only one who would protect her if anything went wrong. Therefore, she made it a


    point to pay a lot of attention to Mavis.


    "Harper, what about the banquet today?" Seeing that Harper had returned so soon, Mavis thought Sue


    didn''t want to see Harper, afraid that she would steal the show from Felicia.


    "Felicia may have mistakenly eaten lotus seeds and broken out in a rash. Mother was worried about


    her, so she excused herself and left. I sent all thedies away and went to see Felicia," Harper replied


    softly. "Felicia has been allergic before. I don''t know which maid was careless enough to give her a


    bowl of lotus seeds soup. Grandma, good you didn''t see her. Felicia''s face looked extremely terrifying.


    If the scars remain, what will she do?"


    "Oh God! It is extremely important for a girl to maintain her pretty face. How careless the maid was!


    Just sell her to the broker," Mavis said instantly. Felicia was going to be the wife of Prince Kevin''s heir,


    Hansen. Although she had stolen him from Harper, she was still a member of the Chu n. Harper


    didn''t seem to mind it, and Mavis didn''t think there was anything wrong.


    "Grandma, in a few months, Felicia wille of age. Soon after her birthday, the wedding will take


    ce. We have to discipline the maids so that they can take good care of her. If such a thing happens


    again in the future and arouses His Highness''s contempt, it will ruin Felicia''s bright future. Men are fond


    of beautiful women. If she is no longer pretty, her whole life will be damaged!" said Harper, massaging


    Mavis'' shoulders.


    "You are such a broad-minded girl. She has stolen your fiance, yet you are concerned about her


    future." Mavis lovingly patted Harper. "I want to take you to the Imperial Pce to meet Lady Katrina


    soon."


    "Yes, Grandma."


    When they were talking, Sue rushed over in rage and red at Harper before bowing down. "Good


    afternoon, Mother."


    "Oh you are here! How is Felicia?" Mavis asked gently. All the daughters of the Chu n should live for


    the glory of the n, and she did not want either Harper or Felicia to be hurt.


    "The physician found this wasn''t an allergy, but instead, someone poisoned her." Speaking of this, Sue


    pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the corner of her eye. "I wonder who was heartless enough to


    poison Felicia. The person wanted to kill Felicia."


    "Oh my God! Mother, didn''t you say Felicia was allergic to lotus seeds? Why was she poisoned?"


    Harper was surprised. "I know some medical skills. If you don''t mind, let me treat her."


    "No!" Sue snorted. "Felicia''s face is already disfigured. Do you want to drug her again?"


    Shocked, Harper hurried to kneel down. "What are you talking about, Mother? How would I poison my


    sister? I know I am not your biological daughter, but I wouldn''t do such a thing."


    "You wouldn''t? If it wasn''t you, then who else could have done it? You poisoned Felicia to take revenge


    for her engagement to His Highness. You figured disfiguring her face would keep His Highness from


    marrying her. Harper, how vicious you are!" Just thinking about her daughter''s condition broke Sue''s


    heart. Had she known this earlier, she would have done her best to keep Harper away from her. ''How I


    wish I could have protected my daughter from this wretched woman!'' she wondered with sadness.


    "Grandma, I didn''t do it. Although I had been engaged to His Highness from childhood, he only loves


    Felicia. I''m not a person who likes to ruin the rtionship of a loving couple. And I have decided..."


    Harper paused for a while and added, "Grandma, I really didn''t do it!"

 Chapter 22 An Exclusive Kitchen (Part Two)

    Chapter 22 An Exclusive Kitchen (Part Two)


    "I can''t believe you have the audacity to deny it. If you didn''t do that, then who did it?" Sue wouldn''t buy


    anything that Harper said. Just when this drama was going on, Carrie, one of Charles'' concubines,


    arrived with her daughter Yvonne to visit Mavis. She remained silent and watched the spectacle


    happening before her. Thest thing she wanted was to irritate Sue. She had witnessed how sinister


    Sue could be, but she enjoyed it since it was against Harper.


    "Mother, Felicia didn''t do anything wrong to me. Why would I do such an awful thing to her? If anything,


    it was His Highness who broke off the engagement. It genuinely has nothing to do with Felicia. As a


    member of the Chu n, I too feel honored to see Felicia marry into Prince Kevin''s mansion. I wouldn''t


    even think of doing anything that is against our n!" Tears began to slide down from Harper''s eyes.


    "Aren''t you satisfied even after I gave up my marriage? What do you expect of me? Do you wish for me


    to end my life?"


    "Keep your lies to yourself. It is you¡ª"


    "Enough!" Mavis pounded the table angrily. "You failed to take good care of Felicia. And now, you are


    hell-bent on shifting all the me onto Harper. Sue Wang, I have to tell you, Harper wouldn''t marry His


    Highness, and she had no reason to drug Felicia. If you think it''s too tiring to manage the mansion,


    there are many people who can take charge of it."


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    With a pale face, Sue quickly knelt down and said, "I dare not, Mother."


    "I always thought you were a sensible woman. Charles should have told you to keep your dirty tricks


    away. If you can''t manage the mansion well, then you have to remember that a lot of people in the


    mansion would be more than happy to rece you!" Mavis was annoyed by Sue. ording to her,


    Harper used to be domineering, but now she had slowly managed to get a good personality. In fact,


    under Mary''s guidance, she had be much more dignified and elegant. If everything went smoothly,


    she would eventually be the emperor''s concubine. But listening to Sue, Mavis worried her ns would


    fail. ''No, there is no way I will let Sue damage this, '' she thought with strong determination.


    "I''m so sorry, Mother." Sue hurriedly admitted her fault. But in her heart, she wouldn''t forgive Harper for


    what she had done. She would make her pay for it, no matter what. However, seeing that Mavis was


    determined to protect Harper, she gnashed her teeth in hatred.


    "Now that you know you are wrong, you should go back and take good care of Felicia. She wille of


    age in two months. If she is seriously ill, you need to call an imperial physician to check on her. A girl''s


    beauty is of the utmost importance, so don''t be silly," Mavis said in a softened tone when she heard


    Sue''s apology. She herself was worried about Felicia''s face, but it wasn''t right for Sue to nder


    others.


    "I know, Mother."


    "Harper."


    "Yes, Grandma," Harper responded, sounding sad. "Please don''t me Mother. She was just worried


    about Felicia. In this panic, she probably spoke without thinking. Please be kind enough to forgive her."


    Hearing this, Sue had an urge to p Harper. Harper had stabbed her yet she feigned innocence.


    However, because of Mavis, she had to hide her emotions. On top of that, Charles wanted to send her


    into the Imperial Pce. Therefore, there was no way for Sue to harm her.


    "Did you hear that, Sue? You are almost in your middle age, yet you behave so recklessly. This


    sensible girl should knock some sense into you!" Mavis said in a reproachful tone. "Now go back to


    look after Felicia. And also, arrange an exclusive kitchen for Harper. From now on, her diet will be


    made exclusively from this kitchen."


    "Mother, it''s inappropriate." Sue was anxious. If Harper had dinner cooked by her exclusive kitchen, it


    would make it nearly impossible for Sue to add something in her food.


    "Enough!" Mavis cast a disdainful nce at Sue. "Harper is the daughter of Charles'' legal wife. It''s


    proper for her to have an exclusive kitchen. This matter is settled and I don''t wish to have any further


    conversation about it."


    "But Mother, even Hailey¡ª"


    "Thank you, Grandma!" Harper interrupted Sue and bowed down her head. It would indeed be very


    beneficial for her to have a kitchen of her own. Lately, she had detected adulteration in her food. An


    exclusive kitchen was something she had always wanted to ask for. The fact Mavis mentioned it filled


    her with happiness. ''Now I won''t have to broach this topic to her!'' she thought with a sigh of relief.


    Mavis smiled at Harper lovingly. Sue had been in charge of the domestic affairs of the mansion, but


    today her words were being ignored. Mavis was worried that Sue would poison Harper''s food. Although


    Harper knew about medicine, she could be careless sometimes. Having a separate kitchen was the


    best way to prevent others from meddling with her food.


    "With this kitchen, it will be convenient for you to eat whatever you want. And if you have an urge to try


    something delicious, just tell the cook to cook it for you. Don''t ever hesitate from asking anything. After


    all, you are the daughter of Charles'' legal wife. If you don''t have enough money, all you have to do is


    ask," Mavis said this in front of Sue. The hint that she had mistreated Harper left her feeling humiliated.


    She hade here toin about Harper, but her ns had backfired.


    "Yes, Grandma. I''ll keep that in mind."


    "Alright, I''m extremely tired. All of you should leave now."


    "Goodbye, Mother."


    "Goodbye, Grandma."

 Chapter 23 Take You As My Concubine

    Chapter 23 Take You As My Concubine


    Aftering out of Peony House where Mavis lived, Sue cast a resentful nce before leaving. Carrie


    and Yvonne followed Harper and bowed to her in greeting.


    "Harper, it''s nice to see you," Carrie said.


    "Harper, nice to see you," Yvonne greeted.


    "Lady Carrie, Yvonne, you too." Harper moved to help Carrie up before striking up a conversation.


    "Yvonne has finallye of age. Do you have any ns for her now, Lady Carrie?"


    Carrie paled. She had been worried about Yvonne ever since she reached marriageable age. Carrie


    was a concubine, and her daughter Yvonne was not favored by Charles. What was worse, there was a


    higher chance of Sue controlling Yvonne''s marriage prospects. Carrie tried to live with her head down,


    afraid of offending Sue in anyway.


    "Not yet," Carried answered.


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    Harper nodded and the three walked side by side. "Yvonne, since you''re grown-up, you should make a


    n for yourself. Although you are the daughter of a concubine, our father is the prime minister of the


    country. Our n is much better than ordinary ns. Our sister Hailey has enough power after taking


    my position in Imperial Academy of Medicine. Felicia is engaged to His Highness. Our mother has been


    busy making preparations for Felicia''s wedding now, but I''m sure she will find a suitable husband for


    you after Felicia''s wedding."


    Carrie got alert. Harper had just said that to remind her that Sue wouldn''t interfere in their business


    now because she had the uing marriage of Felicia to fuss over. After the wedding, Sue would


    have enough time to deal with Carrie and Yvonne.


    "Thanks a lot for your advice, Harper."


    "Lady Carrie, you are wee." Harper took off a hairpin from her hair and put it on Yvonne''s head.


    "Yvonne, you are so beautiful. I''m sure you will find your Mr. Right soon."


    "Thank you, Harper," Yvonne answered humbly.


    Harper smiled and bid them goodbye. As they watched her leave, Carrie whispered to Yvonne, "Harper


    has changed, hasn''t she?"


    "Mother, what did you say?" Yvonne asked in confusion.


    Carrie smiled weirdly. "I''m afraid Sue can''t control everything in the Chu n mansion anymore in the


    future. Harper did not inspire fear when she was being aggressive. But now she is calm and a tough


    nut to crack."


    "Harper is the daughter of Father''s wife, and so do Hailey and Felicia," said Yvonne.


    "Humph!" Carrieughed scornfully. "Hailey and Felicia? Do they really think their mother is Charles''


    legal wife? Once a concubine, always a concubine. Sue may act like the hostess of the Chu n, but


    behind her jewels and silks she is still a concubine on the official records."


    "Mother, be careful! Anyone can be eavesdropping." Yvonne looked around uneasily. When she didn''t


    see anybody else, she heaved a sigh of relief and left with Carrie. Yvonne was worried. If word got out


    to Sue, who knew what havoc would Sue wreck on them?


    On the way back, Nina couldn''t help asking Harper, "My Lady, why did you tell Lady Carrie something


    like that?"


    "Nothing." Harper smiled. "Lady Carrie is a clever woman, and Yvonne is quite sensible."


    Sue, on the other hand, rushed back to take care of Felicia. She knew how powerful the poison was.


    Even though she had sent someone to look for the antidote, she had to be careful. Bad things came in


    session. And just then, Hansen''s presence was announced.


    "What brings you here, Your Highness?" Sue calmly greeted Hansen.


    "I haven''t seen Felicia for quite a long time. I thought I shoulde and visit her," Hansen said slowly.


    Visiting Felicia was just an excuse. He didn''t know why he came here. The thought came to him while


    he was on a walk. So he came in and imed that he wanted to see Felicia. "Is Felicia home?"


    Cold sweat dripped from Sue''s forehead. If Hansen saw what Felicia looked like now, he would cancel


    the marriage. She couldn''t let Hansen see Felicia now!


    "Felicia ate something wrong and had an allergic reaction. The physician said that she should stay in


    some ce without light and wind before the symptoms dissipate. Your Highness, she would have


    been more than happy to meet you today, but her condition is very critical. Please forgive her." Sue


    tried to speak the right words to politely refuse Hansen from seeing Felicia.


    "Allergic? Is it serious? I''m going to see her." When Hansen heard what had happened, his need to see


    his fiancee red. Sue was shocked by his words and quickly tried to stop him.


    "Your Highness, her face is covered in a rash. I''m sure she would be very happy to know you came to


    see her. But she wouldn''t want you to see her in this condition. She hopes you would only see her


    pretty face all the time," Sue said with a forced smile. "Your Highness, Harper said she missed you so


    much."


    Sue intentionally dropped Harper''s name. Hansen hated Harper very much. Every time her name was


    mentioned around him, his mood soured and his face crumpled in displeasure. As expected, his face


    changed, but it was not a resentful expression, but aplicated one.


    "Oh, she still misses me!" Hanson''s words sounded meaningful. Hearing that, Sue took it as a sign of


    his aversion to Harper.


    "Right. After all, Harper and Felicia are sisters, and then you decide to marry Felicia now. Harper can''t


    help but feel wronged and sad. She always makes things difficult for Felicia. She is the daughter of


    Charles''te wife, and I, as her stepmother, can''t favor my daughter." Sue took out a handkerchief and


    pretended to wipe her eyes dramatically. "Your Highness, why don''t you go to see Harper?"


    "Well, okay. Let me see how arrogant she is now!" To Sue''s relief, he stood up and went to find Harper.


    He was familiar with theyout of the mansion and knew which side was Harper''s house.


    Sue looked at Hansen''s retreating figure and grinned. ''Harper, do you think I will let you go after you


    harmed Felicia? Although I can''t punish you in a direct way, it doesn''t mean that I won''t allow others to


    do the dirty work for me.''


    While Hansen was on his way to see Harper, he bumped into Yvonne. She screamed and was about to


    fall to the ground. But before her back hit the ground, he reached his hands out and caught her. At the


    back of his mind, he marveled at how soft and smooth her skin was.


    With shyness all over her face, Yvonne said softly, "Your Highness, Thank you. You can let go of me


    now. Ah..."


    Quickly, Hansen put forth more strength and pulled Yvonne into his arms. Without hiding it, he took a


    whiff of her scent from her neck and said, "Beauty, you smell good."


    Yvonne''s face became redder. She looked like amppost in the evening, all glowing and adorable. Her


    fragrance was subtle, as he breathed the air. Hansen felt desire stir within him with her in his arms.


    Something in him urged to cherish her.


    Hansen tilted Yvonne''s chin and asked, "What''s your name?"


    "I..." Blushed, Yvonne turned her face away. She tried to get rid of him, but in fact, she enjoyed being


    hugged by him. She opened her mouth and stammered "I am... Yvonne Chu."


    "Are you one of Charles'' daughters?" Hansen''s hands on her waist tightened. Her entire body clung to


    him.


    "I''m the daughter of Father''s concubine."


    "All right, a concubine''s daughter." Desire red in his eyes. "I will take you as my concubine!"


    At his pronouncement, he dragged Yvonne and hid behind the rockndscape next to them. There


    were usually few people walking through this area, and Yvonne had already sent away the maids.


    Unbeknownst to Hansen, she had nned the encounter here on purpose. The two hid behind the


    rockery and passionately made out without anyone noticing.


    Sue had been waiting for Harper toe andin after Hansen made trouble for her. Time


    passed and still, there was no crying from Harper. Fortunately for Yvonne to get the chance, Sue''s


    attention was diverted by Felicia making a scene because of her disfigurement.


    Hansen was indeed satisfied with himself after making out with Yvonne. A quick tumble with her made


    him forget the reason why he was in the backyard of the Chu n mansion in the beginning. It was not


    until he saw Harper that he realized his real purpose.


    "Harper Chu."


    Harper frowned, but didn''t say anything rude in return. "Greetings, Your Highness."


    Noticing the obedient Harper, Hansen moved forward. She made a step back as he continued to close


    in on her. Dissatisfied, he grabbed her arm and said, "Didn''t you miss me? Why are you acting so shy


    now, like the other women? Do you want to y hard to get?"


    Harper didn''t intend to talk with him in the first ce. On hearing his words, she sneered. "You think too


    highly of yourself, Your Highness. You abandoned me. So I''m within my right to treat you as a piece of


    trash that you truly are."


    "Harper Chu, how dare you!" Hansen was furious. No woman had ever disrespected and said no to


    him.


    With a slight force, Harper broke free from his control. "Your Highness, please behave yourself. I''m a


    daughter of the prime minister, and I''m aware of the sense of propriety. You were my fiance before, and


    I could be obedient to you then. But now, you''re nothing to me."


    "Harper Chu!" Hansen raised his hand and was about to p her. But before he could do so, she


    pped him back across his face. "You owe me this. We''re done!"


    "How dare you lift a hand against me!"


    Harperughed coldly. "What''s the big deal? I was so nice to you in the past because you were my


    fiance, but now you''re nothing to me. Don''t even expect that I''ll continue to bow down to you. Hansen


    Jun, wake up. Don''t even think about offending me, or I''ll make you suffer one day."


    "Are you threatening me?" Hansen didn''t dare to move. The silver needle in Harper''s hand itched to


    stab into his neck and take his life.


    "It''s a warning, not a threat!" There was no emotion in Harper''s cold voice. "I have died once, so I am


    beyond fear now. If you annoy me, I won''t mind ruining both of us."


    Hansen looked at Harper''s straight face. It finally clicked on him. She didn''t care about him anymore.


    She would never stay beside him and call his name in the softest voice. She would never fight with


    other women for him. From now on, he was just another stranger to her.

 Chapter 24 Making Money

    Chapter 24 Making Money


    The thought of being aplete stranger to Harper flustered and saddened Hansen. He worked up his


    nerve and grabbed her wrist to ask, "Tell me, have you fallen in love with another man?"


    There was disgust in Harper''s gaze as she red at him. She poked the needle into the back of his


    hand that had him loosen his grip. Hansen was furious at how dare this woman fall in love with another


    man in such a short time.


    "My business has nothing to do with you, Your Highness. You better care more about my sister Felicia


    than minding my business. After all, she''s your fiancee. Besides, please show me some respect when


    you see me in the future. If you dare to be so rude next time, I''ll prick that part of your body instead of


    your hand with my needle." With a quick sinister nce at Hansen''s lower body, Harper added, "With


    this needle, you won''t be able to have fun with any other woman, Your Highness."


    "Shame on you! You''re a girl! How can you say that?"


    Without even a nce at him, Harper left quickly. When Hansen tried to catch up with her and rify


    things, Yvonne came out from behind the rockery. Although she had straightened her clothes, there


    were still some traces.


    Yvonne didn''t expect Harper to be there and her face turned pale. "Err... Harper?"


    The expression on Hansen''s face changed, and Harper didn''t miss it after she raked down her eyes on


    Yvonne''s clothes. A sly smile appeared on her lips, and she left without saying another word.


    The both of them had a feeling that Harper spotted a wrong. Hansen left quickly and left behind a


    frightened Yvonne alone to suffer.


    Hansen had left angrily, and Sue had been busy treating Felicia. While it was rare for Harper to have


    days of peace, she was bored of staying at home every day.


    "Nina, change your clothes and let''s go out."


    "Go out?" The order made Nina a little scared. "My Lady, your father forbids you from going out."


    "When did he say that he wouldn''t let me go out?" Harper raised her eyebrows. "I haven''t heard that


    from him since I came back from the country house. Let''s go."


    "Yes, My Lady."


    The both of them changed into men''s suits and left the mansion. A very embarrassed Nina said, "My


    La... My Lord, is it okay that we came out like this?"


    "If we didn''te out like this, we would be recognized as soon as we left." Harper''s fan was knocked


    on Nina''s head. "If we want to cover up our true identities, we should sneak out. Don''t you feel bored


    staying at home all day long? What''s more, we''re always be under others'' control in the mansion. We


    need to have a way out."


    "My Lord, what are you talking about?"


    "I mean we''re short of money. We should find a ce to make money!"


    "Money? Where can we make money?" asked Nina curiously.


    Harper thought for a while and then said, "Let''s go to a gambling house."


    "What?" A loud shout came from Nina. "A gambling house? No!"


    A palm pped over Nina''s mouth as Harper hurriedly shushed her. "Why are you yelling? My pocket


    money''s decreased. How can I pay you if I don''t go to a gambling house?"


    "But My Lord, if your father knows that you''ve been to a gambling house, he''ll break your leg!"


    "Who''ll ever know if we don''t tell anybody else?" Harper''s brows gently raised.


    "I..."


    "Well, don''t waste time. Come with me." Confidently leading Nina, Harper swaggered into thergest


    gambling house, Joy Club, in the imperial capital. Gambling houses were usually ces to make


    people very rich or very poor overnight. Some people were overjoyed, while some were disappointed.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Humph! I can''t believe that I have such bad luck today!" A young man with a flush face looked at the


    dealer, as he dropped plenty of silver on the table. "I bet on the small number!"


    "Sir, you''ve always bet on the small number today and lost every time. Don''t you want to change?" The


    dealer offered with a smile.


    "No! I bet on the small!" the young man shouted angrily. He was too unlucky today and kept losing ever


    since he started gambling, which was annoying him.


    "My Lord, let''s go back. This isn''t a ce we shoulde in." There were tears in Nina''s eyes. If Mavis


    knew that she took Harper to a gambling house, she would definitely sell her.


    Harper just smiled at her with raised eyebrows. "We''ll go back sooner orter, but I won''t return without


    anything. Wait next to me."


    Casually making her way through the crowd, Harper whispered in the young man''s ear. The man''s


    mouth twitched and he frowned in hesitation, but he eventually waved his sleeve and slipped


    something into Harper''s waiting hand. She smiled and slipped in the crowd to hide.


    "My Lord, you''ve lost a lot. You''d better go home now. If your father knows that you''re in a gambling


    house again, he''ll beat you to death!" The young man''s manservant couldn''t help but dissuade him.


    "No, I have to win once today!" said the young man as he shook off his manservant''s hand and


    pounded a jade pendant from his waist on the table. "This is worth 1, 000 taels of silver. Can I make a


    bet with it?"


    "There''s nothing that can''t be gambled in the gambling house!" The young man looked like a moving


    and waving treasure house filled with silver to the dealer.


    "I still bet on the small!"


    "Sir, you''re very unlucky today. How about a change? I don''t think you should bet on the small


    anymore." The dealer smiled at him.


    "Cut the crap! I just bet on the small. Hurry up. I don''t believe I''ll lose all the time!"


    The dealer grinned and announced the result. "Four, four, six, it''s big. Sir, you lost again."


    The dealer happily took his jade pendant, but was stunned at a folded bank note owned by a bettor that


    bet on the big number. "This is...?"


    "Mine." A huge smile was on Harper''s lips. "10, 000 taels of silver, I''ve bet on the big."


    While the dealer''s face darkened because he didn''t want to give the bettor 10, 000 taels of silver, the


    public was watching and he couldn''t deny it. So the dealer had to ask someone to take out a bank note


    of 10, 000 taels of silver, and gave it to Harper. After she happily took the bank note, she turned to


    leave.


    "Stop! What? Do you want to just leave after you win?" The dealer was angry.


    The words made Harper stop in her tracks and turn around. "Are you telling me the yers can only


    lose in the gambling house?"


    "Who set that rules? yers are only allowed to lose and can''t win?" The young man jumped on it


    immediately. "So Joy Club can''t afford to lose?"


    "No, that''s not what I meant. Sir, you have such good luck today. Aren''t you going to put a bet again?"


    "I''m not going to bet again. A person shouldn''t be too greedy. It''s enough to win 10, 000 taels of silver,"


    said Harper with a smile.


    The dealer narrowed his eyes and said, "Sir, I think you should give it another try."


    "Well...let me make another bet." She returned to the table and ced down a tael of silver. "I''ll bet on


    the big again."


    When he saw the silver, the dealer went mad. Even if they yed till the night, the dealer wouldn''t be


    able to win back the 10, 000 taels of silver Harper had won.


    "Sir, are you fooling me?" the dealer asked coldly.


    "Fooling you?" Harper chuckled. "You cheated this man out of his money and now you want to trick


    me?"


    The words made the dealer''s face turn ghostly pale. He cursed, "Don''t speak nonsense. When did I


    cheat? You''re ndering the reputation of our Joy Club. Are you here to pick a fight? Who the hell''s are


    you? How dare you make trouble in Joy Club! Somebody,e here! Arrest him! He''s cheating!"


    "My Lord, what should we do now?" Nina panicked. When the guards surrounded them, Nina trembled


    like a leaf until the young man strode forward and grabbed the dealer. "How dare you swindle me? Do


    you know who I am?"


    "Sir, don''t listen to that toy boy''s nonsense. I didn''t cheat! You''ll have a bad time if you make trouble in


    Joy Club. Do you know the boss behind it?"


    The dealer''s words made Harper frown. "What? Not only did you cheat but you''re also oppressing us


    with your power? Actually, I''d like to know. ording to thews, officials aren''t allowed to open


    gambling houses and brothels. So...can you tell me who''s behind you?"


    "Err..." The dealer looked away. "No matter if we have somebody behind us or not, we won''t cheat."


    "We''ll know whether that''s true or not after the test," Harper concluded. A guard was pushed away as


    Harper grabbed a dice and handed it over to the young man with a bright smile. "You''ve always been


    ying dice, so I''m sure you''ll know what''s going on at just a nce."


    The young man weighed the dice in his hand and pinched it only to find that it was empty. The dealer''s


    face turned pale with fear. "Damn you! How dare you lie to me! I''ll beat you to death!" the young man


    roared.


    "Stop it, Your Highness." The manservant spoke up when he saw that his young master, Carlson Jun,


    was fighting with others. His words made the guards realize that the young man was from the imperial


    family, so they didn''t dare move.


    The gamblers who had lost money here made a fuss and wanted to take back their money when they


    saw the cheat of Joy Club. The whole gambling house became a mess in just a snap.


    "Stop!" A roar of a man echoed and made everyone pause, except for Carlson Jun, who continued


    beating up others. The man flew downstairs and dragged Carlson Jun away.


    "You bastard! Release me or I''ll ask my father to destroy your Joy Club!"


    "Your Highness, please don''t be angry. There''s such a bastard in Joy Club. We''ll surely give an


    exnation to everybody. Please calm down." The man released him and nced at Harper before he


    looked at the dealer who had been cheating.


    "This bastard ruined the reputation of Joy Club. Break off his arm and drive him away!" At the order,


    someone stepped forward and pressed down the dealer to cut his arm off with a knife. Fresh blood


    sshed everywhere and Harper took a few steps back. She hid herself behind the door and quietly


    left. It was better to leave first.

 Chapter 25 I Had A Poor Family

    Chapter 25 I Had A Poor Family


    It would have saved Harper so much trouble if she managed to run away secretly, but she was


    unexpectedly stopped by the young man.


    "You''re so mean. How could you leave me alone and run away?" Carlson was angry.


    "I''m just afraid that people from the Joy Club would take revenge on me. You''re from the imperial


    family, and they wouldn''t dare hurt you. They have a strong background, so I wouldn''t dare go against


    them when I''m just a nobody."


    "But you still did it. I''m not afraid of anyone in the Joy Club unless they have the support of His


    Majesty!" Carlson boasted. "But if it weren''t for you, I would have been tricked. I can''t believe those


    bastards set a trap for me."


    "You''re wee. I was just short on money. Why don''t you invite me to dinner to thank me?"


    Harper replied frankly. Carlson studied Harper, who looked obsessed with money. "Are youcking


    money?"


    "I''m short on money. My mother passed away a long time ago, and my stepmother''s cruel. She doesn''t


    give me any money. My father''s ipetent and doesn''t favor me. So, yes. I dock money."


    "Never mind. I''ll buy you something to eat since you''re so pitiful," Carlson sighed. ''His father must have


    a lot of concubines, '' he thought.


    "Thank you very much." A slight smile appeared on Harper''s lips. "Since it''s your treat, I won''t turn


    down."


    As the youngest son of Prince Allen, Carlson led a life of luxury and had been spoiled by his parents


    and brothers. He had never experienced what it was like being short of money. "I knew you''d say yes.


    By the way, my name''s Carlson Jun. What''s yours?"


    "Harrell Qin," Harper replied. Qin was herte mother''s surname.


    "Harrell. That''s a good name. Let''s go to the Spring Restaurant and have a good meal! By the way, tell


    me, how did you know that there was something wrong with the dices?" Without asking whether Harper


    wanted to go, Carlson started dragging her. Nina, Harper''s maid, and Porter, Carlson''s manservant,


    following after them. It angered Nina when she saw Carlson holding Harper''s arm, and she wanted to


    p his hand away. It was inappropriate for an unmarrieddy like Harper to be casually pulled around


    the street by a man.


    "Don''t worry. His Highness is a nice man!" When Porter noticed that Nina was worried about Harper


    being bullied, he reassured her.


    Nina, however, only gave Porter an angry nce and hurried after Harper.


    Once they entered the Spring Restaurant, they bumped into Hansen. "Oh, Carlson! Howe Uncle


    Allen let you out today?" Hansen sneered.


    "Why is there a stray dog barking here?" Carlson retorted. Apparently, they loathed each other.


    "Say that again! Carlson Jun!" It was clear that Hansen wanted to fight Carlson by the angry red on his


    face.


    "I''ll say it a thousand times!" Carlson sneered. "I despise people like you the most. You have done bad


    things, and yet you want to have a good reputation. I''ve never seen anyone as shameless as you in my


    entire life!"


    "Go to hell, Carlson Jun!" The scream echoed as Hansen stomped to Carlson with his fist raised.


    Harper kicked Carlson''s leg from behind, and he jolted, identally hitting Hansen''s stomach that


    made him fall to the floor.


    "Ha-ha! Hansen, I can''t believe you''d actually kneel down in front of me. I''m so ttered. Please get


    up." While Carlson didn''t understand what was happening, he found Hansen''s misfortune enjoyable.


    "Carlson Jun!" After he scrambled to his feet, Hansen lunged at Carlson. Carlson slightly dodged and


    kicked his bottom. Hansen then fell on the floor again, which made everyone in the Spring Restaurant


    laugh.


    The angry Hansen knew that he was no match for Carlson and he snapped, "Wait and see. I won''t let


    you off!"


    "Humph!" A snort left Carlson. "Do you really think I''m afraid of you? Show me what you get next time!


    I''ll wait for you! Harrell, let''s go!" Unaware that someone was watching them, Carlson dragged Harper


    to the second floor.


    The moment they stepped into a private booth, Carlson patted Harper on the back and said, "You do


    have some tricks up your sleeve!"


    "Now that I''m on your side, I won''t allow anyone to bully you. What''s more, I hate double-faced people!"


    Harper stated.


    "Yeah, let''s not talk about him. Tell me, how did you know something was wrong with the dices?"


    Carlson asked excitedly. He considered himself an expert with dices and cards, because he had been


    ying those things since he was a child. Although his father strongly disapproved of it, he still loved to


    y them. That was why he was so surprised that he didn''t realized that he was being fooled by the


    people in the Joy Club.


    Harper took four dices out of her pocket and said, "Look at these four dices. What''s the difference?"


    Carlson was silent as he looked at them and studied them carefully. Eventually he shook his head.


    "There''s nothing different."


    The answer made Harper smile, and she took two dices and ced them in a bowl. After she covered


    it with another bowl and shook them, a crisp sound came from it. She changed the dices and shook


    them again, the sound came out sharper. "Can you hear the differences?"


    "It sounds different."


    Harper nodded and mixed all the dices together again. "The sharp ones are faulty, and the crisp ones


    are normal. The club was loud so people with bad ears couldn''t hear the differences. They used the


    noise to cover it up since no one would pay attention to the sounds of the dices."


    "I see...Please give them to me. I''ll go home and study them carefully."


    "No problem." Harper nodded and handed over the dices. "Just y asionally. Don''t get too


    involved."


    "I know. You''re such a busybody!" Carlson picked some food for Harper. "Since you''re so good at


    gambling, do you still have any special skills up your sleeve?"


    Harper ate quietly and didn''t answer his question. As Carlson noticed the way she ate, he said,


    "Harrell, when you eat, you look just like those women in the Imperial Pce but you''re more graceful


    than them."


    "People put food first. When eating, you must behave yourself. Eating''s an art. If you''re forced to sit


    opposite a man who wolfs down the food and dirties the table, I''m sure that you will lose your appetite.


    Sometimes, the table manners aren''t only for self-cultivation but as well as to not disturb others,"


    Harper exined.


    "You have a lot of reasons!" Carlson propped one hand against his cheek and stared at Harper. "But


    you do look really good when you eat."


    There was only the slightest of twitch at the corners of Harper''s lips. "I have to go after the meal."


    "You''re leaving so early?" Carlson asked quizzically.


    "I want to do some small business so I want to see if there''s any good store. I want to buy it and make


    money so I won''t need to depend on others to make a living," Harper said seriously.


    "A store? Why don''t you ask me for help?" Carlson proudly patted his chest. "I definitely know the good


    stores in the city. I''ll take you there, and I guarantee you''ll be satisfied!"


    Harper''s eyes lit up. "I see. Thank you, Your Highness."


    "You''re wee. Let''s go, I''ll show you the stores." Carlson had always been decisive in doing what he


    wanted to do, so he toured Harper around to look at stores. They decided to choose a store in the


    northern part of the city.


    It was a two-story store. The original owner of the store wanted to sell it because the house was old


    and hard to maintain, and there was even a deed for thend. It was too good to be true, but Harper


    still hesitated because the price was a bit higher than she could afford.


    "What? You don''t have any money?" Carlson pounded at his chest. "It doesn''t matter, I''ll lend you


    some!"


    "It''s not ack of money. I just think 5, 000 taels of silver is a little expensive for this store." After a


    moment''s hesitation, Harper offered, "How about 3, 000? The house''s too old. The restoration of the


    store would cost me a fortune so 5, 000 is an extremely high price for me. Besides, it''s not a good


    location for a business. I want to open a herbal medicine store, that''s why I don''t care if the location is


    good or not."


    There was some hesitation on the owner''s part but he eventually agreed to sell for 3, 000 taels of silver.


    It made Harper smile when she got the deed for thend, because this was her own property from now


    on.


    "Why are you so happy to buy a bad house?" Disdain filled Carlson''s expression. "You want to open a


    herbal medicine shop, so you''re a physician?"


    Harper nodded. "Yes, but I won''t diagnose illness for normal people. The store will specialize in offering


    services to women."


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    "I don''t understand!"


    "Well, do you want to join me or not? Then the store will be under your protection. I''ll give you thirty


    percent of the profit. What do you think?" Harper said with a smile as she tried to tempt him.


    "You''re not going to lose money, right?"


    "Hey! What are you talking about?" Harperined. "I haven''t even started yet but you''re already


    bringing me down. Come on. Are you going to join me or not?"


    "All right. Since I''m a shareholder, should I give you money?" Carlson asked curiously.


    "You don''t need to give me money but I need your help!" A wicked smile shed through Harper''s face.


    "I guess I''ll have to ask Lady Casey a favor!"


    "My mother?"


    "Yes! I need her help. Would you please put in a good word for me?"


    "Sure, of course. My mother loves me the most. If I ask her, she''ll definitely help me. But will our store


    make money?" It was clear that Carlson didn''t believe her and thought that she was too weak to run a


    store all by herself. Harper''s gambling skills were great, but when she wanted to start a business, he


    doubted her.


    "Don''t look down on me. You''ll see. I''ll prove it to you!"

 Chapter 26 A Homicide Case (Part One)

    Chapter 26 A Homicide Case (Part One)


    It never urred to Harper that the whole thing would go so smoothly. She not only managed to raise


    10, 000 taels of silver, but she also bought a store. After her products were produced in batches, she


    would be able to sell them.


    "It''s time to go home," Harper offered.


    "It''s gettingte. We should go home now." Carlson was so drunk, and even Harper felt dizzy. After


    buying the store, they had gone to the tavern to celebrate with a few too many drinks.


    When the door of the tavern opened, Harper staggered and stumbled forward. Fortunately, Nina was


    there to catch and break her fall.


    "My Lord, are you okay?" Nina asked anxiously. If Charles heard about Harper being this drunk, he


    would get furious for sure. They had just been living a well-content life without anyone''s disturbance for


    just a few days. She was afraid that something bad would happen again and put an end to their


    peaceful life.


    "It''s okay. It''s okay. I drank too much today, so I won''t go back. Let''s check in at an inn!" Harper tried to


    come off as sure and confident, knowing that she was already too drunk to make the trek home. Aside


    from that, the chance of Sue finding out that she drank herself to oblivion would probably not be for the


    best. She might as well stay in an inn for one night and sneak back tomorrow morning without being


    noticed.


    "You want to stay in an inn tonight?" Nina asked in a loud voice. Upon hearing her exmation,


    Carlson immediately booked a well-suited room of the best inn in the Imperial Capital for her. Right


    after securing their booking, he left the pair alone with a satisfied grin on his face.


    Afraid that Anabel and other maids might get concerned about Harper''s situation, Nina quietly went


    back to the mansion. She informed them of Harper''s decision of staying at an inn tonight. She was


    worried someone might let slip out to Sue or Charles that Harper had gone out of the mansion.


    Harper stayed alone in the inn and slept soundly. In the middle of the night, a ruckus about someone


    getting murdered in the inn woke a lot of the inn''s guests, but not Harper. She slept soundly until a


    waiter came knocking at the door to wake her up.


    "What happened?" Harper rubbed her head and asked in confusion, still hung-over and groggy from


    being woken up from her sleep.


    "Mister, someone has been killed in the inn!"


    "Nonsense! I was asleep the whole night. How could I kill anyone? Maybe you killed whoever it was


    that gotten killed," Harper eximed, resting her hands on her hips.


    "No, mister, you have misunderstood me. I mean that a murder had just taken ce in the inn. There


    was no noise from your room, and I haven''t seen you since you checked in. I thought something


    happened to you, too. Constables have just arrived and want to see all of the guests, so pleasee


    down quickly," exined the waiter. Harper''s face slowly morphed into a furious one. The waiter


    couldn''t help but shiver in fear. Harper was Carlson''s friend. If he offended Harper, Carlson would


    certainly not let them go.


    Harper hadpletely sobered up. What a bad luck! If her identity was exposed, she would be in big


    trouble.


    Harper didn''t expect that even the constables woulde to investigate. If she was thrown into prison


    as a suspect, it would only take a few hours for Charles to know it. Even then Mavis wouldn''t be able to


    help her.


    Harper estimated the height of the window and calcted if she could escape sessfully. On second


    thought, she realized that if she ran away now, she would be suspected even more. It would not be


    difficult to find a person like her in the Imperial Capital. After weighing it over and over again, Harper


    gave up the idea of running away.


    After washing up and changing clothes, Harper went downstairs unhurriedly. The hall was crowded with


    people and the constables were asking people questions one by one. Harper breathed a sigh of relief


    after she found no familiar face in the crowd.


    Before she rxed, she heard, "His Highness has arrived."


    Harper hid in the crowd as quickly as possible. Although she had changed into male clothes and


    disguised her facial features in make-up, it was still possible that Matthew would recognize her. It would


    best for her not to risk it.


    Matthew was pushed into the inn in a wheelchair. The moment he came in, a hush fell into the crowd.


    All heads turned to look at him. He was the most eye-catching and also the most pitiful prince. He was


    considered a jinx who brought death to his fiancee, and he was disabled and unable to walk now.


    The crowd went down on their knees in front of him to show respect. "Good evening, Your Highness."


    "Rise, please." The next second, Matthew''s eyes fell on Harper. She went stiff as a board and felt cold


    sweat beading out. For a moment she thought he had found out her true identity. But he looked away


    immediately, and she felt relieved. With her disguise, she was confident enough that even Matthew


    couldn''t recognize her.


    "How is it going?"


    "Your Highness, the victim was a merchanting from the Western Regions. We believe he was


    killed by a person holding a dagger. ording to the waiter, the merchant carried arge amount of


    money with him. We can''t find the money now though," the leading constable answered.


    "So the murderer killed him for his money?" Matthew asked coldly.


    "I suppose so."


    "Have you examined the corpse?"


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    "No. The coroner has gone back to his hometown a few days ago, so no one can see to this task right


    now," the leading constable answered truthfully.


    Matthew nodded and shifted his eyes somewhere. Barry, who was standing behind him, walked into


    the crowd and threw a person in front of Matthew.


    Harperid on the floor, motionless. Matthew had found her. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have asked his


    man to bring her out from the crowd. But why did he single her out? Did he regret letting her go before


    and want to kill her now?


    "Get up! Do you need me to help you up?" Matthew''s stoic voice came. Harper froze in fear and


    immediately shot up from the floor.

 Chapter 27 A Homicide Case (Part Two)

    Chapter 27 A Homicide Case (Part Two)


    "My great pleasure to see you, Your Highness."


    "I want you to make an autopsy of the corpse."


    "What?" As if not catching his meaning, Harper looked at him with a confused look. "Your Highness,


    what are you talking about? I don''t think I heard you clearly."


    "I want you to make an autopsy of the corpse." There was no expression on Matthew''s face. His face


    was as cold as ice.


    And how could Harper say no to him? She didn''t have the right to disagree with authority. So she just


    moved forward and epted her fate. Soon, she found herself at the scene of the crime.


    Harper didn''t enter the room immediately. Instead, she carefully examined theyout of the room. The


    only sign of chaos was a stoolying on its side on the floor. The door and windows were intact. It


    seemed that no one had broken into the room.


    After that, she stepped into the room and began to carefully examine the body. The victim was a


    business man from the Western Regions, carrying a unique aromatic spice that only existed there. He


    died because the murderer had stabbed him in the chest. The murderer killed him with only one blow.


    And the victim had no signs of struggle.


    "I have checked the corpse, Your Highness." After inspection, Harper stood calmly beside Matthew.


    "What are your findings?"


    "The victim was about forty years old. He was killed by a man using a dagger. The murderer killed him


    in one blow, and he had no time to struggle. The door and windows were not broken by force. However,


    there was a fresh trace on one of the windows, which was caused by external force." Harper gave him


    all the information she had found out.


    Matthew fidgeted with his jade ring and asked, "What else?"


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    "Nothing." Harper shook his hands, as if she knew nothing else. Barry couldn''t help twitching of the


    corners of his mouth. ''His Highness has gone mad. But why is this guy going mad, too?'' he thought to


    himself in great confusion.


    Matthew nced at Harper and asked everyone present at the scene, "Who said that the merchant


    had brought arge amount of money with him?"


    "It''s me." The waiter trembled and came down onto his knees. "Last night when I brought food to his


    room, I unintentionally saw that he was packing his things. He dropped some of them on the floor. A lot


    of silver and gold spilled out, so I knew that he had brought a lot of money," he said.


    "Have you told anyone about it?" Matthew asked.


    "I... I..." The waiter scratched his head and thought carefully. "Well, I told the shopkeeper and Leo


    about this when we were chatting. But I swear that no one else knew about it," he exined.


    "Who is the shopkeeper?" Matthew said coldly.


    A middle-aged man knelt down in horror and said, "Your Highness, I am the shopkeeper."


    "Who is Leo?"


    "He is busy in the kitchen. Go and get him here." The shopkeeper wiped the cold sweat on his


    forehead and thought to himself, ''What the hell is going on? A murder case took ce in my inn, and


    even His Highness is here. Am I going to die for this?''


    Hearing that Matthew was looking for him, Leo tumbled out of the kitchen, scared out of his wits. He


    immediately knelt on the floor, trembling. "Your Highness, it''s my great honor to see you."


    "Have you been in the kitchen all the time?" Matthew asked in a low voice.


    "Yes. I have been in the kitchen all the time," replied Leo.


    "Who was on dutyst night?"


    "Me." Kneeling on the floor, Leo was so scared that he didn''t dare to look up.


    "Great, you were the one on dutyst night. Did you hear or see anything strange?"


    "Nothing. I didn''t hear or see anything."


    "Really?" Matthew said in a stern tone, his voice rising in volume. Leo shivered in fear.


    "Your Highness, I am telling the truth!"


    "Have you ever been to the merchant''s room?" Harper asked Leo unexpectedly.


    Leo looked up at Harper and shook his head desperately. "No, I haven''t. I can''t enter a guest''s room


    without their permission."


    "You are lying!" Harper grabbed his wrist. "If you hadn''t been in that guest''s room, how could your


    sleeve smell like the fragrance of the aromatic spice the victim was carrying?"


    "What?" As soon as he heard that, Leo smelled his sleeve, which indeed had a pleasant scent. His


    face turned pale at once. He rolled his eyes and said, "It was probably because I made contact with the


    guest yesterday morning."


    "Really?" Harper raised her eyebrows and smiled. "I think you panickedst night. Or why didn''t you


    check carefully that your sleeve was also stained with blood?"


    Thest trace of blood on Leo''s face disappeared when he saw the blood on his sleeve. He fell down to


    the floor, sweating in horror. "Please have mercy, Your Highness!"


    "Where is the stolen property?" Matthew asked directly.


    "I hid the money under the third green brick at the woodshed. Your Highness, my mother is seriously ill


    and I urgently need money to save her! That''s why I did such a terrible thing. Please forgive me," Leo


    cried out.


    "You murdered an innocent person. You havemitted a heinous crime. How dare you beg for mercy!


    You shall be beheaded ording to thew." Matthew held a murderous look on his face. He used to


    be a leading general, but now that he was disabled, the emperor made him in charge of things that


    were beyond the control of the official bureaus.


    "Your Highness, please spare me. I''m so sorry." After Leo was dragged out of the inn, Matthew gave a


    complicated look at Harper and left with his men. Since Harper had woke up drunk and groggy, she


    decided to go back to the Chu n mansion. Maybe she could still slip in undetected and get some


    decent rest.


    Harper didn''t get into the mansion through the gate. Instead, she climbed over the wall to go back. She


    changed back to her female clothes and went back to sleep.

 Chapter 28 A Head-on Blow (Part One)

    Chapter 28 A Head-on Blow (Part One)


    Just when Harper was about to fall asleep, she heard the mor outside. Not knowing what happened,


    she turned over and covered her head with the quilt, trying to sleep. Yet the outside noise continued to


    disrupt her sleep. Finally, she was forced to get up. She pushed the door open and yelled, "Why are


    you screaming so early in the morning? Mourning? I''m still alive!"


    In an instant, the courtyard fell silent. Ruby stared at Harper as if she had seen a ghost. It seemed that


    she did not expect Harper to be at home. And then, she even quickly nced at Enya.


    "My Lady, Nanny Ruby insisted oning in and said Lady Sue is waiting for you at her ce," Nina


    replied hurriedly.


    "Mother wants to see me?" Harper rolled her eyes upwards. "What''s up?"


    Ruby took a deep breath and calmed down before she replied, "Lady Sue said Lady Hailey would be


    back today. So she wants you to wait for her there, My Lady."


    "Nina, give her a p!" Harper looked at Nina and yelled out angrily. No sooner did Harper finish her


    words than Nina turned around and pped Ruby in the face. It happened so fast that Ruby could not


    even do anything for her self-defense. She was left aghast.


    "You bitch! How dare you hit me! Even Lady Sue has never hit me. How dare you! I''ll kill you!" Ruby


    red up in rage and rushed to retaliate with a fiercer blow on Nina.


    Harper sneered, "Nanny Ruby, I am surprised to see your audacity. I''m the daughter of Father''s legal


    wife. How dare you ask me to wait for a concubine''s daughter!"


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    Upon hearing this, Ruby retorted immediately, "My Lady, you''re the daughter of Prime Minister Charles''


    wife, but so is Lady Hailey. Moreover, she is working at the Imperial Academy of Medicine. It''s normal


    for you to greet your sister!"


    "Huh? Are you insane?" Harper smirked at Ruby. "Nanny Ruby, don''t you know thews of the


    country? Once a concubine, always a concubine. Even though my father honored Lady Sue to be the


    hostess, she is still a concubine on the official records. And since she is a concubine, Hailey is a


    concubine''s daughter. You want to vite thew?"


    Ruby was left dumbfounded in front of the strong logic given by Harper. Her face turned pale as she


    looked at Harper, who was standing in the attic with a frozen expression on her face. Ruby opened her


    mouth to say something, but couldn''t utter a single word to refute her. What Harper said was true. And


    it was also true that Sue was a concubine even though Charles treated her as a wife. In this country,


    the stature and respect that were given to the wife could never be given to a concubine. Thews


    aimed at protecting the status of the wife and her children.


    "My Lady, aren''t you afraid that you might offend Lady Sue by saying that?" Ruby gritted her teeth and


    asked vengefully.


    Harper turned to Ruby at once and said coldly, "Nina, give her twenty ps to teach her a lesson.


    Nanny Ruby needs to learn how to respect me. My father is the prime minister of the country and


    knows thews very well. And I am sure he can''t ept such an unreasonable and uncourteous


    nanny. Mother manages the mansion because my father thinks highly of her. But she might not be


    aware that this old maid just pretends toply on the face but opposes in the heart. She doesn''t


    respect me!"


    "Yes, My Lady." Ruby was appalled by Harper''s words. Though she wanted to resist, she ended up


    standing like a stone as Nina approached her.


    "Nanny Ruby, you''d better not run. Otherwise, if I go to the Ministry of Rites and use Lady Sue, a


    concubine, of abusing me, and ask Father to marry a legal wife, do you think Lady Sue will let you go?"


    Nina used both of her hands to p Ruby in the face twenty times. Ruby stood there with her face


    completely swollen up. Harper changed her clothes and came out of her room. She cast a nce at


    Ruby, who was standing in front of her with blood oozing from the corner of her lips. Harper then patted


    Nina''s shoulder and said, "Let''s go to Peony House to visit to Grandma."


    As soon as Harper left, Ruby''s eyes were zing with hatred. She had been Sue''s wet nurse. In all


    these years, no one ever dared to show disrespect to her, but Harper even had the nerve to humiliate


    her like that!


    Anabel nced at Ruby and said, "Enya, Elsie, why don''t you see Nanny Ruby off? Lady Harper will


    come back for breakfast very soon. It''s time to prepare the meal."


    Enya and Elsie exchanged looks with each other and said, "Nanny Ruby, please."


    Ruby rolled her eyes at Enya. She got to her feet and staggered out of the yard. After she got out, she


    gave a ferocious nce at the Emerald House. ''Harper, wait and see. You will pay for what you have


    done to me today, '' she cursed inwardly before leaving the ce.


    Harper reached the Peony House earlier than usual. Mavis hadn''t woken up yet. Harper entered the


    bedroom and helped Mavis get up.


    "What makes youe here so early today?" Mavis asked Harper curiously.


    "I couldn''t fall asleep, so I got up early. Then I came to see you, Grandma."


    "It is not that Lady Harper couldn''t fall asleep. It''s because of someone..." Nina started to exin.


    "Shut up!" Harper stopped Nina. She then turned to Mavis and said, "Grandma, this girl is too blunt.


    Please don''t listen to her."


    "Tell me, what happened?" Mavis looked at Nina and urged.


    "My Lady, Lady Sue''s wet nurse Ruby broke into the Emerald House even before the sunrise. She


    asked Lady Harper to get up immediately and wait at gate for Lady Hailey. She said Lady Hailey was a


    daughter of Prime Minister Charles'' wife and working in Imperial Academy of Medicine, so Lady Harper


    should greet her at the door. Lady Harper argued with Nanny Ruby. Then she insulted Lady Harper and


    called her bitch. Lady Harper was so angry that she asked me to p her."


    Nina walked on her knees towards Mavis. "My Lady, please help Lady Harper. She is the daughter of


    Prime Minister Charles'' legal wife. Even a nanny can insult her like this! It''s unfair to her."


    "Nina, Nanny Ruby was the wet nurse of Mother and gained her respect. She stands for Mother.


    Mother loves Hailey a lot. It''s only too normal for her to ask me to wee Hailey," Harper reproached


    Nina. "Grandma, please don''t pay attention to what Nina said just now. Hailey is working hard. She is


    earning glory for our n. Naturally, Mother loves her so much."


    "Humph! Does she think she is Charles'' wife?" Mavis snorted. She was willing to turn a blind eye to


    everything only because her son liked that woman. She had said that Harper would be the emperor''s


    concubine, but Sue still didn''t learn how to behave. Mavis really loathed Sue!


    "Grandma, what are you talking about? Mother is the hostess of the n, and it''s natural for her to


    manage the household affairs. It''s just that Hailey is now working in Imperial Academy of Medicine and


    serving the distinguisheddies in the Imperial Pce. Why does shee back today?" Harper


    asked, looking confused.


    Mavis thought of Hailey, and immediately the stern expression on her face gave way to a more


    mellowed and soft look. "Maybe she misses home."


    "All right. Even I haven''t seen Hailey for a long time. I don''t know how she is doing at Imperial Academy


    of Medicine. I hope she has not been bullied by anybody," Harper observed with an anxious look on her


    face.

 Chapter 29 A Head-on Blow (Part Two)

    Chapter 29 A Head-on Blow (Part Two)


    "Don''t worry about that. No one can bully Hailey." Mavis patted on Harper''s hand softly with a confident


    smile on her face. They had sent Hailey to Imperial Academy of Medicine to acquire knowledge and


    upgrade herself. They wanted to make Hailey absolutely suitable and up to the mark in every way


    before she would marry the crown prince in the future.


    "Right," Harper agreed. Then she helped Mavis out of the bedroom. Just after Mavis washed her face,


    Sue came with Ruby. She didn''t look angry.


    "Good morning, Mother," Sue greeted Mavis.


    "I heard Hailey woulde back today?" Mavis took a cup of tea from Harper and took a sip from it.


    "Yes, Mother. Hailey wrote to say that she had been missing us and woulde back to live with us for


    a few days." Sue knelt on the floor to show her regards to Mavis.


    "Where is Felicia?"


    "Felicia''s rash hasn''t recovered yet. The doctor advised her to stay indoor asing in contact with the


    wind may aggravate her skin condition. So she couldn''te to see you. Please forgive her, Mother."


    Just then, several concubines came in with Yvonne and Alexandra to pay respects to Mavis.


    "Good morning, Mother."


    "Get up, all of you." Mavis intended to make things difficult for Sue, but she didn''t want to embarrass


    her in front of the other concubines, so she asked Sue to get up as well.


    "Good morning, Lady Sue, Harper," the concubines greeted.


    "Good morning," Sue said in a displeased tone casting a nce at Yvonne.


    Yvonne flinched. Carrie instantly dragged Yvonne behind her, afraid that Sue would do something to


    her daughter. Alexandra had been hiding behind Joey all the time. She was so timid that almost no one


    noticed her.


    Harper sat beside Mavis, ying with the tassel on her jade pendant quietly as if she saw nothing.


    Mavis uttered a few words and asked them to leave. Even Harper prepared to go away as the others


    left. She had already conveyed what she had to say to Mavis.


    "Harper, wait." Just as Harper was about to leave, Sue stopped her.


    "Mother, what can I do for you?" Harper stopped and asked, looking perplexed.


    "Come in," Sue said and gestured for Ruby toe in. Hearing Sue''s words, Ruby came in from the


    outside, with a miserable face and even messy hair.


    "Oh my God, Mother, how could you be so cruel? Nanny Ruby offended me. So I have punished her


    slightly. Why did you beat her like this?" Harper cried out in shock.


    "Stop this nonsense!" Sue burst into fury. "I sent Ruby to invite you to have breakfast. You hit her in this


    way, and now you are putting the me on me? Mother, can you see this? Harper is bing more


    and more unreasonable. Ruby was my wet nurse and entered the mansion with me when I got married.


    Over the years, she has served our family and earned respect from everyone. She has a different


    status from the ordinary maids. But Harper has beaten her so ruthlessly. She is so vicious at such a


    young age. What would she do in the future?"


    "Grandma, I didn''t." Harper shook her head in denial with an innocent face.


    "Oh! You didn''t? Then how did she get injured in this way? Did she beat herself?" Sue asked angrily.


    Harper walked towards Ruby. Ruby looked so frightened that she trembled. "Nanny Ruby, did I beat


    you?"


    "It was Lady Harper who asked Nina to hit me," Ruby said. "My Lady, I have been working for Lady Sue


    for several decades. This morning, Lady Sue thought that since Lady Hailey woulde back, it would


    be a good idea for them to have breakfast together. So she told me to invite Lady Harper to have


    breakfast with her. Unexpectedly, Lady Harper not only ignored her kindness but also beat me. Lady


    Harper said Lady Sue was just a concubine and had no right to have breakfast with her."


    Mavis squinted her eyes and looked at Harper. After all, Harper had been arrogant before, and she


    could have beaten somebody.


    Harper took Nina''s hand and put it on Ruby''s face. "Ouch, Nina, what''s wrong with your hand? The


    injury on Nanny Ruby''s face is wider than your palm. Why?"


    Both Sue and Ruby were left dumbfounded by Harper''s words. But before they could counter reply,


    Harper pulled Ruby''s hand and ced it on her face, saying, "Hey, Grandma, look! The injury on


    Nanny Ruby''s face is almost the same as her hand. Maybe the p made her face swollen, and it even


    made her hand swollen as well. Right?"


    "You bastard!" Sue blurted as she hurled a p in Ruby''s face. "How dare you frame Harper!"


    "I''m so sorry. I was just so angry at Lady Harper. She showed disrespect to you. Please forgive me, My


    Lady," Ruby said hurriedly.


    "Humph! You have even lied to Mother. I can''t save you now. You may plead with Mother for mercy!"


    Sue tipped Ruby a wink. Ruby immediately kowtowed to beg for mercy.


    However, Mavis was not so coy to judge the situation in such a superficial way. It was self-injury


    inflicted by Sue and Ruby to win her trust. Mavis looked at Harper, and said, "It''s not too much to kill a


    contriving servant who dares to frame ady of the n..."


    "Mother, Ruby has taken such a rash action without even thinking about it. I will certainly punish her


    severely. Please spare her life. Harper, it''s my fault. I have heard the false statement of this old woman.


    I thought it was you who has beaten her. Forgive me." Sue got a little anxious. Ruby was a supportive


    maid who had served her for years. If she was gone, it would be a big loss for her.


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Harper walked to Mavis, took her hand and said, "Grandma, Nanny Ruby was Mother''s wet nurse and


    they love each other. It''s not a big deal. Please forgive her."


    "Humph! Such an evil servant who dares to frame you today can even try to frame another one


    tomorrow. It''s futile to keep her!"


    "Grandma, Hailey wille back today. If she finds that Nanny Ruby has been expelled, she might


    be unhappy and think we don''t wee her back because as soon as shees back, you deal


    with Mother''s servant. Won''t it embarrass Mother and Hailey? Since Mother said that she would teach


    Nanny Ruby well, then please spare her," Harper held Mavis'' hand and said in a soft voice.


    "You are too soft-hearted, Harper!" Mavis patted Harper''s hand. "She may escape from death, but I


    can''t let go of her without punishing her. Flog her soundly. It would also set an example for others."


    "Thank you, Grandma."


    Sue gnashed her teeth. She had meant to set up a trap for Harper so she could bring Harper''s


    arrogance in front of Mavis. She wanted to prove how self-centered and domineering Harper was. She


    wanted to let Mavis know if Harper became the emperor''s concubine, she would certainly cause


    trouble. It would be a disaster if she brought trouble to the n. But unexpectedly, Harper was smart


    and solved the problem with only a few words!


    "Say thank you to Mother," Sue told Ruby.


    "Thank you, My Lady," Ruby said with her head bowed down.


    "Take her away." Mavis turned towards Sue with a disgruntled look. "Sue, if you can''t manage the


    household properly, I won''t mind sending someone to help you. Keep it in mind!"


    "I understand, Mother."


    "All of you leave now."


    "Yes."

 Chapter 30 Hailey Is Back

    Chapter 30 Hailey Is Back


    Harper and Sue went out. Hearing Ruby''s scream, Sue clenched her hands. "Harper, I think I''ve


    underestimated you."


    "Mother, I don''t understand what you said," Harper asked with innocence in her tone.


    Harper''s pretentious act made Sue''s eyes darken, so she wrapped her hand around her throat. Harper


    had been violent and dominant but easy to deal with sometimes. But now, just like a vicious snake, she


    seemed to be obedient but could attack without getting caught.


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    "I heard that your grandmother and father wanted to send you to the Imperial Pce," Sue said coldly.


    "I will follow their order." There was no emotion visible in Harper''s eyes. As long as Sue wouldn''t let her


    go to the Imperial Pce, what she thought didn''t matter.


    Sue raised her hand and caressed Harper''s face. "You''re more prettier than before. I''m sure His


    Majesty will fall in love with you at first sight."


    "I''m ttered. There are more beautiful women in the Imperial Pce." A chuckle went out of her


    mouth. She was so kind and polite to the point Sue couldn''t find any ws on her.


    Mavis spoiled Harper so much that she became arrogant, but that wouldn''tst long once Mavis was


    gone.


    "Since your sister will be backter, let''s have lunch together."


    "Yes, Mother," Harper nodded. "Mother, I want to visit Felicia."


    "No need to do that. She actually doesn''t want to see you because of the rashes on her skin. Just visit


    her after she recovers." A hint of hatred went on Sue''s face. Harper had been arrogant but careless. It


    was not until this moment that Sue knew she had been deceived by Harper''s appearance and made up


    her mind to turn the tables.


    After Sue left, Harper picked a gardenia. "It''s blooming and smells great, too."


    "My Lady, do you want to take some and put them in the room?" Nina asked.


    Harper shook her head. "No matter how beautiful the flowers are, they will wither soon without


    branches."


    "Har... Harper." Feeling that someone yanked her sleeve, Harper lowered her head and saw a girl


    looking up at her.


    She squatted down in front of the girl and asked, "Alexandra, why are you here alone? Where''s your


    mother?"


    Alexandra Chu tugged at the corner of her clothes and said, "I can''t find my mother."


    In Harper''s memory, Joey cared about Alexandra Chu very much. She never allowed her to go out or


    contact others. She just took her child with her and lived a peaceful life in the Violet House.


    "Then let me send you back." Harper looked at Alexandra''s crumpled clothes and frowned. "Nina, go


    back and bring my new brocade and the ginseng given by Grandma several days ago. Give them to


    Lady Joey."


    "Yes, My Lady." Harper took the girl''s hand and went towards the Violet House. Joey only had a


    daughter. She didn''tpete for Charles'' love, nor did she show up in front of Sue. The servants in the


    mansion were all toadies and didn''t care about them, so Joey and her daughter must have a hard time.


    When Harper appeared in the Violet House together with Alexandra, Joey was looking for her daughter


    in a panic. As soon as she saw them, she took Alexandra away from Harper''s hand and put her behind.


    "Greetings, Harper."


    "Lady Joey, why didn''t you invite me to have tea?" Harper asked with a smile.


    Joey was in a quandary when she noticed that Harper didn''t leave. She knew well that Harper was


    haughty, and if she didn''t say yes to Harper''s request, she''d be in deep trouble. With no choice, she


    had to let Harper in.


    The maid came with a cup of water. Harper looked at it and was surprised. "How could Mother treat


    you so ungenerously?"


    "It''s not Lady Sue''s fault. It''s just that I don''t like tea so I ask her not to send it here," Joey said in a


    cautious manner, holding Alexandra tightly as if she was afraid that other people would take her away.


    "How old are you, Alexandra?"


    "I''m six years old." Joey trembled again and put Alexandra''s head into her arms, trying to stop


    Alexandra from talking.


    Aware that Joey was uneasy, Harper smiled and said, "This brocade is for Alexandra. She needs some


    new clothes. It doesn''t matter if you don''t have nutritious food. But Alexandra is still young and should


    eat more. Grandma sent this ginseng to me. I don''t need it. Take it and cook it for Alexandra."


    "Thank you, Harper."


    "You are wee. After all, we are family." Harper rose up. "I''ve been out for a long while, and Hailey


    is almost home. I should go back now. I know that you care for Alexandra so much and doesn''t want


    her to go out, but she will grow up soon. Once Hailey and Felicia are married, Mother will have time to


    take care of you and Alexandra."


    Joey grimaced and her face became pale as she clearly knew what Harper meant. She paused and


    turned to the maid. "Send Harper back."


    "Don''t bother." Harper patted Alexandra''s head and went on. "Even if you don''t n for yourself, you


    need to n for Alexandra."


    "Okay, thanks."


    After they walked out, Nina asked, "My Lady, why doesn''t Lady Joey let Lady Alexandra get outside?"


    "It''s none of our concern. People in the mansion have their own ns," Harper said. Though Serena


    had been in a brothel, she enjoyed the love of Charles. Carrie relied on Sue''s power in the household


    and was in a good rtion with Sue. As for Joey, it was not easy to raise a daughter, and what she did


    now was to protect her daughter and herself. Individuals in the house had their own ns.


    "My Lady, will Lady Hailey be hard on you after shees back?" This was what Nina feared the most.


    Every time Hailey and Harper stayed together, Harper would be in trouble and Charles would punish


    her.


    "Pardon me?" Harper derided. "I''m just afraid she won''t make things tough for me. She is a concubine''s


    daughter. If she wishes to experience prestige, she must get rid of that title. My mother is the only


    lawful wife of my father. Hailey will need to beg me."


    "My Lady..."


    "So what? Once a concubine, always a concubine. Sue and Hailey will do everything to obtain their


    goal." Harper grinned and squeezed Nina''s nose. "So, it will be better to be a poor man''s wife rather


    than a rich man''s concubine. No matter how deeply a man loves his concubine is, she can''t be


    promoted to his legal wife. Even if the wife dies, a concubine can never take her ce."


    "My Lady, what are you talking about?"


    "I mean, if you and Anabel want to be concubines, you two will never be my maids," Harper said.


    "I will never marry. I will serve you forever, My Lady."


    "Nonsense! I want you to live a happy life with someone, but I won''t allow you to be a concubine!"


    Touching Nina''s head, Harper added, "Be awful wife of someone. I''ll select a good husband for you."


    "My Lady, you''re making fun of me." Nina blushed. It was normal for them to be concubines, and it was


    hard for them to be wives. "But My Lady, since you have said so, I will never be a man''s concubine."


    "Let''s go." Harper nodded.


    Hailey came back and saw that only her mother''s maid was waiting at the door, making her eyebrows


    furrow. "Lacy, where is my mother?"


    "My Lady, Lady Sue is apanying Lady Felicia because she is in a bad mood and is throwing a


    tantrum. She asked me to stay here to wee you."


    "Come on, let''s go and see Felicia." There was no joy, anger or sorrow on Hailey''s beautiful face. She


    was just like a fairy who was magical.


    At the Splendor House, Felicia was still sobbing and the rash on her face was getting worse. She was


    afraid to see herself in the mirror. If Hansen saw what she was like now, he would want her to


    disappear and wouldn''t marry her.


    When Hailey came over, she saw a miserable face. The original delicate face was full of pustules.


    Felicia had scratched some of the pustules, and pus flowed out. Hailey almost threw up.


    Hailey held back her disgust. "How did Felicia''s face be like this?"


    "Hailey, you are back! Look at your sister''s face! It was the bitch Harper, who poisoned your sister and


    made her look like this. I have no other option but to call you back." Sue was worried about Felicia.


    "Hailey, please help me! I don''t want to be disfigured! I don''t want to have such a face! Please!" Felicia


    looked even more horrible when she cried.


    "Have you asked for antidote from Harper?" Hailey asked. She couldn''t stand the horrible face of


    Felicia any more.


    It embarrassed Sue. She bought the poison, and there was no antidote at all. How could Harper take


    out the antidote? "No antidote."


    "No antidote?" Hailey asked in surprise. "Why?"


    "I had someone buy the poison. I intended to poison Harper, but I didn''t expect her to find it. She then


    poisoned your sister. Hailey, you must help your sister!" Sue was ashamed by Hailey''s stare, so she


    could only tell the truth.


    "I didn''t expect that Harper had a brain," Hailey gave a soft smile and said. "Mother, Felicia, don''t worry.


    Since I''m back, I''ll develop the antidote. As for Harper, I''ll take care of her."


    "Hailey, when can I get rid of the poison? I really can''t stand it."


    "I''ll give you a prescriptionter. Mother, ask someone to buy the medicine. Felicia needs to bathe in it


    first, and then I will find a way to detoxify."


    "All right, all right. It''s all up to you."

 Chapter 31 The Undercurrent (Part One)

    Chapter 31 The Undercurrent (Part One)


    Aftering out of the Splendor House, Hailey saw Harper standing outside with her maids. When


    Harper spotted her, she smiled softly, looking as charming as ever.


    "Hailey, you''re back."


    "Long time no see, Harper. You''re looking more beautiful than ever."


    Harper smiled, waving her hand. "You''re the one who''s gotten even more beautiful. You''ve taken to the


    Imperial Academy of Medicine like a duck to water, I assume."


    "The imperial physicians are very kind to me." There was a touch of sarcasm in Hailey''s voice. After all,


    when Harper was in the Imperial Academy of Medicine, people didn''t like her. Now that Hailey had


    mingled well with the people who had once disliked Harper, she guessed that this would upset Harper


    more than ever.


    "Congrattions then." There was no trace of jealousy on Harper''s face as she smiled sincerely at


    Hailey, but Hailey didn''t believe it one bit. She knew deep inside that Harper must be fuming after she


    took over her position.


    Hailey took a box from her maid and handed it to Harper. "I was told you were beaten. A woman''s


    appearance is most integral, so it''s best not to have any scars on your body. This Skin-smoothing


    Cream is specially made by the Imperial Academy of Medicine. It''s only offered to thedies in the


    Imperial Pce. It''s my gift for you."


    Without the slightest bit of bitterness, Harper took it from her hands. "Thank you. You just came from


    Felicia''s house, didn''t you? How is she? Mother said she got a severe case of rash from her allergies.


    Has she recovered?"


    "She will in a few days." Hailey''s voice was soft, simr to a luby or the light wind. It was impossible


    to be angry at her. Any man who heard her voice would soften up, even after a day''s battle.


    "Your voice has always been so soothing. If I were a man, I''d propose to you right now." Harper


    giggled, covering her mouth.


    Hailey didn''t seem affected by thepliments. Instead, she couldn''t help but stare at Harper


    curiously. Harper had always been impulsive. Whenever she was being provoked, she was like a bull


    with no thoughts on coteral damage. This time, no matter what Hailey threw at her, Harper was just


    eating it all up, indifferent to her words. She wasn''t a foolish and jealous girl anymore.


    "I heard that Felicia and His Highness''s wedding has finally been agreed upon. When Feliciaes of


    age, they''ll be holding the wedding ceremony," Hailey sighed, shaking her head. "You were the one


    who were supposed to marry His Highness. Don''t be too sad about it, Harper. His Highness will marry


    Felicia, so it''s still an honor to our n."


    "Yes, you are right." Harper nodded in agreement. "They truly do make a great couple. I wish them a


    happy life."


    Hailey was even more confused now. Back then, she had seen how much Harper liked Hansen.


    Wherever Hansen went, she wasn''t far behind. If a woman dared to try and flirt with him, Harper would


    scold her or even p her in the face. Yet now, even with him calling off the engagement and proposing


    to Felicia instead, it seemed as if Harper had finally moved on from the man.


    "You''re not angry?"


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    "Why would I be?" Harper cocked up an eyebrow and took Hailey''s arm. "We''re sisters. It seems


    pointless to fight over a man and turn against our own blood.


    Come, Hailey, you rarely visit us, and you should go to Grandma first. She was ecstatic when she


    heard your return, and Mother asked the cook to prepare all your favorite dishes."


    "That''s true. Let''s go to her." Hailey leaned in close to her sister. Seeing the two holding each other,


    people would think they were the poster children for sibling love, not two cobras waiting for each other


    to strike.


    Hailey went to the Peony House to pay respects to Mavis. When Charles finally came home, the whole


    n finally gathered to have lunch together. Given that one of her granddaughters had returned, Mavis


    was over the moon, eating more to her family''s delight. Harper had ordered the cook to make a bowl of


    hawthorn berries soup for Mavis, which was said to be good for her digestion.


    "That''s so kind of you, Harper, cooking some soup specially for Grandma," Hailey gushed. "Even I


    couldn''t help but feel envious to how kind you are to Grandma."


    Mavis smiled at Harper with satisfaction.


    Harper chuckled. "The cook has also prepared soup for everyone. It''s just that Grandma''s too old to eat


    this much food like the rest of us, so I asked the maid to serve her first. I didn''t expect that you''d want


    the soup too, with all the delicious food in the Imperial Pce. If others heard you, they''d think that


    Father and Mother have starved you." Though she tried to make her voice as light as possible, simr


    to a joke, the meaning behind it wasn''t as good as some might think.


    At the same time, Sue and Charles turned bright red in embarrassment. Hailey had always been their


    sensible child. How could she act so inappropriately today?


    "I didn''t mean it like that. It''s just that I haven''t eaten your hawthorn berries soup, so I would love to try


    it," Hailey calmly answered. "Though the delicacies in the Imperial Pce are the best in the world, I''m


    just a physician. I can''tpare with thedies in the Imperial Pce. Lady Chloe is pregnant, and


    since no princes and princesses have yet to be born in the Imperial Pce for years, His Majesty


    values her so much. I''m only allowed to take three days off."


    "Hailey, you must be tired." Harper remained smiling. To her, it was good news that Chloe was


    pregnant. "You''re taking care of Lady Chloe?"


    "Yes. She asked me to take care of you, so I had no choice but to agree to her request." Hailey looked


    modest, but her tone said otherwise. Though Harper might have better medical skills than Hailey, she


    still wouldn''t be asked to take care of the pregnantdies in the Imperial Pce. Plus, now that Hailey


    was there, she''d have more opportunities to bump into the crown prince, which was her goal in the first


    ce.

 Chapter 32 The Undercurrent (Part Two)

    Chapter 32 The Undercurrent (Part Two)


    "Congrattions!" Harper pped. But she thought that Hailey was such a fool. Katrina had always


    been favored by the emperor even if she was without a child. As it was, Hailey had always been the


    one who mainly tended to her. Now that Chloe requested a sudden change of physicians, she was up


    to something. Hailey was a fool to not have realized this.


    "Lady Chloe is pregnant. You must be careful," Charles warned. He had been in politics to know that


    something was up. "If you do have any problems, go ask Lady Katrina for help."


    "I know, Father."


    "Or you could find another imperial physician to take care of Lady Chloe with you. This way, you''ll be


    more relieved by exhausting duties," Charles suggested. People in the Imperial Pce had been


    known to resort to ruthless means in murdering their enemies. Getting rid of an unborn baby would be


    a piece of cake. If Hailey walked into their traps, the Chu n would suffer great losses. It would be


    even harder for Katrina to stay in the pce alone.


    "Lady Katrina''s afraid of problemsing with Lady Chloe''s pregnancy, so she dares not send any


    other physician to Lady Chloe. After all, Lady Chloe specifically requested me to take care of her. But I


    am afraid of what other people would do to Lady Chloe." Hailey lowered her voice to a whisper. The


    emperor had always been greatly attached to the child ever since Chloe announced her pregnancy. If


    Chloe gave birth to the child, she''d be promoted to a higher position. If there was a mistake in the


    process of her pregnancy, it would be by the hands of the other concubines.


    "Be careful."


    "Yes, Father."


    Harper ate her food, pretending as if she hadn''t heard their conversations. Charles had always shown


    his favor towards Hailey and Felicia in front of her all these years, so she was used to it. Her old self


    would''ve felt bitter about it, but now, she felt detached by the matter.


    "By the way, how is Lady Katrina?" Charles asked. Suddenly it urred to him that Mavis asked


    Harper to go to the Imperial Pce.


    "Lady Katrina is doing great, but she misses Grandma and Father so much," Hailey smiled. "Lady


    Katrina even asked me to bring a piece of invaluable ginseng for Grandma."


    "That''s so kind of her." Mavis grinned. Though her daughter was an imperial concubine, she still cared


    for her health.


    "Does His Majesty often go to Lady Katrina''s ce?" Charles asked. The emperor always loved


    beautiful women.


    Hailey blushed and said, "Lady Chloe is now His Majesty''s favorite. Though he can''t be intimate with


    her because of her pregnancy, he will still often apany her. Lady Loren, who has just entered the


    Imperial Pce is also closely favored by him."


    Charles nodded thoughtfully and cast a nce at Harper. But she calmly ate her food, not noticing the


    way her father red at her.


    "Father, have you heard of Prince Matthew''s disability and hisst fiancee''s death?" Hailey suddenly


    asked.


    Charles snorted, "Who wouldn''t? His Highness has bad karma. He has brought it to the women around


    him! Look at it. They were just engaged and his fiancee was already dead."


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    "His highness is disabled. Is that true?" Hailey asked softly. There was an unknown emotion threaded


    across her words that Harper couldn''t help but look up from her food.


    "Of course. His Majesty even sent an imperial physician to examine him. Aren''t you in the Imperial


    Academy of Medicine? Why do you still ask?" Charles asked casually, unaware of what his eldest


    daughter was up to. "His Highness is a powerful man, and His Majesty has always been very


    suspicious of him. Now he is in charge of the interdependent judicial departments¡ªthe Ministry of


    Punishments, the Council of Review, and the Department of Supervision. Though everyone thinks he


    lost his influence, his ck g Army is still as powerful as ever, so nobody dares to offend him."


    "Father, I''ve heard that the ck g Army is highly disciplined and powerful. Is it true?" Harper asked


    curiously.


    "It''s said to be, but I haven''t seen it. His Highness had brought with him one hundred soldiers of the


    ck g Army when he returned, which were stronger than any soldiers in the Imperial Pce."


    Charles remembered the murderous and domineering aura that emitted from every single one of the


    soldiers from the ck g Army. Though they had done nothing, Charles knew that he''d be dead if


    he dared n something against Matthew.


    "So the ck g Army is very powerful?" Harper prodded. "His Highness is disabled, so who''s the


    new leader of the ck g Army?"


    "A general named Lewis Huai. He has been working for His Highness in the army." The emperor was


    worried about the ck g Army the most. Lewis Huai was an orphan with nothing to lose, so the


    emperor had nothing to hold against him. When Matthew was disabled and Lewis Huai took over his


    position, the emperor was so angry that he smashed many valuable treasures in the Imperial Study!


    With a smile, Harper took a sip from her cup. "His Majesty must be worried about His Highness''s


    marriage. Since His Highness has bad karma, no one would be willing to give their daughter away."


    "Yes, His Majesty is indeed worried about His Highness''s marriage." A sly look shed in Charles''


    eyes. It wasmon that heroes were always attached to beauties. If Matthew were to get married


    with a woman he loved, he''d be distracted. As long as Matthew had a weakness, he''d no longer be


    invincible. But so far, Matthew''s every fiancee had died not long after their engagement had been


    announced.

 Chapter 33 Harper Was Kidnaped (Part One)

    Chapter 33 Harper Was Kidnaped (Part One)


    Although Hailey came back, she only stayed home for three days and then went back to work. After all,


    she was the only female imperial physician in the Imperial Academy of Medicine. Manydies would


    ask for her help when they suffered from pain. That was an advantage of being a female physician.


    Therefore, Hailey was very busy dealing with her work all the time. Harper also kept herself busy. She


    had been researching about things she could sell. She locked herself inside the room and saw nobody


    these days. Even Nina and Anabel had no idea what she was doing exactly.


    Enya had always been curious. She had tried to break in to see what was going on several times, but


    she was stopped by Nina every time. They were of the same ranking as maids but only Nina had the


    maturity to stop Enya from being too nosy. Nina knew that Harper would not want any of them to know


    what she was concentrating on.


    On the other hand, the grievous sores on Felicia''s face were finally healed after Hailey treated her face.


    But there were still marks remaining on her face. Felicia would have to wear a veil when she went out


    from now on.


    "My Lady, Lady Yvonne is here," Anabel told Harper after entering the room.


    Harper paused on her research and stretched her tired arms. "Please let her in."


    "Greetings, Harper," said Yvonne.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Don''t be so formal, Yvonne. We are sisters, after all. Take a seat," Harper replied. Yvonne looked a bit


    restless, but Harper understood what she was worried about. So in the meantime, she kept her silence


    and wouldn''t bring it up if that would make Yvonne ufortable.


    Yvonne must have sensed Harper''s sympathy. Touched and overwhelmed with emotions, Yvonne fell


    on her knees. "Harper, my dear sister, please help me!"


    "Yvonne, what are you doing? Stand up quickly. People will think I''m being mean to you when you do


    that," Harper eximed and helped Yvonne stand up. "We are sisters. If there is any trouble you are


    trapped in, just tell me. I will help you if I can."


    Upon hearing that, Yvonne bit her lower lip and then said, "Harper, you know that I''m just the daughter


    of a concubine. My mother is not favored by our father. And I am going toe of age very soon. My


    marriage is controlled by Lady Sue. If I don''t n for myself, I''m afraid I won''t have a good future. I


    don''t think Lady Sue would choose a good husband for me."


    "I know what you mean," Harper said in a t tone before she took a sip of tea. "But I don''t understand


    why you''re telling me this."


    "I don''t want to be Lady Sue''s pawn against her enemies. I know Lady Sue may force me to


    marry into a business family if it will bring her benefits. Or worse, she will force me to marry an old man.


    I''m still young, Harper! Will you let me be miserable for all my life?" Yvonne wept.


    "So you chose him?" Harper asked instead. Although she didn''t mention who she was referring to,


    Harper was sure that Yvonne knew who she was talking about.


    "Harper, I know I''ve hurt you by doing this. I''m sorry. Please forgive me..." Yvonne cried.


    "Okay, stop it, please. I don''t care about your affairs and I won''t say anything about it. But I just want to


    remind you that Lady Sue is a very, well, let''s say, capable woman. And you know Felicia is not a


    simple girl. Both of them are not easy to deal with. You''d better be careful and don''t let others find out


    that you''re keeping something. Felicia is going to celebrating her birthday soon. Once shees of


    age, her marriage will be around the corner. Before thates, you''d better n well for yourself,"


    Harper said, her voice seemingly distant. She knew about Yvonne and Hansen''s rtionship. But if


    Yvonne wouldn''t say it outright, then she wouldn''t say anything about it.


    Thinking about what would happen if Felicia lost everything brought immense pleasure to Harper. Sue


    and Felicia used to celebrate Harper''s misery. It was just fair y and Harper couldn''t wait to see their


    downfall.


    "Thank you so much, Harper. I will keep your words in mind," Yvonne said gratefully.


    "Well, just go back. Lady Carrie will worry about you," Harper urged.


    "Yes, I''ll see youter," Yvonne said.


    She left the room with her maid. As soon as she went out of the Emerald House, she wiped the cold


    beads of sweat off her forehead. While talking to Harper, she was so afraid that Harper would dere


    what she had done. In that case, Sue would certainly make her marry into a random family as soon as


    possible to cover the scandal. And Yvonne knew that it would be definitely not a good family.


    "Oh, it''s you, my dear sister. Hello, Yvonne," Felicia greeted Yvonne with sarcasm. "Where did you just


    go? What? While I was sick, you''ve already cozy up to Harper?"


    "Nice to see you, Felicia," Yvonne answered. "Are you feeling better?"


    Pak!


    Felicia''s palm connected with Yvonne''s cheek. "You bitch! Are you hoping that I''ll never feel better


    again?"


    "No, Felicia. Why would you think that? I wish you will recover as early as possible. I always wanted to


    visit you, but Lady Sue stopped me every time," Yvonne exined. She felt wronged and wanted to cry.


    With another p, Felicia said, "Stop pretending to be poor and fragile! There is no one else around us!


    I hate the sight of your face. I wish I could cut your face. Who the hell do you think you are? You don''t


    deserve to visit me!"


    Yvonne covered her face with trembling hands. She feared that Felicia would seriously damage her


    face. Yvonne was well aware that her beautiful face was her only advantage considering that she was


    only the daughter of a humble concubine. If her face was disfigured, then there would be no hope for


    her.


    "I''m sorry, Felicia. It''s all my fault. Please calm down," Yvonne begged weakly.


    "I''m not your sister! You''re just the daughter of a concubine. You don''t deserve to be called my sister at


    all. I''m going to marry the heir of a prince in the future. And you? You are too dull, simple and low to be


    considered my sister!" Felicia finished in a haughty tone.


    "Yes, you are right, Lady Felicia," Yvonne responded politely. She even changed how she addressed


    Felicia. Lowering her head, Yvonne tried her best to prevent herself from pissing Felicia off even more.


    Coupled with a bad temper, Felicia had always been aggressive and arrogant. Everyone in the manor


    knew how to steer clear of her. Only Harper, who was more aggressive, dared to fight back against


    Felicia. These days, Harper restrained herself from being too domineering. A controlled Harper was like


    a volcano waiting to erupt, unpredictable. Felicia, on the other hand, remained as vicious and stupid as


    before. Yvonne had felt a little guilty for seducing Hansen. But after what Felicia said and did to her, her


    remorse shrunk. She could only feel pride at duping this stupid, holier-than-thou Felicia.

 Chapter 34 Harper Was Kidnaped (Part Two)

    Chapter 34 Harper Was Kidnaped (Part Two)


    After everything that happened, Yvonne felt more determined to marry Hansen as a concubine.


    Whether Hansen agreed or not, she would find a way to marry into Prince Kevin''s mansion. After she


    achieved that goal, she would p Felicia right in the face, just like what Felicia did to her.


    Felicia kept on scolding and beating Yvonne until she was satisfied. It seemed all her frustrations


    melted away at the beating she doled out. What a great stress-reliever! Yvonne''s whimpers made


    Felicia feel good. From then on, she would find trouble for Yvonne so she could beat her again and


    again. Although Carrie, Yvonne''s biological mother, had mentioned andined about this to Sue


    many times, Sue just ignored her. With no choice, Carrie had to ask her daughter to stay inside the


    house and avoid Felicia at all costs.


    Harper knew everything that happened in the Chu n mansion. But she chose to stay in her own


    house and did not leave. Fortunately, her decision drove her away from Sue''s warpath on her so she


    was safe from her ns.


    Night fell.


    Someone broke into Harper''s room when she was about to sleep. Before she could realize what was


    happening, the person had already hit one of her acupuncture points. As she fell limp and unconscious,


    her captor carried her on his shoulder before leaving.


    Being upside down on her captor''s shoulder, Harper feel so sick in her stomach that she threw up. But


    the man didn''t care and continued walking towards Matthew''s mansion.


    When the man put Harper down, she was still throwing up. Everyone looked at Barry before they took a


    step back. Barry carefully put her down before he disappeared without a trace in the blink of an eye.


    Harper continued throwing up for a long time before she finally stopped. Once calm, she began to


    check her surroundings. When she saw Denny, she grew furious and rushed over to him, twisting his


    ear fiercely. "Bastard, you asked that man to kidnap me? How dare you! I almost died!"


    Denny''s face turned red all of a sudden. All the people gawked at the pair as Denny was bowled over


    by Harper. They had never seen Denny act meek and under the spell of a woman. It was too funny and


    shocking. Harper also surprised them. This woman was so strong and aggressive. She even dared to


    tweak Denny''s ear! Wasn''t she afraid that he would kill her in a fit of rage?


    "Let me go!" Denny pulled his ear away from Harper''s hand, and then backed far away from her. "It


    was His Highness''s guard who caught and brought you here, not me! His Highness sent someone to


    bring you here before he passed out. You don''t believe my words? Fine, you can ask him,"


    Denny said and pointed at Matthew who was lying in the bed, unconscious. He probably did it without


    any ill intentions. It wasn''t until she saw Matthew that Harper finally realized that she was now in


    Matthew''s mansion. She looked to the unconscious man in the bed.


    "What''s wrong with him?" she asked.


    "The poison made him slip into aa," Denny answered.


    "He deserves it!" The moment she finished her words, Harper turned around and intended to walk out.


    Denny was stunned for a second. But as soon as he collected himself, he moved to stop her from


    leaving.


    "You can''t just leave like that," Denny said sternly.


    "Why can''t I leave?" Harper said coldly. She was actually very furious. "You should at least invite me in


    a kind way! But kidnapping me at night?"


    The corners of Denny''s mouth twitched. "He will remember this and will not do it again next time.


    Anyway, you can''t leave here now. You should calm down. His Highness is in a very bad situation.


    Please do us a favor and help him."


    Harper snorted coldly and turned around again. She didn''t really mean to leave, but pretended to


    protest because of how rudely they treated her.


    After feeling Matthew''s pulse, Harper had aplex expression on her face. She turned to ask Denny,


    "Does this guy have a death wish?"


    Denny touched his ear awkwardly and replied, "If he keeps lying in the bed and not being treated, he


    would probably die very soon."


    Harper then turned around and began to tear Matthew''s clothes off his body. Denny''s jaw dropped at


    the sight of this. He stuttered, "What are you doing? You can''t just tear the clothes off a man who is not


    your husband. That is not appropriate!"


    "In a physician''s eyes, there is only patient¡ªno woman or man," Harper interrupted and took off all of


    Matthew''s clothes, leaving only the underwear. Meanwhile, she fumbled on his body and praised, "He


    has a nice body, doesn''t he? I did not expect His Highness to have such a good and muscr figure."


    Denny could already imagine what kind of horrible punishments Harper was going to face after


    Matthew woke up. What Matthew hated the most was being touched by others. But now Harper almost


    fumbled all over his body! He could only imagine how Matthew would cut off her hands for her


    inappropriate behavior.


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    After Harper took off all Matthew''s clothes, she wrote a prescription and gave it to Denny. "Denny,


    please get the medicated bath ready. I''ll cure him with acupuncture first."


    Actually, Denny did not want to leave this room at all. He wanted to see how magical Harper''s needles


    were. But she seemed to have seen through him. "Are you interested in my acupuncture? Maybe we


    can make an appointment and talk about it some other day. We canpete and see who is better at


    needles."


    "Really?" Hope shed through Denny''s eyes.


    "Sure. Just don''t cry when you lose," Harper chuckled.


    "Don''t worry about me. I''m afraid you''re the one who will cry!" Dennyughed. Then, he went to


    prepare the medicated bath with a spring on his steps. There were plenty of medicines inside the


    building. It even stored some rare medicines which could not be bought by money from the market.

 Chapter 35 Please Pay The Medical Fee

    Chapter 35 Please Pay The Medical Fee


    Denny had the medical bath prepared soon. When the guards carried the bath barrel in, they caught


    sight of Harper quickly pulling out the needles from Matthew''s body. His face turned from dark to ashy


    from the great amount of blood loss.


    "Put him in." Wiping the sweat off her forehead, Harper pulled out a porcin bottle from the pocket of


    her waist and rattled out three red pills. Without another word, she tilted Matthew''s chin up and made


    him swallow them all.


    There was a smell of blood from the pills that made Denny wrinkle his nose. "What are those?"


    "Blood-generating Pills," Harper exined, discontented by the fact that she had to use them already.


    "His Highness already lost too much blood. It''s too slow to make up for the lost blood by taking


    nourishing food, and this would be a quicker way. s! He has eaten as much as three pills at a time."


    Looking at the pained look of Harper, Denny couldn''t help but choke back aughter. If any other


    woman was ced in her position, she''d surely do everything in her power to save Matthew. Harper,


    however, cared about her pills more than Matthew. Denny shook his head incredulously.


    "Can I have one?" Denny asked cautiously. He could tell from the expression on Harper''s face that the


    pills were very rare and hard toe by. Were these pills really that effective? He was curious.


    Unexpectedly, Harper gave him a pill without hesitation. "It''s used as ast resort in dealing with


    excessive amount of blood loss. I used a lot of herbs to make only ten of them." She shot Matthew a


    look. "His Highness just wasted three."


    ''Wasted?'' Denny hid a smile, and couldn''t help but admire the woman in front of him. Only she would


    think feeding these pills to Matthew would be a waste. If it were any other physician, it would''ve been


    their honor to serve the prince.


    "What herbs do you need? You can ask His Highness topensate for your loss once he wakes up,"


    he suggested.


    "Of course His Highness will. If I wasn''t nning for this, I would''ve already left," Harper scoffed,


    looking at Matthew as if she was looking at a treasure chest. She obviously needed money to run her


    store. Money was hard toe by, so she wasn''t going to throw this opportunity out of the window.


    When Matthew finally woke up, the first thing he saw was a pair of shiny eyes. The surprise and delight


    that shone from them really confused him. Was she really that happy to see him wake up?


    "Your Highness, you''re awake!" Harper sighed in relief.


    Matthew blinked, not at all used to her bubbly attitude. He simply replied with a nod of his head and


    kept silent.


    "Your Highness, please don''t tell your guard to bring me here like that again. The way he carried me on


    his shoulder made me throw up," Harperined pouting her lips.


    "Okay," Matthew agreed easily.


    Another smile spread over Harper''s face. Without another prompt, she quickly handed over a piece of


    paper. "This is the bill for the treatment I''ve given you, Your Highness."


    Denny almost fell off his chair. The woman actually dared to ask Matthew for the medical fee. ''Do you


    even know who he is? How dare you demand payments from him!'' he thought to himself.


    Matthew, however, didn''t look at all fazed from her request. Instead, he took the list from her and


    scanned it closely. The paper was well organized, listing the cost of each item, the amount of medical


    herbs it contained, and even the total price he owed her at the end of it all.


    "300 taels of silver for the treatment fee, together with dozens of precious herbs such as Ganoderma,


    ginseng and more?" Matthew asked seriously. Money was not a problem for him, but the raw materials


    she had asked for were not easy toe by.


    "Yes, Your Highness. It''s not easy to make the Blood-generating Pills, and you''ve eaten three pills.


    These are the materials necessary to refill my stock. Though they are rare, I''m sure it''s not difficult for


    you to acquire them," Harper said firmly. She already had enough food and clothes. The only thing she


    lacked was silver. She had only received a little from her monthly allowance. Although she''d won 10,


    000 taels of silver from the gambling house, it was still not enough.


    Matthew raised his hand, only for a servant to move towards him.


    "Go get her 1, 000 taels of gold and pack whatever herbs she has listed, and give them to her."


    Matthew didn''t even bother to bargain before waving the servant away. Harper couldn''t help but feel


    ttered.


    After she returned to her house, she nced at the 1, 000 taels of gold and therge bag of herbs that


    she had just acquired. It was as if she was in a dream!


    ''If I can make money out of this for a few more times, I''d be rich as hell. No wonder so many people


    would want to be physicians; it''s where the money is, '' Harper thought, cing the gold and medicinal


    herbs away. Matthew wasn''t easy to get along with, and now that she got what she wanted, she would


    need to be more polite to him whenever she saw him.


    "Your Highness, how are you feeling?" Denny stretched out his hand, meaning to poke him, but he


    retreated it at one look at Matthew''s face. If he did it, he might just find his arm lying on the floor.


    "I won''t die." There was no expression on Matthew''s face, as if God had sent a robot in the ce of a


    person. His eyes were shut when Harper touched him, but he was conscious. He couldn''t help but


    recall the feeling¡ªit was different from when he was touched by others.


    Though others'' touch made him feel ufortable, there was something from the way Harper''s hands


    wandered around his body that made him feel rxed.


    "What do you think of Harper, Denny?"


    "She loves money, and she''s incredibly stingy. All she did was talk about money and the herbs. She


    was even afraid that you wouldn''t pay up," Denny scoffed, shaking his head.


    "It''s good to love money, which makes her a person that I can use," Matthew said slowly, but he didn''t


    think Harper loved money. He had already sent someone to investigate her, and he''d had an idea on


    what she liked, what she hated, and who else she had met. "Do you know she''s good at martial arts?"


    "Impossible. I''ve seen her, and from what I can tell, her strength is subpar." Denny denied it without any


    hesitation. From how she had behaved, he found it difficult to believe that she''d be good at martial arts.


    "The other day, she dressed up as a man and met Hansen in the Spring Restaurant. I saw sheunch


    a sneak attack. She was swift and Hansen didn''t find that."


    "Do you want somebody to test her?" Denny made a gesture by drawing a straight line over his neck. If


    Harper was a spy for Charles, then they should kill her.


    Matthew shook his head. Charles didn''t care for his daughter, and Harper felt the same way. She''d


    been subjected to many faithful "idents" orchestrated by her own father. If there was one thing he


    was certain about, it was that the two weren''t in the same boat.


    "There''s one thing I''m curious about. Harper has been known for her good medical skills and was


    promoted to an imperial physician. I want to know who taught her the methods of autopsy, given that its


    technicalities and fundamentals are far from treating patients." He remembered the way Harper did the


    autopsy. And she could find the murderer who killed the merchant from the Western Regions in such a


    short period of time. For a woman who appeared to be arrogant and brainless, she was brilliant enough


    to have fooled them all!


    "I have to investigate her," Denny said. "Women are always known to be good at acting. Moreover, they


    also have the fair share of killing men due to their abilities to manipte them."


    "Are you saying I''m that easily seduced?" Matthew''s voice was as cold as ice. One wrong word, and


    he''d make sure the ce would be sttered by Denny''s blood.


    "Your Highness, I didn''t mean it like that. But you know how irresistible beautiful women can be since


    the beginning of history. And Harper is indeed a beauty," Denny said with a wicked grin. "She''s been


    known to attract countless men just by revealing her face."


    "Has anyone proposed a marriage yet?"


    "Of course not. Ever since Prince Kevin''s son call off their engagement, no one would dare try¨Cin fear


    of angering Prince Kevin," Denny answered before lowering his voice to a whisper. "Do you think


    they''re nning to force her to kill herself by ruining her future?"


    "Is she willing to sit and wait for her death without doing anything?" As Matthew tapped the table


    rhythmically with his fingers, he continued, "I''m now managing the three interdependent judicial


    departments. It''s a good excuse."


    "A good excuse for what?" Denny asked curiously.


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    Matthew didn''t answer. He only had two years left and needed to speed things up. Despite his current


    situation, the emperor still feared him and wanted to make things difficult for him. Matthew decided to


    show his power to hold the emperor in awe.


    "I heard that Lady Chloe is pregnant?" Matthew changed the topic. Chloe was from the Shen n, but


    was just the daughter of a concubine.


    "Yes, Lady Chloe is pregnant. We have arranged Hailey Chu to take care of Lady Chloe just as you


    ordered. Hailey has just returned to the Chu n mansion, so she must be having a discussion with


    Charles on what to do next," Barry reported.


    "Something happened in the Chu n mansion?" Matthew questioned. Harper was not an easy person


    to deal with. Her family members were not far off. If all of them were together under one roof,


    something must''ve gone wrong in the Chu n.


    "Harper poisoned Felicia and thetter was disfigured. Sue couldn''t find the antidote for her, so she


    asked Hailey for help." Barry updated him of thetest happenings inside the Chu n mansion.


    "Harper poisoned her sister?"


    "Well, it was Sue who wanted to poison Harper. When she found out, she extracted the poison and


    ced it on Felicia." Though Barry respected Harper, he''d do everything to keep his distance. She was


    different from many nobledies he had met. While others would die for their family, Harper would


    rather kill her family just to keep herself from dying.


    "It gave Hailey an excuse toe back home. Harper must''ve figured out how powerful her enemies


    are. Hansen is just one of them. She''s surely not a person who''s willing to be ced at the mercy of


    others. What is Harper up totely?" Matthew asked indifferently.


    "She recently bought a store in the north of the city. Other than that, she''s been staying at home. I don''t


    really know what else she''s been up to."


    "Bought a store?" Matthew furrowed his eyebrows. What was Harper up to? Was she nning to start


    a business? Was it a ce for her to continue her autopsies? Was it a clinic? There were so many


    questions running on Matthew''s mind, and they were things he intended to find out.

 Chapter 36 I Am Pregnant (Part One)

    Chapter 36 I Am Pregnant (Part One)


    After days of attentive care and nursing, Felicia returned to her normal state before the Hair-pinning


    Ceremony. It was hering-of-age ceremony and her face was wless, without any trace of a scar.


    If it weren''t for the Skin-smoothing Cream from Hailey, there would still be many scars on Felicia''s face,


    even after she waspletely detoxified.


    ording to the rituals, Felicia''s Hair-pinning Ceremony wasn''t allowed to be fancier than Harper''s


    ceremony, as Harper was the daughter of Charles'' first wife. But since Felicia had engaged to Hansen


    and Sue was in charge of all the affairs of the Chu n mansion, her ceremony was a grand endeavor.


    Manydies hade to congratte her.


    "My Lady, aren''t you going to attend the ceremony today?" Anabel asked while fanning Harper. It was


    already hot in June.


    Harper was devouring the iced watermelon. She flipped the history book wearily and said, "Why should


    I go there? Felicia is the linchpin today. If I attend the ceremony and steal her thunder, I will be in


    trouble again."


    "But are you not afraid that Lady Sue might torment you since you are here having your illness as an


    excuse?" Anabel knitted her eyebrows in worry. Everyone was aware that Sue despised Harper.


    Although she promised that she wouldn''t mess with Harper, it had only been for the sake of Mavis. She


    had done a lot of nasty things to get Harper into trouble.


    "No, she won''t. Today is a big day for her precious daughter. She wouldn''t want me to go out. My


    illness was what she had wished for. Moreover, I have sent a gift for my sister''sing-of-age


    ceremony. So no one can say anything bad about me," Harper said. "The iced watermelon tastes good.


    Get some for Enya and Elsie as well." The soft and gentle voice of Harper sounded as sweet as honey.


    Anabel nodded and took out a te of watermelon.


    There was a shady glint in Harper''s eyes as her mind raced with thoughts. ''Felicia''s wedding with


    Hansen will be discussed soon after hering-of-age ceremony. Yvonne, you don''t have much time


    left. If you don''t seize the right opportunity, you will die!''


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Sue had arranged everything for the ceremony without bothering Harper as she wanted the ceremony


    to progress without any hassle. The daughters of the other concubines were driven back to the


    backyard when they showed up at the ceremony, as Sue didn''t want anyone to steal Felicia''s spotlight.


    Sue was happy about Harper''s illness. Kate, Prince Kevin''s wife, also attended Felicia''s Hair-pinning


    Ceremony with a big gift to establish how much she valued her future daughter-inw.


    Sue was grinning from ear to ear and happily chatting with Kate. They had decided that it was time for


    Felicia and Hansen to get married as Felicia was officially an adult.


    "Mother, Your Highnesses, Felicia," Yvonne said with a pitiful look as she broke in and knelt down in


    front of everyone.


    "Yvonne, what are you doing? Don''t you know that it''s disrespectful to break in like this?" Sue stood up


    and yelled at Yvonne.


    "Mother, I''m sorry. I shouldn''t have done that. But..." Yvonne cast an using nce at Hansen.


    "Mother, I am pregnant with His Highness''s child."


    Her words were like a heavy stone that was thrown into a quietke, stirring up a huge wave. Sue''s


    face turned pale as if she had received an unexpected p in her face.


    "What the hell are you talking about?" Sue gritted her teeth.


    "Mother, I know that you dote on Felicia. But I''m not asking for much. I only want to stay by his


    Highness''s side, in my rightful position. Now that I''m pregnant, I hope that Mother and Your Highness


    would allow me to stay at His Highness''s side, and give me the right to take care of him," Yvonne cried


    bitterly. She had been pregnant for more than a month. If Sue had found out that she was pregnant,


    she would have definitely killed her to spare her two daughters from humiliation and protect their


    promising future.


    "Bullshit! What the hell are you talking about? How could you have His Highness''s child?" Sue wanted


    to tear Yvonne''s mouth apart. How dare she say such tant words during Felicia''s Hair-pinning


    Ceremony in order to cling to the bigwigs! She had gone to the extent of lying about her pregnancy with


    his Highness''s child.


    "Your Highness, please say something. I''ve been pregnant for more than a month. It''s your child and


    you know it." Yvonne was panicking. She walked towards Hansen, held onto his leg. "Your Highness,


    you said that you would take care of me."


    Hansen''s face turned red with embarrassment. After all, there were a lot of guests waiting outside at


    the Hair-pinning Ceremony of his fiancee. If they got to know that he had slept with his fiancee''s sister


    before marriage and got her pregnant, it would be a huge humiliation for him.


    "Are you serious?" Kate asked in shock. ''Our mansion hasn''t seen a child for a long time. If the child is


    really Hansen''s, he can take her as his concubine, '' she thought.


    "Your Highness, it''s true. A month ago, when His Highness came to our mansion, we ran into each


    other. His Highness..." Yvonne trailed off. "He had sex with me and said that he would take the


    responsibility." Tears streamed down Yvonne''s face. Kate looked at her son and then at Yvonne.


    "Is she telling the truth, Hansen?"


    Hansen averted his gaze away from his mother as he was embarrassed and didn''t know how to


    answer. Kate knew her son well. The mere look on his face was enough for her to believe Yvonne''s


    words.


    "Bitch!" Felicia couldn''t contain her anger as she rushed towards Yvonne and pped her in the face.


    "Bitch, how you dare you seduce His Highness! I''ll beat you to death!" She was shaking with fury and


    had meant every single word.


    "Felicia!" Sue rushed to stop Felicia. It was normal for a man to have several concubines; Hansen was


    no exception, especially when he belonged to a noble n. In the future, he would have more women


    around him. If Felicia couldn''t bear the fact that Yvonne was Hansen''s woman, she would have a hard


    time in the future.


    Kate frowned. She was unhappy with Felicia''s reaction. Virtue was the most important trait that she


    expected from her daughter-inw. If she was jealous of her own sister, she would undoubtedly be


    more vicious to other women.


    "Your Highnesses, please forgive Felicia. Everything happened so quickly and she''s having a hard time


    to process it," Sue exined as she smiled at them. Her heart was hurting after she found the truth, but


    she had to pretend that she was generous.


    "What happened?" Harper asked as she walked in gracefully, looking majestic and charming.


    When Sue saw Harpere in, she felt that things were going to take a wrong turn. "Harper, why are


    you here?" she asked.

 Chapter 37 I Am Pregnant (Part Two)

    Chapter 37 I Am Pregnant (Part Two)


    "Grandma asked me to bring you something." Harper held out a small exquisite jewelry box in her


    hand. "Grandma said that she was supposed to give Felicia a present for her Hair-pinning Ceremony.


    Moreover, her wedding ceremony with His Highness will be on the agenda after the ceremony."


    Sue''s face took on a ghastly expression after she heard Harper''s words. "I got it. I''ll thank Motherter.


    You can leave now."


    "Harper, please help me!" Yvonne pulled the hem of Harper''s dress. "Harper, I''m pregnant, and it is His


    Highness''s child, but..."


    Harper looked at Kate and Hansen, bowed to them respectfully and said, "I am sorry; I didn''t realize


    that Your Highnesses are present. Please forgive my rudeness."


    A hint of shrewdness shed in Kate''s eyes. ''I thought that Harper was a pretty woman but extremely


    domineering and jealous. That was why I didn''t stop Hansen when he wanted to change his bride. But I


    guess I was wrong, '' she thought.


    "Harper, you don''t have to be this courteous and formal," Kate held Harper''s hand and said. "Harper,


    long time no see. You look much thinner."


    Harper smiled in return. "Your Highness, thank you for your concern. But if my sister Yvonne is telling


    the truth, please give us a solution," she said respectfully.


    "Harper, are you not angry?" Kate asked in surprise


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Your Highness, how could I not be angry? After all, it''s about the reputation of our n." Harper helped


    Yvonne sit down on a chair and checked her pulse to diagnose her pregnancy. After a couple of


    seconds, she finally said, "It''s been more than a month since you got pregnant. You''ve got to be


    extremely careful during the first three months."


    "Harper, thank you so much," Yvonne said gratefully.


    "Harper, please allow me to exin. She and I..." Hansen started with hesitation. Panic surged through


    his veins when he saw Harper''s cold, merciless face. "Our rtionship is not what you think."


    Harper scoffed, "Your Highness, she is pregnant. Do you still think that my sister is lying?"


    "No, I..."


    Unable to contain her anger anymore, Felicia pushed away Sue, pointed at Harper''s nose and roared,


    "Harper, what do you mean?"


    Harper''s eyes narrowed in anger. "Felicia, you have to watch your mouth and respect me. I know that


    you like His Highness very much. That was why I agreed without questioning when His Highness


    proposed to call off the engagement with me, in order to get engaged to you. Have you forgotten all


    that? Now, His Highness hasn''t mentioned about breaking off the engagement or marrying another


    woman. He''s ready to get married to you. Then why are you behaving like this?"


    "Felicia!" Sue grabbed Felicia and whispered in her ear, "If you want to be the wife of His Highness, just


    keep your mouth shut."


    "Harper, I know that you hate me for taking His Highness from you, but we love each other. Why do you


    want to humiliate me if you have given up?" Felicia said as she began to sob relentlessly.


    She had not even married Hansen yet, but he had already slept with another woman and even made


    her pregnant. She wouldn''t have felt as sad and painful as she was, if it were some other woman. But it


    was Yvonne, the daughter of a concubine in her own n. She hated losing to Yvonne.


    "Listen to me, Felicia. His Highness is from a noble family. He will have many concubines in the future.


    If it wasn''t Yvonne, it would have been someone else. If you can''t even tolerate your sister, how can


    you tolerate others?" Harper''s every word was like digging a hole for Felicia to jump in.


    "Harper, stop talking nonsense. Felicia will definitely get along with her own sister. It''s Yvonne who


    lacks self-respect. How could she be a disgraceful woman and sleep with a man before getting


    married? A disgusting woman such as her doesn''t deserve to be ady of our n. I will report to


    Charles and Mother and¡ª"


    "Mother, I heard that you were also pregnant when you got married to Father," Harper said casually.


    Sue''s eyes widened in shock. She looked like she was going to eat Harper alive.


    Harper was pleased to see Sue''s reaction. She turned towards Hansen and asked, "Your Highness, do


    you admit that you have a rtionship with Yvonne?"


    "I..." Hansen hesitated.


    "Your Highness, are you a coward who dares to do a sphemous thing such as this and not to bear


    the responsibility?" Harper added before Hansen could finish his words.


    Hansen''s face flushed with anger. "So what? She was the one who seduced me first."


    "Your Highness, you sound ridiculous." Harper was trying to suppress her anger. "You said that Yvonne


    had seduced you. Do you mean to say that she hade to your mansion to seduce you?"


    "She seduced me in your mansion!"


    "Your Highness, please forgive me if I am being rude. You do not belong to our mansion. You broke into


    our backyard when my brother was not around and my father was busy with official affairs. And now


    you are framing Yvonne for seducing you. Aren''t you ashamed of yourself?"


    "Enough!" Kate interrupted by banging the table in anger. She then turned to Yvonne and said, "You''re


    just the daughter of a concubine. Now that you are bearing Hansen''s child, it rightly makes you


    Hansen''s woman. When Hansen and Felicia''s wedding date is fixed, both you and your sister will get


    into our mansion together. If you have a son in the future, we''ll register him as the son of Felicia, so


    that others don''t speak ill of you."


    "Thank you very much, Your Highness." Yvonne''s face was bubbling with happiness. Her eyes prickled


    with tears of joy, but Felicia''s face had gone pale. She hadn''t expected that her special day would turn


    into a disaster. Yvonne was the daughter of a concubine, but they were going to get married to the


    same man, on the same day. She couldn''t tolerate it. Anger, disappointment and hatred settled on the


    pit of her stomach. What annoyed her most was that Yvonne''s son would be registered as hers. Being


    the legal wife of Hansen, why the hell did she have to raise the son of this bitch?


    "Your Highness, thank you. That''s a wise decision!" Harper ttered Kate without any hesitation.


    Kate cast a meaningful look at Harper. If her son hadn''t called off his engagement to Harper, she would


    have been the perfect daughter-inw. But she couldn''t force Hansen as he didn''t like her. "It''s settled


    then. We will send someone to inform you about the ideal date for the wedding ceremony. Hansen and


    I will leave now," Kate said.


    "Your Highnesses, take care. Let me see you out," Sue said respectfully.

 Chapter 38 Seeking Help

    Chapter 38 Seeking Help


    Kate and Hansen had left in the middle of the ceremony, which confused manydies present there,


    but no one dared to find out the reason. After all, noble families always had nasty secrets that were


    swept under the rug.


    "How dare you!" Sue stepped toward Harper as soon as Kate left, intending to p her.


    Harper stepped back and dodged Sue''s attempt. "Calm down, Mother. It''s better if we keep what


    happened just now a secret. Otherwise, it will affect Hailey''s reputation," she said with acent


    smile.


    Sue was furious, but what Harper had said was true. It was a stain on the reputation of the Chu n. If


    Hailey ever wanted to be the wife of the crown prince, she had to be wless.


    "Bitch, I''ll kill you!" Felicia leapt up growling in anger, but Yvonne was quicker. She ran quickly and hid


    behind Harper. Blinded by her fury, Felicia went feral as her sharp nails wed at Harper''s face.


    Harper kicked Felicia hard enough for her to fall clumsily on the floor. Yvonne mustered her strength to


    suppress herughter at the sight of Felicia''s posture.


    "Harper, you bitch! How dare you kick me! Mother, order the servants to beat her to death!" Sue


    stopped Felicia and stared at Harper thoughtfully. Harper had maintained a remarkable degree of


    composure recently and that had made Sue uneasy. Sue realized that she had underestimated Harper


    over the years.


    "Don''t create a scene here." Harper pulled her handkerchief and wiped her mouth. "Yvonne, what are


    you waiting for? Haven''t you heard what Lady Kate said? She has decided to allow you and Felicia to


    enter Prince Kevin''s mansion on the same day. Why don''t you go back and have a talk with Lady


    Carrie?"


    "Sure. Thank you, Harper. I''m leaving now, Mother." Yvonne hurried out of the hall and scampered


    towards the backyard. She hadn''t expected that Harper would help her by forcing Kate to ept her as


    Hansen''s concubine. Carrie was right; Harper was a hard nut to crack.


    "What on earth do you want?" Sue''s red eyes, zing with anger, settled on Harper.


    "Mother, there are still many guests waiting outside. I think you should get Felicia cleaned up. Only


    then will she be able to see the guests. Lady Kate has stormed out with her son; everyone will start


    thinking that there is something wrong with Felicia. She has to keep up her good appearance in order


    to maintain our n''s reputation," Harper smiled. "Grandma is waiting for me. You will have to excuse


    me, Mother."


    Harper turned around and walked away. Felicia''s face was contorted with rage. Sue clenched her fists


    tighter as her nails sank deeper into her palms. "Go clean yourself up and meet the guests. You are


    going to be His Highness''s wife and Yvonne will be nothing more than a concubine. She can gloat all


    she wants now, but after the wedding, her life is in your hands," Sue grunted through her gritted teeth.


    No matter what Felicia had dreamed of, she was left with no choice but to ept Kate''s decision. But


    she could never forgive Harper. If Harper hadn''t intruded in the matter, there was not the slightest


    possibility of Hansen taking Yvonne as a concubine.


    "It''s all because of Harper. If it weren''t for her¡ª"


    Sue interrupted, "Don''t worry. Her smugness will notst long." A vindictive look shed across Sue''s


    face. She had put up with Harper for a long time. Now was the time to plot her downfall.


    Harper had gone to meet Mavis in the Peony House, and she saw Carrie kneeling on the floor, shaking


    with fear.


    "Grandma," Harper called.


    "There you are. Come here." Mavis patted the chair that was next to her and motioned for Harper to sit


    down.


    Harper walked towards her grandmother and sat down obediently. "Grandma, I''ve taken care of it all.


    Lady Kate has promised to ept Yvonne as His Highness''s concubine. If Yvonne gives birth to a son,


    he will be registered as Felicia''s child."


    Mavis nodded and looked at Carrie, who was still kneeling on the floor. "You''ve taught Yvonne good


    manners. The girl has grown into a slut. Felicia is still unmarried and yet she couldn''t wait to be a


    concubine of Felicia''s future husband. Does she have no shame? You better get back and keep a close


    eye on your daughter. If she dares to harm our n''s reputation again, I''ll show no mercy to her. I


    swear."


    "Yes, Mother." Carrie left the Peony House. Harper shook her head as she watched Carrie leave.


    "Grandma, Yvonne is ady of our n and she is pregnant now. The wedding cannot be dyed;


    otherwise, it will be difficult to conceal her pregnancy. Don''t be mad at her, Grandma. Yvonne knows to


    n for herself. Felicia is an impulsive girl. I am sure that His Highness will have more women in the


    future. So it''s a good thing that she has Yvonne to help her." Harper stood up and massaged Mavis''


    temples. "Don''t lose your temper over something like this. It is not worth it and is bad for your health."


    "You have no idea." Mavis looked troubled. "Hailey''s reputation cannot be smeared. We must deal with


    it with absolute delicacy."


    There was a hint of surprise in Harper''s eyes, but it disappeared in no time. Chu n rose to power


    through women. In the beginning, it had relied on Qin n''s resources. Later it had clung on to Katrina


    and the Wang n. And now, it seemed that it was going to make full use of the younger generation of


    the n.


    "What''s done is done. We muste up with the best course of action. Although it seems


    inappropriate for the two sisters to share a husband, it is better than the news of Yvonne''s pregnancy


    before marriage. After the wedding, we can tell everyone that Felicia is pregnant, and register Yvonne''s


    child as Felicia''s. This way the two of them will support each other, and secure their positions in Prince


    Kevin''s mansion," said Harper looking calm and collected.


    "You are a wise girl." Mavis patted the back of Harper''s hand. "That''s enough. Come and sit with me."


    "Yes, Grandma."


    "Harper, do you still remember your maternal grandfather?" Mavis suddenly asked.


    Harper was shocked by the sudden question. "Father has told me that my mother''s entire n


    disappeared overnight. Is that true?"


    "Yeah, it''s true," Mavis said thoughtfully. "Maybe they wille back one day."


    "Really?" Harper had always thought that the disappearance of the Qin n and her mother''s death


    were interlinked and had something to do with the Chu n, but she couldn''t find any clues. Moreover,


    all the old servants of the Chu n had either left or died. Therefore, it was difficult to find out what


    happened to the Qin n.


    "Who knows." Mavis exhaled a deep breath. "Regarding today''s issue...Harper, I must say that you''ve


    handled it well. It''s time for you to n for yourself."


    "I know, Grandma," Harper said softly.


    "Well, you must be tired after a busy day. Go back and rest well."


    "Good night, Grandma. Don''t forget to take your medicinal meal. You have to take good care of


    yourself." Harper instructed Annie to cook medicinal meal for her grandmother and finally left.


    Annie gazed at Harper''s receding figure and said, "Harper is a devoted granddaughter."


    "Yes, but the kid doesn''t think about herself. She ns more for others than for herself. I''m worried


    about her future," Mavis said apprehensively.


    "Harper has got you. You''re there to n for her future. That''s why she doesn''t worry about herself."


    Mavis smiled at Annie''s words. Annie was right. She would take care of Harper and give her only the


    best.


    Harper saw Carrie waiting with Yvonne outside the Peony House. "Harper," Carrie called out.


    "Lady Carrie," Harper nodded in return. "Yvonne, you should know that although Lady Kate has


    epted you and Mother hasn''t opposed it, anything can change before the baby is born. Keep that in


    mind."


    Yvonne''s face went pale. "Harper..."


    "Although Felicia is being persuaded by Mother now, you can imagine how upset she must be. A lot


    can change before the wedding. So pay more attention to Yvonne''s meals and supplies," Harper said


    to Carrie. "Take care, Yvonne." Harper nodded and turned to leave.


    "Harper!" Carrie tugged on Harper''s sleeve and pleaded, "Please help us."


    Harper''s face remained unchanged. "Lady Carrie, you must be kidding. Father doesn''t like me. How


    can I help you?"


    "Harper, Lady Sue can''t tolerate your existence. Don''t you want to settle things with her?" Carrie asked


    in a low voice, looking around in apprehension; she didn''t want to be seen or heard.


    "No, I don''t," Harper said honestly, "I''vee of age, so I won''t stay in the mansion for too long. I will


    leave once I get married. So she wouldn''t bother me."


    Carrie looked visibly shaken. She grabbed Harper''s sleeve. "What must I do to make you help us?"


    Harper looked at Yvonne, whose face looked white as if she had seen a ghost. She then turned


    towards Carrie. "Lady Carrie, helping you means standing against Mother. What do I get by making her


    mad at me?"


    "As long as you can help Yvonne keep the child, we will do everything we can to support you in the


    future." Carrie didn''t want any harm to be inflicted upon Yvonne''s baby.


    Harper smiled. "You have to prove your sincerity, Lady Carrie. Otherwise I wouldn''t know if you are


    making a fool out of me."


    "Enya and Elsie are secretly working for Lady Sue," Carrie whispered through gritted teeth. Harper had


    sent away many maids of hers, except for Enya and Elsie. Unfortunately, they were the real traitors.


    "I have known this for a long time," Harper said tly. "I''ve kept them because they are still of use to


    me. But I have seen your sincerity. Just pay attention to your diet and health."


    "Thank you, Harper."


    Harper turned around and left. Yvonne''s face was still pale. She grabbed Carrie''s hand and trembled.


    Carrie patted Yvonne''s hand. "Don''t worry. As long as Harper is there to help us, your child will be safe.


    She is the best physician in this mansion, not Hailey."


    "Harper," a voice called out.


    Harper squinted her eyes and looked at the woman standing in front of her. "Lady Serena," she greeted


    in return.


    Serena looked at Harper and a yful smile graced her lips. "It is amazing to see how calm you are,


    Harper. How could you maintain yourposure when your sister has robbed your fiance?"


    "I''m ttered," Harper answered calmly. "What''s mine cannot be taken away from me, and it''s pointless


    to cling on to something that''s not mine."


    "You sound like a philosopher." Serena chuckled. "You are just like your mother."


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Harper knitted her brows in confusion. Her mother had died soon after she was born. Serena had never


    seen her mother; how would she know about her?


    "Charles has always said that your mother hated topete with others. And you are exactly like her.


    But even though you mind your own business and don''tpete with others, people might think


    otherwise. Am I right, Harper?" Serena leaned over and whispered in Harper''s in a voice that was as


    cold as ice.

 Chapter 39 An Evil Plan (Part One)

    Chapter 39 An Evil n (Part One)


    The Prince Kevin''s mansion was extremely efficient in dealing with the wedding-rted matters. They


    soon decided on the day of the wedding and sent a servant to inform the Chu n that the wedding


    was to be held on June 18th since it was a lucky day. Besides, the betrothal presents of two brides


    were delivered to the Chu n mansion as quickly as possible.


    Since the heir of Prince Kevin would marry two daughters of the Chu n at the same time, Prince


    Kevin and his wife were very generous. Felicia''s betrothal presents were in ordance with the


    standards, and the betrothal presents of Yvonne were also very abundant. Probably because she was


    pregnant with the son of Hansen, Kate, Kevin''s wife, had attached special importance to her.


    Felicia''s face was distorted with anger at the sight of the betrothal presents of Yvonne. "She''s just a


    concubine''s daughter and will only be a concubine. Why did they give her so many betrothal presents?


    It''s not fair!" she roared.


    And like Felicia, Sue was very irritated too. She thought that people at the Prince Kevin''s mansion were


    so unreasonable, for they even gave a bride price to Yvonne as much as that of Felicia. But Sue


    carefully concealed her apparent anger. "My dear daughter," Sue began as she held her daughter''s


    hand, coaxing her, "you will be His Highness''s wife, which means that you will take charge of the whole


    mansion in the future. And all other concubines will have to obey your orders. You don''t have to be


    angry with such a low-status concubine. It''s bad for your health."


    "Mother, that bitch has His Highness''s child in her belly. We haven''t got married yet, but they seem to


    show more favor towards that bitch. I am afraid that she will win the heart of all the people in the


    mansion, and eventually, she will be on top of me!" Felicia bristled up in anger. She also harbored a


    wicked thought that if Yvonne hadn''t had her baby, she wouldn''t have been so proud now.


    However, Sue maintained her calmness. She squeezed Felicia''s hand, and in a meaningful way, she


    said, "You know that what Prince Kevin and Lady Kate value is that baby in her belly. If she identally


    loses her baby, she will be of no value. So, you do not need to be irritated by her now. The wedding is


    still half a month away, and no one knows what will happen during this period."


    Felicia''s eyes suddenly lit up. "Mother, you mean..."


    "I mean Yvonne should take good care of herself. It''s of vital importance for a pregnant woman to


    watch out during the first three months. She''s so fragile that she might have a miscarriage by ident."


    While looking over whether the make-ups on Felicia''s face were off, Sue reminded her gently, "You are


    going to get married, and you are going to be the wife of His Highness, so you have to be patient. After


    you get married, there are still a lot of seductive and charming women in their mansion much more than


    those in our mansion. If you are jealous of them, you will be quite unhappy. You can''t ruin your own


    happy life for them."


    "Mother, what should I do?" Felicia asked, totally confused.


    "After you get married, you shall give birth to His Highness''s child to consolidate your position. As long


    as you keep a close eye on the seductive bitches in the mansion, they can''t even have the opportunity


    to get pregnant. It''s okay for them to have daughters because it won''t shake your position in the family,"


    Sue exined to her in a soft voice.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    If Harper could hear this, she would fully understand why Sue was the only one who had a son in the


    Chu n, while all other women only had daughters. Sue had done something vicious to them, and


    even those women who were fortunate enough to give birth to sons, couldn''t raise their sons safe and


    sound.


    "Mother, I got it."


    "That''s great." Then Sue guided her daughter to sit down beside her. "There is no need for you to do


    many things by yourself. You only need to have one or two capable and loyal people around you. Don''t


    let anyone find fault with you when you do something secretly. Even if you are dissatisfied with your


    condition, you should pretend to be a generousdy. Do you understand?"


    "Yes, Mother," Felicia replied a little bit absent-mindedly. She resolved that after their marriage, she


    would no longer be afraid of those concubines. She must let them know that they were worthless in


    front of her!


    Sue babbled on and on for a long time, which sounded already annoying to Felicia. She eagerly


    demanded, "Mother, what should we do with the baby in that bitch''s belly?"


    A vicious smile instantly appeared on Sue''s face as she casually took a pearl hairpin and cautiously put


    it on Felicia''s head. "You will marry His Highness with Yvonne at the same time. I am sure that Harper


    will prepare gifts for you two."


    "I don''t like her gift no matter what it is!" Felicia scoffed. Although Harper had the dowry of her


    biological mother, Kelly, the dowry was kept by Mavis. Therefore, Harper had nothing valuable to send


    to her two sisters.


    "You like her gift, and so does Yvonne!" A wicked smile slowly appeared on Sue''s face. People at the


    Prince Kevin''s mansion attached great importance to the child in Yvonne''s belly, so Sue decided to get


    rid of this baby. But the whole evil n of poisoning the baby must have nothing to do with Sue or


    Felicia. With this, Sue decided to let Harper take the me for the baby''s death. Anyway, it was not her


    first time to be made a scapegoat, and she should get used to it.


    "Mother, I don''t understand what you are talking about!" Sue couldn''t ept that her daughter was


    slow inprehending her line of thinking. How could Felicia be so stupid and ignorant? She had


    never worried about her elder daughter. But her younger daughter, who had been spoiled by her, hadn''t


    learned any scheming skills from her!


    "If she doesn''t give a gift to Yvonne, how can we frame her for killing His Highness''s child?" Sue


    exined to her patiently. "We can get rid of Harper alongside with the baby. Last time, if the Mavis


    hadn''te back sooner than expected, Harper would have been beaten to death and wouldn''t have


    had the chance to poison you."

 Chapter 40 An Evil Plan (Part Two)

    Chapter 40 An Evil n (Part Two)


    Speaking of the poisoning incident, Felicia turned furious and hated Harper to the bones. For her, the


    most important thing for a woman was her appearance, but Harper had poisoned her, intending to ruin


    her beautiful face! If it hadn''t been for her elder sister''s superb medical skills, she would have been


    disfigured.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    "Mother, Grandma has always been protective of her. If Harper were found to have poisoned the child


    of His Highness, Grandma would still protect her!" Felicia gnashed her teeth in hatred at the mere


    thought of how Mavis previously protected Harper. "How ignorant the old woman is! She dared to


    protect Harper, who is a jinx!"


    "Shut up!" Sue cut her off as she got a little worried. She hastily looked outside and heaved a sigh of


    relief upon seeing no one was around. "From now on, never say such words again. Your father is filial.


    Hearing you talk like this, he will surely beat you to death!"


    "Ok. I will never say that again, Mother," she answered almost immediately. Then in her earnest, she


    clutched Sue''s arm and acted coquettishly. "Mother, tell me, how can I make both of them suffer?"


    Sue merely patted her hand and smiled viciously, "You will know when the timees!"


    That night, Sue had prepared a family feast to celebrate the uing marriage of the twodies. She


    invited all the family members to the banquet. It was Harper''s first time to see so many people in the


    mansion. What surprised her more was that even Joey, Charles'' concubine who seldom went out of her


    room, attended the banquet with her daughter Alexandra.


    "Harper!" Alexandra got excited when she saw Harper, breaking free from Joey''s grasp and running to


    her.


    Harper''s face immediately lit up as she squatted down and held her. "You''re getting taller. Have you


    behaved yourself and be a good girl all the time? Have you eaten well?"


    "Yes. I have arge bowl of rice for each meal!" Alexandra excitedly gesticted with small hands,


    trying to make Harper understand her meaning. However, Joey was somewhat frightened, especially


    when Alexandra threw herself in Harper''s arms and joked with her.


    "Alexandra,e here. Don''t bother your sister too much," Joey yelled at her daughter.


    Harper held Alexandra up and chimed in, "It doesn''t matter. Kids like making trouble. I guess that


    you''ve paid a lot of attention to her, Lady Joey."


    Joey looked quite uneasy, and she was afraid that Alexandra woulde into contact with otherdies.


    Although Harper didn''t get along well with Sue, Joey was still afraid that she would help Sue deal with


    her and her daughter. She had no one to rely on and had only one child.


    Sensing that Joey looked ufortable, Harper put Alexandra down and said, "Go to your mother''s


    side. I''ll y with you another day. When Father and Grandmae, don''t forget to say hello to them."


    "Okay, I won''t forget that," Alexandra replied in a cute small voice before running to Joey happily. She


    took her mother''s hand when she reached her side. But when she caught Felicia''s eyes, she shivered


    with fear and hastily hid behind her mother.


    Mavis was not feeling well, so she didn''t attend the dinner. Charles, on the other hand, felt immensely


    happy. Two of his daughters were to be married to the heir of Prince Kevin. And what made him feel


    fortunate enough was that one of her daughters was already carrying Hansen''s child. It was a piece of


    good news for the whole family.


    "Please sit down," Charles urged everyone.


    All the people took their seats at once, making Charles dder. During the meal, he praised Yvonne so


    many times to which Yvonne responded with merely a shy smile. Felicia, who was silently observing


    the whole scene, was a little unhappy about it andined, "Father, you only care about Yvonne.


    And I feel like you are ignoring me! You used to praise me the most, but today, you only focus on


    praising Yvonne."


    "Ha-ha, my dear daughter is jealous," Charles blurted out as he yfully smiled at her. "Well, it seems


    that I have ignored you today. You are already an adult and will get married soon. You are going to be


    His Highness''s wife. Felicia, are you happy?"


    "Of course! As long as you are happy, I will be happy too," Felicia answered, grinning proudly.


    "I''m quite happy indeed," Charles roared inughter. "When you two enter Prince Kevin''s mansion, I


    sincerely hope that you will support each other. And never fight against each other. We''re a family, and


    we should get along well with one another. Do you understand?"


    "I understand," answered his two daughters in unison.


    Pleased, Charles drank a few more sses of wine. Noticing that he was in a good mood, Sue took the


    opportunity. Faking a cough, she turned to Harper. "Your two sisters are about to get married. Have you


    prepared some gifts for them?" she asked.


    Harper, at that precise moment, was taking small bites of her food. She was casually listening to Sue''s


    words, but she perceived that Sue had some evil ns. She even made a mental guess that Sue


    wanted to kill the baby in Yvonne''s belly and also get rid of her at the same time.


    Harper swallowed the food in her mouth and put down the chopsticks. As she wiped the corner of her


    lips, she mumbled slowly, "As the elder sister, I must prepare some gifts for them, but..."


    "But what?" Sue interjected, she was confused.


    "They will get married to His Highness. I''m worried that my gifts will not be good enough to satisfy


    them," answered Harper in a polite tone.


    Sue was quite satisfied with Harper''s words. "Whatever they are, as long as they are prepared by you, I


    firmly believe that both Felicia and Yvonne will like them very much."


    "Then I can rest assured." With Harper''s reaction, a vicious expression shed in Sue''s eyes.


    ''Whatever you give them, they will be all deadly poison, so it doesn''t make any difference what you


    prepare!'' she thought to herself wickedly.

 Chapter 41 Made An Alliance

    Chapter 41 Made An Alliance


    The next morning, Harper went to the Peony House to visit Mavis.


    It was normal for Mavis to see Harper at such an early hour, so she wasn''t surprised at all. "Harper,


    you''ve beening here earlier and earlier recently."


    "Am I bothering you, Grandma?" Harper asked as she helped Mavis clean up.


    "No. I mean you could be getting more sleep. You don''t have toe here so early just for greetings."


    It was true that Mavis loved her from the bottom of her heart and she patted Harper''s head. If Harper


    didn''t deceive her, Mavis would never thought of sending her to the Imperial Pce.


    "It''s my pleasure to serve you, Grandma." There wasn''t any sign of impatience on Harper''s face as she


    skillfully and carefully helped Mavis freshen up and served her at the dining table.


    "You''re such a filial girl," Mavis said and sighed. "Have a seat. Let''s eat together."


    "Yes, Grandma." They then sat next to each other. Harper served Mavis at the dining table and she


    enjoyed the meal very much.


    As they finished their meal, Harper brought a cup of tea for Mavis to rinse her mouth. "Grandma,


    Yvonne and Felicia are getting married. Mother asked me to give them gifts, but I don''t know what I


    should give them. Do you have any idea?"


    A sh went through Mavis'' eyes when she heard Harper. "Did Sue ask you to prepare gifts?"


    "Yvonne and Felicia are going to get married. I''m the elder sister and I''m supposed to give them gifts.


    But over the years, I don''t have much savings and I''ve been squandering the money. It''s lucky that


    Grandma took care of myte mother''s dowry. Otherwise, I would have squandered it. Now Yvonne


    and Felicia will be married to His Highness. I don''t have anything good and I don''t know what I should


    give them, so please give me a suggestion."


    The confusion on Harper''s face worried Mavis about her innocence, but she stopped Annie from


    reminding her.


    "What do you want to give them, Harper?" Mavis asked with a smile.


    "I''m not good at anything. I only know a bit about medicine. Yvonne''s pregnant so I can do my best and


    help her with my medical skills. But for Felicia..." Harper sighed. "I can''t ignore Felicia and favor


    Yvonne. They''re both my sisters, so I have to be fair."


    The answer satisfied Mavis. "Yes, you''re all sisters. You don''t have to do it yourself. I''ll help you


    prepare the gifts."


    "No way!" Harper refused with a shake of her head. "Mother asked me to prepare the gifts myself to


    show my sincerity. If she knew Grandma prepared the gifts for me, she''d be unhappy."


    It nagged at Annie to see Harper look like she was in a dilemma. ''Lady Harper, you''re too innocent. The


    reason why Lady Sue asked you to prepare the gifts is that she must have some other ulterior motives,


    '' she thought.


    "You don''t have much money. If the presents you prepared are too cheap, Sue would be unhappy. But


    you won''t be able to afford expensive gifts." Mavis took her hand. "How about this? I''ll pick things from


    your mother''s dowry and let someone bring them to Yvonne and Felicia as their wedding gifts. Since


    your mother''s dowry will also be your dowry in the future, it''s not a big deal for you to give things to


    your sisters as gifts. What do you think?" Mavis offered with a smile.


    "That''s great. Thank you, Grandma." The suggestion made Harper very happy. "I want to give them a


    surprise. Grandma, please don''t tell Mother or she won''t be happy."


    "What''s the matter? Why are you scared that your mother will be unhappy?" Charles asked. He came


    to pay his respects to Mavis. He was in a good mood because Felicia would be married to the prince''s


    heir and everything was great at work in the Imperial Pce.


    "Harper was having a hard time in choosing wedding gifts for Yvonne and Felicia. Both of them will


    marry His Highness. There are countless rare treasures in Prince Kevin''s mansion, and Harper didn''t


    know what gifts she should prepare. She asked me to make a decision for her." Mavis took a nce at


    Charles with a teacup in her hand. "I''ve prepared the gifts for her."


    "Sorry to bother you, Mother." While he didn''t fully understand what Mavis meant, he thought Harper


    was annoying Mavis by being unable to make a decision on such a trivial matter.


    "I''m not annoyed at all. Harper''s the daughter of your first wife, but she doesn''t have anything decent.


    She is even unable to give her sisters some decent gifts. I''ve prepared the gifts for Harper. I''ll ask


    someone to give them to Felicia and Yvonne tomorrow. No need to bother Sue."


    "Yes, Mother."


    "Don''t let Sue know I prepared the gifts for Harper or she may think Harper isn''t being sincere." It was


    of great importance for family members to live together in harmony and men shouldn''t get too involved


    into domestic affairs, so Mavis warned Charles despite his busy work.


    "Mother, I understand."


    After he agreed with Mavis'' words, he finally looked at Harper, who was silently standing at the side.


    "What have you done recently?"


    "I''ve been reading some books about the moral principles and etiquette of women." Harper slightly bent


    her knees to salute her father. "It''s said that a woman''s ignorance is bliss but women should learn


    about moral principles and etiquette."


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Charles nodded with satisfaction. "How was your reading?"


    "I''ve finished but I found that I''m not good at needlework. I''m learning embroidery from the maids these


    days and I''m thinking of embroidering something for you and Grandma. But I''m not skillful at it so I


    haven''t finished them yet," Harper replied quickly.


    "That''s enough as long as you''re thinking about us." A smile appeared on Mavis'' lips. "We both know


    that you''ve been working really hardtely."


    A nod was Harper''s only response. She then excused herself when she saw Mavis and Charles were


    about to have a long conversation. Felicia and Yvonne would marry Hansen in the same day, and this


    would be the hot topic in the city.


    Nina followed behind Harper and said, "My Lady, although most of Lady Kelly''s dowry is kept by Lady


    Mavis, I think..."


    "Of course, I can''t give things my mother left to other people," Harper replied immediately. "And I can''t


    prepare any gifts for them."


    Nina thought for a while and asked, "My Lady, do you mean...?"


    "Let''s go back. I''ll greet Grandma alone tomorrow. You two don''t have to be with me. You buy some


    cloths with Anabel. I''ll tailor clothes for Grandma and Father," Harper gently ordered. Although she


    wasn''t good at needlework, she could tailor clothes.


    "Yes, My Lady."


    "Come with me. I want to visit Yvonne. She''s pregnant right now. We should visit her." Just when she


    was about to go to Yvonne''s ce, she saw Serena walking along the road not far away from them.


    But Serena moved so fast and disappeared in a blink.


    "My Lady, that seemed to be Lady Serena."


    There had always been something odd about Serena, who was bewitching, charming, and strange,


    much like a colorful viper haunting everywhere and spitting out a scarlet tongue.


    "Leave her alone." Harper pretended she didn''t see her and headed to the Excellence House. Carrie


    and Yvonne lived in the same house. In this country, a concubine''s children would have to live in the


    same house with their mother before they came of age and got married.


    "Lady Harper."


    "Shirley, is Lady Carrie home?" Shirley was Yvonne''s personal maid.


    "Lady Carrie''s talking with Lady Yvonne." Shirley led Harper inside. "My Ladies, Lady Harper''s here."


    The two women were discussing the dowry when they heard the arrival of Harper, so they both stood


    up and greeted her.


    "Hello, Lady Carrie, Yvonne." The three of them entered the room together, leaving Shirley and Nina to


    guard the door in case someone came over.


    "What brings you here, Harper?"


    "I brought some medicine for Yvonne." Harper took out a white porcin bottle and ced it on the


    table. "Here''s medicine to protect the baby in Yvonne''s womb from poison. You heard it yesterday,


    Mother asked me to prepare a wedding gift for Yvonne."


    Carrie snapped to look at Harper and caught hold of Yvonne''s hand in surprise. "Harper, this..."


    "If I guessed correctly, Mother wanted to use me to harm Yvonne." Harper poured herself a ss of


    water. "Tomorrow, my gifts for Yvonne and Felicia will be delivered to Mother. Before she gives the gift


    to you, you should take this medicine first. Then you can feel free to touch the gift." There was only


    indifference in Harper''s eyes when she added, "Be careful with the people around you."


    A twinkle shed in Carrie''s eyes and she looked at Vera, who was pretending to sweep the floor not


    far from the door. "Don''t worry, Harper. I''ll watch over everything. Will our n hurt the baby in


    Yvonne''s belly?"


    "Lady Carrie, don''t worry. Since I dare to ask you to do this, I''m one hundred percent certain. If you


    don''t want to work with me, you''ll suffer a lot at that time," Harper said slowly. "We both clearly know


    that both Mother and Felicia are jealous of Yvonne''s child."


    "As long as you can help me keep my child, I''ll do whatever you tell me to!" Yvonne said. This unborn


    baby was her most precious gift, her ticket to a life of luxury in Prince Kevin''s mansion, so she couldn''t


    live without it!


    Even with all the benefits Harper offered, it still wasn''t enough for Carrie to turn against Sue. So Harper


    offered, "Mother has controlled the Chu n for many years. Lady Carrie, have you ever thought of


    managing the n?"


    Carrie''s eyes lit up and she turned to look at Harper. "What do you mean, Harper?"


    "Just do as I say. I promise that Yvonne will safely marry His Highness and that you''ll share the power


    with Mother. What do you think?"


    Carrie and Yvonne looked at each other and nodded their heads at the same time. "We''ll do it!"

 Chapter 42 Harper Poisoned Them

    Chapter 42 Harper Poisoned Them


    Sue had been eagerly waiting for Harper to make a move. However, Harper didn''t make one yet. She


    merely greeted Mavis and Charles for two days in a row. After this, she would head back to her own


    house.


    Quickly, the wedding day approached, but Harper hadn''t taken any actions yet. Sue was pacing back


    and forth, anxiously wondering what Harper was up to. Just then, one of the maids reported that Harper


    hade.


    "Good timing!" she mumbled. Sue''s mind was filled with schemes that were dying to be put into action.


    One could tell she had vicious ns just by looking into her eyes. No matter what, Sue was determined


    to make Harper suffer for everything she had done.


    Harper was followed by Annie and a young maid whom Sue had never seen before. When she saw the


    box in the maid''s hands, Sue''s eyes shed with greed. "You came!"


    "Greetings, Mother." Sue showed a caring look when Harper saluted her. She requested Harper to sit


    next to her.


    "Please don''t behave so politely. After all, we are family," Sue said, feigning a very gentle smile. As she


    spoke, Annie looked at her from the corner of her eyes but didn''t utter a single word.


    "I see that Nanny Annie hase along. So tell me, is there any message for me from Mother?" Sue


    asked, curious to know if they were here on Mavis'' request. Although she held a strong dislike towards


    Mavis, she didn''t dare to go against her.


    Annie bowed, put the box in her hands on the table, and said, "Lady Mavis are very happy that Lady


    Felicia and Lady Yvonne will get married soon. As their grandmother, she has prepared something for


    both of them. Please give them to the twodies."


    "On behalf of my two daughters, I thank her. Please convey my gratitude when you return," Sue said in


    a joyful voice. Whatever Mavis had prepared, she was certain they must be of great value. Even if they


    had to be divided into two shares, they were bound to be extravagant.


    Noticing that this news had filled Sue with tion, Harper immediately asked her maid to bring out her


    gifts. "Mother, I have prepared these gifts for my two sisters. Please give the gifts to them."


    "Oh, you too have something for us," Sue said and eagerly took them out. On opening, she saw it


    contained two sets of jewels, but the jade used was different on each set. It depicted the difference in


    their status. "You are so thoughtful, Harper."


    "I hope my two sisters will like them," Harper said with a smile. "I am aware they have many rare


    treasures to relish. Yet I hope my gifts will be of some value to them."


    "Of course they are! They are not just gifts; they are your love and affection. How could they not like


    them? I bet they will be thrilled to see them." Sue was trying her best to pretend kindness. To someone


    who knew Sue well, it would look weird. Annie was already starting to frown.


    "Thank you, Mother. Your words have truly relieved of my worries." Harper breathed a sigh of relief. "It''s


    getting hot these days, and Grandma doesn''t seem to have a good appetite. I think I should be leaving


    and go visiting Grandma."


    "If that''s the case, then I think you should be leaving. I will go visit Motherter with Felicia and


    Yvonne." Sue sent her away, and her eyes suddenly fell on the maid behind Harper. Sue pointed her


    finger to the new maid and asked, "She is new here, isn''t she?"


    "Yes, she is new. I am just showing her around," Harper said in a very casual manner. Due to this, Sue


    didn''t suspect anything. Today was a good day and Sue''s spirit was high. Once Harper was dead, no


    one would remember that she was a concubine.


    "Make sure you take good care of Mother. Hailey is not here and you are the only one with medical


    skills. Hence the responsibility of looking after your grandma falls to you. While doing so, don''t neglect


    paying attention to your own health. You could get too tired otherwise."


    "Thanks for your concern. I will take good care of myself." Then Harper left with Annie and the maid.


    She was so calm that no one could detect anything odd about her behavior.


    Annie sneaked a quick nce at Harper. ''She looked absolutely innocent in front of Sue. However, if


    she was really that innocent, she wouldn''t have managed to stay alive. If her biological mother was still


    alive, her life would have been so much easier, '' she thought.


    In order to please Mavis, Harper went back to the Peony House and made lotus leaf porridge for her.


    "Grandma, try it. It is fresh and delicious with lotus leaf that has just been fetched. Try it, Grandma."


    The olddy looked at Harper''s childish behavior and couldn''t helpughing. "I know how to eat. But


    you are treating me like a kid who can''t do anything."


    Mavis took the bowl from Harper and ate the delicious lotus leaf porridge. Once she was done, she felt


    pretty satisfied. "You are getting better at cooking, Harper."


    "You think so? Thank you very much. I wish to cook for you every day," Harper answered. Mavis was


    the only hope she had in the Chu n. If anything happened to Mavis, there would be no ce for her


    to live. While taking care of Mavis, she was in fact fighting for her own life.


    "You can ask the cook to do that. You''re thedy of the Chu n, so you shouldn''t be cooking all the


    time. But yes, every now and then I would love to have something cooked by you. I cannot thank you


    enough for being so sweet to me. Rest assured that as long as I am still breathing, no one will dare to


    hurt you." After uttering these words, Mavis gently pressed Harper''s hands. She knew the concerns


    that were going around in Harper''s mind. After all, Sue was waiting for an opportunity to harm her.


    Harper nodded, "I have nothing to worry about since you are here. I know you don''t have a good


    appetite. I''ll ask Nanny Annie to prepare some sweet-sour plum juice and cool it down with well water


    for you. You''ll love it."


    "Lady Harper is very concerned about you, Lady Mavis," Annie said, praising Harper.


    "Nanny Annie, you too should have a bowl of sweet-sour plum juice. After all, it is considered extremely


    good for the summertime," Harper smiled.


    "Thank you, Lady Harper." Annie grinned from ear to ear, and the wrinkles on her face seemed to


    be smooth. Harper insisted on staying there as she had decided to learn embroidery from Annie.


    When Annie was young, she had been good at embroidery. During those days, she had managed to


    surpass the embroidery girls in the Imperial Pce with her double-sided embroidery.


    The thing was that embroidery required a lot of patience. Knowing very well that Harper had had a


    tiring day, Annie thought she might not be in a mood for such an activity. Hence she carried on with her


    work, preparing tea and dessert. However, Harper broached the subject of embroidery. It turned out


    she still had some energy left. Withoutining, she sat with Annie to learn the work.


    "My Lady, you''re so clever. Many people can''t do the double-sided embroidery this well. You have


    managed to learn it in such a short span of time. Your work is brilliant! After witnessing this, I don''t


    believe you have clumsy hands. Clumsy hands could never do what you have done!" Annie said,


    utterly impressed with Harper''s work.


    "Nanny Annie, you need to stop showering me with praises! You are spoiling me." Harper looked


    ttered. "I''ve been thinking about embroidering a fan for Grandma. And the weather is particrly hot.


    I think it would be amazing to make use of this new skill and make an embroidered fan for her."


    "That sounds like a great idea!" Annie said, nodding her head. "I am sure Lady Mavis would be thrilled


    to have a fan made by you."


    Then they both got busy making a fan. Just when they were done making it, they heard some noise


    coming from outside.


    "Nanny Annie, what happened? Why is it so noisy outside?" The Peony House was the quietest ce


    in the Chu n mansion. Mavis didn''t like noise, so it was very rare for any chaos to happen there.


    "I''ll go out and take a look." Annie put down the things in her hands, turned around and went out to see


    what happened. Even Mavis, who had rested, was awakened by the mayhem. Harper put down the fan


    and helped her up.


    "Grandma, you are awake!"


    "What happened? Why is it so noisy outside?" She frowned with displeasure at the people arguing


    outside.


    "I don''t know. But I have sent Nanny Annie out to take a look. We will soon know what the matter is."


    Even though she pretended like she had no idea, she believed Sue was the cause of this disorder.


    Earlier, she believed Sue would wait a day or two before taking any action. However, it turned out she


    had no patience.


    Annie came back rushing. Her face had a sullen look. "My Ladies, something happened in the


    Splendor House and the Excellence House."


    "What?" Mavis was taken aback. "What happened?"


    Annie took a look at Harper and then turned to Mavis. "Both Lady Yvonne and Lady Felicia are


    poisoned. Now the physician is at Lady Felicia''s ce. Lady Yvonne..."


    "I''ll go and check on Yvonne." Harper stood up and was about to leave, but Annie stopped her.


    "No need to rush, My Lady." Annie looked at Mavis, and said with embarrassment, "Lady Sue is


    causing trouble outside, iming Lady Harper is the one who has poisoned them."


    "How is that even possible?!" Listening to this, Mavis was so startled that she dropped her tea cup to


    the floor. She realized Sue was going too far. It was beyond crazy how she framed Harper like this.


    Annie sighed with resignation. Slowly, she went on and borated, "They said that Lady Harper had


    added poison onto the two sets of jewels that she gave to Lady Yvonne and Lady Felicia."


    Mavis'' fury intensified on hearing this exnation. She was the one who had prepared the two sets of


    jewels that Harper had given to her two sisters. So ording to this, Sue was implying that she, Mavis,


    had poisoned her granddaughters!


    "What does Sue want?" Mavis spat out, not wanting to repress her anger any longer.


    Annie cast a nce at Harper and said, "Lady Sue is going to take Lady Harper into custody and wait


    until Prime Minister Charles gets back."


    "Okay, I''ming with you, Harper. Let''s see how vicious she can be!" Mavis walked out with Annie''s


    help, and Harper followed them obediently.


    The anger and hatred were written all over Sue''s face when she saw Harpering out. Ignoring


    Mavis, Sue rushed to Harper and pped her in the face. It was so hard that Harper fell onto the


    ground.


    "Are you insane? How dare you!" Mavis trembled with rage. She raised her walking stick and hit Sue.


    Sue didn''t expect that Mavis would go to this extent in order to protect Harper.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    "Mother, Harper is a vicious girl! She is jealous of Yvonne and Felicia marrying His Highness. Hence


    she poisoned them. How could you still protect her? She dared to poison her sisters today, and I am


    sure she won''t think twice before poisoning you in the future!" Sue had spoken very cleverly. If Mavis


    hadn''t known that it was impossible for Harper to poison anyone, she might have believed her!

 Chapter 43 Venomous Slander (Part One)

    Chapter 43 Venomous nder (Part One)


    Mavis once again lurched forward and hit Sue with her walking stick. Seeing this, Harper got up and


    caught hold of Mavis.


    "Grandma, calm down. Getting angry is bad for your health," Harper said while sobbing uncontrobly.


    Mavis turned her gaze at Harper and noticed Sue''s handprint on Harper''s fair face. She was already


    furious but this intensified her anger.


    Just when this was happening, Charles returned home. He was informed by a servant that Sue was


    creating a scene in Peony House. Realizing the matter must be serious, he quickly rushed over there.


    "What happened, Mother? Why do you look so angry? If there''s something wrong, I can deal with it."


    In this agitated state, Mavis couldn''t even say anything. She continued staring at Sue. At that moment,


    Sue became the viin who hade with an unreasonableint. "Charles, you must seek justice


    for me. Harper was so vicious as she had given poisoned wedding gifts to Yvonne and Felicia. Right


    now, they are lying in bed, unconscious. I am particrly worried about Yvonne since she is pregnant.


    And let''s not forget she is carrying His Highness''s child. If something happens to her, what will we do?"


    After listening to this, Charles merely made his way towards Sue and ced a tight p in her face.


    This took herpletely off-guard. For a moment, Sue was dizzy and found it hard to see anything


    clearly.


    Once she had regained herposure, she wondered if this was all just a dream. They had been


    married for over ten years yet this was the first time he had beaten her.


    She slowly began to mumble, "Charles, I... Did I make a mistake? Why did you hit me?" As she spoke,


    she was trembling, soaked in pain and humiliation.


    By now, Mavis had regained her ability to speak. Bitterly, she pointed her finger at Sue and said, "I was


    the one who had prepared the wedding gifts. Since you said the gifts were poisoned, aren''t you trying


    to say that I poisoned my granddaughters?"


    Utter shock and disbelief crossed Sue''s face. She turned to Harper and wondered, ''Didn''t Harper say


    that she prepared them herself? Then how is it possible?''


    Harper began to sob harder. "Mother, Grandma is speaking the truth. I was ashamed since I didn''t have


    anything presentable to gift my sisters. I voiced my sorrow to Grandma who prepared them for me."


    Sue knelt down on the ground, shocked. She felt like a heavy blow had been thrown on her. Thinking


    about it for a while, she quickly responded, "Oh wait! You must have poisoned them before you brought


    them to me. You nned to frame your grandmother. Harper, you are so vicious. Your grandmother has


    always been nice to you, yet you showed her no mercy!"


    Sue hoped this exnation would help here out of this dilemma. If she seeded in putting the


    me on Harper, Harper would undoubtedly be punished. She had nned everything well. Moreover,


    she had specially sent someone to ask Kate, Prince Kevin''s wife, toe here. Before Kate reached,


    she wanted everyone to believe Harper was the culprit.


    "Charles, this woman is hell-bent on making Harper a criminal. Why can''t she just ept Harper?"


    Mavis thumped her chest. "Harper is just a child who has lost her mother. But Sue is after her, trying to


    throw her out! If Harper were a boy, Sue must have long killed him."


    "Mother, don''t say that! I want to ept her with my whole heart. But it is Harper who is making that


    impossible. She is after Yvonne and Felicia," Sue argued.


    Harper wiped the tears on her face and said, "Mother, Grandma prepared the wedding gifts. And her


    maid Flora was the one who brought them to you. Along the way, Nanny Annie joined us. Under the


    circumstance, I never had the opportunity to even touch them! So tell me, how can I poison them?"


    "What?" Sue was at a loss of words. She had never anticipated such a reply from Harper. It suddenly


    urred to her that this morning when Harper came with the presents, she had deliberatelye


    without Nina, Anabel, Enya or Elsie. Smartly, she had opted for a new maid. Now when Sue thought


    about it, she realized that Harper had already been alert.


    "My Lord, Princess Kate is here!"


    On seeing this, Charles was a bit stunned. He wanted the Chu n''s domestic matter to be solved by


    themselves. But Kate was a great deal worried about her grandchild. "Where is Yvonne?" she asked,


    looking frustrated.


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Your Highness, Yvonne is in Excellence House. She is... Now she is..." Charles was anxious.


    Seeing an imperial physician with Kate, Harper said, "Your Highness, Yvonne was poisoned. Please


    save her."


    Before Kate could make sense of the situation, Harper rushed to her and knelt down. "Your Highness,


    Yvonne is carrying His Highness''s child. It''s your grandchild. Please save her and her unborn baby. I


    beg you."


    Harper''s pleas left Kate shocked. ''Didn''t they say that Harper poisoned Yvonne? What is going on


    here?'' she began to wonder. Quickly, she dismissed these thoughts and started to think about Yvonne


    and her unborn baby. At once, she guided the imperial physician to Yvonne''s residence.


    Mavis and Charles went along with Kate. Sue felt uneasy knowing things weren''t going as per her n.


    She never thought Harper would have an alibi to prove she hadn''t touched the presents from beginning


    to end.


    In Excellence House, Yvonne gave a heartrending cry. Kate rushed in and asked the imperial


    physician, "Physician Wade,e here and check on this girl. Is she alright? How is the baby?"


    Wade Wang immediately diagnosed Yvonne and then told her to take the prescribed antidote for the


    poison. "Your Highness, don''t worry. Although Lady Yvonne was poisoned and her child was also


    affected, she happens to have a good physical health. Fortunately, both mother and baby are safe."


    "Physician Wade, are my sister and her child really fine?" Harper asked concernedly. Her concern for


    her sister moved everyone who witnessed it.


    "Lady Harper, don''t worry. Lady Yvonne is all right now." Even the physician''s words didn''t relieve


    Harper of her worries. Instead, she moved closer to them and checked Yvonne''s pulse. Suddenly, her


    expression changed. "Physician Wade, Felicia was also poisoned. Please check her without any dy.


    Yvonne is in so much pain. I guess Felicia is the same. Please save her."

 Chapter 44 Venomous Slander (Part Two)

    Chapter 44 Venomous nder (Part Two)


    "No, thanks. Felicia has already been treated by¡ª"


    "Go and take a look!" Kate interrupted Sue. "After all, Felicia will be my son Hansen''s wife soon. We


    can''t make any mistakes. Go and see Felicia."


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    Kate told her maid to keep an eye on Sue, and she herself, as well as Wade Wang and the others,


    went straight to Splendor House where Felicia lived. When they arrived at the door, two maids guarding


    the door wanted to warn Felicia, but they were stopped by Harper. Everyone immediately heard some


    foul words being used by Felicia!


    "Is that bitch dead?"


    "My Lady, keep it down. They have gone there, but..."


    "But what? Since she dares to steal my future husband, she should die!" Angrily, Felicia smashed


    something which made a loud noise. "Yvonne, do you think you can surpass me after having a child?


    No way! As long as I am alive, you are just a concubine. What''s the big deal if you''re pregnant? This


    time, I''d like to see if the baby in your belly can be kept alive!"


    "My Lady, Lady Harper is at home and has good medical skills. If she saves her¡ª"


    "There is no way Harper can save that bitch. My mother and father have already taken her to be a


    murderess. How can they let her get close to that bitch? Even if she wants to save that bitch, she can''t!


    Go check whether that bitch is dead or not. Also, confirm if that bitch Harper has been beaten to


    death!" Felicia chuckled proudly.


    Everything was clear to everyone who heard it. Kate trembled with anger listening to these foul words.


    She didn''t expect that Felicia was the one who had poisoned Yvonne. And to make things worse, she


    was vicious enough to frame Harper for it. This went to show how evil she was. She had nned to kill


    both her sisters at once!


    The maid Angel, who was talking to Felicia, was about to go out to see what was going on in


    Excellence House. When she came out, she saw a group of people standing in the yard and Kate was


    in the front. Angel was so scared that her legs trembled and she knelt on the ground. "Your Highness."


    Hearing Angel''s words, Felicia became scared out of her wits. She hurried to put the smashed items


    under the bed. Then she went back to lie in the bed. She didn''t want anyone to find out what she had


    done. Secretly, she began to pray that no one had heard her words.


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Although Kate was absolutely furious, she remained calm and led Wade Wang inside.


    "Your Highness, what brings you here? Greetings." Felicia put on a show of struggle while she tried to


    get up. Seeing this, Kate waved her hand.


    "Just lie down. I heard that someone poisoned you and your sister. I was so worried about you, so I


    took the imperial physician here to check your condition. Yvonne is all right now. Physician Wade,


    check her," Kate ordered, giving no chance for Felicia to refuse.


    Felicia caught a glimpse of Harper in the crowd and was shocked. ''What! Why is she here? Why didn''t


    Mother kill her? What''s wrong? How could Yvonne be okay? I thought she had lost her baby and died!''


    When Wade Wang started to check Felicia''s pulse, she was trembling with fear. In truth, she had


    poisoned herself too but in small quantity. She told herself that the imperial physician couldn''t lie and


    tell others that she wasn''t poisoned. This thought filled her with some relief. She looked at Harper and


    gritted her teeth.


    "Harper... I... What did I do to upset you? Why did you poison me?" Felicia cried and looked very pitiful.


    However, everyone present there had already heard of the conversation between her and angel. Hence


    they knew her tears were fake. Instead of feeling sorry, they felt ashamed of her.


    "Felicia, you must have misunderstood me. I never hurt you!" Harper said, looking utterly confused.


    "Harper, don''t try to fake it anymore. We know very well that you are jealous of me and Yvonne. It''s


    forgivable that you hurt me, but how can you hurt Yvonne? After all, she is pregnant. Our family


    physician revealed that the gifts you sent were poisoned. When Yvonne saw the gift, she was filled with


    joy. We never expected you to be so cruel¡ª"


    Pak! Kate couldn''t stand it any longer. She pped Felicia across her left cheek. It was so hard that her


    soft skin began to bleed.


    Looking petrified, Felicia didn''t know what to say. Slowly, she stammered, "Your Highness...why...why


    did you hit me?"


    "Why did I hit you?" In this anger, Kate didn''t care about her own identity as a princess. She lurched


    forward and grabbed Felicia''s hair. Recklessly, she continued to ce several ps across Felicia''s


    face.


    "Physician Wade, tell us what you have found out after checking her!"


    Wade Wang nced at Felicia, who was almost knocked dead by Kate. But knowing he had to follow


    Kate''s orders, he said, "The poison given to Lady Yvonne and Lady Felicia happens to be the same.


    This poison is normally aimed at a pregnant woman. It will cause the woman to lose her baby and die.


    Luckily, Lady Yvonne is in good health and was rescued in time. By God''s grace, her baby isn''t harmed


    either. Even though Lady Felicia is poisoned, the amount used is very little. It only has the capacity to


    make her ufortable but can''t harm her."


    "The amount doesn''t matter! The fact remains I too was poisoned by Harper! It is not my fault that I was


    lucky enough to have had only a small dose of poison!" Felicia wasn''t the type to give up, so she


    continued with her attempts at framing Harper.


    Harper looked at her with a sad expression. "Felicia, I didn''t expect you to hate me so


    much!"

 Chapter 45 Punishment

    Chapter 45 Punishment


    Harper stumbled forward, eyes filled with tears. She tried so hard to hold her tears back.


    "Felicia, I know you love His Highness and he loves you too. His Highness even broke off our


    engagement to marry you. And I gave way because you are my dear sister and I care for you. Why


    would you want to hurt me after I''ve done this for you?"


    Tears streamed down her face. "I have given up my dream of bing His Highness''s wife. And I


    have promised you that I will never see His Highness again. I have given you everything you want


    since we were little. I have always put your happiness first. Why? Why would you try to kill me again


    and again? You''re so vicious."


    Harper''s words made Kate''s heart break. She felt so sorry for her. "Harper, you''ve suffered a lot."


    "I... You..." Tears welled up in Felicia''s eyes. She didn''t know how to reply. At that moment, Sue finally


    managed to free herself and ran into Felicia''s room. As soon as she came in, she saw Felicia''s face


    was beaten so hard that she could hardly recognize her.


    "What''s going on?" Sue asked in worry. She trembled and constantly wiped the tears of Felicia.


    "What a shameless concubine!" Kate snorted. She was not happy with both Sue and Felicia. "Your


    daughter is a vicious girl!"


    "Your Highness, what are you talking about? Felicia has always been a very nice girl. Please don''t be


    deceived by the real evil in this room." It was obvious that Sue was talking about Harper. She was sure


    Harper was the one who poisoned Kate''s perception of Felicia. Kate had always favored Felicia and


    wouldn''t have said anything ill about Felicia if not for Harper''s nder.


    "Deceived?" Kate sneered. "All of us heard Felicia say that she was the one who poisoned Yvonne and


    framed Harper. It''s obvious who has been telling lies. She even asked her maid to go and see whether


    Yvonne and Harper were dead or not."


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Sue''s face paled. She looked at Felicia in disbelief. But when Felicia cast her eyes down to avoid direct


    eye contact, Sue understood at once. She was exasperated at Felicia for always making trouble!


    Sue crawled to Kate, held her hand and said, "Your Highness, there must be some misunderstanding.


    Felicia would never say something like that."


    "Enough!" Kate shook off Sue''s hands and pped her hard across the face. Red fingerprints


    appeared on Sue''s face right away. It was at that moment that Charles and Mavis entered the room.


    As soon as Kate saw theming, she said, "Prime Minister Charles, Lady Mavis, since you are here,


    I''ll make it clear to you. I will never let such a vicious woman be my daughter-inw!"


    "No! Your Highness, please don''t say that!" Felicia fell on her knees and crawled to Kate. "Your


    Highness, I won''t do it again. It''s all my fault. I''m begging you. Please don''t say that. His Highness and I


    love each other very much. I lost my mind when I found that Yvonne seduced him behind my back. I


    just wanted to teach her a lesson." Before Felicia could say anything more and dig herself into much


    more trouble, Sue crawled towards her and covered her mouth. It would be better for Felicia to say


    nothing.


    With tears all over her face, Felicia struggled against Sue''s hold over her. Meanwhile, Kate couldn''t


    believe the lengths the young girl would go to cover herself. Spurred by her anger, she replied, "Who


    do you really want to teach a lesson? Your sister? Harper? Yvonne? Or Yvonne''s baby? In case you


    didn''t remember, it''s my grandchild you''re trying to kill! You''re trying to murder a royal heir! You should


    be beheaded!"


    Charles was startled upon hearing Kate''s words. He said, "Your Highness, let me handle this and give


    you an answer that will satisfy every one of us. We will call off the wedding."


    "No! Father!" Felicia got rid of Sue and crawled to Charles. "Father, please help me. I''m sorry. I won''t


    do it again. Please don''t call off the wedding. If we do, our family will be theughingstock of the city."


    She needed to find a way out of this mess. She still believed that Kate and Charles shouldn''t call off her


    wedding to Hansen. But looking for a reason to manipte them into agreeing with her was not easy.


    From her corner, Harper wiped her tears and said, "Your Highness, Yvonne is innocent. If you break the


    wedding between Felicia and His Highness, what would happen to Yvonne?"


    "Don''t worry. Yvonne is going to marry my son!" Kate was burning with hatred towards Felicia. She felt


    disgusted at the sight of this evil woman. If someone like Felicia married her son, she didn''t know what


    kind of trouble she would stir up. Both her son and the mansion would be implicated by Felicia. She


    would never let something bad happen to Prince Kevin''s mansion.


    "It will be good as long as Yvonne doesn''t get into any trouble. Otherwise, I will feel so sorry for her and


    her unborn poor baby," Harper said painfully. "Your Highness, please forgive Felicia. I believe she loves


    His Highness so much that she can''t stand the fact that another woman is going to give birth to His


    Highness''s child."


    "Shut up, Harper!" Sue roared.


    Harper startled, about to hide behind Kate. Sensing her fear, Kate ced her hands on Harper''s arm to


    comfort her. "Like mother, like daughter. Prime Minister Charles, I''m telling you. I will never allow my


    son to marry Felicia. Even if she wants to be one of his concubines, I will never let it happen!"


    It was a heavy blow to Felicia. She copsed to the floor, scared out of her wits. Sue''s heart broke


    when she saw Felicia this way. She wanted to tell Felicia that it was okay. No matter what it took, she


    would always get Felicia marry someone great.


    "Then on the wedding day...?" Charles probed.


    "Since Yvonne is pregnant, I think it would be best for her to be Hansen''s wife. But since she is the


    daughter of a concubine, I''m afraid..." Kate trailed off.


    "Father, Grandma." Harper suddenly knelt down. "I have a suggestion."


    Frowning, Charles was about to stop Harper from saying anything, but Mavis stopped him and said


    softly, "Tell me."


    "Yes, Grandma." Harper wiped away her tears and continued, "My mother passed away, and I''m her


    only child. I always see Yvonne as my own sister and I think my mother would be happy to ept


    Yvonne as her daughter. Father, please register Yvonne as the daughter of my mother. In this way,


    Yvonne will be a suitable match for His Highness."


    Kate''s eyes brightened as she looked at Harper with appreciation. Harper was a great girl. She was


    virtuous and generous. She forgave Felicia and found a way to let Yvonne marry Hanson with honor. It


    was a pity that Hansen had called off his engagement to her.


    The eyes of Charles and Mavis lit up as they looked at Harper with admiration. "Brilliant!"


    "Thank you, Grandma, Father."


    Kate helped Harper get up and said, "In that case, my son will marry Yvonne. Prime Minister Charles, I


    hope this will not happen again. If anything happens to the baby, I will not let you off the hook!"


    "Your Highness, please rest assured that such a thing will never happen again." Charles immediately


    agreed. After Kate left, he sent Sue and Felicia to the ancestral hall.


    Yvonne was pregnant and poisoned, so she stayed in the bed to rest. Carrie followed them to the


    ancestral hall, where almost everyone came. Felicia cried and cursed Harper.


    "You still don''t understand what you have done is terrible, do you?" Mavis asked. She was trembling


    with anger, and her walking stick hit the floor hard.


    Sue held Felicia, trying to calm her down. But how could Felicia calm down? After all, she had changed


    from Hansen''s wife to an abandoned woman. Yvonne was going to be Hansen''s wife instead of her.


    And it was all because of Harper!


    "Servants! Bring out the whip!" Charles said. His words terrified Sue.


    "Charles, please forgive her. She has lost her mind. I''m sure she won''t do that again. Charles, you


    have watched her grow up. She has always been obedient. You know she''s not capable of doing the


    things they used her of. Please don''t get the whip! You might kill her with the whip!" Sue wept and


    held the leg of Charles, preventing him froming nearer to Felicia.


    Felicia looked scared for a moment but something cleared within her. Her fear was reced with


    murderous intent. ''Harper! This was all Harper''s fault!'' All of a sudden, she stood up and rushed toward


    Harper. With her sharp nails, she tried to w at Harper''s face. If she could not get her royal wedding,


    then might as well leave a permanent reminder on Harper''s face of what happened to snitches.


    "Aaargh!" Harper screamed as she covered her face with her hands, but Felicia didn''t give up. She


    pushed Harper forward, getting on top of her and still wing at her face with her nails.


    "Are you crazy?" Mavis went to stop Felicia. Unexpectedly, Felicia pushed Mavis away. Mavis stumbled


    and fell to the floor.


    "Fuck off! You old hag!" Felicia roared. "Bitch! I''ll take your face off. Let me see if anyone will love you


    after you are disfigured. I will kill you!" Felicia had lost her mind. She kept on hitting Harper. Moving


    quickly, Charles moved towards them and kicked Felicia off Harper''s iling body.


    "Father, help me!" Harper shouted. Something in her expression disarmed Charles of his anger. He had


    never seen his daughter this scared and in need of him. He pulled her up and protectively held her in


    his arms.


    "Don''t be afraid. I''m here. No one can hurt you. Don''t be afraid," Charles said. Harper stiffened. She


    couldn''t remember thest time Charles treated her with gentleness.


    Seeing Felicia getting up and trying to get close to Harper again, he kicked her hard in her belly, which


    made her fall to the floor hard. It was pure chaos in the ancestral hall.


    "Bring me the whip! I''m going to kill that bitch!" Charles had never felt anger like this before. He


    snatched the whip and began whipping Felicia. The whip was made from a secret material that made


    each stroke felt like a thousand ants biting the body. Sue screamed and rushed to protect Felicia.


    Sue covered Felicia''s body but Charles continued whipping anyway. He stopped caring whether it was


    Felicia or Sue who had been receiving the bite of the whip. He just gave out the punishment again and


    again. Meanwhile, Harper hurried to help Mavis to sit down. The otherdies were shocked by what


    was happening. They had always known Charles to be gentle and kind. There was no trace of that man


    as he brought down punishment upon Sue and Felicia.


    He didn''t stop whipping until he was too tried to hold the whip. Felicia had already passed out. Sue''s


    clothes had been torn into shreds. Both of their bodies were covered with blood.


    "Servants, lock Felicia in the ancestral hall. She can''t go out without my permission. And from now on,


    Sue will no longer handle any family errand." Looking at the people at present, Charles continued,


    "Carrie, you''re the one in charge of the family errands from now on."


    "Charles..." Sue raised her head incredulously and looked at Charles. Compared with being hit, she felt


    more embarrassed and hurt when Charles took away her power in the family. And without looking at


    her, Charles left with Mavis.

 Chapter 46 Cooperation

    Chapter 46 Cooperation


    The farce in the Chu n mansion had ended. Harper went back to her own house. She had asked


    Nina and Anabel to hide away for a few days so that they could avoid being framed. Since Enya and


    Elsie were secretly working for Sue, Harper didn''t dare to order them around. Perhaps it was because


    she came back toote that they didn''t show up.


    When she entered her room, she saw a man sitting on a chair and flipping through the notebook she


    wrote.


    "Why are you here?" It was the masked man she had healed when he broke into the Chu n


    mansion with injuries.


    The masked man threw the notebook on the table and pursed his lips as he looked at Harper. "You


    made a big show today!"


    Instead of answering him, Harper opened the window and looked around for anyone who might


    overhear.


    "Stop looking. There''s nobody here. I also knocked out your two maids," he exined slowly as if he


    knew what Harper was worried about.


    Harper shut the window and sat opposite him. "Are you getting better?"


    "Yes." The man folded his arms across his chest. "Your medicine''s very useful."


    "Since you''re already healed, why did youe here? I don''t think I have anything that you would


    want," she said tentatively.


    "I came here to look for something but I got curious about all the lights and shooting in the Chu n


    mansion. So I stayed aside and watched the whole scene. What poison did you use on your sister to


    make her lose her mind?" This woman always surprised him; he wanted to know just how many


    secrets she had.


    "I don''t know what you are talking about!" Harper red at him.


    "Woman, don''t be afraid of me," the man said coldly. "If I wanted to kill you, you''d be dead already."


    "I know." If she had sensed a murderous aura from him, she wouldn''t have sat still and waited for her


    death.


    "You know?" The man snorted at her words. "As a physician, you should know the effects of the drug.


    You knew that Felicia would attack you when she lost her mind. Why didn''t you defend yourself?"


    For all Harper expected the man to make trouble, it never urred to her that he would ask her this


    question. "If I defended myself, they would''ve seen through my trick."


    "You''re powerful; it wouldn''t have been a problem for you to kick her over."


    "Most of the people in the Chu n are cunning. I must have some tricks up my sleeve to save my life


    in the nick of time." It was awkward for the two of them to just sit there so Harper asked, "Do you want


    to have some tea?"


    "Yes."


    While Harper was preparing the tea, the man watched her quietly. He just wanted to see her so he


    came to the Chu n mansion but unexpectedly caught her plotting against her sister.


    The man sipped the lotus leaf tea that Harper made. It was simple but had a special taste. After a


    moment, he passed a bottle to Harper. "It''s for your wounds."


    "I''m not hurt!" Harper said nkly.


    The man tapped his neck and Harper mimicked the motion, flinching at the sting she felt. She didn''t


    notice that Felicia had scratched her neck.


    "Stupid woman."


    The insult didn''t faze Harper. She just took the bottle and delicately sniffed it. "Skin-smoothing Cream.


    This is only for people in the Imperial Pce."


    The man''s expression didn''t change. "As long as I want it, I can get it. Even if it were some secret


    medicine, I''d still be able to get it, let alone this cream."


    "Thank you." Harper smiled.


    "That''s a gift for you saving my life before. If you feel too embarrassed to take it, you can give me


    another bottle of the medicine you applied on my wounds before," the man replied.


    "No," Harper refused without hesitation. "The Skin-smoothing Cream is far inferior to my Blood-


    congealing Powder."


    ''This woman used to be arrogant and domineering, and now she is cunning and sly.'' The man was


    momentarily at a loss for words.


    "Woman, you aren''t cute at all!"


    "Thanks for thepliment," Harper replied frankly.


    He would be irritated if they continued the topic, so the man immediately changed the topic. "Do you


    want to help Yvonne?"


    "Help her?" Harper sneered. "No, it''s a test."


    "You offered to register her as the daughter of yourte mother. Is it really worth it?" The entire situation


    just sounded like a loss for Harper and it confused the man on why she still did it.


    "Whether it''s worth it or not, it depends on me," Harper replied and she took a sip of her tea. It was


    getting hotter recently, but the weather was cooler at night so it wasn''t so hot in the room.


    "Aren''t you afraid that they''ll take revenge?" The women of Chu n used different ways to get what


    they wanted, and even if Sue lost her power for the time being, Carrie probably wasn''t a match for her.


    Harper thought about this possibility seriously. "I''m afraid of them. But if they turn against me, I''ll let


    them know what it feels like to be in the hell."


    "Do you want to cooperate with me?"


    "What do you do?" Harper asked curiously. "Look at your mask. You broke in the Chu n mansion at


    night. I don''t think you look like a good man! Are you a notorious robber or a famous killer?"


    The man''s mouth twitched subtly. "Killer."


    "I don''t like killing," Harper replied firmly. "Besides, I don''t have any mortal enemies who I hate so much


    that I want to kill them."


    "Even after those women schemed against you?"


    "Those were just tricks. If I hire a killer, it''s just making a mountain out of a molehill." Harper shook her


    head. "I don''t need it."


    That stunned the masked man. "Other than killing, I have my own business."


    "What kind of business? Is it a killer organization or a brothel?" Harper asked curiously.


    The man''s eyes grew cold when he heard this. When she saw his eyes, sheughed. "Don''t take it


    seriously. It''s just a joke."


    "It''s a regr business, a restaurant." The man shot a displeased nce at her.


    It took Harper a moment to recover herposure from her embarrassment. "I see. Then, why did you


    have to break in the Chu n mansion again? Is there anything you want?"


    "Yes. But it doesn''t matter now," the masked man answered breezily. He was more interested in Harper


    now.


    Eventually Harper got bored and fiddled the wick with her silver hairpin before her eyes lit up again.


    "You run a restaurant; you must have a lot of money."


    "Not really. My annual profit is only several hundred thousand taels of silver." The masked man looked


    indifferent.


    The words made Harper reconsider cooperating with him. "Can we cooperate? I''ll take sixty percent of


    the profit and you''ll take the other forty percent! What do you think?"


    "Cooperate for what?" The masked man acted as if he didn''t care at all.


    Harper stood up and went deeper into the room. She then returned with a small box and quickly


    handed it over to the man. "Have a look."


    A refreshing fragrance wafted out as soon as the man opened the box. "Is this the Skin-smoothing


    Cream?"


    "It has the same effects as the Skin-smoothing Cream but it''s better." Harper shook her head. "I have


    some of these things in my hand. I was going to sell them myself, but I don''t have any connections inAll content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    this city. I''m asking you to sell them for me. After selling them, we can divide the profit."


    "Deal."


    "You agree?"


    "Of course. But I have a request."


    "What is it?"


    "Give me five bottles of Blood-congealing Powder every month and I''ll give you eighty percent of the


    profit."


    "Deal." Harper then held out her hand. "Let''s high five for our cooperation!"


    The masked man stretched out his arm and patted his hand against hers. His hand dwarfed Harper''s


    hand and he could hold her whole hand in his palm.


    "Since we have a deal, you can take these things away." Harper led the masked man in a small room


    with two huge boxes filled with jars.


    "I put abel on each of them to show the effects of them. I just finished all of these and I think it''s


    enough for the time being." The man turned at the sound of her rxed voice and was entranced by


    how she looked from the side.


    "Okay, I''ll take these with me. When you have more of these, light a lotusmp in your yard. I''ll send


    someone to take them away."


    "Here''s a bottle of Skin-smoothing Cream. You need to find a way to deliver it to Felicia since she is


    wounded. She is in desperate need of this as she doesn''t want any scars on her body." Harper handed


    it over to the man. "Be careful."


    "Don''t worry. You should keep an eye on those women and protect yourself from getting hurt. Take care


    of yourself." The masked man took the bottle and carried the boxes as he disappeared into the


    darkness.


    Once he was out of sight, Harper closed the window. The sight of the Skin-smoothing Cream on the


    table made her get lost in her thoughts. Although she had something better, this was the first time that


    someone had given her something without any ulterior motives. After a moment''s deliberation, she


    began applying some of the cream on her wounds. All women cared for their appearance and she


    didn''t want any scars on her body either.


    The delicate face reflected in the bronze mirror didn''t have marks but it did looked a little swollen.


    Harper touched her cheek and vowed to pay back the insult, and she hoped that Carrie and Yvonne


    wouldn''t let her down!

 Chapter 47 Self-conceited

    Chapter 47 Self-conceited


    Felicia was supposed to be Hansen''s future wife, but he had abandoned her. Not only did he break off


    the engagement, but he had also sent over a letter announcing divorce. She had be a divorcee


    before she was even called a wife. At that point, her reputation was ruined.


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Yvonne''s reputation seeded itself from just being a concubine''s daughter to being a daughter of


    Charles'' wife. She became Hansen''s fiancee now and would be his wife. Carrie was now


    temporarily managing the domestic affairs of the mansion, enjoying the fame and prestige that came


    with the title. Not only that, but she was also doing everything in her power to bring more goods to


    Yvonne''s house.


    Nina and Anabel returned the next day. When they heard of the events that had unfolded in the


    mansion, Anabel was the first one to react. "My Lady, you''ve helped Yvonne so much, and she didn''t


    even visit you to express her thanks. Doesn''t she know that she wouldn''t have be your mother''s


    daughter and His Highness''s fiancee if not because of you?" she harshly whispered, scowling at the


    thought.


    Harper nced at her. "Have you forgotten what I''ve told you?"


    Anabel paled at her reprimanding words. Never criticize ady in the mansion behind her back¡ªa


    golden rule that Harper had stressed. "I''m sorry, I shouldn''t have said that."


    "Yvonne has just be His Highness''s future wife. It''s understandable that she forgot toe and


    visit me. As the temporary hostess for the family, Carrie''s also rushing back and forth the mansion, so


    she also doesn''t have any time to spare." Harper yed with the zither. "Don''t be too talkative, Anabel.


    Others might misinterpret you."


    Although Anabel was not convinced, she knew of Harper''s short temper. "I just think it''s unfair."


    "But I''m okay with that." Harper continued to y, its enchanting music echoing throughout the


    hallways. The two maids sat and swayed their heads to the melody. Though they thought Harper was


    wronged, they found that they couldn''t say anything more. Being just two maids, they didn''t really have


    much of a say in these household matters.


    Ever since Carrie reigned over the family affairs, she got a taste of power. Everything was going to her


    liking. Felicia was beaten and locked in the ancestral hall. Sue had been so busy assisting Felicia that


    she had no time to go against Carrie. And now that Carrie was the hostess, she could do everything in


    her power to support Yvonne. She was over the moon!


    "Mother, have you visited Harper?" Yvonne asked casually as she gingerly took a bite of the bird''s nest


    soup.


    "Why should I?" Carrie said indifferently. "I''m in charge of the mansion now, so we don''t have to please


    her anymore."


    "Shouldn''t we thank her? I mean, without her, I wouldn''t have be a daughter of Father''s wife or


    His Highness''s fiancee," Yvonne said, shrugging. Though she brought it up, she couldn''t care less if


    they''d thank her or not. In her eyes, Harper was doing all of these to suck up to her because she


    needed her in the future.


    "Fine. I''ll send someone with some gifts to thank her." Carrie tugged her food with a fork. "A hostess is


    really so different from the others. Back then, we didn''t have the right to eat such food. That bitch Sue


    used to feed her brats with best food. Now look where she and her bastards are now."


    Yvonne shot her a warning look. "Don''t say that. Someone else might overhear." She wiped her mouth.


    "After I give birth to my first son and stabilize my position in Prince Kevin''s mansion, I will ask His


    Highness to put pressure on my father and make him take you as his wife. That way, you''d be in a


    much higher positionpared to Sue."


    "I always know you are promising." Carrie smirked. If she became Charles'' wife, she''d make Sue rot in


    the hall with Felicia. Even Harper, the daughter of Charles''te wife, could do nothing to her then!


    Yvonne was now Hansen''s fiancee instead of his future concubine. Because of this, Charles provided a


    house for her to live alone called Grace House. After Carrie had left the house, she bumped into


    Harper in the backyard garden.


    Carrie blinked in surprise, approaching her with the maid in tail. "Harper, what a surprise. Are you out


    on a walk?"


    "Lady Carrie," Harper greeted her. "You look happy."


    Hearing that, Carrie touched the golden hairpin on her head and smiled. "Oh, Charles has asked me to


    manage the household affairs, and Yvonne''s wedding date is approaching! Unlike you, I don''t have the


    luxury of spare time."


    Harper narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean by that?"


    "Nothing. It''s just that with everything getting so hectic, it''s my priority to take care of Yvonne now since


    she is to wed His Highness. Please don''t take it to heart. We just don''t have time to visit you," Carrie


    said indifferently. "Well, I guess there is no bird''s nest at your residence. I''ll ask someone to send some


    to youter."


    "Well, thank you, Lady Carrie." Harper didn''t even throw a smile on her way, but rolled her eyes at the


    hypocritical expression Carrie had stered on her face. As expected, Carrie had gotten


    disappointingly arrogant in her position. Sue had been in the mansion for years, studying and building


    the ce up as it was. If she wasn''t too busy taking care of her daughter, Carrie would''ve already been


    six feet under for daring to go against them.


    "I''ll leave now, much to do! Enjoy yourself, Harper." Carrie swayed her hips as she turned.


    As Carrie''s back disappeared in the distance, Harper tilted her head. "Be careful, Lady Carrie," she


    called. "Your legs might get injured if you walk too fast. Father only wants you to take care of the


    mansion temporarily."


    "What are you trying to say?" Carrie whirled around and stalked towards her. She poked her finger on


    Harper''s nose.


    Harper looked at the finger pointing at her nose and said, "I just remind you of what you said, Lady


    Carrie."


    "What did I say?" Carrie ced her other hand on her waist and cocked her hips. "I tell you now girl, if


    you didn''t offer my daughter to be recorded under your mother''s name, you wouldn''t be eating bird''s


    nest soup. Harper, you should start remembering where you stand."


    Harper scoffed. She stretched out her arm, grabbed Carrie''s hand, and twisted it right in front of her.


    Carrie''s scream could knock over the roof of their mansion.


    Harper took out a handkerchief and wiped her hands in disgust. "I think it''s you who should remember


    your ce. You''re just a concubine, and I''m the daughter of Father''s wife. If you dare disrespect me


    again, Lady Carrie, I''ll have to start taking offense."


    She left Carrie with her imagination on what she could do with her, heading to Peony House with Nina.


    Harper didn''t care of teaching her a lesson. Besides, Charles was never that fond of Carrie. In his eyes,


    she was vulgar and ignorant. She was not fit for handling the n''s affairs in the long run.


    Nina, however, was already jumping in joy the moment she saw Harper fight back. "My Lady, it''s really


    unnecessary for you to do it yourself."


    "Maybe I''ll ask you to do it for me next time." Harper''s lips curved. "Do not tell any of this to Grandma."


    "My Lady, please rest assured. My lips are sealed."


    Mavis had sprained her waist after being pushed by Felicia. Now, she spent most of her days lying in


    bed. Every day, Harper woulde in her room and give her the needle treatment and massage to


    quicken the healing rate. Now, she waste. Annie, confused as to why, decided to ask another maid in


    private.


    "Grandma, I''m sorry for beingte. It won''t happen again." Harper kept her head bowed as she rushed


    into her grandmother''s room, quickly massaging her points to release the pressure.


    "It has been a bit of a mess in the mansion recently. You have been wronged." Mavis was powerless


    with what had happened in the mansion. "Don''t put Felicia''s mistake close to heart; the girl wasn''t


    thinking! It''s Sue''s fault for not setting a good enough example."


    "Grandma, I won''t be mad at Felicia, but I''m afraid that if she gets out, she might get back at Yvonne.


    You''ve heard what Princess Kate said the other day. If anything happens to Yvonne and her baby, there


    might be conflicts between the Chu n mansion and Prince Kevin''s mansion," Harperforted,


    implying that Felicia shouldn''t be released until Yvonne got married.


    "That''s true, but Felicia is badly beaten. She''s too weak and might need time to heal herself. Sue has


    already pleaded your father, so he wants to let her out." Mavis rubbed her forehead. Though she never


    really liked Sue and Felicia, it seemed as if she had absolutely no say in this matter. Sue was lucky to


    have given birth to Charles'' son, or else Mavis would''ve already found a way to kick her out.


    "Grandma, since Father asked, we can tell the servants to move Felicia out of the ancestral hall and


    just lock her in Splendor House. That way, Felicia would be morefortable in her house. Plus it''s


    more convenient for Mother to take care of her." Harper was calm, careful to not show any anger or


    annoyance with her words. Mavis stared at her for a very long time before nodding her head.


    "Well, we''ll do as you say. Tell Felicia to stay in Splendor House and reflect on her mistakes. She''s still


    not allowed to be released from her residence. Also tell the servants to take good care of Yvonne. We


    mustn''t make any mistakes." Mavis was afraid of something happening to Yvonne during the


    pregnancy. She was still in the Chu n mansion, and was in their responsibility. If something were to


    happen to either her or her baby, it would affect their rtionship with Prince Kevin and could threaten


    Charles'' future.


    "Yes, Grandma."


    Harper rubbed Mavis'' back and handed her the medicine. After a few minutes of making sure that


    everything was in shape, she left the room. Mavis watched her, musing to herself. "She''s more


    reserved, isn''t she? Sometimes, I just can''t see through her."


    "My Lady, it''s good that Lady Harper is reserved. The Imperial Pce isn''t the same as the Chu n


    mansion, and there are too many snakes there. If she were more transparent, she''d be dead before


    she could even step foot in the Imperial Pce. This change can be a good thing for her." Annie patted


    Mavis'' legs. "Lady Harper came inte today, so I was curious on her whereabouts. When I asked


    around, I was told that Lady Carrie stopped Lady Harper on the way and acted out. Lady Harper


    scolded her ordingly."


    "She is a fool!" Mavis turned bright red at the thought of Carrie even approaching Harper. "Though


    Sue''s vicious herself, she always knows how to act on the surface. Carrie''s a fool for barging in out-of-


    ce. If it weren''t for Harper, her daughter would''ve never been His Highness''s fiancee She wishes!


    The ungrateful wench!"


    "Well, she was from a more ordinary family." Annie smiled. "Now that her daughter''s soaring up the


    ranks, she thinks she''s better than anyone else."


    "You can remind her of her position."


    "Yes, My Lady."

 Chapter 48 Where Did The Poison Come From (Part One)

    Chapter 48 Where Did The Poison Come From (Part One)


    Carrie was hurt by Harper, so she thought to tell what happened to her husband. However, she wasn''t


    able to see Charles. She went to the Peony House, thinking she could malign Harper in front of Mavis.


    But when she arrived at Peony House, Annie stopped her and did not allow her to enter the house.


    "Nanny Annie, is Lady Mavis in?" Carrie was proud to be Hansen''s future mother-inw. But even so,


    she liked to y safe and keep all her pride inside. There was no reason for her to unnecessarily boast


    in her mother-inw''s house. It was better to keep her head down and act modestly.


    Annie smiled sadly at her, not believing Carrie was truly in the house to pay a kind visit to Mavis. "Oh,


    you just missed her. Lady Mavis has already fallen asleep. But before that, she asked me to deliver a


    message to you."


    "Tell me." Carrie bit her lip, looking uneasy. At this, she recalled that Harper had left the Peony House


    earlier. Something must have happened while she was here. Did Harper use her of something in


    front of Mavis? Promptly, she asked Annie, "Did Harper say anything bad about me?"


    Annie frowned, which Carrie thought to speak louder than any word she could have said. To cover


    herself, she rebuked, "How shameless of her! She called me all the unpleasant words you can think of


    to curse and hurt me, and now you''re telling me she defamed me in front of Lady Mavis?


    Unbelievable!"


    "Lady Carrie!" Annie objected. "On the contrary, Lady Harper did not say anything ill of you in front of


    Lady Mavis. Lady Mavis asked me to tell you that you should be wary of your identity. You are a


    concubine and as such, you will remain a concubine for the rest of your life. Lady Harper is the


    daughter of Prime Minister Charles'' first wife. It is not just allowed for you to offend her. Severe


    punishment awaits anyone who oversteps their boundaries."


    Carrie''s eye twitched at the awkwardness of this scene. She refused to feel guilty, even though the


    feeling of guilty in her heart began to coil tighter. "I did not intent to offend Harper in any way,


    intentionally or not. In fact, one could say it was her¡ª"


    Before she could finish, Annie interrupted her. "Well, I was just asked to ry the message. It would be


    best for you to go back and take care of Lady Yvonne. She is going to get married very soon and you


    must be careful not to tip the scales of fortune." After her cryptic words, Annie mmed the door shut.


    Carrie''s nose was almost hit by the door.


    Furious and offended at Annie''s mocking of her, Carrie turned red. Things had been going so well for


    her since she took over managing the n''s affairs and with her daughter''s uing wedding. But


    Harper had been sabotaging all her hard-earned poprity over the Chu n mansion. How dare she


    gossip about her in front of Mavis! Things had be so bad that Mavis couldn''t even bear to face


    her. She even asked a servant to ask Carrie to mind her own business.


    "My Lady, are you all right?" Shirley asked with concern.


    Carrie turned around, her face marked with a deep frown. "Let''s go back."


    "Yes, My Lady." Shirley followed Carrie carefully as they headed for the Excellence House.


    Harper heard that Carrie had a hard time outside the Peony House. There wasn''t much she could do to


    help. Unexpectedly, Carrie sent her many precious things several dayster. As an expert in medicine,


    Harper did her best to test them. After all the tests, she found that they were nontoxic.


    "Please tell Lady Carrie that I''m grateful for her gifts," Harper asked Shirley to send Carrie her


    gratitude. As she looked at the maid, she followed with a question. "How''s Yvonne doing these days?"


    "Lady Yvonne is doing all right," Shirley replied.


    "That''s good. I can rest easy then. The wedding ceremony will be held in less than ten days and she


    must be careful. Well, you can go back and report to Lady Carrie that I''ve epted her gifts."


    "Yes, Lady Harper." Shirley then turned around and rushed out of the Emerald House as quickly as she


    could, as if she didn''t want toe here at all. Seeing this, Harper felt funny. ''Do I look like a hideous


    beast? Why is she so afraid of me? Funny how I didn''t notice her fear of me before.''


    "Shirley has been acting strange. It looks like she thinks you would eat her alive," Nina said to Harper,


    curiosity coloring her tone. "My Lady, the bird''s nest looks very good. Let me cook it for you."


    Harper took the bird''s nest and had a look at it. "Lady Carrie is telling me that we can enjoy the bird''s


    nest all thanks to her."


    "Who cares what she thinks? Let''s not look a gift horse in its mouth and just enjoy it!" Anabel beamed.


    She giggled and then took the bird''s nest to the kitchen while Nina collected and organized the rest of


    the items in the storage. Carrie''s gifts were not bad. Harper knew it was Carrie''s way to show off her


    power and wealth.


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    Harper wasn''t interested in the fights inside the Chu n. Unless anyone attacked her directly, she


    would rather sit the fights out and stay silent at her own corner. She thought she had given enough


    warning for Carrie to stop attacking her. But it turned out that Carrie had made up her mind to deal with


    Harper.


    After dinner, Anabel brought a bowl of bird''s nest soup to Harper. "My Lady, the bird''s nest smells so


    good. I have cooked it in low fire for a whole day and it tastes very good. Have some now. You don''t


    look good recently and it will help you gather more strength," she said to Harper with concern in her


    voice.


    Harper smiled and took the bowl. "Thanks, Anabel. You guys can also treat yourselvester. Carrie has


    brought us so much bird''s nest. Get some bowls and let us all share our little feast."


    "Yes, My Lady."


    Harper stirred the bird''s nest with a spoon and looked at Anabel, who went to the kitchen. There was a


    faint smile on Harper''s face. She took a spoonful of the bird''s nest, excited to try the delicious meal.


    Before she could swallow it, she immediately spat it out. Seeing Anabel bring a bowl filled with the


    same food, she quickly stretched her arm out and overturned the bowl in Anabel''s hand.


    "What''s wrong, My Lady?" Anabel asked in surprise.


    "Don''t eat. There''s poison in it," Harper said in a low voice.


    "I didn''t poison it, My Lady," said Anabel, frightened, as she took a step back.


    After washing her mouth with water, Harper said, "I know it''s not you. I have also checked the bird''s


    nest. It is not poisoned. Have you left the pot while you were stewing it?"


    "I have always been careful with what you eat, My Lady. We never left. Nina and I took turns to watch


    the food all the time," Anabel replied. She looked pale with fear. If Harper didn''t detect the poison in the


    bird''s nest, all of them would have been dead now.


    "Enya, Elsie," Harper called.


    "Yes, My Lady," Enya and Elsie responded in chorus.


    "Has anyone entered to the kitchen today?" Harper asked with a dark look.


    Enya and Elsie shook their heads and replied, "No."


    Harper then waved her hand and signaled to them to leave. Her mind began to race. Nina and Anabel


    had never left the kitchen. ording to her other maids, no one came close to the kitchen. She had


    checked and confirmed that the bird''s nest was clean. Strangely, where did the poisone from?

 Chapter 49 Where Did The Poison Come From (Part Two)

    Chapter 49 Where Did The Poison Come From (Part Two)


    "Get me some water from the kitchen," Harper said calmly. There were only four maids in the Emerald


    House. Harper did not ask for more in order to avoid this kind of unexpected thing to happen.


    Unfortunately, trouble had its way of happening even when she had done everything to avoid it.


    Nina soon fetched some water and put it into a bowl. Harper took a sip. The water was clean.


    "What do you think, My Lady?" Nina asked anxiously.


    "There is no problem with the water." Frowning, Harper wondered how the bird''s nest soup had been


    poisoned. Frustrated that she couldn''t figure it out, Harper went to inspect the kitchen. Enya and Elsie


    didn''t know what happened to make Harper''s mood sour but they sensed they had to stay silent.


    Harper checked the water tank in the kitchen and the bird''s nest again. Then she looked at the roof and


    the windowsill. Even the ash in the stove did not have a trace of the poison. But there was poison in the


    soup. That much she was certain.


    ''It''s so strange!'' Harper thought for a long time, but still was unable to figure out a possibility. It took a


    certain brand of brilliance and cunning to be able to poison her so subtly. If it weren''t for her medical


    background, she wouldn''t detect the poison at all. They would have been poisoned to their deaths. If


    someone had run into the Emerald House to poison her, her maids should have noticed that person''s


    presence. What on earth could have happened?


    With a serious face, she sat by the table, staring at a point as her fingers tapped on the table slightly.


    Suddenly, her hand tipped the cup lid by ident. The lid rolled and fell to the floor before it broke into


    several pieces.


    "Ah, it broke again." Upon seeing that, Anabel immediately went to clean the debris.


    "Anabel, you said it broken again. What do you mean?" Harper asked in surprise.


    Without raising her head, Anabel continued cleaning the pieces and answered, "Last night, Elsie


    identally broke the lid. So I went and got another new one from the storage house. I didn''t expect it


    to break again now. It seems that we have to get another one tomorrow."


    Harper pulled Anabel swiftly and stopped her from touching the broken pieces of the cup lid. Squatting


    down, she began to inspect one of the pieces. "My Lady, be careful. It may cut your hand," Anabel said


    with concern.


    Harper picked up the pieces, and asked Nina to get another bowl of water. Then, she put all the pieces


    into the water. After a while, she pulled out a silver hairpin from her head and put it into the water. The


    silver hairpin turned ck. The water was now contaminated with poison.


    "Oh my God!" Anabel screamed, her eyes wide in shock.


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    There was no expression on Harper''s face. Both Nina and Anabel held their breaths and dared not say


    anything, afraid they might interrupt Harper''s thinking. They waited silently for Harper''s n.


    "Clean all the mess. Let''s just pretend that nothing has happened. You will watch carefully if anyone is


    wandering outside our house tonight. Be careful while you observe. We will soon know who is trying to


    kill me." She did not think she could take the risk of keeping Enya and Elsie in her house anymore.


    They were easy targets, easy ways for people to manipte and do their dirty work for them. The


    stakes just got higher. She couldn''t afford the risk anymore.


    "Yes, My Lady," Nina and Anabel agreed.


    In the Excellence House, Carrie had been feeling nervous and uneasy ever since Shirley came back.


    "Are you sure that Harper epted the bird''s nest?" She had been asking Shirley this question more


    than ten times now.


    "Yes, My Lady. I''m sure of it. I saw it with my own eyes. And I also heard Nina say she would stew it for


    Lady Harper to enjoy," Shirley replied honestly. Truth be told, Shirley was a little scared. Harper was the


    daughter of Charles'' first wife, after all. If anything unusual happened to her after she ate the bird''s


    nest, it would be obvious that Carrie would be the prime suspect. There would be consequences.


    Carrie waited for any development from Harper''s side of the house for minutes now. She had been


    fidgeting at her handkerchief anxiously. If her n went well, Harper would have eaten the bird''s nest


    by now. Her dead body should have caused a stir in the Emerald House. However, it all seemed silent


    over at Harper''s side. The silence made Carrie uneasy. What would Harper do if she discovered that


    the bird''s nest was poisonous?


    Carrie waited for a long time, yet nothing happened. Finally, she could not handle the suspense


    anymore. She turned to Shirley and said, "Let''s go check what''s going on out there."


    "My Lady, it''s reallyte now. If we sneak around the Emerald House and are noticed by others, it could


    be very troublesome for us," Shirley persuaded, trying to stop Carrie from doing anything crazy. She


    knew that Carrie must keep her head low and stay on herne. She shouldn''t do anything that could


    offend Harper. Although Harper was not favored by her father, her grandmother cherished her very


    much. They could not afford the consequences of offending Harper.


    "Don''t worry. We can tell them that we are going to visit Lady Harper. What''s more, the bird''s nest I sent


    to her is nontoxic. So if she is found to be poisoned, it will have nothing to do with me anyway!" Carrie


    said darkly. "If she is lucky enough to survive it, this could give be a lesson for her to respect me in the


    future."


    Shirley shivered in fear at Carrie''s words. Thisdy was insane. Carrie was already in charge of the


    mansion. Her daughter, Yvonne, was going to be the wife of Prince Kevin''s heir. Why did Carrie insist


    on doing terrible things to Harper? Harper had helped them a lot. Why did Carrie want to harm her


    instead of thanking her? Shirley could not understand. But then, she was only a maid. Whatever plot or


    insane n Carrie had, she had to obey her orders.


    Carrie and Shirley went to the Emerald House carefully. What they did not know was that Harper had


    already seen what they were doing. When Harper found out that it was Carrie who sneaked around,


    she had to take a step back. Somehow, Harper did not think that Carrie was not so brilliant and


    cunning. Otherwise, she would not have allowed Sue to do her bidding for so long.


    "Lady Carrie, it''s sote now. What are you doing outside my house?" Carrie and Shirley screamed at


    the voice. They turned around and found Harper standing behind them. It took them by surprise as they


    fell to the ground.


    Carrie sat on the ground and pointed at Harper, trembling. "You... You..." she stammered.


    "Lady Carrie, it seems like you did not learn your lesson yesterday," Harper said.


    Carrie was so frightened that she immediately took her finger back. After she was sure that Harper was


    fine and was not poisoned, she gritted her teeth and stood up. "I was just out for a midnight stroll," she


    replied, trying hard to calm herself down.


    "Oh, were you?" Harper sneered, making her look terrifying in the dark night. Carrie''s heart beat fast as


    if it would break out of her chest any time. "The road is slippery. People always easily fall down when


    they walk at night. I think you''d better go back as soon as you can. Otherwise, you may fall down once


    again," Harper stated emotionlessly.


    Carrie wanted to talk back, but she knew that it was not appropriate to appear outside Harper''s house


    sote at night. So she turned around and left with her maid. After a few steps, she twisted her ankle.


    After she got up, she pinched Shirley as she limped away. Harper''s eyes went cold as ice. ''I have


    already given you thest chance. Since you''ve just thrown it back to my face, don''t me me for all


    the thingsing your way.''


    "Nina, go and light a lotusntern," she told Nina.

 Chapter 50 Put This Drug On Her Wedding Dress

    Chapter 50 Put This Drug On Her Wedding Dress


    "Your Highness, a lotusntern is lit up in the Chu n mansion." The guard came in and reported to


    Matthew. A gust of wind came and Matthew, who was in a wheelchair, disappeared in the darkness.


    Harper thought the masked man couldn''t see her lotusntern since it was toote at night. She


    thought that even if he saw it, he would note until the next day. She didn''t expect to see him so


    soon.


    "You want to see me?" A voice rang out in the darkness. Seeing that it was the masked man, Harper


    heaved a sigh of relief.


    "It''s sote. I didn''t expect you toe here tonight." Harper was surprised. She straightened her


    clothes and found the man leaning against the window, looking at her quietly.


    "What do you want?" the man asked her directly. He already knew that something had happened. He


    had his own guess, and based from the newsing from the Chu n mansion, there was


    something she needed to share with him. But he wanted Harper to tell him herself.


    After hesitating for a moment, Harper walked to the window. "You said you could get whatever you


    want. Is that true?"


    "Of course."


    "Can we get Yvonne''s wedding dress?" Harper asked softly. "The dress will be sent to the Chu n


    mansion the day before the wedding. I wouldn''t have a chance to touch it."


    "My guess was right. Those two women are ungrateful and vicious." There was a hint of mockery


    behind his words.


    "Just as I expected," Harper calmly replied. "I''ve already reached my goal. If she hadn''t been so greedy


    and tried to kill me, I wouldn''t have paid attention to them. There are many people who want me dead,


    and I''m not going to wait for anyone to kill me. I''m not that kind of person who repays injury with


    kindness."


    The man looked at Harper as if she was a puzzle he couldn''t solve. He thought she would be sad and


    angry at being betrayed. When the guard told him that Harper lit the lotusntern at the Chu n


    mansion, he came as soon as he could. But she didn''t look angry or sad. She didn''t look like she


    needed to beforted, which he thought he''d be doing when he came here. Instead, she looked calm


    and collected, as if she had already expected the worst.


    "How can you remain calm after getting betrayed by the people you''ve trusted?" he asked, confused.


    He hated being betrayed the most. Betrayals led to death. Therefore, he couldn''t afford to be betrayed.


    Harper shrugged her shoulders. "Before everything unfold, I''ve already thought of the worst thing that


    could happen. Since I''ve already thought of the worst, I''m mentally prepared for the result."


    "Do you want me to get Yvonne''s wedding dress for you?" he asked, changing the topic.


    Harper shook her head and took out a small green bottle. "No. I just need you to add something to her


    wedding dress."


    "What''s this?" He was about to open the lid when Harper stopped him, a surprised expression on her


    face.


    "Don''t open it!" Harper eximed in shock. She then realized that she was overreacted. But she didn''t


    let go of his wrist and just said awkwardly, "It''s a bottle of philter."


    "You want to give her this and get rid of her baby?" he asked slowly.


    Harper shook her head. She didn''t have much interest in Yvonne, but she could use Yvonne for


    revenge. "She is not my goal."


    "You want to use Yvonne to drug Hansen!" Hansen was Harper''s former fiance. She said she didn''t


    care, but maybe she still had Hansen in her heart. The masked man felt a little ufortable at the


    thought.


    Harper didn''t panic when the man saw through her. She said withposure, "Yes. I seek revenge for


    even the smallest grievance. He owed me a life."


    "Owe you a life?" The man was a little surprised.


    Harper didn''t answer. Hansen owed the original owner of her body a life. If it weren''t Hansen and


    Felicia who plotted against her, the original owner of her body wouldn''t have died! She wanted to


    avenge the original owner of her body.


    "Will the effects wear off if I sprinkle it on Yvonne''s wedding dress? Will it affect others?" the man asked


    nervously.


    "No, you have to apply it on the inner side of the dress. She won''t be affected. The drug is made to be


    potent for males only. Once a man inhales a dose of it after drinking, the drug wille into effect."


    Harper''s expression was as cold as ice. She didn''t seem guilty at all, as if she was talking about the


    weather.


    "On their wedding night, the two of them will have to drink some wine. Once they drink it..." The man''s


    mouth drew a cold smile. "I''ll do as you say."


    "Thank you."


    "No problem. Think carefully about what you will give me in return. First of all, I don''tck money." The


    man came closer to Harper and added in an extremely meaningful tone, "If you are willing to marry me


    ¡ª"


    "That would be a great loss for me!" Harper interrupted him. "Maybe I should murder my husband on


    my wedding night."


    The man''s mouth twitched slightly. Finally, he stepped away from Harper. "Are you going to stay in the


    Chu n mansion and follow your so-called father''s arrangement?"


    "He can''t control my life." Harper propped her cheek on her palm beside the window. The masked man


    leaned against her. It was as if they had known each other for many years. "I''m in charge of my life."


    "You havee of age. He will definitely settle an engagement for you in less than a year. What do


    you n to do about it?" he asked softly. There was something in his voice that sounded familiar, but


    she dismissed the thought.


    Harper shook her head to get rid of those thoughts in her mind. "Before Hailey gets married, I still have


    a chance. If he wants to stop me, then he''s wee to try."


    "It''s gettingte. Go to bed early. I will arrange it well before the wedding dress is sent to the Chu n


    mansion. As for my reward, I''ll ask you for itter." The masked man disappeared after he finished his


    words. Harper''s expression blurred in the moonlight. She stretched out her fair hand, as if the moon


    was just an arm''s length away. But tonight wasn''t a night for fantasy and longing. This life of hers, it


    wasn''t for fantasy or romance. After a long time, she closed the window.


    Carrie was mad that Harper threatened her, so she tried to poison her. But Harper didn''t get poisoned.


    Carrie was both angry and frightened. She would not dare make another move. She must be more


    careful. Otherwise, she would get into trouble.


    After knowing that Harper was fine and safe, Sue was boiling mad.


    It was an insult to Felicia after Hansen called off the wedding and divorced her. She didn''t want to see


    anyone. She just locked herself inside her room without eating or drinking. The weather was hot, and


    the wounds on her body hadn''t healedpletely. Some of her wounds had even began to get


    inmed and started festering.


    Although Sue was worried, she knew that the bruises on Felicia''s body were not a big deal. Felicia was


    heartbroken. She had truly admired Hansen, but he was indifferent to her. It was cruel for him to


    divorce Felicia and marry another woman. But as a mere housewife, it was impossible for her to fight


    against Prince Kevin''s family.


    "Felicia, it''s time to change your bandages." Sue''s heart broke as she saw Felicia wither away. "Felicia,


    are you going to keep living like this? Are you just going to stand here and watch that bitch marry His


    Highness?"


    "His Highness has abandoned me. What else can I do?" Tears streamed down Felicia''s cheeks. She


    looked sad. When Hansen broken off the engagement to Harper, she gloated over it. She thought she


    finally found a good man and would have the wedding of her dreams. But in the blink of an eye,


    everything was taken away from her. Hansen also broke off their engagement. And now he would


    marry Yvonne. She was just another loser. Just like Harper.


    Sue worried about her daughter. "Don''t be afraid, Felicia. Yvonne can only be the wife of His Highness


    in her dreams!"


    "Mother, do you have any way to help me win His Highness''s heart back?" Felicia grabbed Sue''s arms


    tightly. "Mother, I can''t live without him! I''ll even ept being his concubine. Please help me beg His


    Highness and ask him to take me back, okay?"


    Pity and anger washed over Sue. How could her daughter be reduced to this girl who pathetically


    begged for the crumbs of attention of a man? She could do nothing but cry. Hansen was anT¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    unpredictable and fickle man, but Felicia couldn''t see it. And she was even willing to be a concubine!


    When Hansen called off the engagement to Harper, she didn''t cry or beg to be Hansen''s concubine.


    "Felicia, do you trust me?" Sue grabbed Felicia''s shoulder with such a great force that it made Felicia


    cry out of pain.


    "Mother, I trust you."


    "If you trust me, you should just eat well and take care of yourself. Everything will fall into ce and just


    wait to see what will happen to that bitch!" A vicious look shed Sue''s eyes. "I will never let her off


    since she stole things from you. Don''t worry. His Highness will be yours and no one can take him away


    from you!"


    "Really?" Hope shed through Felicia''s lifeless eyes, as if she was waiting for someone to give her


    this thing that could probably save her.


    "I promise you!" Sue would not disappoint Felicia. As long as her daughter was alive, it didn''t matter if


    she told a lie. "So the most important thing right now is to heal your wounds. Make sure they would


    leave no scars on your body. And then have a good meal. If you appear in front of His Highness


    elegant and beautiful, he will definitely fall for you."


    "Really?" Felicia went wild with joy, fiddling with her hair and clothes. "Mother, do I look ugly now?"


    "No, you''re not. You''re the most beautiful woman in the world. His Highness couldn''t appreciate your


    beauty before but he''lle to his senses. You''ll see. He''ll find you''re the best woman out there.


    Soon." Sue felt bitter in her mind. ''Hansen and Kate are mean and heartless. How could my daughter


    fall in love with such a person? If I hadn''t destroyed Hansen''s engagement to Harper, she would have


    been the one suffering this fate. Not Felicia!'' she thought to herself.


    With a shy smile on her face, Felicia finally felt better in days. She stopped going on hunger strike and


    allowed to be treated under the persuasion of the Sue. Her body gradually recovered. And the day of


    Yvonne''s wedding came.

 Chapter 51 Something Happened To Yvonne (Part One)

    Chapter 51 Something Happened To Yvonne (Part One)


    Harper remained in the Emerald House after the poisoning incident. Those who wanted her dead


    couldn''t find any chance to do anything to her.


    Yvonne''s wedding dress had finally arrived. Prince Kevin''s servants delivered the dreamy red dress.


    When Yvonne tried it on along with a crown of pearls on her head, her entire being glittered and moved


    Carrie to tears. Who would have thought that her daughter would find herself getting married in such a


    lovely gown and to a prince''s heir no less? It was one of those things she did not let herself imagine as


    a concubine.


    "Oh, my dear daughter! You look so beautiful in your wedding dress." Carrie couldn''t help but admire


    Yvonne. Say anything you want about Charles and his shamelessness, but it couldn''t be denied the


    good looks he had passed down to his daughters.


    Yvonne''s happiness radiated from her. As she looked at herself in the mirror, she began to realize how


    far she hade. She was going to marry the heir of Prince Kevin tomorrow! After tomorrow''s


    ceremony, no one would dare insult her as the daughter of a concubine. No one would dare beat her


    blue and ck. She was going to step up in ranks and be a member of the imperial family.


    "Mother, nobody would dare step on us now!" Yvonne said excitedly. From now on, her mother''s status


    in the Chu n would improve. And even better, she wouldn''t have to bow down to Sue anymore. She


    would outrank that bitch from tomorrow.


    Carrie grinned. "Prince Kevin''s family still thinks highly of you. Take a look at the wedding dress, the


    crown and the jewelry! They all look so expensive, especially the wedding dress. It smells so good!"


    Yvonne smelled the wedding dress on her body. It surely smelled nice. Prince Kevin''s servants must


    have sprayed some kind of high-ss perfume on the dress. How considerate they were!All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    At midnight, a number of maids were sent from the Prince Kevin''s mansion to begin preparing Yvonne


    for her big day. Even though she wasn''t of noble birth, she was carrying Hansen''s child. Besides, Kate


    had already felt attached to the unborn child, and therefore, she treated Yvonne like a fragile ss.


    Because she had begun amassing a considerable amount of money since taking over the family affairs


    of the Chu n, Carrie had some money to spare. She gave the maids who attended Yvonne some


    silver to give thanks for all their hard work. In turn, the maids expressed their gratitude.


    "Congrattions to Lady Yvonne!"


    Yvonne was beside herself with joy and excitement. She couldn''t believe how her life would turn out to


    be. Every moment felt light and magical. It felt like she was in a dream she never wanted to end.


    Charles'' son was not in the Chu n mansion. So instead, Charles himself led Yvonne out of the


    mansion. Watching as Charles led Yvonne, Carrie couldn''t help but feel overwhelmed by emotions. Her


    daughter would enter Prince Kevin''s mansion now! She was going to be the wife to an heir of a real


    prince! If she made good use of this new rank, she could wield unbelievable power within the Chu n.


    Harper stood quietly along the sidelines, watching as servants lifted Yvonne into the bridal sedan chair.


    Beside them was Hansen, who was riding on a horse. A faint smile appeared on Hansen''s face. Harper


    also caught a nce of Felicia, who was peeping at the door. Hatred distorted Felicia''s face, which


    made Harper very happy.


    Sue naturally noticed that Felicia sneaked out. In order not to offend Charles, Sue secretly sent the


    servants to take Felicia away. She cast a meaningful look at Carrie after making sure the servants did


    as told. Harper caught this little interaction and realized that she was not the only one who did


    something to Yvonne. It would be an eventful night tonight, which was for sure. She could only hope


    that Prince Kevin''s mansion could withstand the chaos it was about to see tonight.


    Charles and Carrie came back to the Chu n mansion first. Harper trailed behind them and so did


    Sue. "You have tried so hard to help Yvonne. But it seems that Yvonne and Carrie don''t appreciate


    your kindness at all," Sue said mockingly.


    "What are you talking about?" Harper asked Sue with an innocent look.


    Sue sneered and said, "Harper, don''t make a mistake. A concubine can never break free from who she


    truly is. And so do her daughter. The elders have this saying: A sparrow will never be a phoenix


    even after it ascends unto a higher branch."


    Harper smiled and looked at Sue with an odd expression that irritated Sue. "Why are you looking at me


    like that?" Sue asked, doubt creeping in.


    "Your words reminded me of something," Harper replied.


    Even though her gut told her Harper couldn''t have meant it as anything good, she couldn''t help but ask,


    "What do you mean?"


    "Once a concubine, always a concubine," Harper said clearly. Sue''s face instantly paled. She almost


    wanted to p Harper in her face, but she held back. She used to think that Harper was an arrogant


    girl. Sure, she had admirable medical skills. But she wasn''t too smart. And arrogant people like that


    were easy to control.


    But after Harper came back from the ce of execution, she had changedpletely. She was no


    longer arrogant and aggressive. She became a considerate person. But there was something about her


    kindness that made Sue wary.


    "My Lady." Ruby pulled the sleeve of Sue as a warning. Sue drew her attention from Harper and went


    inside the mansion. ''Things have just begun. And if Carrie thinks that everything will be just fine after


    her daughter marries His Highness, then she''s simply stupid!'' she thought angrily to herself. Carrie and


    Yvonne''s bright future hung on Yvonne''s unborn child. If something were to happen with Yvonne''s


    child, there would be hell to pay.


    Thinking of this, Sue looked resentfully at Harper''s leaving figure. If it weren''t for Harper, that bitch


    wouldn''t have be Hansen''s wife. This was uneptable to her. She had once thought Carrie was


    a wise woman who could do her a good favor in the future. But it turned out she was also useless. In


    that case, there was no need to keep her alive.


    The whole Chu n celebrated Yvonne''s wedding. All of the family members gathered together for


    dinner. At the party, Charles was very happy and had a drop too much. Mavis was also very happy. But


    her old age seemed to catch up with her and she got tired easily after a short while. Annie helped her


    go back to her own room.

 Chapter 72 The Conflict Between Maxwell And Harper (Part One)

    Chapter 72 The Conflict Between Maxwell And Harper (Part One)


    "My Lady, are you all right?" Nina asked anxiously. She then fetched the medicine kit and intended to


    clean the wound on the back of Harper''s hand. The cut was not deep, but it could not be ignored. If the


    wound was not treated well, then there might be a scar, leaving an ugly mark forever on her hand.


    But Harper stopped Nina. She looked at the wound on the back of her hand, and her eyes were so dark


    that no one could see through her thoughts and emotions. It was obvious that her aura had changed.


    "Excuse me, My Lady?" Nina felt a bit uneasy, noticing this change. She shuddered when she saw


    Harper staring at the wound on her hand. There was a hint of cruelty in Harper''s eyes.


    "Leave me alone. I want to stay alone for a while," ordered Harper in an indifferent tone.


    "Yes, My Lady." Nina put down the medicine kit and did as she was ordered.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    As soon as Nina closed the door, blood began to drip down from the corner of Harper''s mouth. She


    wiped the blood, looking cold and indifferent.


    "I was going to let you go, but you are hell-bent on digging your own grave. I''m am forced to take an


    action to defend myself. Don''t me me for anything. You asked for it! You are going to die anyway.


    Yvonne would be happy to see this! You owe her your life!" Harper said softly, but her gentle words


    reeked of coldness.


    Harper took a deep breath and suppressed the difort in her chest. She knew for sure it was Felicia


    who had poisoned her. But Felicia was unaware of the fact that Harper was special. Whatever toxin she


    took in, it would soon be discharged from her body. In short, it would be fair to say that Harper was


    immune to poison. If it wasn''t for the special trait of her body, she would have died already.


    "Nina."


    "Yes, My Lady."


    "Get ready. We are going out," Harper said slowly. She had alreadye up with a n. But if she


    wanted to execute the n sessfully, she would need someone''s help. Besides, she didn''t want


    others to be suspicious of her. Carrie hated Felicia to the core, so Harper was sure that Carrie wouldn''t


    let any chance to hurt Felicia slip away.


    "Yes, My Lady," Nina replied obediently.


    Due to Felicia''s death, the Chu n and Kevin''s family did not get along well these days. The Chu


    n was having a rough time. Recently, most members of the Chu n had kept a low profile and


    rarely appeared in public. When Harper appeared on the street, people didn''t instantly recognize her.


    But slowly, she began to capture everyone''s attention. People stopped doing what they were doing,


    whispering amongst themselves to discuss her. She had be so famous that it was impossible to


    blend with the crowd, no matter how hard she tried.


    "Oh, isn''t that Lady Harper from the Chu n?" A lewd voice came, and then a wretched man blocked


    Harper''s way. "Harper, where are you going?"


    Ignoring the man in front of her, Harper turned around and was about to leave. However, the man


    reached out and stopped her. "You''re growing more and more beautiful. I thought you might be


    gaunt after Hansen abandoned you. But it seems that you are living a good life."


    The man went ahead and was about to caress Harper''s face. However, someone grabbed his hand,


    stopping him from touching her. "How dare you flirt with a woman in broad daylight!"


    "Who the hell are you? How dare you..." The man turned his head and saw the man holding his wrist.


    Frightened, he knelt down at once. "Ge... General Maxwell."


    "James, you think your shameless acts are charming, don''t you?" Maxwell asked in a cold voice.


    That man, James Wang, was scared and began to tremble. His earlier enthusiasm waspletely


    gone. "General, please calm down. I... I was just kidding with Lady Harper," he begged.


    "Fuck off! If I see you doing something of this sort again, I''ll punish you immediately! Trust me, kid. You


    will not want to know what kind of punishment it will be." With a flick of his fist, James Wang fell to the


    ground. He stood up and immediately ran away, despite the pain.


    As soon as he was gone, Harper turned to Maxwell and said, "Thank you, General."


    "I haven''t seen you for days. Your temper seems to have improved," Maxwell snorted coldly. "Earlier,


    you were brave enough to scheme against Prince Matthew. And now, you stood like an innocentdy


    while this scoundrel was trying to mess with you."


    "Don''t joke with me, please. I never had the guts to plot against Prince Matthew nor have I made such


    attempts. And as far as James is concerned, I wasn''t afraid of him. It''s just that I didn''t want to waste


    my time and energy talking with such a disgusting person." Even if it was only a rumor that she had


    plotted against Matthew, Harper feared a great deal when she heard about it. Matthew did not have a


    good temper. If the rumor continued to spread like a wildfire, Harper was afraid it would reach


    Matthew''s ears someday. And from what she knew, he wouldn''t think twice before killing her.


    "I''ve heard that your n has been at odds with Prince Kevin and his family because Hansen


    maltreated his wife to death on their wedding night. From my point of view, you were fortunate since


    Hansen called off his engagement to you. Otherwise, it would have been terrible!" After finishing his


    words, Maxwell turned around and began to walk whereas Harper stood where she was.


    Maxwell took a few steps forward and found that Harper didn''t walk with him. A look of displeasure


    showed on his face. "Keep up with me!" he ordered.


    Harper looked around and found that Maxwell seemed to be talking to her. But to avoid


    misunderstandings, she pointed at herself deliberately and asked, "General, are you talking to me?"


    "Is there anyone else?" Maxwell was annoyed. It seemed that Harper took pleasure in making him


    upset and angry. Once again he thought of the time when his concubine had fooled him. Harper


    revealed it to him, making him seem like an idiot. But he was a reasonable man and not someone who


    would vent his anger blindly. Slowly, he came to realize it wasn''t Harper''s fault. And now, he hade


    to talk to Harper about something serious.


    Seeing his expression, Harper immediately understood he was here for a serious matter, so she


    followed him into the teahouse nearby. The waiter greeted them and led them to sit on the second floor.


    "Hope you are both having a good day! What would you like to order, please?"


    Maxwell was a careless man. He did not know much about tea. So he said to Harper, "It''s up to you."


    Harper then ordered a pot of green tea and two tes of cakes.


    Her order was well received by the waiter who left the table and went to the kitchen to deliver the order


    at once. Before long, the waiter came back with the tea and snacks they had ordered.

 Chapter 73 The Conflict Between Maxwell And Harper (Part Two)

    Chapter 73 The Conflict Between Maxwell And Harper (Part Two)


    Maxwell quickly drank a cup of tea. Seeing that, Harper stood up and refilled his cup. But he drank it up


    soon again, and she refilled his cup one more time. Seeing that he was about to drain another cup of


    tea, she stopped him and said, "General, I suggest you taste the tea carefully with your tongue."


    "For me, it tastes the same. I drink solely to relieve my thirst. I don''t care whether it''s tea or water."


    After drinking the tea, Maxwell stared at Harper with his tiger-like eyes.


    Harper touched her face, convinced that there was nothing on her face. "General, I don''t think you


    invited me here to enjoy the tea."


    Maxwell remained silent for a while. Harper was patient. She didn''t urge him to say anything. Instead


    she continued drinking tea. Finally, he opened his mouth and asked, "Harper, can I trust you?"


    "What did you mean by that, General?" asked Harper in confusion.


    "If all the physicians in the world say that a person is healthy, but you check his body and figure out that


    he is actually sick, what would you do? Would you consider him sick or not?" Maxwell asked, in order


    to make sure whether Harper was a trustworthy person to him.


    "Of course he is sick!" Harper replied decisively.


    "What if you will be killed on iming he is sick? Would that deter you from speaking the truth?"


    Maxwell asked further.


    "In that case, I would tell the patient that he is actually sick. On the other hand, I will hide this fact from


    others. That would be perfect! The patient is given the truth whereas others are given what they want to


    hear. It would be like hitting two birds with one stone. Does that sound like a good solution?" As she


    spoke, Harper adopted a low voice. If it weren''t for the fact that Maxwell''s hearing was excellent, he


    would have barely heard her.


    "Would you insist on this solution even if that patient is a powerful person and may kill you after hearing


    what you have to say?" asked Maxwell in a low voice.


    "General, I think you have a short fuse," Harper said. What she just said seemed to be irrelevant to the


    topic they were talking about. However, when Maxwell realized Harper was talking about something


    else to remind that someone might be watching them secretly, he stiffened for a second. He then stood


    up all of a sudden and swept the desserts on the table to the floor. He grabbed Harper''s wrist and


    pulled her closer to him. Her other hand grasped his wrist in order to keep herself from falling down.


    "General, what do you think you are doing?" Harper said in a seemingly anxious tone. She seemed to


    be in a panic.


    "Harper Chu, you should feel grateful when I show you my respect!" Maxwell shouted. He was a man


    of authority and was used to speaking in a loud voice. "Let me tell you this. I want to take you as a


    concubine! I think you should feel honored!"


    ''Holy shit!'' was Harper''s thought. Harper put a little strength on his wrist which almost made him cry out


    with pain. But he was relieved to have asked her this question. He knew that Harper had a bad


    reputation, so it took him ages toe up with this idea. Yes, he said those words deliberately to avoid


    the spy who was watching and listening to them secretly from knowing what they were truly talking


    about.


    "General, despite my low status, I am determined to never marry a man as his concubine! Never!"


    Harper said arrogantly. "General, you''d better not force me! That''s not what a gentleman is supposed to


    do!"


    "Do you have the right to say no? If I tell the emperor about my desire, he will immediately agree. In


    that case, you will have no right to refuse me!" Maxwell roared so loudly that almost everyone on the


    street could hear him. Harper really wanted to give him a big blow, and she really did it.


    Harper pped Maxwell in the face so hard that all the onlookers on the second floor heard it. It took


    everyone by surprise. They had never expected that Harper would be bold enough to hit the general.


    General Maxwell was the favorite subordinate of the emperor. The emperor thought highly of him.


    Everyone thought that Harper should feel extremely lucky and honored to be favored by Maxwell.


    Having never anticipated this p, Maxwell was dumbfounded for a few seconds. But soon, he


    regained his senses and was about to hit Harper. But someone stopped him.


    "Hello, General Maxwell."


    Maxwell turned around and saw Zack standing not far from them. On his face, a gentle and warm smile


    was stered.


    "Nice to meet you, Zack." Maxwell loosened his hand which had been grasping Harper''s wrist firmly.


    Taking this opportunity to escape, she quickly pulled herself away from Maxwell. Harper rubbed her


    wrist which had been bruised from Maxwell''s grasp. Her beautiful face had turned crimson red. ''What


    an asshole!'' she thought angrily.


    Zack took a look at Harper and then at Maxwell. "General, nice to meet you. Would you like to have a


    cup of tea with me?" he suggested as he continued to smile.


    The most unbearable thing for Maxwell was to deal with people who smiled a lot. In his list of contacts,


    Franklin was the man with whom he disliked conversing. And Maxwell was sure that Zack, being


    Franklin''s son, would also turn out to be as difficult as Franklin to deal with!


    "Enough! I''m a vulgar man. I can''t drink such elegant tea with a gentleman like you!" After he finished


    his words, Maxwell gave a stern look at Harper. Writhing with rage, he left the ce.


    Lowering her head, Harper rubbed her wrist as if she was thinking of something. Zack walked up to her


    and asked softly, "Did he hurt you?"


    Harper shook her head and continued to rub her wrist. "Thank you for your help, Mister Zack."


    "You''re wee. How did you manage to make him so angry?" he asked. But Harper didn''t give him


    any reply. Looking around, he realized all eyes were on them. Since it was inconvenient for them to talk


    in public, Zack invited Harper to a private room. That way, they could discuss this matter without having


    people overhear them.


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    There were only two of them in the private room. After pouring a cup of tea for Harper, Zack said,


    "Maxwell is not a gentleman. He is not the kind who will take care ofdies. You''d better stay away from


    him."


    Harper nodded her head a few times as a reply. She held up the teacup in front of her and drank it in


    silence. The red mark on her wrist was really dark. As Zack noticed it, his eyes darkened, but he didn''t


    speak about it.


    "Mister Zack," Harper said all of a sudden. "Could you please do me a favor?" Her face was full of


    expectation.

 Chapter 74 An Enemy Behind The Attacker (Part One)

    Chapter 74 An Enemy Behind The Attacker (Part One)


    Takenpletely by surprise, Enya stared at the envelope in her hand. It was a manservant who had


    given it to her in secret, asking her to personally hand it over to Harper.


    Enya couldn''t help but wonder who could''ve sent this letter to Harper. Out of curiosity, she went ahead


    and opened it. Inside, she found a letter from Zack, asking Harper out on a date.


    This made Enya''s heart start racing. Zack had just sent a message to Harper to ask her out. With this


    on her mind, Enya brought the letter back with her. After cudgeling her brains out for quite some time,


    she decided not to give the letter to Harper in the end, and instead, she secretly handed it over to


    Felicia.


    The moment Felicia read the letter herself, she was jumping for joy. "Has Harper already seen this?"


    "My Lady, I haven''t given it to Lady Harper yet. We are the only ones who have seen it," Enya


    answered cautiously.


    "You did good!" Pulling out a golden hairpin from her head, Felicia put it in Enya''s hand. "Here you go.


    You deserve this," she said.


    "Thank you, My Lady," Enya politely replied.


    Felicia quickly took out a writing brush along with a piece of paper and wrote a letter to give him a reply.


    That being said, she changed the indicated meeting ce and time. ''Harper Chu, as it turns out, you


    didn''t help me get married to Mister Zack because you like him too. Unfortunately, you''re going to be


    dying soon, so you won''t need to care for Zack anymore. Why don''t you just give this opportunity to


    me?''


    After she was done, she put the letter she had written into the envelope and said, "Take this and give it


    to Harper. But be careful not to make a slip of the tongue. And let me know what her reply is going to


    be."


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    "Yes, My Lady."


    After putting away the letter, Enya turned around and quietly left Felicia''s Splendor House.


    When Enya was finally gone, Felicia took out letter paper. Grabbing a bottle of medicine from the dark


    box, she poured it into the ink, and ground them evenly. Then, she dipped the writing brush into the ink


    and began writing.


    When she was done writing it, she put it under the candle light to help it dry up faster and put it in an


    envelope. "Helen," she called out.


    "Yes, My Lady?"


    "I want you to bring this letter to Prince Kevin''s mansion and try to hand it over to Hansen," Felicia said


    in a low voice. "Remember, it must be sent to His Highness himself."


    "Yes, My Lady."


    As she watched Helen''s receding figure, Felicia sat in front of the dresser. Looking at her charming


    reflection in the bronze mirror, she grabbed a woodenb, grooming her long hair over her ears.


    ''Harper, I''m doing this for your own good. I''ll see to it that your wishes to fruition before you die


    and return His Highness to you. Oh, that doesn''t sound right. It should be Mister Hansen. The fact that


    Hansen is no longer Prince Kevin''s heir always seems to slip my mind. That''s going to make you


    extremely happy if you know about it. Isn''t that right?''


    Hansen had just been staying at home ever since his leg got injured. This made Kate feel angry and


    worried at the same time. If only Hansen weren''t impulsive, the emperor wouldn''t have been furious


    with him and stripped him off of his title as Prince Kevin''s heir.


    "Mother, His Majesty has taken away my title. Do you think he will still give it back to me?" Hansen


    asked, seemingly so disconcerted. "I''m your only son. His Majesty has deprived me of my birthright. Is


    he actually nning to give it to one of Father''s concubines'' sons?"


    "Stop talking nonsense, Hansen!" Kate told him off. "No one else has the right to inherit this mansion


    other than you!"


    "Mother, I got beaten up and my leg even got injured. But why is it that Father hasn''t bothered toe


    and visit me? Could it be that he''s still mad at me?" There was sadness in Hansen''s eyes as he said


    that. "I got word that Prime Minister Charles humiliated my father because of that bitch''s death. I lost


    myself in anger and ended up doing something so stupid. Mother, please plead with him for me."


    "Well, your father may indeed be angry with you right now, but there''s no way he''s going to just leave


    you alone. Don''t worry. His Majesty is just having a fit of anger at the moment, and Prime Minister


    Charles isn''t going to let it stay like that. No one has a clue what really happened that night. But if we


    can somehow find out the truth, we may have other options." Feeling so helpless, Kate heaved a heavy


    sigh. "Well, just try not to think about it too much. You have to take care of yourself. I''ll always be here


    for you."


    "Mother, you really are the best." Hearing those wordsing from his mother helped to put Hansen''s


    mind at ease.


    "Your Highness." Not long after Kate had left Hansen''s room, a manservant quietly walked in. Despite


    the fact that he was no longer a member of the imperial family, the servants in the mansion still referred


    to him as "Your Highness."


    "What is it?"


    "I caught a maid trying to sneak in through the back door. She said she had a piece of good news for


    you." With his eyebrows deeply knit, Hansen asked, "Good news? What good news?"


    "The maid said that you would know it right away when you see her."


    "Alright. Bring her here this instant."


    Although Helen was one of Felicia''s personal maids, Hansen had never really seen her before.


    Therefore, Felicia sent Helen here.


    "Your Highness."


    Hansen was rather pleased with the way Helen addressed him. "I heard that you wanted to see me.


    What brings you here?"


    "Your Highness, the one who actually wants to see you is mydy, not me. I''m just here to bring a


    message to you so you can arrange a meeting with her." Upon stating her purpose for being there,


    Helen took out the letter she had been keeping under her arm and handed it over to Hansen using both


    hands. "Mydy said that you would understand everything after reading the letter."


    With doubts at the back of his mind, he took the letter from her and started to read it. Hansen was left


    completely dumbfounded. His eyes lit up, as though he couldn''t believe it. Based on what the letter


    said, she knew the truth about his madness during the wedding night. If he wished to find the truth,


    then he shoulde to see her.

 Chapter 75 An Enemy Behind The Attacker (Part Two)

    Chapter 75 An Enemy Behind The Attacker (Part Two)


    To make sure that this was not just some trap set up by someone else, he asked, "Who is yourdy?"


    "Mydy is the second daughter of Prime Minister Charles," Helen answered without directly uttering


    Harper''s name. "Mydy said that the feelings she has for you never changed. Can you see that now?"


    Raising his eyebrows, Hansen couldn''t help but smile. "I understand. Go back and report to yourdy.


    Let her know that I will definitelye to meet her at the designated ce."


    "Your Highness, mydy also said that she would have to go out secretly. She''s hoping that you won''t


    leak any information about this to anyone, or else, someone maye to bring her harm," Helen said.


    "Mydy doesn''t want to cause you any trouble in order to protect your fame. So, I am hoping that you


    would be able to see her in secret for the sake of the love she has for you."


    "I understand. You may leave now." Upon telling her that, Hansen put the letter away and asked one of


    the servants to show Helen out of here. He decided to heed her advice and didn''t tell anyone about it.


    At that moment, he thought that if he were to find out the truth regarding what transpired that night, he


    would have a chance to turn it all around. By then, if the emperor came to know that he was innocent,


    he would give him his title back.


    Immediately after Helen had left Prince Kevin''s mansion, she headed back to the Chu n mansion.


    Little did she know that Hansen had sent someone to tail her. After seeing her enter the Chu n


    mansion, the servant went back to report to Hansen right away. With that, Hansen, who still had a hint


    of doubt before, was finally able to put his mind at rest, believing in everything she had told him.


    Three dayster, Hansen sneaked out of the mansion like he nned. Although the wound on his leg


    was yet to fully heal, it didn''t really affect his walking all that much. After all, the thought of him being


    able to finally unveil who was pulling the strings behind the scenes helped him forget about the pain in


    his leg. And without a hitch, he quietly went to the Spring Restaurant to meet up with Harper.


    Meanwhile, Harper had also left the Chu n mansion. The way she looked made it seem as though


    she was about to meet the love of her life, all dressed up, charming and lovely. When Felicia saw her


    leaving, the cold-blooded re in her eyes could not be concealed. She thought to herself, ''Shameless


    bitch, you have the audacity to dress up like that? What are you nning to do? Seduce Mister Zack?


    Sad to say, you don''t get the chance to do that. All that''s waiting for you is that bastard Hansen!''


    Then, Felicia, who was also dressed quite beautifully herself, cautiously left the mansion after Harper


    was gone. Sue waspletely oblivious of everything that was happening. Otherwise, she would have


    kept a watchful eye on them.


    Trying to keep a low profile, Felicia didn''t want to grab anybody''s attention and quietly walked toward


    the reserved room. Despite the room being empty, it was elegantly decorated. The sweet smell of


    burning incense permeated the room, which was rather pleasant. And with thoughts of being able to


    see the gentle and noble Zack soon filling her mind, she couldn''t help but blush.


    On the other hand, Hansen had also arrived at their meeting ce. However, a surprise blow to the


    face knocked him unconscious the second he stepped into the room. He couldn''t even see who hit him.


    A grim smile flickered across Harper''s face when she saw Hansen stuck in aa. Holding a stick in


    her hand, she put a pill into his mouth and made him swallow it, dragging him toward a cab. This


    cab in particr was a little different. From the outside, it would seem ordinary, but in truth, it was


    actually connected to another cab in the adjacent room where Felicia was. That room had been


    filled with the aphrodisiac.


    ''Hansen, you fancy Felicia, don''t you? Well, she also likes you very much. Now I''m going to do you a


    favor and fulfill your wish, you shameless couple. Enjoy yourselves!''


    Harper then opened the hidden door and pushed the still unconscious Hansen into the cab in


    Felicia''s room. She was extra careful to make sure that she wasn''t making much noise. Then, she


    slowly closed the door and the cab. Be that as it might, as soon as she turned around, she found


    out that there was a person standing right behind her, making her freak out and have cold sweat. When


    she finally managed to pull herself together and saw who it was, she let out a sigh of relief.


    "What are you doing here?"


    Looking at Harper, who had just calmed down after a moment of panic, Zack shifted his gaze toward


    the cab and asked, "Is this what you were nning to do all along?"


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    "Yes, it is." Not bothering to make up any excuses, Harper simply admitted the truth and said, "I won''t


    stop you if you want to expose me."


    "Why would I want to expose you?"


    "Because I''m doing a bit of matchmaking!" Harper blurted out, albeit hesitantly.


    "Matchmaking?" He didn''t get what she was trying to say. "What do you mean by that?"


    "It''s just like what a procuress does." Harper might be open-minded, but she still became red-flushed.


    After all, why would Zack ask such an innocent question?


    "Oh, just a piece of advice. Next time if you''re going to do something like this, you should just let the


    servants handle it." As he said that, Zack walked over to the table and took a seat. After a while, they


    heard a knock upon the door and someone came in to serve them some tea.


    "Do you intend to stay here?"


    "Since I sent you a letter to ask you out, of course it would be better to just make it real. Otherwise, the


    truth will be revealed after someone checks it." After pouring a cup of tea, Zack went ahead and put it


    in front of Harper. "Please take a seat and enjoy a cup of tea with me. The show over there won''t be


    starting anytime soon anyway."


    At that moment, Harper was thinking, ''Alright, so this is what I have to do. If Zack dares to expose me, I


    will have to get him involved in this matter in some way.''

 Chapter 76 Is Lady Harper So Dissolute (Part One)

    Chapter 76 Is Lady Harper So Dissolute (Part One)


    After a while, Hansen woke up from his unconscious statepelled by the heat inside his body that


    made him feel ufortable. The heat was turning him ustrophobic. He struggled to tear his


    clothes off to be able to grab some respite from the heat. His breath quickened as he tried to inhale


    some cool air.


    Outside the cab, the aphrodisiac in the room made Felicia wreathe in difort. She started to


    tear her clothes exposing her fair skin. If there was a mirror in the room, she would definitely find that


    the scars on her body which had disappeared earlier were slowly changing as a result of the effect


    created by the aphrodisiac. Slowly, the scars started looking like ck bugs moving along her skin.


    By the time Hansen came out of the cab, Felicia''s body was set aze by the fire of desire. She


    hadpletely lost her mind and taken off her clothes except for her underwear. The ck marks had


    spread all over her back by that time. Even Hansen waspletely blinded by the heat in his body. All


    he wanted was to find a way out of this uneasiness. He found Felicia and clung on to her thinking that


    bing physically close to someone could help him feel better.


    Harper was sitting on the other side of the wall with Zack. The sound from the next room made her feel


    extremely embarrassed. If she had been alone, she would have certainlymented on their


    behaviors. However, in the presence of a man that she didn''t know much, she was bound to control her


    tongue. It was awkward for both of them as they were forced to overhear something so private. Cold


    sweat started appearing on Harper''s forehead.


    Zack remainedposed and graceful. He seemed to notice Harper''s awkwardness. After all, the


    noise in the next room was not at all low.


    "Can you y Go?" Zack asked softly. He didn''t wait for Harper to reply and walked straight to the


    board that was ced near the window. It was at a distance where the noise would not be as loud as it


    was at the ce they were sitting right now.


    Harper hesitated for a moment before she walked to the window and sat facing Zack. Marking the


    indecisiveness in Harper, Zack pushed the ck stones towards Harper and suggested politely, "If you


    don''t know how to y, I can teach you."


    Harper nodded her head. Her face had turned crimson just like the sky before the sunset. Moreover,


    she had dressed herself up to fool Felicia. Hence, she couldn''t look sexier now.


    At the same time, in the tea house opposite to them, Matthew was sitting with Lucas, the emperor''s


    eighth son. There was a strange coldness in Mathew''s eyes. Lucas looked into his eyes and felt that


    something was wrong. He asked, "Uncle Matthew, are you all right?"


    Mathew kept staring at the teacup intently without uttering a single word. He yed his finger around


    the rim of the cup slowly and carefully so that the tea did not spill over. In a matter of a few moments,


    the steaming hot tea cooled down.


    "Uncle Matthew, are you okay?" Lucas asked again as he marked the heinous intent on Mathew''s face.


    He felt a little regretful for choosing to have a cup of tea with his uncle. The murderous intent that burst


    out from Matthew''s body almost made him breathless.


    Matthew''s facial expression did not change. With a suppressed menacing look on his face, Mathew


    seemed to be trying hard to restrain his murderous will. Right at that moment, a drop of tea sshed


    out and the malicious spirit erupted in an instant. Lucas turned pale with fear. His immediate instinct


    was to run away, but he did not dare to make a move!


    Although Zack tried to remain calm, he could not help from getting into the flow of the moment. He


    slowly stretched out his hand, intending to touch Harper''s pretty face. But just as he reached out, she


    abruptly picked one stone and ced it on the board. The sudden sound brought him back from his


    trance.


    Zack removed his hand instantly and ced a stone on the board too. The crimson color had faded


    away from Harper''s face, and she turned pale. She was so tense and nervous!


    Zack waspletely out of his wits. He didn''t know what had happened to him all of a sudden. He


    himself was taken aback by his impulsive action. The smile on his face gave way to an awkward look,


    and cold sweat started to appear on his forehead.


    The game of Go did not help in rescuing the two of them from the awkwardness. Harper mechanically


    moved a few stones across the board. After that, as she touched her face gently, something hit her


    suddenly. Almost out of the blue, Harper felt herself a biting chill all across her body and she got goose


    bumps!


    Harper looked out of the window but could not spot anything weird as such. She smirked at herself and


    wondered if she had be too sensitive. She felt a murderous intent, but it was not from Zack.


    The game of Go between Harper and Zack continued for two hours. By the time they were about to


    finish the game, they heard some noise from outside. Zack stood up to open the door. Harper kept her


    eyes on him as he spoke with someone on the other side of the door. He asked what happened


    outside. A mark of embarrassment appeared on his gentle face when he heard the answer.


    "What''s wrong?" Harper asked feeling anxious.


    "The noise in the next room was so loud that some passers-by tried to listen from outside the door. And


    in the process, the door was identally pushed open." Zack cleared his throat and then sinctly


    exined the situation.


    Harper was dumbfounded as she heard that. With her mouth slightly open, she thought, ''Are the


    two...?'' Harper made haste to go and take a look at the scene, but she was stopped by Zack. "You''d


    better not go out. It''s not suitable for women to watch all that."


    The two people in the next room were still having sex passionately. They werepletely oblivious to


    the surrounding. Nothing seemed to bother them at all. They remained undeterred even when the door


    was pushed open and many people bumped in. Neither of them even tried to drive away the onlookers.


    The people who gathered around to witness such a shameless act of love found their nonchnce a


    little weird. They thought that this man must be having fun with a whore, so they did not care about


    being watched.


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Isn''t this Prince Kevin''s heir?" remarked one of the spectators.


    "What heir? His Majesty has ousted him of his title as an heir!" someone whispered from the crowd.


    "Who is that woman with him? Her breasts are so fair!" All sorts of filthy words kepting from the


    crowd. Although Zack stopped Harper at the door, she could hear every dirty word. However, she didn''t


    have any trace of shame or anger on her face.

 Chapter 77 Is Lady Harper So Dissolute (Part Two)

    Chapter 77 Is Lady Harper So Dissolute (Part Two)


    "Is that Lady Harper from the Chu n?" someone suddenly asked. "Hasn''t Lady Harper been


    pursuing His Highness before? No, it''s Mister Hansen."


    "No way? I can''t believe Lady Harper could be so dissolute!" Suddenly, there was an uproar in the


    crowd. Today the main characters of the live porn were Prince Kevin''s son Hansen and Lady Harper


    from the Chu n. It was unbelievable!


    Hearing her name being taken by the onlookers, Harper looked up at Zack. "Are you still going to stop


    me from going there?"


    Zack felt helpless. He didn''t want Harper to see such a disgraceful scene, but now it seemed he


    couldn''t prevent it anymore. He smiled, turned around and opened the door. Then he said loudly, "Lady


    Harper, the people outside seem to be talking about you."


    The onlookers'' gaze shifted towards the other door as they heard Zack''s voice. They looked surprised


    as Zack had already made way for them to see Harper standing behind him. Harper endured the


    probing gaze of the spectators with an innocent face. "I... Why are you talking about me?"


    "Oh! Look! Lady Harper is here. Who is this woman then?" The crowd looked up at Harper and the


    woman in the room. After seeing Harper, the crowd finally took note of the face of the girl making out


    with Hansen. "Ah, isn''t this Lady Felicia from the Chu n?"


    After this, Harper seemed confused and walked towards the crowd. All people made way, and Zack


    walked by her side, blocking everything that was going on between Hansen and Felicia. Harper''s finger


    moved and something flew in, but no one noticed that. The two people who were involved in the act of


    love finally came to their senses. Once they saw each other clearly, Felicia''s scream could be heard in


    the whole restaurant!


    Hansen was at a loss of words, especially when he noticed that there were a lot of people watching at


    the door. He didn''t scold them. Instead, he grabbed his clothes and put them on in a hurry, trying to


    escape.


    Felicia looked as if she was hit by a storm. Wasn''t it supposed to be Harper here with Hansen? Felicia


    wondered howe she became the victim instead of Harper. She remembered that she had bribed a


    waiter to put some drug in the tea for Harper. But howe she ended up into this instead?


    Felicia put on clothes hurriedly. Suddenly, her eyes fell on a man standing in the doorway. Although she


    could only see him from his back, she knew who he was. In an instant, she felt as if she had been hit


    by a thunderbolt. "Mister... Mister Zack?"


    Zack turned back as he heard Felicia call him out. He did not try to hide the disgust in his eyes. His


    stare, the shame, and the dismay made Felicia feel shattered. ''He has seen it. What should I do now?''


    Felicia thought.


    "Mister Zack, please listen to me. I can exin. What you have seen is not the truth. I was set up.


    Please trust me. I like you..." Felicia rushed to Zack, which surprised him. He held Harper''s hand by


    instinct and stepped back continually, trying to move away from Felicia.


    Felicia stretched out her hands to reach out to Zack. And as he moved back, she fell on the floor. The


    clothes that she had clumsily put on to cover herself, scattered in the air, revealing her bare skin. But


    when she saw Zack holding Harper''s hand, she got up as if she had lost her mind and rushed to them.


    "Bitch, how dare you steal my Zack!"


    "Has this whore gone crazy?" Someone pushed Felicia away, but she didn''t fall. Somebody held her


    from her back. Several man started taking the opportunity to grope her body. Her clothes were stripped


    off again, and she was pushed in the crowd in an awkward position.


    The shrieks and angry curses of Felicia continued. Harper took a deep breath. "Go and inform my


    mother that Felicia has gone crazy!"


    At the same time around, Sue happened to be shopping in a nearby brocade shop. She heard a


    salesman in the shop say that the moral degeneration of the world was getting worse. She even heard


    him say that thedy of the Chu n was found making out openly in front of many onlookers.


    "Who are you talking about? Who is thedy of the Chu n who has indulged in such a shameful


    act?" Sue asked the salesman.


    "It''s said that it''s Lady Harper!"


    "Harper Chu!" Harper''s name attached to such a scandalous act sounded like music to Sue''s ears. Her


    eyes lit up.


    The expression on Sue''s face changed from joy to astonishment. She could not resist herself from


    rushing out to watch the drama. She wanted to witness it herself. How could she miss watching how


    Harper behaved indecently!


    Sue could not wait to reach the restaurant. And as soon as she got there, she didn''t even bother to look


    into the situation. She roared, "Harper, how can you be so shameless..."


    As Sue''s roar echoed through the restaurant, the men pouncing and groping on Felicia stepped aside


    hurriedly. As the men moved away leaving Felicia in the air without any support, she lost her bnce


    and tumbled from the stairs to the floor near Sue''s feet. Her head got injured and blood oozed out from


    the wound.


    "Harper, how could you be so silly?" Sue put up an act of being a good mother by helping the girl lying


    at her feet. Sue''s face changed drastically as she held the girl up and looked at her face. She felt as if


    all the lights around her were just put off all of a sudden. Her mind went nk. Felicia''s mournful cry


    came out of her mouth.


    "Mother." Seeing Sue standing in front of her, Felicia hid her head in her mother''s arms and wailed out


    painfully.


    "Fe..." Sue was not able to find her speech. This time she was not acting. Earlier, she thought that the


    naked girl with blood oozing out of her head was Harper, which secretly made her extremely happy. But


    s! It turned out to be her own daughter! Especially when her daughter was scared out of her wits,


    Sue could hardly make out what exactly was going on. But even at this hour, Sue''s mind was


    preupied with the thought of how she could protect her daughter and make everybody believe this


    woman was Harper.


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    "Harper, how could you be so thoughtless?"


    The moment Sue said this, she heard a familiar voice from her back. "Mother, I''m here." Harper


    showed up again to ruin Sue''s dirty n.

 Chapter 78 The Chaos In The Chu Clan Mansion (Part One)

    Chapter 78 The Chaos In The Chu n Mansion (Part One)


    Hearing Harper''s voice, Sue looked up and shifted her gaze toward her in utter bewilderment. Then,


    with hatred and malice shing in her eyes, she viciously cursed, "Why wasn''t it you instead? Why not


    you? Why not you?"


    Sue''s voice was obviously full of hostility and resentment as she repeated her question over and over


    again. Harper, on the other hand, seemed as though she waspletely taken aback. She almost


    couldn''t stand up because of it. She was staggering and almost lost her sense of bnce. Luckily for


    her, Zack reached out and caught her just as she was about to fall down.


    "Lady Sue, I can''t believe that you are so spiteful!" Zack said that as loud and clear as he could to


    ensure that everyone around them would be able to hear. What he said managed to strike a chord in


    everyone''s heart. Everyone present witnessed with their own eyes how Felicia had acted without


    showing even a bit of restraint. And right now, they even heard how Sue tried to frame Harper up and


    gave her a mouthful in public for the false usation!


    "From what I''ve heard, Lady Sue is not actually Lady Harper''s biological mother, but her stepmother.


    She is so spiteful. She couldn''t teach her own daughter to have some decency and that''s why her


    daughter ended up doing such a shameless thing. How could she use Lady Harper like that? That


    could just make people get the wrong idea and think that it was Lady Harper instead of Lady Felicia


    who did some obscene things with a man!" People chattered and exchanged opinions. In the end,


    everyone had to agree that Sue was indeed such a spiteful, horrible and cruel stepmother.


    Tears welled up in Harper''s eyes, but she somehow managed to keep them from falling. Her delicate


    and injured appearance only helped make people want to take care of her. Deep inside, everyone was


    most certainly cursing Sue.


    When Sue finally got a hold of herself, she took of her coat and covered Felicia''s naked body with it.


    Feeling her daughter''s body shivering, she shot Harper a murderous nce. Then, she helped Felicia


    get up so they could walk away. Sue was well aware of the fact that it would be best for them to leave


    this ce as soon as possible for the time being.


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Inside the room, Harper wiped her tears dry and ran out, but the tears just kept rolling down her


    cheeks. No one could stop her. However, the others wouldn''t let Sue take Felicia away as if nothing


    happened. By the time Sue had finally made her way through the crowd, she noticed that the coat that


    was covering Felicia was nowhere to be found, and her daughter looked so disheveled. At that


    moment, Sue felt like her heart was being ripped apart. Hatred had almost swallowed up Sue. She


    desperately wanted to make Harper suffer a great deal of pain for what she did! And that was the only


    way to quell her anger!


    Harper got back to the Chu n mansion before Sue. As soon as she stepped foot inside the mansion,


    she cried her lungs out and rushed into Mavis'' Peony House. It just so happened that Charles got back


    at almost the same time she did and was having a conversation with Mavis. The second he saw Harper


    rudely barging in and in tears, Charles frowned and became furious instantly. "Harper! Behave like a


    lady! Look at yourself! You look like such a mess!"


    This time, much to their surprise, instead of being polite and reasonable like she usually was, Harper


    broke down and fell to her knees in front of Charles and Mavis. With her voice sounding like it was


    about to break, she asked, "Grandma, Father, am I really so useless in this family that everyone thinks


    it would be better if I just die? Is that the truth?"


    "That''s utter nonsense!" Mavis stated, fuming with intense anger that she pped the table with great


    force. "Which bitch gave you that idea?"


    Harper almost choked up. "Grandma, Mother kept on asking me why it wasn''t me over and over again.


    Why does she hate me that much?"


    Mavis and Charles didn''t realize that there was something wrong until she said those words. Both of


    them thought that it was very strange for Sue to say such a thing. She might have been such a narrow-


    minded woman, but they never thought Sue would be capable of uttering something so terrible. With


    that in their mind, they thought that there must be a reason why Harper acted the way she did. "Try to


    calm yourself down. Tell me exactly what happened, Harper," Mavis said.


    "I really have no idea what happened either, Grandma. Caroline asked me to meet her at the Spring


    Restaurant so she could thank me personally, so I went there. But when I got there, Mister Zack was


    already inside waiting for me and told me that Caroline was feeling under the weather because of the


    cold windst night. Because of that, she asked him to do her a favor ande in her stead to the


    Spring Restaurant to let me know that she wouldn''t be able to make it. So, I just had a chat with Mister


    Zack for a while since were already there. But suddenly, I heard amotion outside. Someone was


    saying that Lady Harper from the Chu n was so loose and shameless. I found it quite strange. I


    understand that it was not appropriate to meet a man outside all by myself, but I made sure to act


    properly. But to go and use me of being loose and shameless? That is something that I just can''t


    take."


    With a heavy heart, Harper sobbed and could not hold it anymore. But Charles and Mavis, on the other


    hand, simply grew even more anxious. "Go on, please continue. Tell us what happened next."


    "When he noticed how angry I was after hearing those terrible and false usations, Mister Zack...


    Mister Zack went out of the room to check what was going on. As it turned out, Hansen was there


    having fun with a woman. And the crowd that was watching thought that woman was me!"


    "Bastard!" Mavis eximed as she trembled with disgust. Hearing this made Charles'' face turn dark as


    well. But right now, what he couldn''t wait to find out was what Sue had to do with this matter.


    "But what does it all have to do with your mother?"


    It should go that Mavis was just as eager to know what it had to do with Sue.


    With tears in her eyes, Harper went on and exined, "Mister Zack had been blocking my view of the


    indecent scene. But all of a sudden, I heard a woman calling out to him. Her voice sounded familiar,


    and I thought it seemed like it was Felicia."


    Both Mavis'' and Charles'' hearts skipped a beat. As they listened Harper''s ount of what happened,


    an idea crossed their minds. Their bodies tensed up, but they were hoping so much that what their


    thought was wrong.


    Harper continued, "After that, there was anothermotion among the crowd, but I couldn''t really see


    what happened with my own eyes, because Mister Zack had been keeping me from seeing what was


    going on inside that room the entire time. Then, through the tumult, I heard Mother scream out my


    name moments before I saw a naked woman roll down the stairs until she fell below Mother''s feet. She


    didn''t even take a look to see who it was, but she just started calling out my name! But that wasn''t me


    at all!"


    When Mavis heard this, her face turned livid. Sue went ahead and called out Harper''s name without


    bothering to take a look at that woman''s face to confirm her identity. How dare she do that! As far as


    Mavis was concerned, it seemed quite obvious that Sue wanted Harper to take the fall.

 Chapter 79 The Chaos In The Chu Clan Mansion (Part Two)

    Chapter 79 The Chaos In The Chu n Mansion (Part Two)


    "That bitch! That bitch! Where did she get the nerve to do that?!" Mavis went in a fit of anger, causing


    her to have a headache due to how furious she was. Charles was also very annoyed. However,


    something even more humiliating was still yet toe to them.


    "What I never would''ve expected was that it was actually Felicia who was fooling around with Hansen


    and identally fell down the stairs without any clothes on!" Harper added.


    "What?" That was the final nail in the coffin. When Charles heard this, the color had been flushed out of


    his face at once. And even Mavis'' face became sullen as well.


    When she was finally done talking, Harper lowered her head and continued to weep uncontrobly.


    "Mother...Mother also noticed it was Felicia. I''m sure of it! But she called out my name for everyone to


    hear! When I came over to tell her that it wasn''t me, she repeatedly asked me why it was not me over


    and over again! I don''t understand, Father, Grandma. What did I do to make Mother despise me so


    much? Why did Mother want to ruin my reputation like that? How could she be so cruel and heartless?"


    "How dare she do that to my granddaughter!" Mavis cursed while giving Charles ck looks. She didn''t


    say anything else after that, but she was, without a doubt, very dissatisfied with Sue''s actions. Now


    having to face the chaos himself, Charles was also about to blow a gasket. When thoughts of Felicia''s


    shameless behavior filled his head, he couldn''t help himself from ming Sue for everything that


    happened.


    While they were in the middle of trying to wrap their heads around what happened, the steward came


    running toward them while panicking. "My Lord, My Lady, something terrible happened. Lady Sue..."


    "Where is she?" Charles asked, still feeling furious.


    "Lady Sue fainted in the front hall, and Lady Felicia... Lady Felicia..." Before the steward could even


    finish talking, Charles quickly got on his feet and hurriedly went to the front hall. Mavis also stood up


    and headed over to the front hall with Annie. Harper followed Mavis close behind as well.


    When they finally arrived at the Chu n mansion, Sue couldn''t help but feel horrified at the thought of


    how her husband and her mother-inw would punish Felicia for what happened. She was so


    ovee with grief that she couldn''t keep it together any longer and cked out. Felicia was almost


    naked and had nothing to cover herself with. There were obvious indecent marks all over her body.


    Annie could not bear to see such a terrible scene ying out in front of her. So, she immediately took


    off her own coat to cover Felicia''s body and wrapped her bleeding head in bandage.


    Charles was still fuming with rage right now. But when he saw Sue lying motionless on the floor and


    Felicia looking at him with such fragile eyes, helpless and so frail, it broke his heartpletely. Still, he


    couldn''t help but me Felicia for not cherishing her body and reputation.


    "My Lord, please make sure whoever did this to Lady Felicia pays for it!" Ruby bawled and cried out as


    she knelt on the floor, holding the unconscious Sue in her arms. "You''ve been looking after Lady Felicia


    from the moment she was born. Don''t you know her well? She''s not the type to do something like that!


    Someone must have framed Lady Felicia!"


    When Charles heard that statement, Harper was the first person he suspected of doing this. In his


    eyes, Harper was always the one who would cause trouble. So, he came to the conclusion that it was


    probably Harper who had caused such a scandal!


    "Yes, she is right, Father. You must find out the truth to prove that Felicia and I are innocent!" Harper


    stubbornly chimed in. "Those people couldn''t clearly see who was inside the room. Yet they still


    assumed it was me. Someone must have nned everything, making them think it was me!"


    "Father..." Felicia cried out. At that moment, she wanted to tell him that it was Harper who plotted


    against her, but even she herself couldn''t figure out how it all happened. What if it would only end up


    putting her in a worse situation if she asked her father to investigate it thoroughly?Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Yes, that should go without saying. We must get to the bottom of this as soon as possible. This is


    something we can''t simply let go so easily!" Mavis eximed. She would let Sue y some of her little


    tricks from time to time, but there was no way she could ever allow her to ruin the Chu n''s


    reputation.


    To this, Charles simply nodded his head in agreement. He also believed that it would be necessary to


    conduct a thorough investigation of this matter. If it turned out that it was a plot set up by an outsider, it


    was quite possible that that person still had something else nned before his mission waspleted.


    And if that was really the case, that person would impeach him tomorrow.


    "Could... Could it be one of Hansen''s tricks? He is the adulterer! Maybe he did this on purpose because


    of his hatred toward our Chu n!" Harper suddenly asked.


    The Chu n and Prince Kevin''s family had been at an impasse recently. Charles and Kevin often


    raised doubts against each other in front of the emperor recently even though none of them actually


    held any concrete evidence to support their ims at all. The emperor was already starting to get sick


    of their bickering. Could it really be a deliberate revenge plotted by Hansen? Most importantly, Felicia


    had liked Hansen for some time now. If Hansen asked her out, there was a good chance that she


    would go out to meet him!


    At the thought of this, Charles gritted his teeth as hatred brewed inside of him. He wouldn''t let


    something like that go so easily! Not only had Hansen killed one of his daughters, but now, he had also


    ruined the reputation of one of his other daughters. That would certainly bring him great shame!


    "I will head over to Prince Kevin''s mansion right now to ask them about it!"


    With that, Charles strode out of the room. If it turned out that it was really Hansen''s ploy to get back at


    him, Charles was more than willing to make him pay for what he did. Be that as it might, before he


    could leave the mansion, Kate showed up with her people, so hopping mad.


    As soon as Kate had broken into the Chu n mansion, she pped Charles right in the face with all


    her strength. Charles'' ear buzzed. He failed to dodge it since he couldn''t really get a chance to do so.


    But he managed to catch Kate''s hand just as she was about to p him a second time. He furiously


    swung her arm away from him, and as a result, Kate fell to the floor.


    "Well, well, how dare you! You set my son up and now you even raised your hand against me. Charles


    Chu, do you think you can get away with everything in the imperial capital just because His Majesty


    favors you?" Kateshed out as she covered her chest with her hand.


    "Your Highness, you are in my mansion right now. Your son set my daughter up and dragged my


    daughter''s name through the mud. And you actually have the audacity to throw a tantrum here instead?


    Do you honestly believe that there''s now in this world anymore? Even if we must argue about this in


    front of His Majesty, I would not hold back because my daughter is the victim here!" Charles hurled


    back and flewpletely off the handle. Truth be told, he didn''t really pay attention to everything that


    Kate said. Out of frustration, he just retorted back at her without thinking about it.


    "Excuse me? My son set your daughter up? That''s probably the funniest story I have ever heard until


    today! It is your shameless daughter who set a trap for my son! You don''t believe it? I have the


    evidence right here!" Kate was in a frenzy. "This is the evidence that proves it was your daughter who


    deceived my son!"


    Right then, Charles turned to look at Harper at once. "What is she saying?"


    Shaking her head, Harper replied, "Father, I don''t know."


    "You don''t know? Ha! How dare you say you don''t know!" Kate interrupted her as she was talking, her


    face distorted due to anger. "Even though Hansen broke off the engagement to you, you didn''t have to


    be so spiteful, Harper. I had no idea you were that kind of woman. You did it on purpose in order to ruin


    Hansen, all because he called off the engagement! I know it! I know all of your dirty tricks! Mark my


    words. I''m going to make you suffer!"

 Chapter 80 Who Was The Fiend (Part One)

    Chapter 80 Who Was The Fiend (Part One)


    Harper froze, staring at Kate in shock. "Your Highness, what have I done to you?" Her bottom lip


    trembled as she spoke. "Why are you trying to use me of something I didn''t even do?"


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "You dare talk back? You wretched bitch!" Katie threw a letter at her face. "See for yourself. It''s the


    evidence that you asked him out."


    The letter fell to the floor, and Harper picked it up. The person who wrote the letter asked Hansen to


    meet her in the Spring Restaurant. Under the message was her signature, yet she wasn''t the one who


    had written it. Harper looked up calmly. "I didn''t write it."


    "Of course you didn''t!" Kate scoffed. "As cunning as you are, you probably asked someone else to


    write the letter. You just asked some maid to write for you!" Kate was dead-set on believing that Harper


    was behind this. No matter what Harper would say or would try to prove, she wouldn''t even listen. The


    humiliation she had gone through after Hansen had called off the engagement, was her motive to seek


    revenge on her son.


    "Your Highness, you have to believe me. I didn''t write it, and besides, we''ve never talked since the


    incident. Even if I did, he wouldn''t trust me enough to agree to meet with me," Harper responded.


    "There must be something behind this, Your Highness. Please, I don''t know what happened, but I


    assure you I have nothing to do with it. Please find out the truth."


    Kate could only sneer in reply. "Do you really think I''ll convict you with just that letter? Don''t you


    remember that you''ve also sent your maid to deliver a letter to our mansion?"


    "I didn''t send any maid," Harper retorted. "The Chu n and your family are at odds with each other


    because of Yvonne''s death. I''m sure you''re aware of that. There''s absolutely no way I could''ve done


    such a thing!"


    "No? Would you dare call in your maids?" Kate snapped, tilting her chin high up in the air. After finding


    the other proof that she needed, she would let Harper pay for what she had done to her son.


    "I dare." Harper took a step forward, narrowing her eyes. "What if I''m innocent?"


    "I''ll apologize to you myself." Kate crossed her arms. It couldn''t be anyone else. Besides, Hansen had


    humiliated her and destroyed her reputation. It was a motive¡ªan anger that couldn''t be quenched.


    However, what she didn''t expect was for the bitch to actually go through with the action! If she wasn''t


    convicted now, she would still feel the past holding her back. Her son deserved justice.


    "You said it yourself, Your Highness." Harper turned to Mavis. "Grandma, send Nanny Annie over to


    take all the maids working in my house. Your Highness, in order to avoid any more scuffle, send one of


    your people to apany her."


    Kate nodded. "Linda, go with her."


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    Annie and Linda obediently went to Harper''s house to bring over the maids. While that was happening,


    Harper was in the center of the hall with tears welling up in her eyes. People couldn''t help but feel sorry


    for her.


    Before long, they had already returned with seven maids in tow. As Kate saw them, she furrowed her


    eyebrows. "These are all the maids?"


    "Yes, Your Highness. We''ve brought them all here," Linda replied with a long face.


    "Harper Chu, are you lying to me? As the daughter of Prime Minister''s first wife, you should have at


    least ten servants. And all you have are seven?" Kate frowned, ncing at each and every one of


    them.


    Harper gritted her teeth as her hands balled into fists. "Everyone in my n knows that I only had four


    maids. Grandma doted on me, so she sent me another three. What you see now are all my maids."


    Upon hearing this, Kate turned to look at Charles in surprise. Thetter looked embarrassed. Mavis


    knew the total number of servants in the Chu n and how many maids Harper had clearly. "It''s true,"


    said Mavis.


    Sue had finallye out of unconsciousness. When she saw Kate standing over the maids, she


    reached out to lunge at her. But she was held back by Ruby.


    Kate nced at each and every one of them. They looked decent, at least. She turned to the


    manservant at her side. "Go on. Look for the one who delivered the letter to Hansen!"


    The manservant stepped forward and looked at all their faces. After a few minutes, he stopped and


    shook his head. "She isn''t here, Your Highness."


    "What do you mean she isn''t here? Look again!" Kate ordered, not believing what he had just said.


    "I''ve checked them all, Your Highness. The girl who delivered the letter has a mole on the corner of her


    mouth, plus she is shorter than the others," the manservant answered decisively. "No. She is not one of


    them."


    When Felicia heard the description of the maid, she buried her face deeper into Sue''s arms so no one


    could see her frightened expression. At that moment, all she wanted was for Kate to leave. If she found


    out that it was her maid who had sent the letter, hell would break lose.


    Sue didn''t know what was happening around her until Ruby told her a more general story of what was


    going on. She frowned. It wasn''t a good idea for Harper to keep getting herself involved in these things.


    Harper tilted her head. "Since your target isn''t one of my maids, why don''t you try checking out Felicia''s


    as well?"


    "Hasn''t your sister suffered enough? You want to use her of this as well?" Sue sneered. Though


    she was angry at Felicia for fooling around with a man in public, Felicia was still her daughter, and she


    adored her.


    "Mother, I only asked for Felicia''s maids to prove her innocence. If she didn''t do it, then it must be done


    by an imposter!" Harper insisted. "Besides, it was Felicia who got involved in the first ce and met


    with His Highness. It would be reasonable to check her maids."

 Chapter 81 Who Was The Fiend (Part Two)

    Chapter 81 Who Was The Fiend (Part Two)


    Felicia gritted her teeth, wanting nothing more than to tell Harper to shut up. If her maids were brought


    here, everyone would know her secret. However, Kate didn''t bother to let her speak. She immediately


    waved to her people to summon Felicia''s maids. It seemed as if the tension in the air had grown thicker


    as they waited.


    As they all lined up, the manservant looked at every one of them before stopping his gaze at Helen.


    "Your Highness," he said. "It''s her. She delivered the message."


    Kate whirled around, gnashing her teeth at the mother-and-daughter duo. "Sue, I believe the truth has


    been finally set free. What else do you want to add?"


    Sue stood up. "The maid may work for my daughter, but that doesn''t mean Felicia was behind all of


    this!" She stomped over to the maid. "Tell me, bitch! Who instigated you to frame my daughter?"


    "Lady Sue, no, no! I''m innocent!" Helen was so frightened that she fell to her knees. All she did was


    follow Felicia''s orders to send the letter to Prince Kevin''s mansion. How had ite to this mess?


    "Arrest her now!" Kate ordered at once. The guards marched over and grabbed her forearms, gripping


    the fabric of her clothes tightly. Helen trembled with fear when she saw Sue ring at her as if she


    would eat her alive at any time. She turned to Kate.


    "No, it''s not me! Lady Felicia asked me to do it! She asked me to deliver the letter! I just did what I was


    ordered to do!" Helen screamed, shaking her arms. However, it only caused for the grip around her to


    tighten.


    "Shut up, you bitch!" Sue''s face was already tomato red. As long as Felicia wasn''t proven guilty, there


    was always a way out. If she was cornered now, the only thing she would do might be praying for a


    sweeter death sentence for Felicia. "How dare you lie right in front of our faces! Guards, drag her down


    and beat her to death!"Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    "You want to kill her to keep your secrets?" Kate trailed her fingers around the strands of the maid''s


    hair before pulling it to the ground. "Tell me what happened, or your death would be briefly followed by


    your family."


    Helen gasped for air as she screamed in pain. "It was Lady Felicia! She asked me to tell your son that


    Lady Harper wanted to meet him! As for the rest, I know nothing."


    Harper staggered backward as the rming news set off the household. "Why? Why did Felicia ask


    you to do that?"


    "Bitch!" Sue kicked Helen, causing the maid to arch her back in pain. Kate, however, clenched Sue''s


    jaw, pping her right in the face. She cursed as she brought her hand to Sue''s cheek once more.


    "You''re the bitches! Both of you and your daughter! Look what you''ve done to my son! You''ve


    destroyed him, and he is now sexual impotence. I will never let the Chu n go!"


    The ce was a mess with the twodies stumbling back and forth, with Sue struggling to get the


    upper hand. Amidst of all the chaos, Harper turned to Charles and Mavis. "Father! Send some people


    to separate them! If Her Highness is hurt, we''ll all be punished."


    As Sue now got the upper hand, Charles stepped forward to grab Sue''s hair, wanting to pull her off


    Kate. However, that only seemed to have angered her more as she started wing her way to Kate''s


    face. In a fit of anger, Charles grabbed her head and mmed it over the corner of the table. Blood


    spurted out of her head as Sue copsed, unconscious. Felicia screamed, hiding from all their gazes.


    The servants of Prince Kevin''s mansion all rushed to Kate to help her out. Her clothes were already


    tarnished and her face was filled with cuts from Sue''s fingernails. "If you don''t give me an exnation


    right now, I would go to the emperor and report what you''ve done. The punishment for harming royalty


    is death. Have you forgotten?" she stated coldly.


    Of course Charles didn''t. If Felicia and Sue had truly done something, the Chu n would fall right


    before his eyes. With that in mind, he decided to take a risk. "You''re well aware of what had happened,


    Your Highness," Charles scoffed. "Your son thought that the message was from Harper. When he


    realized it was Felicia, he was outraged enough to attempt to rape her, shaming her! Go to the


    emperor! I dare you."


    "Be reasonable! It was your daughter who asked him out, and now you''re ming him for instigating


    rape?"


    "That may be true that she asked him out, but that doesn''t warrant him to attempt to rape her," Charles


    insisted. "You said he''s ruined, and that he is sexual impotence. I think that''s karma for what he has


    done! He deserves it!"


    "You''ve allowed your daughter to set a trap for my son, all because His Majesty favors you. And now,


    we''re standing at a crossroad! I know where you stand. Let''s see how fearless you are when you face


    His Majesty."


    "Go ahead, Your Highness. I won''t walk you out!" Charles growled out. He knew just as anyone that his


    n had also done something wrong, but that didn''t mean he couldn''t cover it up. He would just like to


    see just how far Kate could let this go on. Kate stomped out of the mansion.


    "Charles, what''s your n?" Mavis asked in a low voice once she left.


    "Prince Kevin''s family and the Chu n has be mortal enemies," he murmured. "Even if we


    dered a truce, Her Highness wouldn''t let all of us go that easily. We have to convince them all that


    the dispute is only between Hansen and Felicia or else no one would know what woulde to the


    Chu n if Prince Kevines to seek for revenge."

 Chapter 112 Plans (Part One)

    Chapter 112 ns (Part One)


    Hailey worked fast. After just two days, she came across the book which Harper had prepared


    especially for her. Based on what she discovered in the medical book, she decided to perform a blood


    test on Sue. To her surprise, the result matched the description written in the medical book.


    "My Lady..." Abigail, Hailey''s maid, was too shocked to finish her words.


    "Mother was poisoned!" Hailey eximed. "Harper probably wasn''t expecting that I would actually


    check the medical books or even borrow these medical books from her. Otherwise, she would have


    already disposed of this medical book long ago."


    "My Lady, are you implying that Lady Harper poisoned Lady Sue?" Abigail asked, confused.


    "Of course. Who else could it be?" Hailey said in a cold tone. "Think about it. Who''s benefiting most


    from Mother''s illness?"


    "Of course it''s Lady Harper, My Lady. She has taken over the domestic affairs of the mansion ever


    since Lady Sue has gotten ill. Right now, she holds a power that''s befitting her identity," Abigail said,


    taking a guess. "Even if we know that Lady Harper poisoned Lady Sue, we don''t have any evidence to


    prove it."


    "This is the evidence!" Hailey blurted out as she waved the medical book she was holding in her hand.


    "Harper is the best physician in the mansion. It will be easy for her to do some research and make the


    poison, Nightmare. I must tell Father about the truth. Now that she dared to poison Mother, I''m sure


    she would have no qualms about poisoning Father as well. Father is going to hate such a vile woman."


    "That''s right. Prime Minister Charles will seek vengeance for Lady Sue," Abigail nodded.


    Without dy, Hailey went to see Charles, who just got back home from the imperial court session. His


    face darkened almost instantly at the sight of Hailey scurrying toward him. "What is it? What is so


    urgent?"


    "Father, it''s serious. Someone has poisoned Mother!"


    As soon as Hailey said those words, Charles felt his eyelids twitch. Were people aware that he


    poisoned Sue? How could they have found out? Nightmare was a type of poison that couldn''t possibly


    be discovered by any test. Apart from that, Kelly, his first wife, had also been given the same poison


    and no one had ever suspected and found out about it even after all this time.


    "What on earth are you talking about? That''s nonsense. Your mother is ill because she has been


    depressed for a long time. No one poisoned her!" Charles snapped at her. The thought of what people


    were going to say if they found out the truth made him shudder. How could he possibly look his son and


    daughters in the eye ever again?


    "Father, believe me. It''s true. Mother has been poisoned. They used a poison called Nightmare. I have


    a feeling that Harper did it in order to take control of the mansion," Hailey quickly said despite having


    no evidence to back it up.


    "Nonsense!" From what she said, it was apparent that Hailey didn''t know. This made Charles feel so


    relieved. "How can you say such things with a straight face? Why are you being so mean to your


    sister? She is not as bad as you think."


    Hearing him say that made Hailey feel a bit anxious. She brought out the medical book, showed it to


    Charles and said, "Father, take a look at this. This is the medical book I found in Harper''s study. It


    clearly records the poison called Nightmare, its symptoms and the way to test it. I have already done a


    test on Mother. She was indeed poisoned with Nightmare. Given the fact that it is a very gentle poison,


    whoever wants it to work has to add it into Mother''s food or drink every day. Father, please give your


    command. We''re going to catch this person."


    Taking the medical book, Charles went ahead and read it carefully. This sent a shiver down his spine.


    This book belonged to Harper, so she must have read it already. Had Harper ever doubted about Sue''s


    illness? If that were the case and she found out about Nightmare, would she begin to suspect that he


    had done the same thing to Kelly? No! No! That couldn''t be! Harper was still an infant when Kelly died.


    There was no way for her to know about it. Right now, all he had to do is make sure Hailey wouldn''t say


    a word to others about her suspicion and the contents of the book. If he managed to do that, everything


    would be just fine.


    "Well, your mother was not poisoned, dear. Poison, Nightmare, these are all just utter nonsense. You


    shouldn''t be reading this kind of book." Saying that, he proceeded to tear up the medical book to get rid


    of the evidence. Hailey''s eyes were wide open in disbelief as she watched this. Sue''s life was on the


    line and yet her father didn''t even care about it, not even a bit. What was worse, he simply tore up the


    book that could have helped them save her mother''s life.


    "Father, Mother was really poisoned. Please trust me on this..."


    "That''s enough. I don''t want to hear you talking about this anymore. The family physician had already


    said that your mother is just suffering from a bout of depression. She is still mad at me because I didn''t


    save your sister. It''s all my fault. When shees to her senses, she will make a full recovery. Stop


    overthinking things. You''d better think more about how you''re going to won the favor of the crown


    prince." Charles gave her a talking-to. After all, he knew better than anyone else whether Sue was


    really poisoned or not as well as the type of poison Sue had been given. If he hadn''t poisoned Sue


    himself, he would have probably believed Hailey''s words that Sue had been poisoned by Harper.


    "Then Father, please excuse me." Gritting her teeth in anger, Hailey took her leave. She had already


    made up her mind about catching the perpetrator red-handed, but no matter how hard she tried to


    protect Sue, Sue was still getting weaker day by day, which could only mean that Sue was still being


    given regr doses of the poison. If things continued going on like this, Sue was going to die very


    soon.


    All of this was making Hailey both anxious and angry. If Sue were to sumb to the poison, she would


    lose her status. After so many years of nning and calcting, Sue was still a mere concubine on the


    official records, which meant Hailey was only a concubine''s daughter. Sue had been trying very hard to


    persuade Harper into making Hailey Kelly''s daughter on the records, but Harper strongly disapproved


    of it. That was the reason why they wanted to get rid of Harper in the first ce. However, Harper


    managed to survive.


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "My Lady, what are we supposed to do next? I boiled the herbs myself. I had my eyes on it during the


    entire time and I was sure no one touched it, but it was still poisoned. What should we do? If it keeps


    going on like this, Lady Sue wouldn''tst very long." Abigail was getting so worked up. They still hadn''t


    caught the person who was poisoning Sue. On top of that, they didn''t even have any idea how that


    person did it. Now, Sue was spending more time sleeping than awake. Her condition was worsening at


    an rming rate.

 Chapter 113 Plans (Part Two)

    Chapter 113 ns (Part Two)


    After thinking long and hard, Hailey nced at Sue, who was still lying unconscious, and said through


    her gritted teeth, "I have no choice but to make a n for myself."


    "My Lady?"


    Giving Sue one final nce, Hailey had made up her mind. Sue was going to die if things went on like


    this. Hailey was still young and she had her whole life ahead of her. But now, all of that had a possibility


    of going down the drain. She had toe up with a n, and she had to do it quick. She had to find a


    way to get herself registered as the legal wife''s daughter on the official records. Otherwise, she would


    remain inferior to others all her life.


    Hailey went to meet Charles and told him that her future would be ruined if she were to remain as a


    concubine''s daughter on the official records.


    "Father, Mother is seriously ill, and on the official records her is still a concubine. I''m afraid that I will


    have no chance to be the crown prince''s wife as long as I''m a concubine''s daughter. For the future of


    the Chu n, I hope you can find a way to register me as Lady Kelly''s daughter on the official records."


    Hailey was straightforward. "I hope you can agree with that."


    Thinking about it for a while, Charles came to the sudden realization that Hailey was trying to make a


    bargain with him. She would stop pursuing the matter regarding Sue being poisoned, but in turn, she


    wanted to be registered as Kelly''s daughter. This condition sounded fair enough to him. "Alright," he


    nodded.


    "What if Grandma and Harper...?"


    "I''ll take care of them. Don''t worry, I will handle this."


    "Thank you, Father. I''ll be leaving now."


    In truth, Harper was aware of Hailey''s every move, but she had no intention of stopping her


    whatsoever. Anabel, on the other hand, couldn''t help feeling worried. "How could you be so calm, My


    Lady? Lady Hailey wanted to besmirch your name in front of your father. She actually imed that it


    was you who poisoned Lady Sue!"


    As she looked at the coat which was just about finished, Harper simply smiled and said, "Don''t worry.


    Father isn''t going to believe her. She can''t influence Father''s decision."


    "My Lady, aren''t you worried at all that Lady Hailey might do something to put you in a bad light?"


    "You don''t have to worry about that. Father knows the truth and I believe he won''t let her use me of


    something I didn''t do. If she is smart enough, she should realize that the best course of action to take is


    to simply let it go. She''s only going to make Father hate her if she tries to find out more about the truth


    of Sue being poisoned." Making a knot at the end of the thread, Harper put away the needle. With that,


    this coat was finally done, just in time before autumn arrived.


    "The coats for Lady Mavis and Prime Minister Charles are finally ready," Nina eximed. "Would you


    like to have the clothes sent over right now?"


    "I''m going to pay Grandma a visit first thing tomorrow morning. I''ll take the clothes with me," Harper


    said with a big smile on her face. Hailey was a crafty person. Now that she knew Charles wasn''t


    interested in investigating about Sue''s illness any further, she would definitely try to find another way


    out of this predicament she was in. To make the most of what was happening, she would ask Charles


    to have her registered as Kelly''s daughter, and he would have no other choice but to approve it to


    make sure Hailey would stop questioning Sue''s illness. Both of them would benefit from this


    arrangement. Harper definitely wouldn''t let something like that happen.


    The following morning, Harper brought the clothes over and visited Mavis, who seemed to have been


    overjoyed as she showered her with praise.


    "Harper, your needlework has improved."


    "Grandma, please try it on. If it doesn''t fit you, I''ll alter it right away," Harper urged. With that, Mavis


    humored her and put it on.


    "It''s a perfect fit. Take a look at the stitches. Beautiful! It''s in to see that Harper put a lot of effort into


    making it," Annie couldn''t helpmenting. "Lady Harper really is so devoted to you, isn''t she?"


    "I also made a coat for Father. I''m nning to give it to him when hees home from work. I''m


    hoping that he will like it," Harper remarked, feeling a bit hesitant. "Grandma, would you mind checking


    it for me? Maybe you can just tell me if Father will like it or not."


    "I know for a fact that your father is going to like it. After all, it is his daughter''s work," Mavis said. "You


    made it especially for him. I''m sure he knows that you love him."


    "Hearing you say that made me feel a bit relieved." Harper was finally able to heave a heavy sigh of


    relief. For these past couple of days, she had been the one handling the family''s domestic affairs.


    Everything was going well, the rewards and punishments had been well executed and the servants


    didn''t have much time to ck off. This made Mavis very satisfied. After asking Harper something


    about the way she managed things, she ultimately decided to just let her take care of everything on her


    own.


    "Lady Mavis, Prime Minister Charles and Lady Hailey are here."


    "Oh, they came here together. Let them in," she instructed, wearing a smile on her face.


    "Good day, Mother," Charles greeted her uponing in.


    "Good day, Grandma," Hailey greeted her as well.


    "Both of you,e over here and have a seat," Mavis said with a smile on her face as she invited


    Charles to sit right next to her. "Harper has made a coat just for you. However, she''s a bit worried that it


    wouldn''t be to your liking, so she''s asking for my opinion. Put it on. Let me see if it looks good on you."


    When Charles saw the expectant look on Harper''s face, he thought of what he was going to sayter,


    so he didn''t refuse and simply tried it on. "I actually think it looks great on me. I like it."


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    "I''m d you liked it, Father," Harper said as a smile crept onto her face.


    At this moment, both Harper and Mavis seemed to be quite pleased. For that reason, Charles decided


    this would be the best time to say it. "Mother, I want to register Hailey as Kelly''s daughter."

 Chapter 114 Haileys Plan (Part One)

    Chapter 114 Hailey''s n (Part One)


    "No, I refuse!" No one had expected Harper to be the first one to refuse outright as soon as Charles


    finished his words. As per themon perception of Harper, she was a nice person who would agree


    on almost everything. One thing that Charles had already forgotten was how sensitive Harper was


    when it came to her biological mother.


    In an instant, there was a displeased look on Charles'' face. "Harper, behave yourself. Think twice


    before you speak!"


    "No way. I will not allow this," Harper said stubbornly. She turned her head away to avoid looking at


    Charles.


    "Harper, why are you refusing it so strongly? Now that you''re taking charge of everything in the


    mansion, you already own everything. I only want to be registered as the daughter of your mother. Are


    you so narrow-minded to refuse even such a small favor?" Hailey said in an aggrieved voice. Her eyes


    turned red as if Harper had bullied her.


    Harper pouted, threw herself into the arms of Mavis, and started crying. "Grandma, look at how Father


    and Hailey are bullying me. There is almost nothing left in my life. My fiance was stolen. I was expelled


    from the Imperial Academy of Medicine. The only thing I am left with is my identity as the daughter of


    my mother. But Hailey wants me to give this identity to her as well. Grandma, how could they do this to


    me? Hailey even alleges me of bullying her. The truth is that it is the other way round. It is Hailey who


    has been bullying me. She is simply taking advantage of Father''s favoritism towards her!"


    "Harper, what nonsense are you talking about?" Charles rebuked back. However, at the same time, he


    found himself unable to refute what Harper said. What wrong did Harper say? She was supposed to


    marry into Prince Kevin''s mansion. Butter, Hansen called off their engagement because of Felicia.


    Even her job as a physician in the Imperial Academy of Medicine was taken away by Hailey. Now,


    Hailey even wanted to be registered as Kelly''s daughter.


    "Harper is absolutely right," Mavis said as she patted Harper''s back tofort her. "I won''t agree to


    this, either."


    "Grandma, I didn''t intend to steal anything from Harper at all. The reason why I made such a proposal


    is that I often work outside and my status is just too low. In this regard, I think that being Lady Kelly''s


    daughter would be a little helpful. I never mean to steal Harper''s identity. Harper will still be Lady Kelly''s


    daughter. That will not make any difference to her!" Hailey worded her side of the story very tactfully.


    Mavis'' words made her worried. She knew that Mavis had a lot of power. If she could not convince


    Mavis, her request would not be met.


    Harper, on the other hand, did not retaliate to Hailey''s words. She just buried her head in Mavis'' arms,


    crying sadly. Harper knew that Mavis would not let her put up with it. She should be superior to Charles''


    children as she was his wife''s only daughter. She was supposed to marry Hansen, and used to be the


    only female imperial physician. But now, she had lost everything except the identity as the only


    daughter of Charles'' wife. But now Hailey even wanted to steal away this identity from her!


    "Hailey is right, Mother. She has made this proposal, keeping in mind the betterment of our Chu n. If


    Hailey is registered as Kelly''s daughter, then she could find a good husband and bring more benefits to


    our n. People wouldugh at her when she''s only a concubine''s daughter!" Charles coaxed.


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    "Grandma, I swear I didn''t mean to steal anything from Harper. I am grateful to Father for being kind


    enough to let me work as a physician. I didn''t steal Harper''s position. I knew that Harper has been


    angry with me because I took her ce at the Imperial Academy of Medicine, but I had no choice. I


    can''t just disobey His Majesty''s orders!" Hailey sobbed in a sad tone. She then turned to Harper.


    "Harper, I''m sorry but I can''t just quit my job. I can''t decide it for myself unless I am asked to quit by His


    Majesty. If you are unhappy with that, you can beat me or scold me as much as you want. I will not stop


    you."


    Mavis did not speak. She remained thoughtful with a stern frown set on her brows for a long time. The


    atmosphere inside the room remained tense. There was absolute silence in the room except for


    Harper''s sobbing. Charles started feeling uneasy with every passing moment. When he was about to


    say something, Mavis finally opened her mouth and said, "Well, what you want is not all that


    impossible."


    Hailey almost jumped with joy at once. Her eyes lit up. "Thank you, Grandma."


    "But I have a request," Mavis continued in a calm voice, still holding Harper in her arms. "I want you to


    write a letter to His Majesty to rmend Harper to be recruited once again as a physician at the


    Imperial Academy of Medicine. She has incredible medical skills. Everyone knows that. If you agree to


    help her, I will allow you to be registered as Kelly''s daughter."


    "What?" It had been so difficult for Hailey to kick Harper out of the Imperial Academy of Medicine. The


    last thing she wanted was to help Harper go back there once again. Hailey always felt insecure about


    being overshadowed by Harper''s poprity in the Imperial Academy of Medicine. She was aware that


    Harper was more capable than her. Although Harper was not a very sophisticated person, her medical


    skills were beyond any question. Many people in the Imperial Academy of Medicine held her with high


    regard. If Harper happened to get back to the Imperial Academy of Medicine, the entire hard work put


    in by Hailey to get a stronghold in the Imperial Academy of Medicine would be in vain.


    "What? You don''t agree to do even such a small favor?" Mavis asked as she red angrily at Hailey.


    "No, Grandma, that''s not the case. It''s just that I am staying at home to take care of my mother for the


    time being. Besides, what happened to Felicia is still a hot topic of gossip for the people. In this kind of


    situation, if I send the rmendation letter to His Majesty, he will be reminded of what happened


    between our n and Prince Kevin''s mansion, which would only end up making him more upset. Don''t


    you think it may cause greater trouble for us?" Hailey applied her presence of mind and refused Mavis''


    request euphemistically. She would rather give up her life than introduce Harper to the Imperial


    Academy of Medicine! Never!


    "Well, now that you don''t want to do this, just forget getting registered as Kelly''s daughter," Mavis said


    in a stern tone and turned her face. It was the end of the discussion from her side. She had made her


    point straight and clear. If Charles wanted to have Hailey registered as Kelly''s daughter, then Hailey


    must help Harper get into the Imperial Academy of Medicine. Otherwise, she would never allow it.

 Chapter 115 Haileys Plan (Part Two)

    Chapter 115 Hailey''s n (Part Two)


    Hailey grew anxious to see Mavis'' stubbornness. She then looked at Charles helplessly. Even he


    looked embarrassed at that moment. Hailey only hoped that he would help her to convince Mavis. He


    said to Mavis, "Mother, I think we can talk about helping Harper return to the Imperial Academy of


    Medicer. Thest few days have been very eventful. So we''d better keep a low key for the time


    being."


    "Then, let''s talk about Hailey''s request alsoter," Mavis said in a determined tone. "We can discuss it


    when you decide to deal with Harper''s matter."


    "Mother, what is the harm in recording Hailey as Kelly''s daughter? Harper will still be Kelly''s daughter


    too. It''s a good thing for us. I mentioned this to you even at the time when Harper was still a little kid.


    But you had refused it at that time. Now that they''ve already grown up, I think we should take a call on


    this. If Hailey continues to be considered as a concubine''s daughter, it''s not good for our reputation,"


    Charles continued. He did not give up and kept making efforts to convince Mavis. "I promise that I will


    be good to Harper no matter what."


    Mavis, however, merely turned her head away, paying no attention to Charles. She knew him better


    than anyone else. She was very well aware of the fact that Harper had been living a hard life in the Chu


    n mansion all these years. In the past, Harper used to be very naughty and unreasonable. So Mavis


    did not like her that much. But now, Harper had changed. She had grown up to be a mature and


    considerable girl. And Mavis felt that it was her duty to protect her at any cost.


    "Harper!" Charles called out to Harper in a stern voice. Failing to persuade Mavis, he turned to Harper,


    intending to threaten her to agree. But Harper still kept her head buried in Mavis'' arms. She did not


    even lift her head. He continued, "You''re old enough to make your own decisions. I hope that you can


    consider it carefully. As thedy of our mansion, you should be more considerate towards others."


    "She should be more considerate to others?" Mavis scorned at Charles. She let out a crooked smile.


    "You should say this to Hailey. As the elder sister, she should be the one who should be more


    considerate to her younger sister. I didn''t want to make things difficult for her. As long as she


    rmends Harper to regain her post as a physician, I will agree to have her recorded as Kelly''s


    daughter. Otherwise, no way!"


    "Mother, I will try my best to help Harper to return to the Imperial Academy of Medicine. Hailey is just a


    physician. I don''t think she is capable of convincing His Majesty. As long as you agree on it, I will try my


    best to help Harper regain her job as a physician!" Charles was far from resting herurels. He kept


    trying to convince Mavis.


    But Mavis did not fall into his trap. She remained unmoved. She was very well aware of Charles''


    credibility. She wouldn''t agree on it unless Harper sessfully returned to work in the Imperial


    Academy of Medicine.


    Charles was getting increasingly impatient with Mavis'' stubbornness. Ultimately, he left with Hailey at


    once. Seeing them leave, Mavis sighed and said, "Don''t worry, Harper. I won''t agree to their demand."


    "Grandma, I feel sorry for putting you in a dilemma," Harper said with red eyes. "I could allow Yvonne to


    be recorded as my mother''s daughter. But I can''t bear it if any of Lady Sue''s children is recorded as my


    mother''s child."


    "But my dear, can you tell me the reason?" Mavis was a little confused to hear Harper''s words.


    "Because my mother was dead because of Lady Sue. If Lady Sue hadn''t got pregnant before marriage,


    my mother would not have gone into depression and fallen ill, which eventually caused her death.


    Although I know Hailey is my sister, I just can''t bear to see her bing my mother''s daughter!"


    Harper replied in a somber tone. "Besides, Hailey and Howard were born before me. They ruined the


    reputation of the Chu n as well as that of my father! This is something I can''t tolerate as well."


    Mavis was left dumbfounded when she heard Harper''s words. She froze for a few moments. Then she


    pulled herself out of her thoughts and stroked Harper on her head, gently saying, "I got it. You can go


    back now. I will protect you. If you don''t agree, I will never allow them to have their way this time."


    "Thank you, Grandma. I''ll be leaving now. Goodbye."


    Even after Harper left, Mavis remained thoughtful. There was a hint of confusion in her eyes. "Annie,"


    she called out.


    "Yes, here I am. What can I do for you, My Lady?"


    "Do you remember when Sue gave birth to her children after she married into our mansion?" Mavis


    asked. She remembered that it was said that Sue delivered beforepleting her full-term pregnancy.


    Yet the kids never looked like premature babies.


    "Lady Sue delivered seven monthster, My Lady. Her children were born one month before Lady


    Harper was born," Annie answered firmly after she thought for a while. "At that time, everyone said that


    Lady Sue gave birth to premature babies. However, on the contrary, they seemed to be stronger than


    Lady Harper, who was born at full-term."


    "Harper just mentioned that Sue got pregnant before she married into our family..." Mavis frowned


    slightly. Deep inside her mind, apletely different concern was shaping up. She was now worried


    that if what Harper said was true, then were Hailey and Howard Charles'' own children? What if they


    were not?


    The moment this thought came to Mavis'' mind, she started to feel restless. She recalled that before


    Daniel, her youngest son, went missing, he had asked her to take good care of Harper. Slowly, as


    Mavis started thinking about the terrible things Sue had done in all these years, she became more and


    more suspicious.


    "No, Annie, I think something is weird. Go and check it carefully. I want to know everything in detail


    about Sue," Mavis ordered calmly. "Don''t let anyonee to know that I''m investigating it before things


    are clear."


    "Yes, My Lady."


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    As Annie got involved in investigating what had happened in the past, Harper remained busy with her


    n. Now that she had sessfully nted the seed of suspicion in Mavis'' mind, Mavis would be


    more alert now. That way, Charles and Hailey would not be able to carry out their n so easily. Harper


    now wanted to look for someone who could threaten Charles. Taking charge of the family affairs in the


    Chu n mansion was not enough at all. Harper needed a helper.

 Chapter 116 Sues Plan (Part One)

    Chapter 116 Sue''s n (Part One)


    Sue''s condition continued worsening with each passing day. It even came to a point where she could


    no longer take care of herself at all. Because of that, Charles hadpletely lost interest in her and


    had no ns to visit her whatsoever. As a matter of fact, he even ordered his servants to have Sue


    moved out of her ce and take her into a rtively remote house. But worst of all, there were only two


    maids taking care of her right now.


    In order to make sure that Hailey would stop looking into the fact that Sue had been poisoned, Charles


    forbade everyone from paying Sue a visit¡ªincluding Hailey, of course. The way things stood, it was


    rather apparent that he had totally given up on Sue already. Apart from that, Mavis steadily and


    persistently refused to register Hailey as Kelly''s daughter, leaving Hailey feeling extremely irritated and


    worried. If Sue sumbed to the poison, Hailey knew full well that her chances of being registered as


    Kelly''s daughter would be close to none. If it came to that, she would be caught up in an even worse


    situation.


    "My Lady, I just saw Lacy passing by," Tina reported to Harper as soon as she entered the room. "Lacy


    went to meet Prime Minister Charles earlier. It appears that Lady Sue''s condition has been improving


    lately and she wants to see him. But he refused to go and see her."


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    "She''s starting to feel better?" Harper asked, feeling a little surprised. After all, she was well aware of


    how the Nightmare worked. Once a person had been poisoned by it, their body would gradually get


    weaker. Yet here Tina was, informing her that Sue was getting better. Could it be because Charles had


    stopped poisoning Sue that her body was starting to recover? Even Harper had no idea. Still, she


    thought she should pay her a visit to see for herself and find out what was really happening.


    The ce where Sue was currently staying in was so quiet and peaceful. With the guards at the


    entrance fast asleep, a ck figure managed to sneak into the house. Who would have thought


    someone woulde to visit this ce thiste in the evening?


    "Lacy, does he still not want toe here to see me?" Sue asked, her voice sounding so weak. Due to


    the poison, she had lost a lot of weight. To make matters worse, she barely ate anything because she


    had no appetite. Right now, she was almost just skin and bones, making her look a bit terrifying.


    Hearing this, Lacy simply shook her head and replied, "I didn''t even get to see him, My Lady. He made


    it obvious that he did not want to see me at all. So, I failed to deliver your message to him. Please


    forgive me for being so useless, My Lady."


    Sue''s face instantly turned blue with anger. As she gasped for air, she said, "He has really turned into


    such a ruthless person. As if it wasn''t bad enough that he left me here despite knowing that I was sick,


    now he even refused toe and see me!"


    Just as she was saying that, the door was suddenly swung open. The two of them were startled by this.


    But when they realized who the person was, a glimmer of hope appeared in the Sue''s eyes.


    "Hailey, did youe here to see me?" Sue asked, unable to hide the excitement in her voice.


    "Mother, I''m sorry. Father wouldn''t let anyone to visit you. I just sneaked in when the guards at the door


    fell asleep," Hailey exined while taking off her cloak and taking a seat by the bedside. "Mother, what


    are we going to do? It feels like Father has already given up on us and he couldn''t care less anymore


    whether you live or die. Mother, what are we supposed to do?"


    "That''s impossible! Your father is not a heartless man! I don''t believe it!" Sue eximed in utter


    disbelief. Up until now, Sue never really believed that her husband would be so ruthless. However, after


    everything that happened recently, she started to realize that Charles was a more ruthless person than


    she originally thought.


    "Mother, you can''t be so naive. Do you have any idea why you''ve been sick all this time? Do you know


    why you have been getting weaker and weaker?" Hailey anxiously said, not having the heart to see her


    mother be so blind. "It''s all because you''ve been poisoned. To be honest, I was suspecting Harper at


    first, so I told Father about it right away. But when I did that, Father simply scolded me. Mother, it was


    Father who has been poisoning you. In Father''s eyes, you have been reduced to a useless stone. He


    wants to get rid of you!"


    "No! That''s impossible! It isn''t true!" Sue yelled out, having a hard time epting the truth.


    "Mother, please pull yourself together. Haven''t you already realized what kind of person Father really is


    after living with him for all these years? The poison you have in your body is called Nightmare. Any


    person who has been poisoned by it will grow weaker as time passes by and will eventually die without


    showing any real symptoms. If my memory serves me right, there is someone else who also died of


    unexinable weakness in this mansion!" Hailey exined everything in detail. Seeing her mother


    unwilling to ept the truth, she was so close to pping her in the face to wake her up. In Hailey''s


    eyes, Sue should know best just how ruthless Charles could be. That being said, Hailey''s main


    purpose for paying her a visit was to ask Sue to help her look for a way to make herself be registered


    as Kelly''s daughter. If it weren''t for that, she wouldn''t have bothereding here at all.


    "Kelly!" Sue blurted out, furiously gritting her teeth. It was only then that she finally remembered a


    person she had almostpletely forgotten about. That was Charles'' legal wife, Kelly. More than


    anyone else, Sue knew full well just how Kelly died. Be that as it might, she never could have imagined


    that she would one day end up in the same situation. "No! I can''t ept this!"


    "Mother, I can''te to terms with this either. Right now, our top priority should be to change Father''s


    current attitude toward us. Otherwise, there will be no ce for us in this mansion anymore." Hailey


    deliberately described the situation in a way that was much worse than what it really was. "Mother, I no


    longer hold any power in this mansion. Right now, Harper is taking care of the family affairs, and


    Grandma just keeps on trying to protect her all the time. I can feel that Father doesn''t like us anymore.


    If things go on like this, I''m afraid that it won''t be long before we''re kicked out of the mansion."


    "No, no, I won''t let us be thrown out. Harper is much too young to be taking over the whole mansion!"


    Sue angrily remarked before coughing up a little. "Hailey, don''t worry about me. When you get back, try


    to find a way to tell your father that I''m gravely ill and worried that no one is around to take care of him.


    Tell him that I want to take some concubines for him before I die."


    When she heard Sue''s words, Hailey''s eyes lit up. Sue must havee up with a n already.


    Nodding her head in agreement, Hailey then said, "Well then, Mother, have a good night''s rest. Rest


    assured, I will definitely ask someone to tell Father. My only wish is that Father wouldn''t be too


    heartless for the sake of the rtionship the two of you shared over the years."


    "You should head back now. I know him like the back of my hand. As long as he gets my message, he


    will surelye to see me," Sue bitterly said. Never would she have expected that the day woulde


    where she would be forced to take more concubines for her husband. Was this what they called


    karma?

 Chapter 117 Sues Plan (Part Two)

    Chapter 117 Sue''s n (Part Two)


    Hailey couldn''t help but feel worried that if she went to talk to Charles directly, she would only expose


    the fact that she had secretly paid her mother a visit, something which Charles had forbidden her from


    doing. With that in mind, she thought that it would be better if Lacy went there instead of her, so she


    asked her to see her father instead.


    Without dy, Lacy told Charles about Sue''s message. Upon hearing it, Charles didn''t say anything for


    a while. The reason why he hadpletely lost interest in Sue wasn''t just because she had been


    bringing him a lot of trouble. It was also because she was so jealous that she would definitely be


    against him taking more concubines. What saddened him most was the fact that he couldn''t get even


    one concubine in the mansion for many years all thanks to Sue.


    "Did she really say such a thing?" Charles asked, feeling a bit skeptical. It was hardly surprising that he


    couldn''t believe it. After all, he knew just how jealous Sue was.


    "Yes, My Lord. Lady Sue knows she''s going to die soon, so she is worried about you. She wants to


    take some concubines for you so that they can take care of you," Lacy quickly said. "My Lord, please


    go and see her. She really misses you very much."


    After hesitating for a bit, Charles finally said, "Okay, I got it. I''lle over to visit herter."


    "Thank you so much, My Lord. For sure, she will be very happy once she hears that. I will tell her right


    away to wait for you." Lacy walked away, feeling so contented. Despite thinking that it could very well


    just be Sue''s scheme, Charles was hoping deep inside that Sue really was that kind. He was wishing


    that Sue would be bringing him such an unexpected surprise.


    Sue instructed her maids to look for some prospects to be Charles'' concubines. Every single one of


    them was quite beautiful and possessed such a soft disposition, which could easily arouse men''s


    desire to take care of them. However, none of them were of high status. Even if they were to enter the


    Chu n mansion, Sue was certain that they wouldn''t pose a threat to her position. On the contrary,


    she could even make use of them to deal with Charles.


    "My Lady, Prime Minister Charles hase."


    "Let him in," Sue instructed straight away. Since it had been a while since theyst saw each other,


    Sue wanted to dress up so that she wouldn''t look so haggard. However, she couldn''t hide her shriveled


    figure.


    A tinge of hatred shed across Sue''s eyes when she saw Charles walking in, still looking so fresh and


    energetic. She had been poisoned by him and left here to die. No one really cared about her condition


    at all. On the other hand, Charles remained unfazed. He was still enjoying a healthy and happy life.


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Charles, you finally came," Sue greeted him as a gentle and expectant smile appeared on her face. "I


    was thinking I would never be able to see you ever again."


    When he looked at Sue, who had gotten so thin and weak, Charles was a little surprised as well. He


    had not expected that Sue would be so thin. "You... You''ve lost a lot of weight," he softly said.


    "I''ve been lying in bed for quite a while now since I got sick, so I became a little thin," Sue replied while


    helping Charles sit down. After that, she also took a seat right beside him. Doing these simple things


    had already left her feeling so exhausted.


    "You are still not in good health, so you should take good care of yourself and get some much needed


    rest. Don''t go exerting yourself too much. Harper is already taking care of family affairs. Don''t worry,


    she is actually doing so well. And although Hailey has been affected by Felicia''s case, she is going to


    be back to the Imperial Pce soon enough. So, you don''t need to keep overworking yourself. Right


    now, you really need to get some rest," Charles said in an attempt tofort Sue. However, his words


    only seemed to have made Sue feel even more restless.


    "How can I possibly feel at ease?" Sue cried out as she held Charles'' hand. "It''s not the family affairs in


    the mansion I''m worried about. I''m worried that no one is around to take care of you after I''m gone. You


    haven''t taken any concubines for many years now. So, I think this would be a good time to look for


    some women for you. By doing that, more people would be around to look after you. And most


    importantly, it can help you get more children. I think this is a great idea, if I may say so myself. That


    way, even if I die, I will be able to go peacefully knowing that you''re going to be just fine."


    "Stop spouting nonsense. You are still young. Stop talking about death, will you? You are just sick.


    That''s all. Once you finally get back to health, I''m sure you will be just fine," Charles said, sounding a


    bit worried. "As for concubines..."


    "Charles, I have already asked my maid to find some proper women. These are their portraits. Feel


    free to take a look at them first," Sue told him while handing the portraits she had prepared over to


    Charles. "You can pick anyone you like. And it doesn''t have to be just one. A lot of bad things have


    happened in our mansion recently. Who knows? Maybe taking some concubines will bring us good


    luck."


    After taking the portraits she was holding and randomly checking them out, Charles found all of them


    quite beautiful, making him feel quite pleased. As he looked back on his marriage to Sue, he ultimately


    decided to spare Sue''s life. He longer wanted to continue poisoning her, and would now let her live


    longer. In truth, the antidote for the Nightmare was non-existent. Meaning to say, even if Charles


    stopped poisoning her, she would be able to live a little longer, and she would still die eventually.


    "You are such a considerate woman," Charles said, giving praise to Sue. "Well, then..."


    "If you don''t mind, I''ll just take care of this matter for you," Sue suggested in a gentle tone. "I


    understand that Harper has been handling the household affairs, but she is still not married yet, so it


    wouldn''t be appropriate for her to handle this matter. Hailey wouldn''t be able to deal with it either. And


    as for Mother, she''s already too old to be dealing with something so troublesome. I may be a bit weak,


    but I think I can manage doing at least this much. I want to be of some use to you."


    "Don''t worry about it. You should take care of yourself first. It isn''t something urgent anyway. Let me


    discuss this with Mother first," Charles said, wearing a soft expression on his face. "Please take good


    care of yourself. I can''t live without you."


    "Please rest assured, Charles. I will take good care of myself," Sue politely replied. Hearing Charles''


    words, she felt a sense of relief deep inside. From the looks of it, what he said implied that he was


    interested in her suggestion of taking more concubines. If she wanted to deal with this matter, then she


    would have a way to escape from this isted house. Then, she would finally be able to get even with


    Harper!

 Chapter 118 Match Making (Part One)

    Chapter 118 Match Making (Part One)


    "What did you just say?" Harper asked in surprise. What she had just heard was unbelievable.


    "Sue is nning to help Charles take some concubines," Serena whispered in Harper''s ear. "Last night,


    Charles slept in my ce and he told this to me personally. And he has already agreed."


    "Why are you telling me this, Lady Serena?"


    "Because you''re the only one in this mansion who has the ability as well as the intention to stop it,"


    Serena answered. "Harper, if we let Sue out again, she will be a big threat to you."


    "What do you want out of this?" Harper asked in a soft yet determined voice. Serena must have some


    vested interest in this. After all, she was not a saint. And even a saint could not be without any desire.


    Serena''s expression changed subtly after she heard Harper''s words. But soon, she broke into a smile


    as she said in a suppressed voice, "I want the Chu n destroyed!"


    "No way!" Harper refuted. "As long as I''m alive, no one can ever dare to destroy the Chu n. Do you


    intend to kill me as well?"


    "No, Harper. I know that you won''t do that. The only person who genuinely loves you in this entire Chu


    n mansion is Lady Mavis. The only reason behind you refraining from destroying this ce is just


    because she is still alive. Once she passes away, you won''t spare Chu n either," Serena said in an


    affirmative tone. "Harper, you are not an ordinary person. You know it very well that you will leave the


    Chu n sooner orter. But I can''t. I have spent my whole life here. I want to see the Chu n


    destroyed in front of my own eyes, buried with my poor child."


    "Do as you like. Thank you for sharing this precious little information with me." Harper left without


    looking back. Sue was contriving toe out once again. She was daydreaming for sure. Since Harper


    had already cornered Sue to a dead end, she had to make sure that Sue could note out ever


    again. Otherwise, it would be next to impossible to bring her to death again.


    Charles only had a son, which kept him hassled most of the time. Even Mavis remained worried


    because of this. Hence, when she heard that he wanted to take concubines, she agreed without


    hesitation. With a series of unpleasant events that had been taking ce in the Chu n mansion of


    late, this would at least give them some moments of happiness.


    "My Lady, My Lord, Lady Harper is here," Annie came in and reported.


    "Ask her toe in," Mavis said. "Even though it is about Charles taking concubines, Harper should be


    informed. After all, she is in charge of the household affairs and a lot of things have to be handled by


    her."


    "Okay."


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Good day, Grandma and Father." Harper entered and paid regards to her grandma and father.


    "Harper, we have something to tell you." There was acent smile on Mavis'' face as she gestured


    for Harper to sit down. "It''s been a long time since we had some happy event at the Chu n. I want to


    choose a few concubines for your father. And I want you to take care of some of the affairs."


    "But Grandma, I''m still unmarried. How can I handle something like this? It does not sound


    appropriate." "That''s true. How about letting Suee out and handle the matters?" Charles


    suggested.


    "Father wants to take concubines?" Harper asked, looking astonished. "So many years have gone by


    since Mother passed away. Why don''t you marry a new wife instead, Father? I think you should give it


    a thought, particrly, given your social status. Instead of having more concubines, it will be better if


    you have a legal wife who can give birth to more children."


    Mavis and Charles were surprised to hear Harper''s words. What she said made sense and they had


    not even thought of it before she mentioned it. They subconsciously thought Sue was the hostess of


    the mansion, but they had forgotten that Sue was a concubine herself. Even though she had always


    been regarded as his wife, she was always a concubine on the official documents. It was thew of this


    dynasty to protect the identity of the legitimate wife and her offspring, and to prevent the favored


    concubines from harming the legitimate wife.


    "Harper, I''m not young anymore. Which noble family would marry their daughter to me as the second


    wife?" Charles shook his head. "I''d better just take some concubines."


    "Father, you are young and handsome. Besides, you are the prime minister. There must be many


    women in the imperial capital who would want to marry you. If you marry ady from a noble family,


    then Hailey and Howard can be registered as your new wife''s children. This way, people won''t regard


    them as a concubine''s children anymore." Harper voiced her opinion with a smile. She was aware that


    Charles was a heartless person from how he contrived to poison Sue. She knew it for sure that he had


    no feelings for Sue at all.


    "What you said sounds reasonable, but which family in the imperial capital has a daughter suitable for


    Charles?" Mavis asked thoughtfully. She hoped that since Harper had made the suggestion, she must


    have someone in her mind.


    "Grandma, Father, do you know Princess Nicole?" Harper asked maintaining the smile on her face.


    Mavis frowned as she looked into Harper''s eyes and asked, "You mean Prince Allen''s cousin, Princess


    Nicole?"


    "Yes. Although Princess Nicole is 28 years old, she has an outstanding appearance and a noble social


    status. She is Prince Allen''s cousin. Everyone in imperial capital knows that Prince Allen adores her


    very much. Her only shoring is her limp leg. She hobbles while walking. That''s why she hasn''t got


    married yet. His Majesty and Prince Allen are both worried about her marriage," Harper exined.


    "Princess Nicole has very high social status. I don''t think she will marry me." Charles got excited at first,


    but at the same time, he could not help being worried about being rejected by Nicole. After all, she was


    ady with a noble identity. Many people wanted to marry her, and probably she had been rejecting


    them thinking that they were beneath her.


    "Charles is right, Harper. Princess Nicole is a prouddy. She may not be willing to be the second


    wife of your father," Mavis said with her face turning bleak. Despite being disabled, it was not enough to


    make a princess marry a person of lower social status.


    "Grandma, in the past, the people who proposed to the princess were either of low social status or


    mediocre talent. But my father is the prime minister. He is both handsome and talented. I am sure that


    Princess Nicole must be willing to marry him. If you and Father don''t believe me, I can go to her and


    sound her out. If I find that she is willing to marry Father, then Father can go to His Majesty and ask for


    his consent. It would be an extreme honor for her to marry someone His Majesty has appointed. She


    wouldn''t feel disgraced at all. Father, what do you think?"

 Chapter 119 Match Making (Part Two)

    Chapter 119 Match Making (Part Two)


    Although Harper put up a question, she knew her father was almost convinced of what she said. He


    always wanted a son with noble status. The noble identity of Nicole would also be helpful if he wanted


    to pursue a better future for his children. They would be known as the children of Nicoleter, which


    was superb. Moreover, with the support of Allen, the rise in his own career would be meteoric. So, of


    course, Charles would agree with this suggestion.


    "How do you n to sound her out?" Charles asked sounding excited.


    "I have my own ways, Father. If you believe in me, just leave it to me. If Princess Nicole agrees,


    Grandma, you will have to handle the wedding personally. After all, Princess Nicole is a very noble


    person. She needs special attention and honor that only you can give her." Harper tried to convince


    Mavis with a pleading face.


    Mavis nodded her head and said with a smile, "If Princess Nicole agrees to marry your father, I will take


    charge of the wedding personally. So you go and sound her out first."


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Don''t worry Grandma, I''llplete the mission sessfully." Harper gave her words in a determined


    tone. She smiled in her mind thinking that Charles'' marriage with the princess will close every single


    path for Sue turning the tables. And as far as Hailey was concerned, it looked like she would have to


    make a new appeal to be registered as the child of their stepmother, and that too only if their


    stepmother agreed to take her as her daughter. The very next step for Harper was to find someone


    who could help her.


    Harper dressed up as a man and took Elsie out. When they were wandering about the street, they were


    stopped by a man.


    "Hey, Harrell, where have you been ofte?" The young man approached them and put his arm around


    Harper''s neck "I haven''t seen you around for a long time. I''ve searched every corner of the imperial


    capital for you. Now I am d to have found you finally. Let''s have dinner together."


    "Hi, Carlson! It''s been a long time since west met," Harper said. It was Carlson that she was looking


    for. She felt exhrated to find him within just a few steps from the Chu n mansion.


    "Harrell, you told me that you wanted to run a store," Carlson said looking puzzled. "Why haven''t you


    done anything about it as yet?"


    "The most profitable business these days is casinos and brothels. But as you know, setting up a casino


    or a brothel in the imperial capital is not easy," Harper replied with a smile. She had initially nned to


    open a shop and sell the products she had developed. But she had started working with the masked


    man. She just used this excuse to fool Carlson.


    The mere mention of casinos and brothels immediately discouraged Carlson. "My father doesn''t allow


    me to go to these ces. If he knew that I run a casino or brothel, he would ask someone to destroy


    the ce."


    "So I have to give up the idea. I will definitely ask you for help when I think of a good project." Harper


    rolled her head to free her neck out from his arm. She was half a head shorter than Carlson. It was


    really awful to have his arm around her neck.


    Even Carlson could feel that having his arm around Harper''s neck made her ufortable. "Harrell,


    where is your home? I would like to visit you when I have time."


    Harper touched her nose to cover her indecisiveness. She found it difficult to imagine the reaction of


    people in the Chu n if Carlson, Prince Allen''s favored son, ended up visiting the Chu n mansion.


    What would they think? It wouldn''t be surprising enough if they packed her off to Prince Allen''s


    mansion as a gift.


    "I hope you don''t mind Carlson. But my father is very strict with me. I''m always forbidden to go out.


    Even today, I sneaked out. If youe to see me, my family wille to know that I always sneak out.


    He may break my legs," Harper said looking scared.


    Carlson did not want to make trouble for her, so they found a restaurant nearby and sat down. "I can


    understand. It''s really hard for you, just like my elder brother. He shoulders the responsibility of the


    entire family. He never smiles or says anything funny all day long. Ah, I really don''t know why he has to


    live such a boring life."


    Harper paused for a while and said, "You have a very loving and protective father and brother. I must


    say, you are very lucky."


    "Now you are sounding jealous. Aren''t your father and siblings good to you?" Carlson asked, poking


    her with his elbow.


    Harper just let out a faint smile. She tried to contain the bitterness in her heart thinking that she never


    expected them to be nice to her. She just hoped that they wouldn''t hurt her. But even this small wish


    seemed to be too much to expect from them.


    "Carlson, can I ask you for a favor?" With the mention of her family, Harper was reminded of the real


    purpose that had made her step out of the Chu n in the first ce.


    "Just tell me. As long as it is within my means, I will definitely help you," Carlson said without hesitation.


    "Tell me. What do you need me to do for you?"


    "I want to inquire about a person."


    "Who is it? Tell me. There is nobody in imperial capital that I can''t get in touch with." Carlson vouched


    for himself patting on his chest.


    "Of course. I am sure, you must know this person."


    "Oh, who is it?" Carlson asked as his curiosity surged.


    "You know her very well. She is your aunt, Princess Nicole." Harper raised her brows and smiled. "I


    want to y a matchmaker for her."

 Chapter 120 Seeing Through Her (Part One)

    Chapter 120 Seeing Through Her (Part One)


    Carlson was so surprised that his jaw dropped. For a while, he took dumbstruck, full of astonishment.


    Words failed him and he stammered, "What? Am I hearing things?"


    "I want to y a matchmaker for your aunt, Princess Nicole," Harper repeated as she flung her arm


    around Carlson''s neck. "I have a friend whose father has lost his wife years ago. I think her father has a


    good family background and is a talented man. My friend is looking for a good wife for her father. When


    she mentioned this, I realized Princess Nicole is an ideal candidate. Do you think it''s workable?"


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Carlson swallowed his saliva, recalling what happened to thest man who proposed to his aunt. His


    aunt had brutally beaten up the man and thrown him into the moat.


    "Harrell, I don''t think it''s a good idea. My aunt won''t agree. Thest man who proposed to marry her


    was beaten up and thrown into the moat. If you think he is a good man, then don''t give him a chance to


    be treated in this manner. Get this wild idea out of your head," Carlson replied as he shook his head


    vehemently. Although he was worried about his aunt''s marriage, he did not want Harrell to attempt


    something so dangerous. He was almost certain that Harrell''s friend''s father would eventually end up


    with the same miserable result.


    "Wait! You didn''t give me a chance toplete my words. In fact, I haven''t even revealed who the man


    is, yet you just refused me! Maybe your aunt will be willing to marry him!" Harper said, full of conviction.


    "Don''t you want your aunt to start a family as soon as possible?"


    "Of course I want my aunt to get married as soon as possible. But do you know my aunt''s situation? My


    aunt''s leg..."


    "I know there is a problem with her leg," Harper said as she patted Carlson''s shoulder. "We all know


    your aunt''s situation. But you don''t know the man''s condition. Once I tell you this, you can go back and


    check whether your aunt will agree or not. If it is a positive result, it would be wonderful. If it is a no,


    then never mind. We will still be friends."


    Carlson gave a serious thought to this and said, "Fine. Tell me about that person."


    Harper then continued, "Actually, you also know this man. He is Charles Chu. Even though he is ten


    years older than your aunt, he is upright and strong. And as you know, his wife has been dead for many


    years. One of his concubines is taking care of all the family affairs since he doesn''t have a wife to deal


    with them. And histe wife only gave birth to a daughter; if your aunt gives birth to a boy, he will be the


    only heir. Charles may seem a little bit cowardly, but he is excellent both in appearance and mind. So I


    think he will be a suitable match for your aunt. His only weakness is that he has married once. But that


    doesn''t matter much anyway because his original wife is dead."


    The instant Charles'' name was dropped, Carlson began to frown deeply. Charles did not carry a good


    reputation. To be honest, if possible, neither a upper-ss family nor a noble one would be willing to


    marry their daughter into the Chu n mansion. What happened to Prince Kevin''s family had proved


    that it was not a good idea to have any marriage connection with the Chu n.


    "The Chu n is not a good candidate," said Carlson.


    "Your aunt is not the best choice for a wife, either," Harper simply responded. "Frankly speaking,


    Carlson, I think this marriage is feasible."


    Carlson hesitated and said, "I am not the one to make the decision. I need to ask my aunt. She has a


    bad temper, and because of the innate defect, she bes more irritable. To be honest, the Chu n


    is not a good match, and if my aunt marries into that mansion, I''m afraid the Chu n will be faced with


    a worse situation."


    "Carlson, you don''t need to worry about it. All you need to do is go back and ask for your aunt''s


    opinion. If she agrees, I will ask my friend''s father to ask His Majesty to issue a marriage edict. What do


    you think?" asked Harper tentatively.


    "Harrell, with all due respect, may I know who your friend is exactly?" Carlson asked curiously.


    "It''s Hailey Chu." Without hesitation, Harper decided to take advantage of Hailey''s name. "You know, a


    fairdy is a gentleman''s desire."


    "You are lying! I know it''s not Hailey! Tell me the truth!" Carlson immediately held Harper''s neck. "You''re


    not being honest. Tell me, who is your friend? I won''t help you if you don''t tell me!"


    "Let me go! Let me go!" Harper choked as she patted Carlson''s arm to breathe in some air. "Fine, I


    admit it. It is Harper Chu!" Harper choked out the name.


    Carlson had thought about numerous conjectures, but he had not expected to hear the name of Harper.


    "What did you say? Did I hear it wrong?" Carlson asked, rubbing his ears as if he could not believe


    what he just heard.


    "I said it''s Harper. She is a friend of mine."


    Carlson stared at Harper from head to toe. He then said in a meaningful tone, "I didn''t know you like


    thepany of that kind of woman."


    "Which kind of woman?" asked Harper in utter confusion.


    "The kind who is arrogant, mean, and difficult to get along," Carlson blurted out at once.


    With a smile, Harper said, "Rumor has it that you are a man of unruly and tyrannical character. But in


    my opinion, it''s not true. The rumor is sometimes unreliable, especially when it is about someone from


    arge family."


    Carlson did not deny it. "Okay, for your sake, I will go back and check my aunt''s opinion. But it''s up to


    God whether she will ept it or not."


    "The only thing you need to do is ask her opinion. Tomorrow, at this same time, I will be waiting for you


    here to know her response," replied Harper, nning on ending their conversation.


    "But wait! Where on earth do you live?" Carlson asked curiously.


    The smile on Harper''s face was profound. She did not make any reply. Carlson pressed his lips and


    said, "Forget it. See you tomorrow. I''ll go back and ask my aunt. If she is willing to marry, I''ll tell you.


    But the chances are slim."


    Carlson had no idea why he decided to run away as soon as possible. It was Harrell who had kept his


    secret from him. However, a strange feeling was gnawing at Carlson today. He somehow felt ovee


    by guilt. He once again wondered how Harrell and Harper were friends. He couldn''te in terms with


    the fact that Harrell liked an arrogant and meandy like Harper.

 Chapter 121 Seeing Through Her (Part Two)

    Chapter 121 Seeing Through Her (Part Two)


    "Harper, Harrell, Harper, Harrell, Harper, Harrell, Harper..." As Carlson murmured the names, a thought


    urred in his mind. He suddenly stopped, turned around, and shook his head as if he had met a


    ghost. It was impossible! ''Harrell can''t be Harper!'' he told himself.


    With confusion filled his heart, he went to see his aunt, Nicole. He then told her that Charles had lost


    his wife many years ago and hadn''t been married since. He also told her that Charles wanted to marry


    her and asked whether Nicole would agree to it or not. Carlson, actually, never thought that his aunt


    would agree. But unexpectedly, Nicole nodded in agreement without putting out any fight.


    Everything that happened today was far beyond Carlson''s expectations. Right now, he became more


    suspicious of Harrell''s real identity. He was a powerful man in the imperial capital, but he had never


    climbed the wall in order to search for an unmarried woman''s house.


    Once a doubt entered his mind, it was beyond impossible for him to rx. He felt restless throughout


    the day. Finally, he made up his mind to verify the truth since only that would put his mind to rest.


    Minute by minute, his conviction that Harrell was actually Harper began to grow stronger. Therefore, he


    decided to pay a secret visit to the Chu n mansion and sneak into Harper''s house.


    "Who are you?" The moment he climbed over the wall, he was found by someone. He immediately


    raised his hands and said, "I''m not a bad guy. I have a message for yourdy!" Seeing the sword on his


    neck, Carlson wondered whether all the people around Harper were so terrible. He thought no one


    would find him if he went into Harper''s house. But unexpectedly, he was discovered as soon as he


    entered!


    Forsythia frowned at Carlson and said, "Your Highness!"


    Carlson was quite surprised. He obviously did not expect to be recognized by a servant girl. And from


    what he remembered, he was certain that Harper had never brought this girl with her. This meant that


    this maid must have seen him before.


    "What''s up, Forsythia?" asked Nina after she got out of the house. When she saw the man who was


    controlled by Forsythia, she covered her face as if she was afraid of being recognized by him.


    Harper, inside the house, was also puzzled to hear the chaos outside. So she came out to check what


    was going on. The moment she came out, Carlson stared at her as if he had seen a ghost. He


    stammered, "You... You... You are really Harper!" It was difficult for him to finish his sentence.


    Harper signaled to Forsythia to retreat before she invited Carlson inside the room. "Carlson, you came


    to see me so soon. If my memory serves me right, we have parted just a short while ago."


    "You cheat! You made an idiot out of me!" Carlson sat down casually, took the tea handed by Harper


    and drank it up. His ears were still a little red and Harper could tell he was offended.


    "You also know my situation in this mansion. So, of course, I have to disguise myself when I go out, or


    there would be a great uproar here." Harper filled the cup for Carlson again and then had some dessert


    delivered. "Are you here only because you identified me? Or can I expect some good news?"


    Carlson did not dare to look at Harper right in the eye. He merely nodded and said, "Yes. My aunt


    agrees so you can ask your father to send a marriage proposal."


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    "Merely sending a marriage proposal will not be good enough. I will pass this news to my father and he


    will ask His Majesty to issue a marriage edict. That would be better. Also, don''t worry about your aunt.


    Once shees to this mansion, we will take good care of her." Harper had a thin smile on her face.


    She was a beautiful woman, and besides, she spoke in a very calm and refined manner. Her behavior


    added more beauty to her. Now that Carlson had known her, he too was of the belief that rumors


    weren''t always urate.


    "When will you like the marriage to be held?" Carlson asked.


    "Not very soon. Now that your aunt has promised to marry into the Chu n mansion, I have to deal


    with something troublesome in the mansion. I''m in charge of the all the family affairs in the mansion.


    After your aunt is married into the mansion, she will be the one responsible for everything. But I am


    sure that you don''t want her to deal with many tricky things. So, I will fix everything well before the


    wedding ceremony so that some of the burdens will be off from her shoulder," Harper said. She pushed


    the dessert to Carlson, seeing he wasn''t eating. "What, Carlson? Why do you look so embarrassed?


    Harrell is your friend. Can''t Harper be your friend too?"


    What? You get me wrong. I just didn''t know how to get along with you. After all, you are a woman, not a


    man. I was thinking of how rudely I was in front of you. And I..." Carlson blushed before he could even


    finish his words.


    Harper stretched out her hand and said, "Carlson, it doesn''t matter if I am Harrell or Harper. The fact


    remains we are friends."


    Carlson looked at the hand which was held out by Harper. Her skin was fair and her fingers were


    slender. By ncing at her soft and beautiful hands, he realized Hansen had to be a blind mind to


    refuse this beautiful woman to be his wife. Carlson then held Harper''s hand and they shook hands.


    "Yes, we are friends," Carlson said firmly. "Please take care of my aunt after she gets married into the


    Chu n mansion."


    "Of course I will. She will be my family and it''s my duty to take good care of her," Harper said, hoping to


    elevate all the worries from Carlson''s mind. "My father will ask for His Majesty''s permission to marry


    her. Don''t worry. Your aunt will not get hurt."


    "I know. Thank you for this. I''m leaving now." Carlson pretended to be calm as he walked to climb down


    the wall. But only God knew that his heart was beating like a drum.


    "Or, you can leave through the front door," Harper suggested as she looked at Carlson who had started


    to climb down clumsily.


    Carlson turned around to look at Harper. "Maybe not today. Can I visit you through the front door in the


    future?" he asked.


    "Of course." Now that Harper had given an affirmative reply, Carlson finally felt relieved. He tried for the


    last time and climbed down the wall sessfully. After that, he leaned against the wall and pressed his


    chest to keep his heartbeat steady. He thought to himself, ''Harper, you are really different from the


    hearsay!''

 Chapter 182 Collusion (Part One)

    Chapter 182 Collusion (Part One)


    Zack''s proposal brought Harper nothing but disquiet. Her steps followed thest quickly one after


    another, and before she realized it, she had been going the wrong way. Harper was about to turn


    around when someone blocked her way.


    "My Lady," the man addressed her.


    "Lord Josef," she greeted back despite her confusion.


    "Lady Katrina has requested your presence." The eunuch Josef had presented it as an invitation, even


    as his tone was the exact opposite. "This way, please."


    Harper had no choice but to follow him. He led the way to the Glorious Pce where Katrina resided.


    In the beginning, Katrina had disliked Harper because of her headstrong character and the girl''s refusal


    to aid her in fighting for the emperor''s favor. She had conspired with Charles to rece her with Hailey


    as the imperial physician. ''What does she want with me this time?'' Harper wondered.


    She had braced herself for the worst the moment she stepped inside the Glorious Pce with Josef. To


    her surprise, Katrina let her in without making any scene.


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Your Highness, good day." Harper curtsied in front of thedy respectfully, not leaving any opening for


    criticism of her manners.


    Katrina looked at the stubborn Harper bowing her head before her. ''Has she finally learned to be well-


    behaved?''


    "It has been a long time. You seem to have changed quite a lot," Katrina said as her fingers fiddled with


    the fruit on the table. "You have be the vice director of the Imperial Academy of Medicine. My


    congrattions haveete."


    "It is my honor, Your Highness." Harper spoke calmly and kept herposure. Her face belied the


    trace ofcency. Katrina was surprised at her seemingly rxed demeanor. She had heard that


    Harper had changed, but the woman she saw in front of her was too far from the Harper she knew,


    almost as if she were another person.


    "I invited you here today to personally congratte you. After all, you are holding an important title, not


    to mention the only woman granted such a position. I am a concubine in the Imperial Pce, and I will


    have to rely on your skills in the future. Chloe has been pregnant for a long time, and His Majesty


    favors her. I am no longer young and my beauty has faded along with my youth. I have not been


    blessed by fortune with a child to rely on, but I share the honor and humiliation with the Chu n. We


    are a family."


    Harper just gave her a polite smile but remained silent. She listened to Katrina''s words carefully, but


    she did not miss the slight changes in the Glorious Pce. She had been here before, and the


    difference was almost inconspicuous to unwatchful eyes, but Harper took notice of the curtains of the


    inner room, swept to one side. It was the perfect ce for hiding.


    "Harper Chu, do you understand what I have just said?" Katrina asked, her voice tinged with


    displeasure with Harper''s unresponsiveness.


    "Yes, Your Highness. I understand that you want me to carry out some task simr to the one I refused


    before," Harper said slowly, choosing her words with utmost caution. "But forgive me. My answer will


    not change. In the past, it was Lady Anita, and now Lady Chloe. But no matter who the person is, I do


    not wish to cause anyone harm."


    "Watch your tongue." Katrina pounded her fist on the table and abruptly stood up from her chair, but


    she bit her tongue against the venomous words that were to escape. She had called Harper here for a


    purpose. "Chloe is the apple of His Majesty''s eye, and if she gives birth to a prince¡ª"


    "But Your Highness, you don''t have a child." Harper interrupted Katrina, knowing she had just uttered


    the most hurtful words. An imperial concubine who could not bear a child was nothing short of a failure.


    "No matter if Lady Chloe or Lady Anita bears His Majesty a prince or a princess, they will not threaten


    you at all, because you don''t have a child."


    At her words, Katrina trembled with anger. "Are you mocking me?"


    "I wouldn''t dare, Your Highness. I am merely reminding you not to be used as a tool by others. It is


    easy to be led astray by emotions. You may not have a child, but you are in a high position and have


    earned His Majesty''s trust. If you lose even this, then there will be no longer a ce for you in the


    pce. Besides, His Majesty has so many beautiful women who have sons. They don''t even feel


    threatened, so you have no need to be so anxious," Harper said. She analyzed the situation with logic,


    but whether Katrina would take her advice was another matter entirely.


    "But Chloe holds His Majesty''s affections! He favors her so exceedingly that he almost goes to her


    alone and ignores all the others!" Katrina burst out.


    "Your Highness, no matter how favored Lady Chloe is, it does not change the fact that she is just a


    nobledy. You are one of the four consorts, and above you, there is only the empress." At this time,


    Harper estimated that the banquet was almost about to start, so she said quickly, "As long as you don''t


    make any foolish moves, your position is guaranteed. No one can take your seat from you, and


    although you may no longer have His Majesty''s affections, you will always have his respect. You know


    better than anyone howplicated it is in the pce, so I advise you not to do anything reckless. It


    could cost you dearly. The time for the banquet is approaching. I bid you good day."


    With another elegant bow, Harper left, paying no mind to Katrina''s flushed face and the way she


    clenched her jaw. As soon as Harper was gone, the sound of breaking ceramics filled the room as


    Katrina swept the tea cups to the floor.


    "Aunt, now you have seen it for yourself. Harper has be even more of a conceited woman than


    before!" The curtains parted to reveal Hailey.


    A long scar ran on one side of her face, corrupting a beauty that would have been the fall of an entire


    city. Had it been treated in time, the mark would have disappeared, but she had fled from Charles''


    disappointment and failed to get a good healer, leaving her disfigured with an ugly scar for the rest of


    her life.

 Chapter 183 Collusion (Part Two)

    Chapter 183 Collusion (Part Two)


    "Indeed. She is full of arrogance," Katrina said resentfully. "Your brother even suspects that someone


    else has taken her identity, but this is the real her. Only she knows I once asked her to deal with Anita."


    "Aunt, let me deal with Lady Chloe for you. However, as long as Harper stays in the Chu n mansion,


    there will be no peace among us. She might even turn Father and Grandma to stop helping you.


    Besides, it seems that Princess Nicole favors her. Her Highness always agrees with Harper. She is a


    disaster just waiting to unfold. We must get rid of her at once, before she causes us trouble," Hailey


    suggested. It was a sore sight for her to see Harper living infort.


    "Harper will either stays in the Chu n mansion or in the Imperial Academy of Medicine after the new


    year celebration. What would be the best way to deal with her?" Katrina shared Hailey''s sentiments. If


    she could, she would have already killed Harper. But as things stood, they had exhausted all means for


    their attempts, only to be met by failure after failure. To make matters worse, Harper was living a better


    life now. At the thought of how the girl said the words in her presence, as if she was mocking her,


    Katrina clenched her fists as fury burned.


    "Your Highness, I have an idea," an old nanny by Katrina''s side said.


    "What is it?" Katrina asked in confusion.


    The old nanny gave an enigmatic smile. "Your Highness, it would be very easy to kill someone, but


    wouldn''t it be better to let them suffer first?"


    Katrina''s and Hailey''s gazes were fixed on the old woman. "And how do you suggest we do that?"


    "It is not asplicated as you think. Tell me, what would be the most terrifying thing for a woman?"


    the nanny asked.


    Hailey was struck how simple it was. "Losing her virginity!" she answered quickly.


    But the nanny shook her head. "No, she can still choose death to show her purity if she loses her


    virginity. The answer is marriage," she said.


    "Marriage?" Katrina asked, unable to follow the old woman''s thoughts. Hailey, however, understood her


    perfectly.


    "Find a man that Harper would be powerless against and no one wants. Marriage to this sort of man


    would bring Harper nothing but misery." The old nanny smiled coldly. "His reputation needs not to be


    good, but he has to be of a high status. If you could find a man who is cruel and imperious, he would be


    the perfect candidate. Of course, it would be even better if he is harsh on women!"


    Katrina and Haileyughed at what they had heard, the wicked sound echoing throughout the chamber.


    Indeed, there was such a man ¡ªa bloodthirsty cripple who was known for his hostility to women. If


    Harper wedded him, her life would be a tragedy.


    "I know just the person," Katrina said, ying with the nail on her little finger as a malicious smile


    rested on her lips. "Prince Matthew."


    Hailey frowned at the name. It was true that Matthew was vicious. He had three fiancees who had died


    before marriage. He was also a cripple, and he sat in a wheelchair to move around. At the age of


    twenty-six, he remained unmarried. None of the officials or aristocrats were willing to let their daughters


    marry into Prince Matthew''s mansion!


    "Will His Highness agree?" Hailey put forth a difficult problem. Even with the emperor''s approval, if


    Matthew refused, then their n might not work.


    "Even if he turns it down, we would suffer no loss." The nanny smiled meaningfully. "If word goes out


    that Prince Matthew, the crippled prince, rejects the marriage offer, it would be a terrible insult to


    Harper. She would be a pariah, and no man in the imperial capital would want to marry herter. She


    would be alone for the rest of her life. On the other hand, if Prince Matthew agrees, her life would be in


    his hands. He can kill her anytime. Moreover, Prime Minister Charles is loyal to His Majesty. As his


    daughter, isn''t she supposed to be helping His Majesty after entering Prince Matthew''s mansion?"


    "A wonderful idea," Katrina remarked approvingly. She decided to ask the emperor to issue the


    marriage edict for Harper, but she would not mention Matthew''s name. She would let the emperor


    make the decision himself.


    Hailey was still not fully convinced that things would go well, but she was happy to think of the


    possibilities. If Harper married Matthew and betrayed him, there would only be death awaiting her. But


    then, if Matthew refused to marry Harper, it would be an embarrassment and nothing would be left of


    her reputation. No man would want her after that. No matter what the result was, Harper would be the


    only one to suffer!


    After walking out of the Glorious Pce, Harper did not leave. She knew that Hailey must have been


    hiding here, so she hid herself and waited to see if Hailey woulde out.


    Sure enough, Hailey came out following Katrina not long after Harper had left. Hailey was among a


    group of pce maids, but it only took Harper a quick nce to recognize her.


    "There she is!" Harper sneered. "It seems that tonight''s banquet is a nned vengeance. But, Hailey,


    do you really think you can do anything in the pce with Lady Katrina on your side? Let''s wait and


    see!"


    "Harper!" A pat on Harper''s shoulder shook her out of her musing. In her scare, she covered his mouth


    and dragged him behind a pir nearby. She did not release her hold on him until Katrina and the


    others had gone far away.


    It was Lucas. As usual, he was dressed like a white round ball. Rolling his eyes, he asked, "Harper,


    why are you hiding here? The dinner party is about to begin."All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Your Highness, forgive me. I was heading there but I lost my way."


    "Is that so? Well then, I will take you there." Lucas prodded no further at her clumsy excuse and led her


    to the banquet hall. They took a shortcut and arrived before Katrina and others. Then, he went back to


    his seat quietly.

 Chapter 184 A Marriage Arrangement (Part One)

    Chapter 184 A Marriage Arrangement (Part One)


    As soon as Harper came back, Howard noticed that she was acting rather normal. In an instant, it


    dawned on him that even after their conversion, Katrina did not think that this person in front of him was


    an impostor. With this, he concluded that she was the real Harper. For the time being, all the facts at


    hand showed that there were only some changes in Harper''s dispositions.


    "What took you so long, Harper?" Mavis asked with confusion written all over her face.


    "Lady Katrina asked me toe over because she wanted to ask me some questions. We talked for


    quite a long time, so I came back a bitte," Harper answered politely. "Fortunately, His Majesty and


    Her Majesty haven''t arrived yet, or else it would have been impolite for me toe at this point."


    "Have a cup of warm tea. Look at your face! It''s bright red because of the coldness." True to her words,


    Mavis hurriedly handed a cup of tea to Harper, who took it with a smile and immediately took a sip.


    On the other hand, Howard didn''t say anything to her. He just carefully watched her movements as


    discretely as he could. He then shifted his attention to Zack, who was sitting diagonally opposite to him.


    He quickly noticed that ever since Harper hade back to her seat, Zack''s gaze had been fixated on


    her.


    "Father," Howard called to Charles in a very low voice. Then, he turned to switch his gaze to the


    direction where the Bu n was situated. Charles followed Howard''s gaze and his eyes coincidentally


    met with Zack''s.


    Zack gave a nd smile to Charles and turned his eyes away. Then, he spoke to Caroline beside him


    and the woman immediately shed a big smile on her face.


    Harper was just quietly sipping her tea with her head lowered. In all honesty, she was still lost in vivid


    thoughts about Hailey''s appearance inside the imperial pce. She firmly believed that the girl had


    only managed to do that with Howard''s help. In the meantime, she was certain that Katrina had some


    other intentions for asking her toe over. She quietly thought to herself, ''What on earth is Katrina up


    to? What does Hailey intend to do?''


    With these thoughts in mind, she carefully examined the food on the table. After a short while, she had


    checked everything and figured out that there was nothing wrong with them. That was to say, they


    hadn''t intended to poison her with the food here. If that was the case, what kind of trap did they n for


    her this time?


    "Herees His Majesty and Her Majesty."


    Right after the pce attendant''s voice came reverberating through the enormous hall, the emperor


    and the empress walked inside hand in hand. Immediately, all the officials knelt down and saluted,


    "Long live Your Majesties."


    The emperor led the empress to the throne and sat down before he responded, "Get up and take your


    seats."


    "Thank you, Your Majesty."


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Harper was still immersed in her thoughts that she didn''t even raise her head to take a look at the


    emperor or the empress. Although she had visited the Imperial Pce before, she had seen the


    emperor and the empress only a few times. Besides, she was a female imperial physician. From time


    to time, it had been her job to check pulses for the concubines. Strictly speaking, she had never seen


    the empress before in such close proximity.


    "Today, a banquet is held in the pce to share our joy with all of you. Let us all leave what havee


    and wee this new year. We wish peace, prosperity, and abundance to our country and to all of you!


    May everyone in the country lead a harmonious and content life with a good harvest throughout the


    year!" the emperor said with a smile. "Today, let us drink and eat to our heart''s content. Don''t be


    overcautious or restrict yourself and simply enjoy yourselves."


    "Thank you, Your Majesty," all the officials beamed.


    It was not until this moment that Harper looked up and looked around the hall, only to find that there


    was still one vacant seat. While she was confused who hadn''t arrived yet, the emperor answered her


    question. "Matthew iste again!" His voice upied the hall.


    "Your Majesty, Matthew is oftente in any engagement. I apologize on his stead but please don''t be


    quite offended by this." When she finished speaking, the empress filled the emperor''s goblet with wine.


    "You couldmand Matthew to drink as much as you wish when he arrivester."


    "You''re right, I must punish him for this." The emperor heartilyughed, as if punishing Matthew by


    making him drink so much wine was a rather pleasant and amusing thing.


    "Herees His Highness," the pce attendant announced.


    "He has finally arrived. Is it so impossible for him toe a bit earlier?" the emperor said in a teasing


    and annoyed tone as if he was just an elder brother who was making fun of his younger brother.


    When Matthew appeared by the door of the hall, everyone turned their eyes on him. Although he was


    sitting in a wheelchair, he still looked mighty and dignified. Barry was slowly pushing the wheelchair


    ahead with his hands firmly clutched on the back of the chair.


    "Your Majesty, my deepest apologies for beingte. Please find it in your heart to forgive me," Matthew


    sincerely and slowly stated.


    "Matthew, you arete again. In every single banquet, you''rete. Because of this conduct, you must


    be punished with wine!" Then, the emperor asked one of the servants to pour a goblet of wine for


    Matthew.


    Matthew didn''t refuse. He reached out for the wine and drank it without hesitation. After that, he said, "I


    admit that it is very wrong of me to bete, so I drink the wine as a punishment."


    Barry pushed the wheelchair to Matthew''s designated seat in the hall and assisted him with the


    transfer. Afterward, as if by some unknown cue, all the people present got more excited than they had


    ever been that day. They started to exchange some good wishes, urged each other to drink more wine,


    and even gave out a lot ofpliments as if they would not run out.


    In this scenario, Harper was quietly eating her own food, minding her own business. Even when


    everyone was looking at her, she was still heartily munching with her head down. For some reason, she


    didn''t notice the attention on her.


    "Harper!" Mavis quickly pinched Harper. Only after then did Harper finallye to her senses. As she


    raised her head, she was surprised and overwhelmed to found that everyone was looking at her. "Her


    Majesty just asked His Majesty to make arrangements for your marriage."


    All of a sudden, the spoon in Harper''s hand fell down on her te. The sound it made quickly veiled the


    enormous hall with silence. Harper immediately stood up from her seat and responded in an unsteady


    voice, "Your Majesty, thank you for your concern about me. I genuinely appreciate it. However, I just


    want to spend my time with my parents and be filial to my grandmother. For the time being, I''m afraid


    that I don''t have any intentions of getting married."


    "Harper, you have to realize sooner rather thanter that you are not young anymore. Have you not


    seen the women of your age? They are not only married, but also mothers already. How can you just


    indulge in enjoying your life with your parents?" Katrina sharply said while looking at Harper. "I know


    you are afraid that others would be apprehensive of you because Prince Kevin''s son broke off the


    engagement to youst time, but that shouldn''t stop you. You shouldn''t be afraid because of that. I


    have just asked His Majesty for help in this regard to arrange your marriage."

 Chapter 185 A Marriage Arrangement (Part Two)

    Chapter 185 A Marriage Arrangement (Part Two)


    ''You are the one who is apprehended!'' Harper eximed to herself deep in her mind. Harper severely


    wished to retort. However, she kept herself from saying anything, fully aware that they were in a public


    setting. Katrina seemed to be quite good at tearing the scab right off someone else'' sore. She could


    even pretend that she didn''t notice the embarrassment on everyone''s faces, especially on Harper''s, as


    she continued with her speech.


    "Your Majesty, Harper is reluctant to get married, because herst engagement had been broken off.


    However, it is worth noting that she is the only daughter of Prime Minister Charles right now. I don''t


    want to see her grow old and lead her life all by herself. Please arrange a good marriage and find a


    reliable man for her." Katrina still pretended to beg the emperor for help as though she was very upset


    and concerned about Harper''s situation. The people present were convinced by her words. They


    couldn''t help but feel how kind of an aunt she was to Harper.


    While she continued to listen to Katrina, Harper only felt that she was being treated like a mere item


    being put on sale. It felt like she was dependent upon who would make a good offer after she was


    carefully observed and evaluated. In short, she felt dehumanized. Katrina, who seemingly cared about


    Harper so much in front of others, was in fact, only adding insult to her injury. It seemed like


    embarrassing and humiliating Harper in front of everyone was the sole thing that could bring happiness


    in her life.


    "Your Majesty, I am unwilling to marry not because myst engagement was broken off. In fact, I am


    not devastated about that either. Instead, I feel so lucky that Prince Kevin''s son broke off the


    engagement to me. As for marriage, in general, I will certainly obey my parents'' decisions. I really


    appreciate that Her Highness cares so much about my marriage. I give my gratitude towards this." As


    soon as Harper finished her words, she cast a nce at Katrina and bowed to her. Then, she


    indifferently sat back to her chair.


    Katrina felt a little disgraced. Just now, Harper had said that she would follow her parents'' arrangement


    for her marriage. In fact, she was reminding Katrina that she did not have the right to arrange her


    marriage. But if both Charles and Nicole reached an agreement about her marriage, Harper would not


    have a problem with this. Otherwise, if they had a problem with it, Harper wouldn''t have a choice but to


    be on their side.


    "Your Majesty, I''ve always shown great concern about my daughter''s marriage. I won''t let her suffer any


    grievance anymore." Nicolepletely disagreed with Katrina''s idea and finally made her voice heard.


    She couldn''t believe that Katrina even wanted to arrange a marriage for Harper as she pleased.


    "Nicole, I only meant that His Majesty could arrange a good marriage for Harper. I''m only looking out


    for your best interests. Especially, now that you''re pregnant, you should not be stressed or bothered too


    much about this matter."


    "Your Highness, thank you for your concern. You are really thoughtful and considerate. However, I


    reassure you that even if I am pregnant, I haven''t forgotten about my duty to care about my own


    daughter''s marriage." Nicole kept retorting against Katrina with inexplicable hostility towards her.


    Harper had been treating her with utmost sincerity and loyalty, so Nicole would certainly not allow


    anyone else to arbitrarily arrange a marriage for Harper.


    "Aright, stop arguing." After interrupting their conversation, the emperor turned to look at Harper, who


    looked fairly attractive and talented to him. Although she had a bad temper, as observed from her


    words alone, at least she looked gentle and amiable. But, it was a pity that her engagement had been


    ceased.


    Then, the emperor looked around to see which ns still had unmarried sons. But all the people in the


    great hall whose sons were still unmarried lowered their heads in session. They were afraid that


    their son would be chosen to marry Harper. From their perspective, Harper was not the kind of woman


    who would be obedient and submissive to her husband. They thought that if their son married her, it


    would only bring chaos to their n.


    "Your Majesty."


    "Your Majesty."


    Carlson and Zack stated while they stood up together.


    "Carlson, Zack, what''s the matter?" the emperor unhappily asked, being interrupted from his thoughts.


    "Your Majesty, may I¡ª"


    "Your Majesty!" Allen suddenly chipped in to interrupt his son. "My son is trying to ask if he could make


    some rmendations to you."


    "Father!" Frustrated at what his father had said, Carlson exined, "Your Majesty, that is not what I


    want to say at all."


    "Sit down!" Allen didn''t care about what Carlson was thinking. Whatever it was, he couldn''t let Harper


    marry his son and be a part of his n. Moreover, he didn''t want his son to marry such a cunning


    andplex woman. He also thought that the emperor must have other intentions for arranging this


    marriage.


    Zack smiled as if he had foreseen it. But before he spoke out to reveal his proposal, the emperor said,


    "I think my brother Matthew is a good man. What do you think, Harper?"


    Harper turned stiffly and looked at the emperor. After taking a look at Matthew, she was frightened so


    much that she immediately knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, I am too humble to even think about


    marrying His Highness."


    "I think the two of you would make a good match." The emperor looked at Matthew who had an


    impassive face and then shifted his gaze to Harper, who was trembling out of fear. She was the only


    woman in the world that Matthew seemed to be interested in. He didn''t want to let go of this


    opportunity.


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "What do you think, Charles?" It was obvious then that the emperor was determined to facilitate the


    marriage between Harper and Matthew. Even for a second, Charles didn''t dare to oppose him.


    "Your Majesty, that''s a wise choice!" Charles answered.


    Zack was quite surprised. He looked at Matthew, hoping that the man could refuse the marriage. If the


    emperor really proimed the marriage, Harper''s life would be ruined!


    "Zack, sit down!" Franklin held Zack''s elbow and asked him to sit down. Now that the emperor had


    proposed the marriage, he would not allow anyone to raise an objection against him. Even Harper or


    Matthew was not an exception.


    Kneeling down on the floor, Harper dared not to look up. This was just what Katrina had intended to do.


    She wanted Harper to marry Matthew. But why did the emperor wanted her to marry Matthew? Harper


    only had this one question in her mind. As far as she knew, Matthew possessed much military power,


    while Charles served as the Prime Minister. Therefore, if the two ns would join hands with each


    other, the consequences would be unimaginable. This was just the reason why Harper was questioning


    the emperor''s marriage arrangement. Matthew held great military power.


    Harper immediately understood the key reason why Katrina had been so eager to facilitate this


    marriage arrangement. Matthew''s mansion was guarded so strictly that it was extremely difficult for


    anyone else to sneak inside without being detected. Harper had actually visited the mansion a few


    times. As far as she remembered, the mansion was well guarded that no one could easily enter.


    However, it would be much easier for anyone with even a bit of evil intent against the mansion to gain


    ess by getting any of their family members married into the n. With this, it dawned on Harper that


    at this banquet, she was not the sole target, it turned out that Matthew was the target as well.


    With this thought in mind, Harper felt her hands and feet rather freezing due to fear. To the best of her


    knowledge, Matthew couldn''t be easily fooled. Hence, she would immediately be put to death after


    stepping into his mansion at the night of their wedding if he had any doubts that she had any ulterior


    motive.

 Chapter 186 A Deal (Part One)

    Chapter 186 A Deal (Part One)


    A deafening silence enveloped the hall. Not a word was spoken as Matthew sat quietly. The people in


    the hall were painfully aware of the real intent behind the proposal, and the air rippled with a tense


    breath.


    No one dared mock Matthew. Despite his disability, he was still a prince, and was entitled to his right to


    consider the proposition of marriage.


    He had the military forces of the entire country under hismand. A single word from him was all it


    would take to end anyone who dared offend him.


    Harper trembled as she knelt on the floor, the muscles of her limbs growing numb. Franklin stood up as


    he noticed the slight tremors that racked her stooped frame. Mustering his courage, he opened his


    mouth to speak and help her, but before the words left his mouth, Matthew moved his lips and


    answered, "It is an honor. You have my gratitude, Your Majesty." With these words, his answer was


    clear. Every single person present knew that Harper was nothing but a pawn. Whether she would


    survive or perish was uncertain. All that she could do was pray that fate would give her mercy.


    "Ha-ha, Matthew, as long as you''re satisfied with it, it will be my greatest pleasure. Hansen had called


    off his engagement to Harper, but she is a woman of talent and beauty, not to mention that she is the


    daughter of Prime Minister Charles and the vice director of Imperial Academy of Medicine. She is


    befitting of your rank and status," the emperor said, his tone belying his greater intention. Before


    Harper, three women who were Matthew''s betrothed had died before they even had a chance to enter


    his mansion. It was clear that Harper was caught in between a dangerous power struggle. Her next


    move would be crucial¡ªher life was hanging on delicate strings and she would have to tread carefully.


    All the officials present did not need any exnation. They knew their emperor all too well to see


    through his facade. The emperor was delighted in the humiliation of his brother; thus he mentioned


    Harper''s engagement to Hansen. The rtionship between the two brothers was a tragic sight.


    Matthew had risked his life to prove his innocence and fought to serve the emperor, only to end up


    crippled. The emperor''s cruelty to his own brother was almost odious, but the people present did not


    have to option to avert their eyes from the scene.


    Matthew, however, seemed as if he had no idea of it. "Thank you, Your Majesty," he said.


    "Harper," Charles called out, "surely you would also like to express your gratitude to His Majesty and


    His Highness."


    Harper gritted her teeth butplied with the silentmand. "Thank you, Your Majesty."


    "Very well. Today is a fortunate day for my dear brother. Matthew, I have always been worried about


    you remaining unmarried for a long time, but this day puts my troubles at rest. It is my great happiness


    to see you ept this proposal. We must get to the marriage preparations quickly. I will send my


    eunuch for the imperial edict immediately. Where''s the imperial astronomer?"


    "Your Majesty! I''m Floyd, the imperial astronomer."


    "When would be the ideal day to hold the wedding?" the emperor asked with a bright smile.


    "Your Majesty, the sixth day of the Lunar New Year would be an auspicious time for a marriage. It


    would bring the pair good fortune," Floyd answered after thinking for a while.


    "The sixth day of the Lunar New Year? Great. Then, let''s choose the day! Now, where is the head of


    the Ministry of Rites?"


    "I am here, Your Majesty."


    "Help Matthew hold the wedding. It has to be perfectly arranged. We can''t make Harper feel treated


    shabbily. Is that understood?" The officials hummed and nodded as the emperor made a show of


    making arrangements quickly. Matthew listened quietly without interrupting him. His gaze remained on


    Harper, who had not moved from her kneeling position on the floor.


    "Your Majesty, my betrothed is still kneeling on the floor," he said lightly, even as his voice was full of


    pressure.


    It was only then that the emperor seemed to have remembered her. Smiling, he said, "You may rise,


    Harper." Then, turning to Matthew, he remarked, "It seems I''ve made the right choice. You are already


    starting to care for your fiancee. This is a very good sign. I am certain if she marries into your mansion,


    she will definitely be taken good care of."


    Matthew did not answer. He continued to drink disinterestedly, as if everything around did not have the


    least bit of importance. Harper returned to her seat, her back straight and her steps elegant. She


    maintained a dignified expression, far from the one she had as she knelt down on the floor.


    The wedding date was set on the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, leaving only ten days left for the


    preparations.


    Murmurs arose from the whole hall. As Matthew was disabled, he had spent most of his time in the


    confines of his home without involving himself in any statewide affairs. He had even relinquished his


    post with the three judicial departments. No one had expected the emperor to appoint Harper as his


    wife. Matthew''s rank as a prince was among the highest. It would be a great honor for any woman to


    marry such a man, but as the prince was a cripple, the spectators pitied Harper.


    Harper didn''t utter a word even after the feast was over. Mavis looked at her granddaughter and sighed


    at her silence. "Harper, this is life."


    Harper raised her head, her face devoid of any anger or tragedy. "Grandma, it is a good thing. Marrying


    Prince Matthew is not an opportunity granted to everyone. I am happy with it. You don''t have to be


    worried about me."


    Mavis opened her mouth to speak but she could not find her words. What Harper said was right¡ª


    marriage to a prince was a chance of a lifetime. However, Mavis also knew the rift between the


    emperor and his brother. Despite his facade, the emperor had not been subtle with his attacks. Mavis


    had lived long enough to understand how the court was a battlefield on its own, and the emperor had


    his eyes locked on Matthew. If Harper married the prince, she would also be caught in the crossfire.


    "I will ask your father to try and see if this marriage could be avoided," Mavis said.


    "Grandma, we cannot disobey the imperial edict. Disobedience is a capital crime!" Harper raised the


    imperial edict in her hand, effectively silencing the rest of Mavis'' words. She had a n in mind. This


    predicament might be turned into a golden opportunity. She had already been considering getting a


    backer, and now the emperor took the initiative to send her one. If she yed her cards right, she could


    make herself a favorable deal.


    As soon as they got back to Chu n mansion, Charles called Harper into the study.


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Father, Brother, what do you want?" asked Harper coldly.


    "His Majesty has bestowed a great favor upon you. You have to remember his graciousness," Charles


    said. "You were not highborn, but as you have been chosen to marry Prince Matthew by His Majesty,


    you should be grateful. You will be an imperial member once you wed him."

 Chapter 187 A Deal (Part Two)

    Chapter 187 A Deal (Part Two)


    Harper acquiesced to their remarks without speaking. Charles was uncertain of how to proceed, seeing


    her nk expression.


    "Do you have anything to say?" he asked.


    Harper shook her head. "The emperor has granted me the decree. As you have said, Father, this is a


    most gracious favor. I have no words to express my gratitude to His Majesty for granting me such a


    marriage."


    Charles nodded, pleased at her obedience. "Since you have acknowledged that it is a good


    opportunity, I will speak frankly. You are also a member of the Chu n, and you will carry our name


    your whole life. You must never forget that the n''s interest is of utmost importance. Am I


    understood?"


    "Yes. I understand," Harper answered, with her head down. As soon as Charles finished hisst


    sentence, she understood why she had been called. He wanted to use her as a means to get


    something from Matthew.


    "After you marry into the prince''s mansion, you will report about his every move to me." The


    masquerade fell apart to reveal the true intentions behind the marriage proposal. The emperor merely


    wanted to have someone who would serve as his eyes regarding Matthew''s movement. Charles had


    been given the task to watch the prince.


    Harper raised her head and asked with a faint smile, "Father, are you asking me to spy on the prince?"


    "Yes!" Charles showed no reluctance in revealing his purpose. "After you enter Prince Matthew''s


    mansion, you must find a way to get the ck g Token and bring it to me."


    "Father, would it really be that easy to get something out from the prince''s mansion?" Harper asked,


    her expression amused.


    "You have no need to worry. Several of my own men will be disguised as guards and sent to assist you


    in this mission. All you have to do is pass the information to them, and they will take care of the rest,"


    Charles answered. He had not given a single thought about the danger that Harper would be putting


    herself into.


    Harper had already known his selfish nature, but her father''s words still sent a chill to her heart. She


    was nothing else but a tool, and her value was only determined with how useful she would be. "I


    understand. Is there anything else, Father?"


    "No. Just wait for your wedding quietly. If you are needed, I will send my guard to inform you. You may


    go." Charles was quite satisfied with Harper''s seeming obedience. As long as she stayed in Matthew''s


    mansion and did as he asked, he would be able to execute his ns perfectly. Once he got the ck


    g Token, the emperor would surely reward him.


    Without dying any further, Harper went out of the study and walked towards the Emerald House. Her


    steps were heavy as she crossed the path. She had to meet Matthew and make her proposition as


    soon as possible. As long as her grandmother was alive, she would not do anything to harm Charles.


    She had given her word, but that promise excluded Howard and Katrina.


    As soon as she arrived at Emerald House, Forsythia greeted her at the door, winking at Harper as she


    told her to go back to her room. There was someone waiting inside for her.


    Harper''s eyes lit up. She rushed back into her room expecting the masked man, but her legs were


    petrified once she had seen her visitor.


    It was Matthew. "Your Highness! What can I do for you?" she greeted quickly, snapping out of her


    shock.


    "Harper, save the formalities." He did not miss the shadow of disappointment that crossed her eyes


    when she saw him. "I know you don''t want to marry me."


    "I dare not say that!" Harper answered.


    "Is that so?" Matthew said. "I don''t like forcing others to do things they don''t want to."


    "Then, do you mean that it would be alright to call off the marriage?" Harper asked, raising her head


    expectantly.


    "What do you think?" Matthew''s voice was cold and his face was as hard as in iceberg. Harper kept on


    smiling even as she could almost feel herself shiver in his gaze.


    "Of course not," she answered. "Your Highness, I have a proposal. Please hear me out."


    "What proposal?"


    "Let me stay at your mansion for three years, during which I will be your nominal wife. In this time, I will


    certainly carry out the duties of my position, and I will also try my best to cure you, as I am a physician.


    After three years, you can write a letter of divorce. Don''t worry. I guarantee that I would not betray you,


    and I will never go anywhere far from my living quarters."


    A storm was brewing in Matthew''s head. "You want me to divorce you after three years?"


    "Yes, Your Highness. I am aware that you don''t particrly favor me. As for myself, I just want another


    ce to live in. I will relinquish the title of your wife after three years. There must be someone that you


    truly love. You can take me to meet her. I promise I will return my position to her after three years. I


    swear it on my honor!" Afraid that the prince wouldn''t believe her, Harper raised her hand and swore to


    him.


    "Why do you need three years?" asked Matthew slowly as the storm in his head settled.


    Harper remained silent for a while. Then she said in a low voice, "I promised my grandmother that I


    would never hurt someone in Chu n, as long as she is alive."


    That someone was no one else but Charles. Harper thought that if she was married, she could finally


    get out of Chu n and she would not have to keep being trapped within the cold walls of the mansion.


    However, Charles had made things very clear when he called her to his study. Whether she was


    married or not, he would never set her free and would always find ways to make use of her. She had no


    one to rely on but herself.


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    "Ah, I see. Mavis," the prince said.


    He had been terse, but Harper felt her chest sting as his words hit the bull''s eye. "Grandma is getting


    older and older." Even as she knew it, it was a difficult thing for Harper to say it out loud. She had tried


    her best to help Mavis be in a good health, but there was nothing that medicine could do against the


    natural course of the world. The body gets old and deteriorates. In order to grant her grandmother


    peace for the rest of her days, Harper would do nothing to cause harm to Charles. After that, there


    would be no need to hold back.


    "Alright. I agree to your terms. Just do as you say. Rest assured I will not let you be treated unfairly.


    You will be good with me for the next three years."


    "Thank you very much, Your Highness!"

 Chapter 188 Harpers Intentions (Part One)

    Chapter 188 Harper''s Intentions (Part One)


    Within days, the news spread far and wide about how the emperor sanctioned the marriage between


    Harper and Matthew. Everyone had different reactions, but the most worried would have to be the Bu


    n.


    At that time, Isabe was pacing back and forth in the room. The anxiety was so apparent on her face.


    Meanwhile, Franklin''s temples had started to ache, and so did Caroline''s.


    "Father, Prince Matthew''s fiancees all died before they could get married to him. With this, I can''t help


    but feel afraid that Harper might die in her boots too." Caroline openly surmised her worries.


    "If that''s the case, it''s honestly not the worst thing that could happen to Harper," Zack responded with a


    bitter smile on his face.


    "Zack, what do you mean by that?" Caroline asked in confusion.


    Franklin and Zack looked at each other and as if on cue, the father and son shared tacit understanding.


    Charles was loyal to the emperor. The emperor wanted Harper to marry Matthew so that she would be


    able to spy on him. If she was tasked to assassinate Matthew and failed to do so, then her life would be


    a living hell.


    "Father, is there anything we can do to save her?" Zack expectantly asked. He just found out that he


    actually liked Harper more than as a friend. He didn''t expect that the emperor would promptly set up a


    marriage between Harper and Matthew.


    Franklin shook his head. Matthew was a thorn in the flesh of the emperor. Harper was the only woman


    who was somehow rted to him and was still alive. Everything would have been fine if the emperor


    hadn''t thought of this fact. However, now that the emperor had figured it out, she might really meet the


    end of her life.


    "Franklin, Prince Matthew is not a good man. Harper saved our Zack and Caroline. You can''t just stand


    there and do nothing," Isabe said, holding her husband''s hands. "Franklin, I am begging you. You


    need to do everything in your power to save Harper."


    "Isabe, you have to understand. It''s not that I don''t want to help her, the reality is that I am incapable


    to do so. If Prince Matthew refused the marriage proposal, I could still try and find a way. However,


    Prince Matthew has already given his word to His Majesty. I''m afraid there is no turning back."


    "Why is this situation so dependent on Prince Matthew''s decision alone?" Isabe was bing more


    and more confused with their conversation. She just couldn''t understand. All she knew was that


    Matthew wasn''t a man whom Harper could spend the rest of her life with. He was cruel and heartless. If


    the girl were to actually marry him, her life would be ruined.


    "To rid Harper of Prince Matthew, it will be as difficult as ascending to heaven." Zack was also a little


    desperate. "Early tomorrow, I''ll go to meet Harper and find out about her thoughts on the matter," he


    said.


    "Well, you can go and ask for her opinion in person. I am sure she has her own ideas. If she doesn''t


    want to marry him, then I would try my best to deal with Prince Matthew!" Franklin immediately


    decided. Although it was indeed very difficult for him, he was certain in his heart that he would do his


    best.


    Zack had asked Harper to meet him at a small tea house near the Chu n mansion. Although it was


    justst night when he had asked her to marry him, there was no embarrassment on her face when


    they met. It was as if the proposal did not happen and they were just best friends.


    "Hello, Zack."


    "Here you are, Harper!" Zack poured a cup of tea for Harper as soon as she sat down. "Your favorite


    flower tea."


    "Thank you." She smiled at him while she took the cup. Without any hesitation, Harper slowly drank the


    tea with a serene and calm expression on her face.


    That was a surprise for Zack because he had thought that he would see a worried Harper that day.


    After all, he had seen the resistance she showedst night when he confessed, but it seemed like she


    had already buried everything that happened.


    "Harper, are you okay?" he asked with so much hesitation.


    "I''m fine. You don''t have to worry about me." Harper put down her teacup on the table before speaking.


    "I know what you''re thinking. You must be worried that I would resist to the marriage. You have nothing


    to worry about. Prince Matthew is not that frightening to me."


    Zack shook his head. "I''m here to tell you that if you don''t want to marry him, you can tell me. My n


    will do our best to help you. In return though, you will have to endure the hardship of being married into


    the Bu n."


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    When she heard that, Harper covered her mouth and giggled. "Zack, you can''t let anyone hear that. If


    others heard that marrying into the Bu n would feel like enduring hardship, then people would think


    I''m the dumbest in the world. There are so many girls who want to marry you."


    "But I know you''re unwilling to marry me, right?" Although he said that in a low voice, Harper still heard


    it. For a moment, her smile froze. In fact, even she knew that it would be a blessing to be his wife.


    However, she couldn''t bring Bu n into the conflicts between the emperor and Matthew.


    "I am saying this with all the sincerity that I have. I am grateful that the Bu n could consider stepping


    forward and helping me at this time," Harper said slowly while she looked directly into Zack''s eyes.


    "However, I think it would be better for the Bu n to stay out of it. After all, no one would be able to


    survive if they were to engage in a fight between His Majesty and Prince Matthew."


    "What about you?" Zack was anxious to hear her response. "I am certain that if you dere your


    engagement to me, then His Majesty would have no choice but to cancel the marriage between you


    and Prince Matthew."


    "But Prince Matthew would certainly oppose to that," Harper exined. "Zack, you know Prince


    Matthew better than me. Although he has his disabilities right now, it doesn''t mean that he will always


    have these¡ªfor theck of a better word¡ªdisadvantages. Moreover, he is not a weak person. It''s not


    wise for the Bu n to stand up and turn against him."


    Zack remained silent. He had to admit that Harper made some good points. Although the Bu n had


    always been strong and powerful, Matthew was undeniably a very influential person, whom the Bu n


    couldn''t afford to offend.


    "But do you have an idea about His majesty''s real intentions? You know why he wants you to marry


    prince Matthew?" Zack ceased to give up. In his perspective, Harper getting married to Matthew would


    be like a sheep being ced into the tiger''s mouth. Clearly, the emperor and the Chu n only


    regarded her as a pawn. Once she got married to Matthew, she could begin counting down the days


    leading to her death. On top of it all, it was known that Matthew was extremely cruel and ruthless that it


    was very likely that she would end up in tragedy, one way or another.

 Chapter 189 Harpers Intentions (Part Two)

    Chapter 189 Harper''s Intentions (Part Two)


    "Yes, I know. My father has already informed me about it. His Majesty would like me to spy on Prince


    Matthew. If possible, he wants me to steal the ck g Token," Harper nonchntly stated while


    sipping at her cup of tea.


    "Then why are you still willing to get married to him?"


    "Why, you ask? Why not?" A ghastly smile appeared at the corner of Harper''s mouth. "As long as I am


    married to Prince Matthew, my father can no longer control me. I am tired of living like a puppet."


    "Harper, are you saying that you want to use Prince Matthew against the Chu n?" Zack finally


    understood what Harper wanted to do. She intended to take advantage of Matthew''s power and


    influence to stand up against the Chu n.


    "But the Chu n is your home and family! You''re going to turn against your own father?" His voice


    sounded unstable.


    "You have a loving father so you might not understand. But sometimes, even strangers are kinder than


    some fathers in this world. I''ve had enough, Zack. I won''t let him trample on me anymore," Harper said


    with a frown. "He poisoned my mother and tried to kill me several times. Do you expect me to let all of


    this pass by and just be a filial daughter?"


    Zack opened his mouth but not a single word came out of it. He couldn''t believe what he just heard.


    ''Could it be true? Her own father killed her mother? How could that be possible? Is this something that


    any biological father could do to his own daughter? Is this why Harper is willing to marry Prince


    Matthew? She wants to escape from her own n?'' he wondered in his head. To say that he was


    surprised was an understatement.


    "It''s hard to believe it, right?" With an uncertain smile on her face, Harper looked up at him. "Do you


    know anything about General Maxwell?"


    "Yes, he said you were the one responsible for the death of his unborn baby because of your poor


    medical skills."


    "But that wasn''t the truth. It was what they wanted everyone to think of. In reality, it''s because my father


    and sister colluded with the general''s concubine to set me up," Harper said, ying with the teacup in


    her hand. "In the ce of execution, I didn''t understand why he was so cruel to me. I''m his daughter.


    He was supposed to protect me. So I asked Prince Matthew for mercy and begged him to allow me to


    find out the truth.


    It was by a chance of luck that I escaped from the unfair execution. However, I almost died in the hands


    of the Chu n afterward." Harper''s voice became unstable. However, there was no softness that


    could be detected on it. "I knew it wouldn''t be long until he attempted to kill me again, so I turned to my


    grandmother for help and asked her toe back. If Grandma hade back a littleter that day, I


    wouldn''t be here today. And even Grandma hade back in time, he still nearly took half of my life.


    Then I spent half a month recovering in the country house."


    Before she could continue, Zack couldn''t help but think that everything he was hearing was a totally


    different picture of Harper''s life inside the Chu n. It was said that she was an arrogant and unruly


    lady, but it turned out that she had a terrifying life in her n. She might even have died in there.


    "Stop, Harper." Before Harper could continue telling her story, Zack stopped her. He realized how


    scrupulous she had been in the Chu n. It was no wonder that she didn''t think it was a big deal to be


    married to Matthew. Clearly, to Harper, the Chu n mansion was a more frightful ce than


    Matthew''s mansion.


    Noticing the pain on his face, Harper smiled and said, "You don''t have to feel sorry for me. In my mind,


    my father has long ceased to be a family member. That''s why I don''t feel remorse anymore when he


    tries to harm me. The only thing I care about in the Chu n is my brother and grandma."


    "Your brother?"


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Yes. My brother, Alexander. He has been to the south region to study." A soft expression appeared on


    Harper''s face when she talked about Alexander. "He is a diligent kid."


    "Do you think it''s a good idea to go against the Chu n? The chance of your grandma and Alexander


    getting involved is really high. And once they do, what are you going to do?"


    "Grandma is too old. There is not much time left for her." Even though she had spoken candidly,


    sadness shed through Harper''s eyes. "And I promised Grandma that I wouldn''t turn against Chu


    n, as long as she was alive. Now, I just need to find a ce to live and wait until that moment


    comes."


    "But, Bu n¡ª" Zack tried to speak but Harper cut him off.


    "If Bu n gets involved with the Chu n, it will be a bad idea. Zack, I am well aware of the Bu n''s


    good intentions, but there is really no need for it. If possible, I hope you and your n can live well.


    After all, you are one of the few friends I have after I came here," Harper said softly.


    Zack thought there was a hidden meaning in her words, but he couldn''t figure it out after pondering


    over it several times. He just wanted to do something for Harper, and make the final appeal for the


    reluctance in his heart.


    "Are you sure that you don''t need my help?" After hearing her story, Zack didn''t want to see Harper get


    married to Matthew. He thought that right after having a hard time in the Chu n, she did not deserve


    to suffer any more than she already did. Although Matthew was disabled, he was still a thorn in the


    flesh of the emperor.


    "Yes, I am sure." Harper decisively refused. "Zack, this is my request. Please don''t get your n


    involved in this matter. As for the things that my father has asked me to do, it''s solely up to me. I


    appreciate your concern and this gesture but I''ve already been out for a long time. It''s time to go back.


    Goodbye, and thank you."

 Chapter 190 The Betrothal Gifts (Part One)

    Chapter 190 The Betrothal Gifts (Part One)


    As Zack gazed at Harper''s receding figure, the bitter smile on his face started to wear off. After all, it


    was toote now. If he had asked the emperor''s permission to marry Harper before he had sanctioned


    her engagement, they wouldn''t have been in their current situation.


    Meanwhile, the moment Harper reached their mansion''s gate, she saw the steward running towards


    her. He was in such haste that he almost bumped into her. "What''s the matter? Why are you in such a


    hurry?"


    "Oh, My Lady, thank heavens you finally came back. Pleasee inside and take a look. His


    Highness, Carlson, is making a scene inside the mansion!" The steward looked at Harper as if she was


    his savior.


    "His Highness? Carlson?" Harper couldn''t believe it. She immediately wondered why Carlson would


    havee and caused trouble, especially at this hour.


    "That''s right. His Highness is making a fuss in our mansion. Please go and check the situation inside."


    The steward hurriedly led Harper to the hall. Carlson was known as an unruly man, and yet no one


    dared to offend him because of his identity. If he threw a tantrum, even the emperor would have a


    headache, not to mention that they were mere citizens.


    As soon as Harper arrived at the door to the main hall, she saw Carlson rolling on the floor. Nicole was


    angry and anxious, but she had no idea what she could do because she was pregnant. She could only


    try to persuade Carlson to get up, but he refused to listen. Charles was already furious about the whole


    situation, but he did not dare to do anything to Carlson.


    Harper slowly walked in and stood behind Carlson. She kicked him on the back with her left foot before


    saying, "What is this? Your father stopped giving you pocket money, so you''re going to clean the floor


    of the Chu n mansion and ask your aunt for money instead?"


    Carlson stiffened and turned around, only to be greeted by Harper''s wicked grin. He immediately


    jumped up, took Harper''s hand and dragged her out of there. "We should go, Harper. You can''t marry


    Uncle Matthew!"


    Harper was dumbfounded while she listened to his words. She quietly thought to herself, ''What is


    Carlson talking about? He doesn''t want me to marry Prince Matthew? He should really stop thinking


    that he can do anything at will just because his father is a prince. Matthew is a prince as well!''


    "What are you doing, Carlson?" Harper was starting to get anxious. If the news that Carlson had


    dragged her out of the Chu n mansion reached Matthew, he would definitelye over as soon as


    he could and make a big deal out of it.


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Carlson was entirely ignorant of Harper''s concerns. "Uncle Matthew is not a good man. If you marry


    him, you will not be happy. I''ll take you away, far away from him."


    "Carlson!" Harper stopped Carlson''s hand which was tightly secured on her wrist to show that she was


    unwilling to be dragged away by him. "This is His Majesty''s order. The whole country belongs to him.


    Where are you taking me to? What''s more, considering my social status, it''s an honor for me to marry


    His Highness. Why are you acting like this? Let go of me!"


    Carlson was actually very anxious. "What honor could you be talking about? His Majesty is not¡ª"


    Smack! In a moment of desperation, Harper pped Carlson in the face. "Do you think before you


    speak those words? How dare you say anything as you like! Have you forgotten what your father and


    brother taught you?"


    By then, Carlson was so shocked by the p, and even Nicole was petrified. If Carlson had finished his


    statement and the emperor heard it, Prince Allen would definitely be med. In a way, Nicole felt


    grateful to Harper for pping him.


    Carlson was taken back because of the p. He stopped dragging Harper and realized that she was


    right. Indeed, he said something without thinking much of it. But in his opinion, Matthew''s mansion


    could only bepared to hell, and if Harper married Matthew, she would be like a sheep being ced


    in a tiger''s mouth. He would never allow such a thing to happen, so he took it upon himself and came


    to the Chu n mansion. He had one thought and that was to take her away regardless of any


    repercussions.


    "Harper, you have to trust me on this. Come with me¡ª"


    "Where are you taking my fiancee to, Carlson?" Before Carlson could finish speaking, a cold and


    familiar voice resounded. It startled everyone, making all of them tremble. Still, they turned to the


    direction of the person who spoke.


    Barry pushed the wheelchair, and slowly approached them. Meanwhile, Matthew''s gaze was focused


    on Carlson''s hand that was still holding Harper''s wrist. He narrowed his eyes and Barry drew his sword,


    preparing to chop off the hand.


    Surprised by the turn of events, Harper pushed Carlson back. He seemed to have felt the danger and


    drew back his hand to avoid being cut off.


    "Carlson!"


    Startled, Nicole stumbled to Carlson and pulled him behind her. "Your Highness, I didn''t know you were


    coming. Please forgive me for not weing you at the gate."


    "Your Highness." Charles bowed to Matthew as well.


    Meanwhile, Harper was stunned and she could only stand still. Somehow, she felt that Matthew was


    displeased, and perhaps it was because she had pushed Carlson away.


    "Harper," Charles shouted. All the people present knelt on the ground, but Matthew didn''t ask them to


    get up. Charles secretly looked around and saw that Harper remained standing. Sweat started to form


    on his forehead again. He tugged at Harper to remind her, but to no avail. She didn''t kneel down.


    Instead, she walked straight to Matthew and made a salute.


    Matthew took a closer look at her wrists and his eyes darkened.


    "A few days ago, I saw a pair of jade bracelets on your wrists. I thought they looked very beautiful. Why


    aren''t you wearing them today?"


    Upon hearing those words, Harper blinked a little. Obviously, she didn''t expect that Matthew would


    even notice the jade bracelets on her wrists so she was taken aback. "I''m afraid that they will break, so


    I put them away for now."

 Chapter 191 The Betrothal Gifts (Part Two)

    Chapter 191 The Betrothal Gifts (Part Two)


    "Wear them. I think they look good on you," Matthew stated or more likemanded, not giving Harper


    a chance to refuse. "Prime Minister Charles."


    "I''m here," Charles replied.


    "I came to give my fiancee the betrothal gifts. Please ask anybody irrelevant to leave." The one he was


    actually referring to was Carlson. Carlson had always been bold and reckless but he knew when to


    back down, especially when he was in front of people with more power and influence than him. He


    knew that if he behaved recklessly in front of Matthew, he would be beaten until he was almost dead.


    So even if Carlson was a little unwilling, he allowed himself to be dragged away by someone under


    Nicole''s order.


    "Pleasee in, Your Highness." Charles wiped the sweat off his forehead and invited Matthew in.


    That day was such an odd and riotous one. First, Carlson hade to make some troubles and


    wanted to take Harper away. And now, Matthew was here. The emperor had just issued the imperial


    edictst night. However, Matthew was here to give her the betrothal gifts. It seemed like Matthew


    couldn''t wait to get married, as if he was very satisfied with the engagement.


    Barry led Matthew inside, while Harper followed them slowly. She watched as Charles acted so humble


    in front of the prince.


    "Little Harper," Matthew called out. He looked at Harper, only to find that she didn''t have any reactions.


    She just looked down at the tips of her shoes.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    "Little Harper," he called out again, a little louder this time.


    "What? Father, did you call me?" Confused, Harper looked up at Charles with a nk expression on


    her face.


    The corner of Charles'' mouth twitched, and he looked at Matthew. Harper followed his eyes and found


    that Matthew''s face became pale with anger. She asked with uncertainty, "Your Highness, were you


    calling me?"


    "Is there someone else in here called Harper? Or if you don''t like me calling you ''Little Harper, '' I can


    change it. What else would you like me to call you?" Matthew asked in a rare chirpy temper.


    Harper just felt sick. He was as cold as an iceberg, but he called her "Little Harper." And he even


    offered to address her differently. Was this really the aloof prince in front of her?


    "Harper Chu?" Harper tentatively asked.


    "We are going to be married soon. It wouldn''t feel right to call you by your full name. It wouldn''t feel like


    we''re close at all." Matthew immediately refused.


    "Harper?" she suggested again.


    "That sounds fine. But since all of your friends call you that, it seems like I''m not special enough."


    ''Special? You want to be special?!'' Harper thought. With everything that she was hearing, Harper had


    the impulse to curse. In her opinion, he was here just to look for trouble. On top of that, he even made


    such a clumsy excuse. However, in front of Matthew, she could only keep her head down decisively.


    "Your Highness, you may call me whatever you like. You can call me ''Little Harper'' or ''Harper, '' and


    both are okay with me. It''s better if you call me ''Harper Chu'' though."


    When he heard that she didn''t care about what he called her, Matthew was a little upset. But since she


    had said that he could call her as he liked, he said after thinking for a while, "Then, I will call you ''Harp,


    '' which sounds genial and no one calls you like that. It''s exclusive to me from now on."


    Harper didn''t know whether to cry or tough. "If you like it, Your Highness," she stated instead.


    "Now Barry, show Harp the list of betrothal gifts. Harp, check if you are satisfied with them. If not, you


    can tell me whatever you want. I''ll ask Noah to handle this," Matthew said, getting delighted in an


    instant.


    Taking the long list of gifts from Barry, Harper threw a quick nce at it. She then immediately looked


    at Matthew in disbelief. Everything on the list was invaluable and any single item was enough for


    Charles to give her away. Harper thought it might be too much for Matthew to treat her like this.


    "Your Highness, this is too much."


    "Of course, I should give you nothing but the best. If you don''t mind, just take all of them. The wedding


    dress will be sent here in a few days. If you want anything to be added, just tell Barry and he''ll take


    care of it," Matthew calmly stated.


    "Yes, Your Highness." If she were being honest, Harper was actually very ttered. She wanted to ask


    Matthew whether he had emptied the storehouse of his mansion and visited the national treasury in


    order to collect so many priceless gifts. But she dared not.


    Looking at the boxes of betrothal presents being moved in and heaping up the whole yard, Charles was


    a little surprised. Matthew had given so much importance to the marriage and sent so many betrothal


    presents. Should he devise a new n and make good use of his daughter? Matthew might be really


    satisfied with her, after all.


    With these thoughts in mind, even Charles couldn''t believe it. He turned to look at Harper''s face. He


    couldn''t help but notice that she actually took after her mother who was indeed a beauty, both in


    appearance and manner. But Matthew had seen a lot of other beauties. And even if Harper were to be


    considered as one of those women, it could not erase the fact that her previous engagement had been


    broken off. How could he treat her with all of his heart? But if he didn''t love her, the valuable betrothal


    gifts didn''t make sense!


    While Charles was still pondering, he noticed that Matthew had asked his own bodyguard to stay.


    Immediately, he understood that for Matthew, this was all just a show for them. Otherwise, why would


    he leave his bodyguard to protect these betrothal presents?

 Chapter 252 An Accident Happened (Part One)

    Chapter 252 An ident Happened (Part One)


    Johnson and Rena kept on speaking badly of Harper in front of Matthew, in order to discredit her.


    Johnson, meanwhile, was endeavoring to whitewash his daughter.


    Harper didn''t get involved in Matthew''s treatment. She shut the door and turned a blind eye to the


    outside world. The only thing she did was to write down the herbs that were needed to detoxify


    Matthew, and then let the steward give the list to Matthew.


    "Your Highness, we have prepared all the herbs that are needed. Why don''t we just give them to the


    steward, instead of just delivering the list to His Highness?" Nina asked in confusion. She remembered


    there were medicinal herbs in abundance in Harper''s room of herbs. Why wasn''t she even willing to


    offer her resources?


    "Because it won''t be me to detoxify Matthew. Think about this. What could happen to me if there is


    something wrong with the herbs offer by me? For the sake of Matthew''s safety, it''s better and wiser for


    me not to be involved in anything to do with the treatment." Being of her cautious nature, Harper


    always considered matters more carefully than others did.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Well, just let those ipetent fools im all the credit. What a shame! After all, your prescription is


    the key to His Highness''s cure."


    "As long as Matthew is cured, that''s all that matters to me! But I still worry about him." Harper cast Nina


    a bewildered look, but in an instant, she became determined and confident again. When she


    remembered what motivated Johnson to do this job, Harper guessed that he and his daughter would


    spare no effort to detoxify Matthew.


    ording to the deal agreed upon between Matthew and them, they would detoxify him within three


    days. Furthermore, he would hand over the method of the antidote and the Golden Cicada to Johnson


    only on that day. Johnson felt rather pleased to consider this arrangement. In the end, Harper would


    hand over her trump card, which would bring her close to death once the prince recovered.


    "Your Highness, the medicine bath is ready." It was Denny''s duty to prepare the medicine bath, while


    the most critical procedure, using the Tribtion Flower and Golden Cicada, was in Johnson''s charge.


    Rena was standing by her father''s side to assist when needed.


    Barry took off Matthew''s clothes and helped him into the medicine bath. Then he was driven out of the


    room. The procedure was not to be shared with anyone from the outside. Only the people inside were


    to know.


    "Your Highness, it will be a little painful. You can shout out if you can''t endure it. It will make you feel


    better," Rena said affectionately. "If necessary, I will certainly tell my father to try to reduce your pain."


    "Hmm," Matthew responded coldly. He was wondering what Harper was doing these days. It had been


    just a few days since he had seen her, but to Matthew, it felt like more like a year. He almost couldn''t


    bear to dy seeing her any longer.


    Johnson was displeased when he saw that Matthew treated his daughter with indifference. But he


    reflected that Matthew was always inclined to be cold-mannered, so he gathered his thoughts and


    focused on what was important. They had discussed the method written by Harper to detoxify Matthew,


    and it was feasible. Furthermore, Johnson was sure that Harper must have had the Canon of Medicine


    in her possession. After he cured the prince, he would make every effort to persuade her to hand over


    it.


    "Master, we can start now." Seeing the water vapor, Denny realized that the toxins in Matthew''s legs


    were moving from his legs to his body at a visible speed.


    Johnson nodded his head. He turned the Tribtion Flower into a state of liquid, and then he dipped


    silver needles in it and stabbed them into the main acupuncture points all over Matthew''s body. The


    poison of the flower was an effective match against the toxins in his body. When the they were evenly


    matched in strength, he would put the Golden Cicada into Matthew''s body and remove all of the toxins


    at once.


    At first, it should have been Denny to assist Johnson, but Rena volunteered to rece Denny.


    However, being a spoiled child, she wasn''t as skilled at acupuncture as Denny. As a result, the speed


    of the acupuncture was much slower, which gave the toxins time to spread faster than expected. Denny


    had no choice but to step up and help. After all, it was a matter of life and death. If anything bad


    happened to Matthew, none of them would ever leave the prince''s mansion alive.


    Rena looked at the two busy people, and her face turned slightly pale. She regretted being so self-


    willed and over-confident. If something went wrong in the process of detoxification, they wouldn''t even


    be able to make a clear excuse.


    "Okay." Johnson heaved a long sigh of relief when he saw that the toxins in Matthew''s body had


    subsided. "We will just wait for the bnce of the toxins in his body."


    Denny wiped the cold sweat on his forehead. "I didn''t expect it to be such a troublesome matter to


    detoxify His Highness. But the poison itself is veryplex, so the difficulty is perhaps not so


    surprising after all."


    "Without your help, it would have been difficult even to carry out the acupuncture alone. How could


    Harper dare to threaten the prince? Is she so skilled in acupuncture? Do you know her medical skills?"


    Johnson asked.


    Denny shook his head. He recalled that the first time Harper pierced Matthew''s body with the needles,


    she was so quick that he couldn''t even see it clearly. If Harper was here to do the acupuncture, she


    would undoubtedly be able to finish it alone. Johnson had to ce the needles very carefully, for fear of


    making a mistake, but Harper was different. She didn''t even need to think carefully, as if she knew


    where exactly to put the needles.


    "Her skill with the needles is excellent." Denny had to admit that Harper was remarkably talented in


    acupuncture therapy. "She is able to find all the acupuncture points with great uracy, and it seems


    to be an easy task for her. I can''t imagine how she is able to do it."


    "Really? I doubt it. It must be that you happened to see her outdoing herself. She can''t be always that


    urate, can she?" Rena retorted quickly. "My father is the greatest acupuncturist. No one can be


    better than him. But even my father is always cautious, careful to avoid any mistake. When she pierces


    with the needles so quickly, does she have no fear of mistakes? She probably doesn''t even know that if


    she makes a mistake, she will kill the patient!"

 Chapter 253 An Accident Happened (Part Two)

    Chapter 253 An ident Happened (Part Two)


    "It is said that she once killed the unborn baby of General Maxwell due to her poor medical skills. She


    almost lost her life because of that mistake. I don''t imagine that she has even learnt a lesson from it,"


    Johnson said in a sarcastic tone. "Such a reckless woman. Rena, you don''t need to contend with a


    woman like her. She will die of her arrogance."


    Denny didn''t say anything. Harper was not a bad person from his point of view. Her only fault was that


    she had offended Rena. He didn''t really want to take a stand between Rena and Harper.


    When Denny was sunk in his thoughts, he didn''t notice Rena''s movements. When no one was looking,


    she put her hand into the bath barrel, pretending to test the temperature of the water. Nobody but her


    knew of her real intention.


    "The toxins are about to subside. Prepare the Golden Cicada!" Seeing that the toxins in Matthew''s


    body had gradually stabilized, Johnson knew that the toxins had been neutralized by the toxic


    substance from Tribtion Flower. The toxins were evenly bnced in his body, waiting for the Golden


    Cicada to break the bnce and absorb all of the toxins at the same time.


    The toxins in Matthew''s body were stable for no more than an instant, and then the bnce copsed.


    They spread all over his body, which stunned both Johnson and Denny. "What''s going on?"


    "Aargh!" The pain was too much for Matthew to endure. He let out a shrill scream. The toxins broke


    out, and he felt as if his bones and muscles were in mes. The pain in every inch of his skin


    overwhelmed him.


    "Hurry up to release the Golden Cicada!" Johnson was a little shocked. He hoped that the Golden


    Cicada could keep the situation under control, so he just decided to put it in the water, despite not


    being the right moment. As soon as the cicada flew into Matthew''s body, he struggled even more


    violently. Johnson and Denny were holding him at his two sides, keeping him under control.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    The Golden Cicada lurked and swam randomly under the skin of Matthew, causing him into a spasm.


    His seven orifices were bleeding with ck blood, and then he passed out. Terrified by the scene,


    Denny loosened his grip on Matthew. Then he quickly grabbed Matthew''s wrist and felt his pulse. The


    touch scared him to a pulp, and he said, "Master, what should we do now?"


    Johnson was also surprised. It was not supposed to be like this. Obviously, the toxins in Matthew''s


    body had been brought under control just a moment before, so why had the toxins suddenly erupted


    again? No mistake had been made in the meanwhile! What had gone wrong?


    Johnson was bbergasted, and Denny was frozen in fear. Matthew''s pulse was weakening every


    second. If things continued like this, the prince would die!


    "It''s Harper! It must be Harper!" Rena was pale with fright. Before Matthew fell into aa, he looked


    at Rena with murder in his eyes. She unconsciously hid her hands in her sleeves. She had tried to stick


    her hand into the bath barrel secretly, but clearly, her action was noticed by Matthew. ''No, No! I had no


    intention to harm him. I just added a little aphrodisiac to the medicine bath, and the aphrodisiac is


    incapable of causing the poison to burst out.''


    "Harper!


    That''s right. It must be Harper. She didn''t want us to cure His Highness. She must have been afraid


    that I would have an advantage over her if we sessfully cured His Highness. She thought I would be


    a threat to her status, so she gave us a false prescription! I''m going to kill that bitch!" Rena yelled. She


    was trying to shift all the me to Harper.


    Denny had no time to think about anything else. He had to detoxify Matthew, or he would die. Once


    Matthew died, the three of them would die as well. Whether this ident had anything to do with


    Harper or not, Denny knew it was urgent to find a way. Besides, if Harper could prove that the method


    was from the Canon of Medicine, she would be able to justify herself. For Denny, there would be no


    choice left but death. And Johnson and Rena would face the same fate.


    "Master, is there any way to detoxify His Highness?" Denny took out all the antidotes he had brought


    and tried hard to put them into the mouth of Matthew. He prayed in his head, ''No, I can''t let you die.


    Please, don''t die!''


    Johnson knew that the situation was very urgent, so they had to work together to find a solution. Even if


    they could not detoxify Matthew, they had to keep him alive. However, the toxins in his body, together


    with the toxic substance from Tribtion Flower and Golden Cicada, had turned his body into a


    container of poison. His body would notst through the night.


    "The first thing to do is to lure Golden Cicada out from his body!" Johnson said calmly. "The Golden


    Cicada loves poison. We must feed some poison to lure it out of His Highness''s body!"


    However, despite all their best efforts, the Golden Cicada would note out of Matthew''s body. To the


    Golden Cicada, Matthew was the best source of poison, and the other poison couldn''tpete with it.


    "Master, why don''t we ask Harper for help now? Maybe she can help us." Sweat gathered on Denny''s


    forehead. His hands shook slightly, and his heart was beating fast. Matthew''s pulse was so weak that


    Denny was about to lose it. If it went on like this, they would surely die along with Matthew.


    "Since she deliberately plotted against us, how could she hand over the recipe of the antidote?


    Perhaps she will take advantage of this to have us killed!" Johnson shook his head and refused


    Denny''s suggestion. No matter what, he would make sure to have Harper med for the poisoning.

 Chapter 254 Take Both Of Them Down (Part One)

    Chapter 254 Take Both Of Them Down (Part One)


    Rena rushed out of the room and went straight to the Phoenix House. A cold light shed in Barry''s


    eyes as he set his sights on Rena. Before entering the room for detoxification, Matthew had ordered


    Barry to ensure that Harper was safe if he was not the first one toe out.


    Rena, however, didn''t have the slightest idea about the arrangement Matthew had just made. Only one


    thought was lingering in the back of her mind. That was, she had to make sure that Harper would die


    before Matthew so that they would be able to use her of poisoning Matthew. That would clear her of


    any me if Matthew died during his treatment.


    "Harper Chu!" she shouted, as she kicked open the gate of the Phoenix House. With her sword


    unsheathed and already in her hand, she bolted towards Harper, eximing, "Bitch, go to hell!"


    Harper was sitting in the yard at that time, restless like a cat on hot bricks. Suddenly, she felt a sharp


    pain in the chest like she was having a heart attack. Just then, Rena broke into her house.


    Harper''s heart sank, but she was unable to move because of the pain. The pain that she was feeling


    was iparable to anything she had felt before and it made her breath bebored. She wanted


    to ask for help, but the only person she was with was Nina, who unfortunately couldn''t fight.


    "Guards!" Nina shouted at the top of her lungs. "Help us! An assassin is attacking us!"


    Rena had already thought that killing Harper would be a piece of cake, but she never thought that she


    would be this lucky. Harper''s two maids who were good at fighting were nowhere near her at that time,


    and the only person she was with was a girl who didn''t have any set of fighting skills. A huge smile


    started spreading across Rena''s face. Her n was to go straight to Harper, but upon seeing Nina, she


    couldn''t help but kick her out of the way. When she came face to face with Harper, she pointed her


    sword at her, ready to strike. Without a doubt, Rena was hell-bent on killing Harper.


    Harper, on the other hand, was ready to fight back. Before she could, however, someone had already


    fended off Rena''s sword and took her away.


    "Watch out, Your Highness!"


    Upon seeing Jack, Harper felt a bit of relief. She quickly grabbed onto him. With her face pale and her


    breath bated because of the pain in her chest, she muttered, "Matthew... Matthew is in serious trouble!"


    "No wonder you had the guts to poison His Highness," Rena said in an usatory tone. "It turns out


    that you have an affair with another man! I will make sure to end your life today!" Upon seeing the man


    holding Harper, Rena took him as a paramour, using Harper of poisoning Matthew.


    Jack held Harper tighter as he took steps away from Rena. Harper was usually not a frail person, but


    today, she felt that something was greatly amiss. It was an arduous task for her to utilize her full


    strength, so instead of fighting Rena, she was only able to hold her off. Apart from Jack, Forsythia and


    Elsie had alsoe in a hurry upon hearing the noise of fighting. In an instant, Rena was put at a


    disadvantage.


    Without wasting any more time, Forsythia and Elsie were already charging towards Rena. "You bitch!"


    Rena shouted, as she defended herself against two of Harper''s maids. "You poisoned His Highness


    and had an affair with another man. Now you''re ordering these people to kill me. His Highness will


    know about this and he will not let you go unpunished!" Rage was burning in Rena''s eyes.


    Amidst all the action that was happening, Jack carefully put Harper in a safe spot behind some trees.


    When she could finally stand up firm on her two feet by herself, she took a deep breath and ordered,


    "Capture her!"


    "Yes, Your Highness," Forsythia and Elsie responded in chorus, once again charging towards Rena.


    Rena''s fighting skills were mediocre at best. Fighting Forsythia solely was a hard nut for her to crack,


    but now, with both Forsythia and Elsie up against her, she was easily ovee and captured in no


    time.


    "Bitch!" Rena cursed as she red at Harper. "How dare you do this to me! I am His Highness''s


    concubine, and you are just an unwanted person! You are a bitch!" Considering the situation she was in


    and all the odds against her, Rena was still feisty. This was the scene Barry saw when he arrived at the


    yard.


    "How is Her Highness?" he asked Jack.


    Jack nced at Harper. He was clueless as to why she was clutching her chest with her hand. It was


    his first time seeing her like this. Her face was as pale as a ghost.


    "I have informed Mister Rufus. His Highness said that if anything happens to him by any chance, you


    will be in charge of everything in the mansion, Your Highness," Barry said, rying to Harper what


    Matthew had said.


    "Lock her up first," Harper ordered, ring back at Rena. "I''m going to take a look at his condition."


    With that, Harper went directly to the main house where Matthew was being detoxified. There must be


    something wrong in the process of detoxifying, considering Rena had shown up solely for the purpose


    of ending her life. She knew that Rena needed someone to take all the me, and that person was her.


    The thought of this made Harper uneasy. Since everyone had been keeping her in the dark as to what


    had happened to Matthew, she decided to take a look at him by herself.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    "Watch out, Your Highness!" The moment Harper took her first steps forward, her knees gave out.


    Fortunately, Forsythia was there to catch her before she fell to the ground. She then began her way to


    where Matthew was.


    Johnson and Denny were silent as they walked. Both of them were deep in their thoughts about what to


    do next. Soon, they came upon Harper, who, despite looking pale, still looked like a fairy when the light


    shone on her. This illusion, however, was broken with the words that came out of her mouth.


    "Arrest both of them!" Harper ordered without hesitation. The secret guards came in one after another,


    and took both of them down in lightning speed.


    "Harper Chu, what are you trying to do?" Denny shouted as he was being tackled to the ground. His


    shaky voice made it obvious how anxious he was. "What are you doing? Why are you arresting me?


    His Highness is in deep trouble, and by doing this, you are putting his life in danger! Are you aware of


    that?"


    Whatever Denny was saying, Harper was uninterested. She slowly stepped forward and saw that


    Matthew was still in the medicated bath. His body had turned ck, and it seemed to her that his pulse


    was feeble. She entered the room quietly, touched the water with her finger and smelled it carefully.


    Suddenly, a voice rang out. "Wow, what a spectacr scene! What transpired here?" Everyone turned


    around to see where the voice wasing from. They all saw Rufus, who was dressed in a coquettish


    manner. "Barry, why do you look so uneasy? Are you unhappy to see me? Does His Highness want


    to..."

 Chapter 255 Take Both Of Them Down (Part Two)

    Chapter 255 Take Both Of Them Down (Part Two)


    His eyesnded on the two men who had been just apprehended. Rufus, confused, turned to look at


    Harper, who was trying to drag Matthew out from the bath barrel. "Hey, woman..."


    "Don''t just babble there! Come and help me!" Harper shouted. Anger gripped Harper''s insides. It was


    like a zing inferno that wanted to burn her from the inside out. This became evident in her voice,


    which was loud and thunderous. This quickly put terror into Rufus'' heart that he unconsciously shook


    like a leaf. In a hurry, he dashed to help Harper. The two of them sessfully got Matthew out of the


    bath barrel and put him on the bed.


    "Go and fetch some water," Harper ordered. She opened the needle kit, only to find that her hands


    were shaking so uncontrobly. She pped the back of her hand several times that it was already


    glowing red, but her hand was still trembling.


    "Here''s the clear water that you asked for, Your Highness."


    "The liquid medicine on his body shall be..." Then, it suddenly clicked in Harper''s mind. ''There is a hot


    spring in Matthew''s bedroom!'' she thought. Quickly, she reached out and pressed the button on the


    bedside. As she had expected, the partition door was opened. "Put him inside and wash his body."


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    With pursed lips, Rufus followed her orders. Swiftly but carefully, he put Matthew into the hot spring to


    tidy his body up. After the bath, he took him out and put him on the bed beside Harper. Her hands had


    already stopped trembling and within a few second, she was able to carry out the acupuncture


    treatment quickly and urately.


    "Barry, block Denny''s and Johnson''s internal forces. After that, lock them up. If any of the three


    prisoners gets way, you will be put to death as a punishment." Harper''s eyes were as dangerous as a


    hawk''s.


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    "Forsythia."


    "Yes, Your Highness?"


    "Go to the Bu n at once and request Zack toe here. Inform him that something urgent has


    happened and tell him toe here on the sly."


    "Understood, Your Highness."


    Seeing the serious face everyone in the room was wearing, Rufus, for a moment, was clueless as what


    to say. Denny was his friend and they got along well, but Harper had just issued an order to lock him


    and the other two up. Not even Barry had the courage to defy Harper''s orders and say no.


    "Hey, woman..." he said, walking towards Harper. That moment, however, he noticed something. "Oh,


    no. Your Highness, what on earth happened? " Seeing that Matthew was as ck as charcoal, he


    immediately knew that he was poisoned. A sinister smile crept on his lips. It had never urred to him


    that Matthew would be in such a situation one day.


    "Don''t you see that he''s dying?" Harper gave Rufus a ferocious stare. ''How dare you!'' she thought, her


    eyes narrowing. ''This guy literally has the audacity to smile at this moment!''


    It was not until he heard Harper''s voice that Rufus realized how serious Matthew''s situation was. With a


    tinge of concern for Matthew, he asked, "What? Are you kidding me? The poison has taken effect on


    him ever before. Despite him looking terrifying, he was fine every time."


    "Are you serious, Rufus?" Harper couldn''t believe what she was hearing. "In six hours, Matthew will


    die!" She rushed to a desk and wrote a prescription down on a piece of paper. "Nina, Anabel, get the


    herbs with Jack. Cook them with three cups of water and bring it here when only a bowl of water is left."


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    After all the arrangements were made, Harper quietly waited for Zack toe. From that moment on,


    there would be no one in charge of Prince Matthew''s mansion. She had to find a reliable person who


    could assist her in guarding the mansion.


    Zack seemed like he was dragged to the mansion. He had never been a person who would make an


    effort to look good, but it was the first time that he had appeared in front of Harper in such a mess.


    Despite being embarrassed, when he saw the look on Harper''s face, he asked with concern, "What


    happened? Why did you ask me toe here in such a hurry?"


    Harper moved aside so that Zack could see the unconscious Matthew. Zack was taken aback. "His


    Highness..."


    "He is in aa." Harper took a deep breath. "From now on, there will be no one in charge of the


    mansion. People outside are hostile towards Matthew. He couldn''t have been in such a state without


    someone framing him. I have no other choice but to seek your help."


    "Tell me what you need. I will do whatever I can." As far as he knew, once people outside be


    cognizant that Matthew was in aa and on the verge of death, they would make a move against his


    mansion. In that case, Prince Matthew''s mansion would be in peril.


    "He will wake up in seven days if nothing goes wrong. So, in the next seven days, I need you to guard


    his mansion for me," Harper stated while gritting her teeth. "I know that I am asking too much from you


    and that favor will give you an endless stream of dilemmas. Once His Majesty gets wind of it, the Bu


    n will be in serious trouble. But there''s no one else I can put my trust in except you."


    "Oh, really? In front of me?" You can have confidence in me!" Rufus mumbled unhappily.


    "You care about Matthew''s life because you''re sworn brothers, but you don''t give a fret about my life,"


    Harper said coldly.


    "You are alive and kicking, aren''t you?" Although Rufus didn''t want to admit that what Harper said was


    true, she was right. If something happened, he would, by all means, safeguard Matthew''s life rather


    than hers.


    "What are you nning to do?" Zack asked, obviously a little uneasy. He knew that Harper had the


    ability to guard Prince Matthew''s mansion for seven days. It wouldn''t be a problem for her at all. Why


    would she seek his help? He only thought of one reason, namely she could not deal with matters of the


    mansion.


    "Everyone gets out! Let me and Zack talk alone," she ordered. Rufus was unwilling to follow the order.


    "I''m not in the mood to have a heated argument with you, Rufus Xiao. If you don''t obey my order, I''ll


    have my men beat you until you''re disabled!" she threatened. "I will have you thrown out!"


    "Oh, gosh. Don''t be so hot-tempered. I''m going out." Rufus was reluctant to go out, not because he


    didn''t believe Harper, but because the Bu n belonged to the emperor faction. However, Harper


    asked a person from the Bu n for help when Matthew was in aa. Why? Wasn''t she afraid that


    Zack would stab her in the back and betray her?

 Chapter 256 I Have No Regrets (Part One)

    Chapter 256 I Have No Regrets (Part One)


    Only two sober people remained in the room, and Harper cast a nce at her unconscious husband.


    "Zack, you''re the only one who''s ever going to hear what I''m about to say. And whatever I''m going to


    tell you, you can''t ever tell anyone else, not even your father. Do you swear it to me?" With a grim face,


    Harper kept her eyes on him, feeling with all her heart that Zack was the only one who could keep this


    secret for her life''s sake.


    "I swear, this is between you and me."


    Harper finally nodded, letting out her breath. "Matthew was poisoned, and his life was in danger. I


    managed to seal the toxins in his legs, so he''s unable to walk. We''ve found all the herbs needed to


    detoxify him, but I''m not sure who it was that exposed this secret. In process of detoxifying him, a


    mistake had been made, and he could die at any time. In order to save him, I''ll have to take a massive


    risk, and pay a tremendous price."


    "And what''s that price?" Zack stared at her, having understood what she was trying to say. "Does this


    mean that you''ll die? If that''s what you''re trying to tell me, Harper, I''m not going to let you do it. If you


    die trying to save him, I''ll burn this mansion to the ground. There''s no point in saving him if you have to


    die for it!"


    At his vehemence, Harper shook her head and carefully sat on the edge of the bed. With much


    tenderness, she tucked Matthew''s hair behind his ears. "I won''t die, Zack. But I will be week, and


    fatose for a while. And no one knows when I will wake up, not even me."


    "What are you talking about?"


    "The risk is huge. When I make my attempt to detoxify Matthew, we''ll both fall into aa. While this is


    happening, I''ll need someone to help me guard the prince''s mansion and wait for him to wake up."


    Harper drew out a delicately-crafted token. The token had been a gift from the masked man, right


    before she''d gotten married. It wasn''t untilter on that she discovered that the masked man was


    actually Matthew himself, and that the token was the ck g Token, which the emperor dreamed of


    and tried various schemes to get.


    Now, Harper pressed the ck g Token into Zack''s hands. "This is the ck g Token. I''m sure


    you''ve heard of it. With this, you''ll be able to order around everyone in this mansion. Once Matthew


    wakes up, you have to give it back to him. If neither of us will be able to wake up after what I''m about to


    do, then you''ll have to keep it. You''ll have to find another talented general for the ck g Army."


    "I don''t like this, Harper. You sound like you''re giving out yourst words. I don''t want the ck g


    Token or any of it. I just don''t want anything to happen to you!" Zack implored, emotional.


    Harper managed a smallugh. "It''s all I can do, Zack. I''m a part of Matthew now. If he were to die, His


    Majesty would never allow me to live anyway, and Matthew''s people wouldn''t let me take the ck


    g Token and give it to His Majesty. Whatever Matthew''s future may be, it''ll be my own as well. But


    you? You''re different. You can still hold a stand. You''re not a member of the prince''s mansion."


    "Is there really no other way? Do you have to do this?" Anxiety was written all over Zack''s face as he


    stared at her, looking for any possible alternative. He had always thought that Harper didn''t really


    harbor deep feelings for Matthew, but from the way she spoke, it seemed as though he was only lying


    to himself, believing that he still might''ve had a chance.


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Yes, I do. Zack, please, I beg you. I''ve no one else to turn to, no one else to rely on. I can only beg you


    to help me, please. I can''t let my husband die right before my eyes," Harper whispered. Her eyes were


    bright with determination.


    At her words, Zack looked down at the small token cradled in his palm. Its corners pricked his flesh, but


    he felt no pain from it. "Harper, you... Are you in love with His Highness?"


    Harper''s smile only grew. "I''ll have no regrets, even if I were to die, Zack, because I''ve had such a good


    husband."


    "And you''d do anything for him? What would you be nning to do to save His Highness?" Though he


    felt a deep-seated jealousy, Zack already knew what Harper''s choice was now. There was no doubt


    that Matthew was a fine husband, and when he was determined to express love, very few people could


    truly resist his charm. And Harper had never rejected him from the beginning.


    In response, Harper rose and walked to Matthew. She sat at the edge of the bed and pressed a hand


    against his body. Without warning, a bulge grew beneath his skin, like a tumorous growth, and it


    disappeared as rapidly as it appeared. Drawing out a dagger, she cut her palm open, and made


    another slice just near where the bulge had been. She attached her open wound to the cut


    immediately. Suddenly, something rippled and moved under Matthew''s skin, startling Zack.


    As soon as whatever it was swam up to the open wound, Harper quickly drew back her hand. A ck


    shadow sprang right up from the gouge, and she swiftly snatched it up, shoving and shutting it into a


    box.


    "What...what in the world was that?!" Zack demanded, aghast. He knew that Matthew was in no


    ordinaryatose state, but what was that insect? Why did it rise up from the wound and seemed


    compelled to follow Harper''s blood? What did she just do?


    "It''s the Golden Cicada. I''ve raised it with my blood. I could''ve been able to detoxify himpletely


    through the use of the Golden Cicada raised by my blood, but...I made a fatal error. I believed the


    others too easily. If I had insisted on doing it myself, he wouldn''t even be in this situation right now." Her


    voice trembled.


    "Harper, you couldn''t have known. It''s not your fault. Just tell me what you have to do next, and we''ll


    get through it," Zack urged, trying to bring her somefort.


    Harper took a deep breath, steeling herself for what was next. "I''m going to need Denny''s help,


    actually. But I''m worried that he might hurt me out of his own personal grudge against me. And I''ll need


    someone to guarantee my safety. And I was hoping that would be you."


    "Harper, I won''t let anyone hurt you," Zack replied immediately, fervent in his tone.


    "Once I do what I have to do to save Matthew, I''ll be depleted. I''ll be too weak to even move and


    beatose at that point. Now, while I''m in this state, if you find something goes wrong, I''m permitting


    you to kill Denny, Johnson and Rena without hesitation. If the secret guards refuse to obey your orders,


    you can use the ck g Token to demand that they obey you. You must hold this as ast resort,


    though. You''ll have to keep that ace up your sleeve as long as possible." Truthfully, Harper was deathly


    worried that if word went out that Zack had the ck g Token in his possession, it would paint a


    target on his back and put him in mortal danger.

 Chapter 257 I Have No Regrets (Part Two)

    Chapter 257 I Have No Regrets (Part Two)


    "Don''t worry about anything, okay? I''ll make sure to protect your mansion with all my might until you


    wake up."


    It took some time to prepare everything before Harper was finally ready to enter the prison and confront


    Denny. But when Johnson and his daughter sighted her, they were immediately furious. "Harper Chu,


    how dare you show your face to us! You deliberately gave us the wrong way to detoxify His Highness.


    You were plotting to destroy our reputation and disgrace us!"


    Without even taking a look at them, Harper turned to Denny and said, "Matthew''s toxins in his body


    broke out. He would die if we can''t detoxify him before sunset."


    Denny paled slightly at her words. He knew that there was only one way out of that situation now:


    Matthew was going to die, unless he was somehow cured. And yet he was now powerless to do


    anything about it. There was nothing else he could do.


    "Denny, I need your help," Harper murmured softly, her eyes intent.


    "Denny, don''t you dare put any trust in this conniving woman," Johnson retorted. "She''s only trying to


    use you for her own gain!" He wasn''t about to stand there and let Harper have her way.


    "My help? How? To take the me instead of you?" Denny snapped, mocking.


    Harper only replied calmly, "There is an aphrodisiac added to Matthew''s medicated bath. Did you put


    that into the bath because you fell in love with him? Or did you want to lead him to another woman''s


    bed?"


    "Aphrodisiac? I don''t know about anything like that!" Denny denied immediately. "The detoxifying


    process is incredibly delicate and needs absolute caution. I wouldn''t interfere with it with anything like


    that."All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "So it wasn''t you, then? Then who could it be?" Harper now leveled her gaze at Johnson and his


    daughter. "You were the one who prepared the medical materials, weren''t you? And you prepared the


    medicated bath. Only the three of you were present during that time. This only means that one of you


    drugged him, causing the toxins in his body to lose stability and go out of control."


    Almost immediately, Johnson knew in his heart that it could be none other than his own daughter that


    had drugged Matthew. Denny found himselfing to the same conclusion. But as he looked up to


    gaze at the father and daughter, he saw Rena''s eyes swiftly look away with guilt. And it dawned upon


    him what had actually taken ce: Rena had drugged Matthew, trying to get him to have sex with her,


    and ensnare him in such a way that he could never abandon her. She was the one who ruined the


    whole process.


    "Rena...was it you?"


    "No, I didn''t do anything! How could I have possibly done such a thing?! Denny, don''t listen to that


    woman''s nonsense!" Color soared into Rena''s face. There was no way that she could confess to such


    an outrage. It would only drive home the fact that Matthew would never marry her.


    "Honestly, I don''t care who did this anymore. But I want all of you to know: If anything happens to


    Matthew, you will all die on the spot. Denny, Matthew has treated you like his own brother, and yet


    you''d sit by, condoning his murder for the sake of your own private affairs. What a wonderful brother


    you are to him!" Harper sneered coldly.


    "No, I didn''t..." Denny started to fluster, unable toe up with an answer to save him from the truth.


    He knew the writing was on the wall. If he hadn''t insisted on bringing Rena into this, Matthew would


    never have ended up this way. Defeated, he stammered, "Do you have a way to save His Highness


    somehow?"


    "Yes, I have. But I''m going to need your help," Harper said. "But to be perfectly honest, if you''re not


    able to distinguish between right and wrong, I don''t dare allow you to help me!"


    "I swear, I won''t act recklessly in any way. I''ll do whatever it takes to save His Highness." Denny''s tone


    was pleading, emotion wrenched in every word as he looked up. "Barry, please. Help me convince her


    to show me mercy. I just want to save His Highness while there''s still a chance!"


    Standing behind Harper, Barry said coldly, "His Highness has made his orders clear: If anything were to


    happen to him, Her Highness would be the one in charge of making the decisions in the mansion."


    Denny stood rooted to the spot, astonished. Matthew''s trust had been stripped away from him. The


    reason Harper wasn''t allowed to take part in the detoxifying and the reason he agreed so easily, as it


    turned out, was to protect her. Did Matthew somehow foresee that something unscrupulous would be


    afoot?


    "Release him," Harper thenmanded. Gazing down at Denny''s disheveled, small frame, she


    stretched out her hand. A red pilly upon it, and she held it out to him. "Take it."


    "What''s this?"


    "Lethal Seven. This pill will kill you in seven days," Harper responded dispassionately. "If the treatment


    goes well and ording to n, Matthew will wake up in seven days. And if he wakes up, then you can


    have the antidote to save your own life. Otherwise, I''ll have all of you killed and torn to pieces. Before


    that though, I might have Rena hurled into the military camp for their use. You know what I mean."


    "You insidious bitch!!" Johnson was foaming with rage. Rena might have remained blissfully ignorant of


    what Harper was implying, but there was no doubt that every man there knew what she was saying.


    After she was thrown into a military camp of nothing but savage men, they were going to end up


    ravaging her.


    "Johnson Leng, I''m afraid that I''m not the type of person that tolerates that kind ofnguage. If I hear


    any more of those words from you, I''ll have them cut your tongue off!" Harper coldly snapped. "Do you


    realize what position you''re in right now?! You and your daughter have endangered my husband''s life!


    Instead of examining your own guilt and conscience, you choose to insult me. Don''t take me for a weak


    woman, as you''ll find you''re sorely mistaken. The imperial capital is not your own personal Medical


    Valley that bows to your will and you''ve free reign to do harm as you wish. I suggest that you not dare


    act entitled here."


    Rena was just about to retort right back but Johnson immediately stopped her. There was no doubt that


    Harper was going true to her word. She had every intention of killing them, and if they were to go too


    far, she might just have itmanded in a second.


    Finally, Denny picked up the poison pill and swallowed it with a determined expression. "I''m holding to


    my word. I''ve taken the pill. Now tell me what you want me to do next."

 Chapter 258 Fall Into A Coma

    Chapter 258 Fall Into A Coma


    Denny looked at Harper in disbelief and couldn''t believe what he had just heard.


    "Are you kidding me, Your Highness?" Denny asked, puzzled at the situation.


    Harper sneered, a smile creeping onto her face. "Do you think I''m someone who will joke about my


    life?"


    "But His Highness was poisoned severely. I''ve tried my best over the years but failed to detoxify him.


    You said that you could with the blood in your heart. Wasn''t that a joke?" Denny had thought Harper


    had gone mad. If she could detoxify Matthew with the blood in one''s heart, Denny would have killed


    countless people and taken their blood to save Matthew.


    Without answering, Harper slit Matthew''s wrist and then dripped the ck poisoned blood into a teacup


    before slitting her palm. As her fresh blood dripped, the poisoned blood turned into a bright crimson


    color.


    "Your blood..." Denny gasped at the sight.


    Harper''s blood continued to flow into the teacup. "I''m immune to any poison. But Matthew''s toxins are


    so ferocious that blood alone can''t detoxify him. I was supposed to use the poison of the Tribtion


    Flower to suppress the toxins in his body and then use the Golden Cicada which is raised with my fresh


    blood to detoxify him." Harper''s voice drawled. "But you three destroyed everything."


    "What?" Denny couldn''t believe what he was hearing. He pulled himself together. "Aren''t you a spy sent


    by His Majesty? Why would you sacrifice yourself to save His Highness?" Ultimately, Harper was an


    enemy, a spy sent by the emperor. She wouldn''t risk her life simply for Matthew''s sake.


    "When did I be His Majesty''s spy? Is it because His Majesty betrothed me to Matthew? Who do


    you think can force him to marry me if he insists not?" Harper demanded.


    Denny''s mouth left agape, he was unable to refute her. No one could force Matthew to do what he


    didn''t want to. Matthew had killed his three fiancees because he didn''t want to marry them. He would


    never marry a woman he didn''t want.


    "So..."


    The air was thick, almost suffocating.


    "She has been working for His Highness from the very beginning," Barry exined. After all, he had


    known Denny for years and didn''t want his paranoia taking over. "Your enmity towards Her Highness is


    very obvious, thought you may not have noticed that. Didn''t you notice that the secret guards around


    Her Highness have doubled in number since you returned to this mansion? It was His Highness


    arranged this. As long as the three of you take any action against Her Highness, he will have the three


    of you killed right here."


    Denny forced a wry smile. He was worried that Harper was a spy, so he stood his guard against her.


    He had even tried to instigate Matthew to divorce his wife and marry Rena. If Matthew didn''t divorce,


    Denny had even nned to kill Harper. But in Matthew''s eyes, to everyone''s surprise, Harper was


    more important than anyone else.


    "It''s dangerous to extract blood from your heart. You''ll die if it''s not done right," Denny said before he


    hesitated for a moment. "If you die in the process¡ª"


    "Don''t worry," Harper cut him off. "You don''t need to do it. What you need to do is detoxify Matthew as I


    say. I''ll take the blood myself." She paused before letting out a sigh of relief. "But remember, you only


    have seven days. If neither I nor Matthew wakes up in seven days..." Her voice trailed off.


    "I know. I will also die as the poison is too in my body," Denny said bitterly and took a deep breath.


    "How do you extract the blood from your heart?"


    Instead of answering Denny, Harper told him the treatment method to detoxify Matthew. "Read it first. If


    you have any questions, ask me. We still have some time."


    Denny quickly skimmed through the method. It was very simple, but it would be troublesome to use the


    blood of Harper''s heart. It wasn''t difficult to him as a skilled physician, so he agreed. "No problem."


    "I''ll send someone to bring my blood here," Harper said before turning to leave. "Get a head start on


    preparations." She promptly left.


    Denny didn''t know how Harper would draw the blood, but he knew it was highly risky. As long as he


    didn''t take the blood himself, it had nothing to do with him even if she died. Once Matthew awoke,


    Denny wouldn''t be used of it.


    It wasn''t long before Forsythia came, and the blood was frozen within a white porcin bottle. Denny


    nced at her and took it. Secret guards surrounded both this house and the Phoenix House.


    Zack stayed by Matthew''s side to make sure that Denny wouldn''t mess around. He was very worried


    about Harper''s safety, but he had to stay here to assure Matthew''s safety. After all that had happened,


    he didn''t want to break Harper''s trust.


    Although Denny suspected Harper, he took Matthew as a brother. He knew that Matthew''s situation


    couldn''t get any worse than it already was, so he was careful not to make any mistakes. Just before


    sunset, he fed Matthew the blood and waited for it to take its effect.


    After confirming that Matthew had taken the blood, Zack rushed to the Phoenix House, but he was


    stopped by a secret guard. "Mister Zack, this is the ce where Her Highness lives. You are a male..."


    "Let him in," Forsythia said. She used to be a secret guard of Prince Matthew''s mansion. Many guards


    knew her and she was Harper''s trusted maid, so no one continued to make the situation difficult for


    Zack.


    Zack nodded at Forsythia and hastily walked in. "How''s Harper?"


    "She''s in aa," Forsythia said, her voice low. "Drawing blood from the heart is harmful to one''s


    health and can take a lot out of a person. Her Highness has been weak in recent years and it''s taken a


    toll on her. She, too, is in aa."


    As Zack looked down at a pale and unconscious Harper, his heart sank. "When will she wake?"


    "I''m not a physician. I don''t know how long it will take before Her Highness wakes up. She just


    instructed us to feed her a pill every day." Forsythia''s expression showed nothing but worry. She was


    worried about what Matthew would do if he woke up and knew what had happened to his wife.


    "At least she''s alive," Zack said, letting out a sigh of relief. He didn''t dare to probe too much. It was


    what she wanted to save Matthew, and he couldn''t stop her. Besides, the couple loved each other, and


    he had missed his opportunity. He and Harper would never be together.


    "You can only call for an imperial physician after His Highness awakens. If we let the imperial physician


    in at this moment, people will doubt us. Before he wakes up, I will help him guard this mansion," Zack


    said and then turned to Nina. "Nina."


    "Mister Zack," Nina responded.


    "You must have served Harper for far longer than any other maids," Zack said with a kind smile. Even


    though he felt heartbroken and could hardly breathe because of the pain, he still wore a smile.


    "Yes, Mister Zack."


    "His Highness must have known yourdy for a long time," Zack said with certainty. Although Matthew


    had a strong purpose in doing anything, it wasn''t in his nature to express it in the beginning. Quite the


    contrary, even if he had achieved his goals, others would think he was forced to do so.


    Nina hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Her Highness was almost killed because of General


    Maxwell''s issue. They knew each other at that time and His Highness saved her life."


    Zack nodded, indicating that he knew what had happened. ''It turns out that Matthew had a crush on


    Harper then. It isn''t wrong for me to lose. I''m afraid that even if Harper had epted my proposal,


    Matthew would have tried his best to ruin our marriage. He had managed with efforts to marry her, but


    why didn''t he protect her?''


    Harper''s condition worsened. Her recovery was little to none within the three days that followed, her


    face growing paler than a ghost. If her heart didn''t beat even the slightest, Zack would have thought


    Harper was dead.


    Denny had offered to check on Harper, but Zack refused without hesitation. He was here because


    Harper didn''t trust anyone else. Before she had any power to resist, Zack would never leave her to


    anyone, especially Denny, whose intentions were ill from the start.


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Since Denny was rejected, he didn''t insist. His intentions weren''t to make a diagnosis or give any sort


    of treatment to Harper. He genuinely wanted to know how she was doing. Given the circumstances, he


    would have had an excuse for Matthew when he woke up. He had offered to treat Harper but Zack just


    wouldn''t allow it. In fact, he wouldn''t allow anyone to get close to the Phoenix House but he did


    frequent the house. Almost everyone knew what was going through his mind. His thoughts were


    practically oozing out of him.


    Every day, Rufus went to the prince''s mansion as if he had nothing to do. Each time he visited, he


    would stare at Zack before looking over at the unconscious Matthew. ."Denny, when will His Highness


    wake up?" he asked.


    "Her Highness said he would awaken in seven days at the most." There was a sense of uneasiness in


    Denny''s chest. The ck color of Matthew''s face faded. He didn''t expect that the blood of Harper''s


    heart could remove the toxins in Matthew''s body. Many physicians had dreamed of such a special body


    nature. A drop of blood from Harper''s heart could detoxify the most dangerous poison. When this


    spread, as well as the news that she had the Canon of Medicine, it was vital to keep her safe. It was


    only time when everyone would attempt to get a hold of her and keep her in captivity.


    Zack didn''t miss the gleam in Denny''s eyes. He also pretended not to know that Denny secretly went to


    the prison to see Johnson and his daughter the past two days. He, too, was waiting for Matthew to


    wake up. Denny was Matthew''s man. If Matthew was unwilling to punish Denny, Zack didn''t mind doing


    him a little favor. He wasn''t a bloodthirsty man, but for the people he cared about, he didn''t mind turning


    into a demon, with his hands stained with blood.


    "Zack, you''re so kind to Her Highness. How could you risk being suspected by His Majesty and be in


    charge of the overall situation in Prince Matthew''s mansion?" Rufus asked curiously. "Aren''t you afraid


    that His Majesty will find out and do something to the Bu n?" If Matthew could get the help from the


    Bu n, he would get everything he wanted like a tiger with wings added.


    ying with a stone in his hand, Zack didn''t say a word but asionally looked at Matthew lying in the


    room. Three days had passed, and the prince''splexion was getting better, but Harper''s only looked


    worse. If the situation continued, would she die before Matthew could wake up?


    "I''m just helping Harper instead of His Highness," he finally responded. "Just like you, who would


    believe that you have a good rtionship with Prince Matthew?"


    Rufus smiled indifferently. "It''s well known that I''m a fearless rascal and care about nothing. I''m at


    peace with everyone. It''s normal for me to be around His Highness."


    "Really?" Zack asked, his tone emotionless. He took a peek inside, and his eyes widened. Was


    Matthew moving?

 Chapter 259 Wake Up

    Chapter 259 Wake Up


    When Matthew opened his eyes, he was still in a daze. He just remembered that he couldn''t bear the


    pain when he was taking the medicated bath. Before he passed out, he had noticed the panic look in


    Rena''s eyes. At that time, he suspected that she had done something to hurt him. Therefore, he sat up


    at once.


    "He''s awake!" Zack murmured.


    "What are you talking about?" asked Rufus, without realizing what had happened. Denny turned his


    head and saw Matthew sitting up. He was so surprised that he rushed to the bedside and checked


    Matthew''s pulse.


    "The toxins have been removed. You are fully detoxified. Congrattions, Your Highness."


    Matthew did not speak. He looked at Zack with puzzled eyes and asked, "Zack, why are you here?"


    Zack''s expression had been neutral, but frost spread over his face when he heard Matthew''s question.


    "Why am I here? Shouldn''t I ask you?"


    Matthew couldn''t understand what Zack meant, but it didn''t stop him from guessing what had


    happened, which was why Zack came to the mansion. He looked at Rufus, hoping that he could get an


    exnation from him.


    "Your Highness, you have just woken up. Although you have been detoxified, you still need a good


    rest," Denny said quickly. For some reason, he felt uneasy. He was afraid that Matthew would discover


    that Harper was in aa in order to save him.


    However, Rufus didn''t care about Denny''s thoughts at all. "Your wife invited him after your


    detoxification failed. When you two were in aa, he was in charge of your mansion. By the way, she


    has arrested Johnson and his daughter."


    "What do you mean? We two were in aa?" Matthew looked suspiciously at Denny. He had an


    intuition that many things had happened during hisa, and that Harper might have been hurt, so he


    couldn''t rx.


    "It''s... Umm..."


    "Tell me!" Matthew shouted angrily, which made Denny tremble with fear. Denny didn''t know what to


    say.


    "Let me tell you," Zack said, standing in front of Matthew. "Something was wrong with your medicated


    bath. An aphrodisiac was added to it, causing a burst of toxins in your body and endangering your life.


    At that time, Denny and Johnson as well as Rena hid the fact that your detoxification failed. Rena


    seized the opportunity to attempt the assassination of Harper, nning to frame Harper for the failure


    of the detoxification."


    "Your Highness, Rena was just worried about you. She didn''t mean to hurt Her Highness. Besides, Her


    Highness didn''t really get hurt at all!" Denny exined in a hurry, to defend Rena.


    But Zack ignored Denny and continued, "Harper put Rena under restraint. She guessed that you were


    in danger. Then shemanded her men to break in and restrain Johnson and Denny. Finally, she


    invited Rufus and me here. Your guard, Barry, knows everything from beginning to end. If you don''t


    believe me, you can ask him."


    "How is my Harp?" Matthew asked worriedly.


    "She is in aa." Taking a deep breath, Zack took out a small box from his pocket and threw it to


    Matthew. "Harper asked me to give this to you after you woke up. Since you are awake already, I''m


    leaving now."


    "Thank you, Zack." Matthew stopped Zack, who was just about to leave.


    "Matthew Jun, since you have made every effort to marry this woman and keep her by your side, you


    should protect her well." Zack walked to the door and stopped. "One more thing, if you dare to hurt her,


    I will never rest until I have made you pay for it!"


    As Zack''s figure receded, Matthew got out of the bed. He was a little weak after being detoxified, so he


    fell directly to the floor. When Denny reached out to help Matthew up, he was pushed away. Seeing


    this, Rufus helped Matthew get up and said, "You''ve only just recovered. Why don''t you lie down for a


    while? What would you get up for?"


    "Barry."


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    "Take me back to the Phoenix House."


    When Forsythia saw Barry pushing Matthew in, her eyes reddened with emotion. She greeted him,


    "Your Highness."


    "Where is my wife?" Matthew was restless, but he controlled himself. He had never expected to get


    Harper involved in this. He thought he had everything nned well, but he had no idea that she''d get


    hurt. If he had known that, he would have made every effort to force Johnson and his daughter to hand


    over the Tribtion Flower. He would never have given the job of detoxifying him to the father and


    daughter!


    "Her Highness is inside." Forsythia turned her head away so that Matthew wouldn''t see the tears in her


    eyes. As a secret guard, she had been trained to show no emotion since she was a child. But when


    she saw Harper lying there like a corpse, she was overwhelmed with grief. She had regarded Harper


    as her true master for a long time.


    Looking at the pale Harper lying in the bed, Matthew felt that his heart was seized by something strong


    enough to stop his heartbeat in an instant.


    Denny didn''t wait for Matthew''s orders, and took the initiative to check Harper''s pulse. To his surprise,


    he couldn''t even feel it, which meant that her vitality had decreased to its lowest ebb. Only the slight


    undtion of her chest revealed that she was still alive.


    "How is she?"


    "Well, Her Highness is greatly damaged. The blood in the heart contains the vital energy and essence


    of the human body. Her body is already weak. With such serious injuries, even if she awakens, it will


    take her six months or a year to make a full recovery." Denny didn''t dare to lie. It was inconceivable


    that Harper could survive a case like this. Anyone else would have died earlier.


    "Do you have any idea?" In reply to Matthew''s question, Denny shook his head. "Maybe my master has


    an idea."


    Matthew stroked Harper''s pale face, with a look of infinite tenderness on his own face. "Johnson has a


    way to save her? Are you sure?"


    "Yes, I don''t dare lie to you. The vital energy of Her Highness is severely weakened, and the meridian


    of her heart is damaged. For her to recover, it unquestionably requires my master''s unique therapy."


    What Denny said was partly true and partly false. In fact, he could also treat Harper, but he needed to


    offer a reason to release his master. If he allowed the two of them to remain locked up, he was afraid


    that Matthew would kill them in anger.


    "Go and bring Johnson here." Matthew didn''t look at Denny. He waspletely disappointed at this


    man. Even at this time, Denny still couldn''t shed light on the current situation. Matthew hadpletely


    given up on him.


    Rufus shook his head and was exasperated with Denny''s behavior. Even at this time, Denny was


    continuing to y a trick in front of Matthew''s eyes. Didn''t he see that the prince was on the verge of


    rage? In order to restrain his anger, Matthew trembled slightly, but Denny kept provoking him!


    At the same time, Rufus worried about Matthew. Previously, Matthew had been fearless because he


    had no weakness. But now he had a weakness, and it was Harper. She was his Achilles'' heel.


    However, Denny, who had been with them for many years, had not seen through it!


    When Johnson was brought in, he still had a proud demeanor, so Barry promptly kicked the man''s legs


    and forced him to kneel on the floor.


    "How dare you!" Johnson turned pale with anger. "Your Highness, is this the way you ask for help?"


    "I will have Rena sent to the military camp as a gift for the ck g Army." Matthew hadpletely


    lost his patience. His beloved woman was lying in bed, and no one knew whether she was going to die,


    and yet both of these fools dared to test his patience again and again!


    "Your Highness, please don''t. Rena is innocent!" Denny immediately knelt down. "Your Highness,


    please let Rena go. If you release her, my master and I will make every effort to cure Her Highness and


    ensure her full recovery!"


    "Your Highness, don''t push me too¡ª"


    "Master, think about Rena!" Denny interrupted his master in a hurry. If Johnson couldn''te to his


    senses quickly, Matthew would really send Rena to the military camp as a gift for the soldiers there.


    This was the imperial capital, Prince Matthew''s mansion, not the Medical Valley!


    Johnson turned his head resentfully and didn''t say anything. He was forced to yield in this unfavorable


    situation, but a trace of his confidence remained in him, because he thought that Matthew was asking


    for his help. "If you want me to treat Harper Chu¡ª Aargh..."


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Before Johnson finished his words, his mouth was hit by a tea cup. Several teeth rolled out of his


    mouth, and it was full of blood. The killing intent burst out from Matthew in an instant, causing Denny to


    freeze motionless. "How dare you utter my wife''s name!"


    Johnson opened his mouth, but couldn''t say anything to refute him. Since Matthew''s toxins had been


    removed, they had no more leverage over him. His own daughter had drugged Matthew with the


    aphrodisiac to achieve her own purposes, resulting in the failure of the detoxification. If the matter was


    brought up, who could guess what Matthew would do to Rena!


    "Three days. You only have three days." Matthew didn''t look back, but just gently put Harper''s hand


    into the quilt. "Three dayster, if my wife can''t wake up, I will send Rena to the military camp. Don''t


    worry. There are military physicians in the camp, and I will never let her die. I will force her to live a life


    worse than death."


    "Your Highness, you can''t do this!" Denny was nervous. "Rena...Rena is innocent!"


    "Is my wife not innocent?" Matthew turned his head and looked at Denny, who was kneeling on the


    floor. "I was too lenient with you, so you have even forgotten that she is my wife!"


    "Your Highness, Rena¡ª"


    "It''s your own business that you care for Rena, but you made a serious mistake. You shouldn''t have


    hurt my woman! You''d better make sure that my wife will wake up within three days. Otherwise, I''ll force


    you to see Rena''s humiliation every day!" Matthew was furious, like a mad lion.


    Denny fell to the floor, in a difficult position. Johnson finally realized the situation and panicked. When


    they were negotiating with Matthew, they both had forgotten one thing. It was rumored that Matthew


    was cold-blooded and bloodthirsty. This wasn''t a groundless rumor. It was the truth. Although Matthew


    truly was a sanguinary person, he kept this side of himself hidden all the time. When a tiger concealed


    its sharp teeth, it was still a tiger!


    "Your Highness, we will try our best to cure Her Highness." Johnson finally came to his senses. He


    could save his daughter only if Harper woke up. He must have been blinded by something in the


    beginning. He had thought that his daughter would be happy if she were married to such a man, and he


    even forced Matthew to agree to divorce his wife and marry Rena. If Matthew had really agreed to


    marry Rena after a divorce, perhaps she would have died silently the next day after his detoxification.


    "Trying your best is not enough. You must cure her; otherwise, all of you will die." There was no sign of


    warmth or affection remaining in Matthew''s eyes. He would help his friends at any time, but there was a


    line that even his friends and his brothers couldn''t cross, and Harper was that line!

 Chapter 260 Shameless People (Part One)

    Chapter 260 Shameless People (Part One)


    Three days was a period neither too long nor too short. However, for Matthew, each day was so


    prolonged that he felt it as long as a year. But for Johnson and Denny, the days passed like the blink of


    an eye.


    The next day after Matthew woke up, the emperor issued an imperial edict to summon him. Had it not


    been for Matthew''s early recovery, the old emperor would have broken into the prince''s mansion by


    force. When Matthew finally appeared in front of everyone, the old emperor was quite astonished, but


    he didn''t find fault with Matthew.


    After returning home, Matthew interrogated Rena secretly.


    "Your Highness! Have youe to save me?" As Rena saw Matthew, tears streamed down her face.


    "Your Highness, Her Highness is very vicious. She not only showed the wrong way to detoxify you but


    also imprisoned me. Your Highness, kindly help me."


    Matthew looked cold, and there was visible disgust in his eyes. But Rena was unable to see that and


    had a strong feeling that he hade to save her. "I offered the Tribtion Flower to save your life, but


    Her Highness was jealous of me and had intended to kill you. Your Highness, you should never let her


    go."


    "The method to detoxify me was wrong?" Matthew enquired coldly. Since the look on his face was as


    cold as always, Rena never noticed that something was actually wrong.


    "That''s right. My father and Denny can prove it to you. We strictly followed each step of the method


    written by Harper, but it still went wrong!" Rena''s eyes twinkled with affection. Even if she knew, she


    would never have admitted that it actually went wrong as she had drugged him with aphrodisiac.


    "But Denny told me that something was added in the medicated bath, resulting in the toxins in my body


    to lose bnce," Matthew said slowly and fidgeted with his jade ring.


    In a trembling voice, Rena said, "No, I didn''t put the aphrodisiac in your bath. I didn''t!"


    "I didn''t say anything about the aphrodisiac. Why did you admit it?" Matthew asked in a disdainful tone


    while looking at the woman who had admitted her guilt before being inquired.


    "I... I..." Rena stammered as she was unable toe up with a reasonable exnation. Actually,


    Harper had mentioned the aphrodisiac before, but Rena was too anxious now to realize that. The onus


    was nowpletely on Matthew, and whether he would decide to still marry her as a concubine was


    something to be waited and watched.


    "You still didn''t admit that you were trying to murder me on purpose!"


    "I didn''t, and I never meant to do that. That person said that as long as I put the drug in the water, you


    would be falling in love with me. Your Highness, I just love you so much that I never had second


    thoughts about what I was doing. I never expected things would end up this way. I really didn''t mean it!


    Your Highness, please trust me. I really didn''t do it purposely," Rena said anxiously.


    "Who is that person?" Matthew asked curiously. He guessed that the news about him getting detoxified


    would have been exposed by Rena. The point was who was really behind it.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    "It''s a woman with a ferocious scar on her face. I couldn''t see her face clearly, but I am sure that it''s a


    woman. Beside her, there was a nobledy following her. I heard the woman calling her ''Princess, ''


    who said she wanted to avenge her son. They promised that if I had put the aphrodisiac in it, then I


    could be your wife. I was never trying to hurt you." Tears were streaming down Rena''s face.


    "Please forgive me, Your Highness. I didn''t mean to harm you."


    Matthew then realized that just one princess had hostility towards Harper as her son died because of


    her. That was to say, Kate had colluded with others to harm him and his wife.


    "Who gave you the drug? Do you still have any of it left? Let me have a look at it."


    "No, I threw it away. I got scared as your poison took effect, so I threw it away," Rena answered, her


    whole body quivering. The coldness on Matthew''s face was so fearful that it seemed he was going to


    eat her alive.


    Matthew no longer wanted to waste his time on this meaningless conversation. He stood up and


    walked out. Three days had passed and still, there wasn''t any sign of Harper waking up. Now, there


    was a real chance that Matthew would go for all-out revenge against all those people who had hurt him


    before!


    Within these three days, Denny and Johnson were trying everything possible to awaken Harper.


    However, due to her weak body and injured vital energy, the only way to make her stronger was to


    nourish her. But the method was too slow and it was not waking her up. If they were unsessful in


    waking her up, then both of them would be under great trouble. Moreover, the two had a headache and


    were getting highly anxious. They had fed Harper some food and mended her wounded meridian in the


    last three days. Finally, before the deadline, they were making some progress as they could observe


    Harper''s face to be less pale than before.


    "Don''t worry, Your Highness. She will be awake today." Denny had bruises under his eyes, and


    Johnson looked dispirited. He had been taking care of Harper since the past three days without any


    rest. Even though he wished Harper''s death, he didn''t dare to make an attempt to kill her now!


    Matthew sat on the edge of the bed, watching the light spreading slowly. He looked at the sunlight


    shining through the window frame and sparkling the floor, while Harper was still asleep. Even after the


    three-day deadline, she didn''t show any sign of waking up.


    "Your Highness, she will wake up. It may take a longer time, perhaps due to her overwhelming


    weakness." Denny trembled with fear as he looked at Matthew''s stormy eyes. "Your Highness, please


    be patient. Her Highness is surely going to wake up."

 Chapter 261 Shameless People (Part Two)

    Chapter 261 Shameless People (Part Two)


    "Yes, definitely she will regain her consciousness." Johnson was also shocked as they were of the


    belief that Harper would be sober in three days'' time, but she didn''t. They had waited for a whole night,


    and still, she showed no signs of waking up.


    "Three days have passed." Mathew''s voice was ice-cold.


    "Your Highness, please give us three more days. Within these three days, Her Highness will be


    conscious!" Johnson pleaded in a low voice. Harper was unable to wake up owing to her weakness. It


    was not because of any mistake of them, but they didn''t have the luxury of time. If they had more time,


    they could definitely make here around.


    Matthew sat silently on the bedside without uttering a word. His heart ached as he saw Harper still lying


    unconscious.


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Harper, it''s dawn. It''s time for getting up. The nanny would be bringing you the ginseng soup. If you


    don''t get up now, she wouldugh at you," Matthew said in a gentle tone.


    Upon hearing this, Nina turned around and wiped off her tears secretly. Though she had often seen


    Harper getting injured, she had never witnessed her as cheerless as now. Harper was quietly lying


    there withoutforting her or speaking tenderly to Anabel. Seeing this was upsetting for everyone


    around.


    "Your Highness, Her Highness will wake up." Denny boldly stepped forward. "She is sleeping just


    because she is too weak. We have tried our best to nurse her. Even if she wakes up now, she still


    needs to be nourished. I''m afraid herplete recovery may take a year or so. Don''t worry, Your


    Highness. I will do my best to nurse her."


    "Yes, Your Highness. Her Highness will be fine," Johnson said, wiping off the cold sweat from his


    forehead. If at the beginning, Harper was herself willing to ask for a divorce and give up her position as


    a princess, then why would his daughter have taken the risk of drugging Matthew resulting in his poison


    attack? Now that Johnson had tried all possible means for treating Harper, he was just returning good


    for evil!


    "Take them away." Matthew no longer wanted to hear them. "Send Rena to the military camp!"


    "Your Highness, you can''t do this!" Johnson was irritated. "If you didn''t'' want the Tribtion Flower, I


    and my daughter would never havee to your mansion. Now you have used the Tribtion Flower,


    but still want to execute us. You are too heartless!"


    "Your Highness, Rena is innocent!" Denny insisted. "Since her childhood onward, she has always been


    so kind-hearted that she wouldn''t even kill an ant. How could she harm you? Your Highness, you


    should believe her. She had no intention to hurt you."


    Hearing this, Matthew sneered and said, "Even Rena herself acknowledged her guilt, but you are still


    defending her. Don''t you think it''s toote?"


    "Your Highness... You... What do you mean?" Denny asked doubtfully.


    "I''ve already interrogated Rena. She admitted about putting poison in my medicated bath. Take them


    away and lock them up," Matthew ordered. "I am not going to allow you to die so easily. Rena is just


    the beginning." He didn''t want to prolong the conversation.


    "Your Highness, for the sake of our friendship in the past years, please let Rena go. I beg you, Your


    Highness." Denny knelt on the floor begging Mathew for mercy.


    Matthew, however, had no response. "It''s too noisy here."


    The guards dragged out the two men, but Denny refused to leave. He grabbed the door frame and


    asked, "Your Highness, are you really going to be so cruel? You have even disregarded our friendship.


    If it were not for me, you would have died long ago. But now, you are treating me like this just because


    of a woman. Your Highness, where is your conscience?"


    "Conscience? How dare you talk to me about it?" Matthew looked at him, his eyes cold and ruthless,


    without the slightest trace of affection. "When you took advantage of my power to eradicate the people


    who were against you in society and made enemies for me all around, why didn''t you use me of


    being heartless? When you took a great deal of gold and silver from me, you didn''t say that I''m cruel.


    You treat me and I pay you back for the treatment. It''s nothing less than a win-win deal. Does it have


    anything to do with the conscience?"


    "I... All I did was just for you!"


    "For me? It''s ridiculous. You have made enemies for me everywhere and cheated me out of my money.


    You also tried to murder my wife. Why don''t you acknowledge that you would kill me for my own good?"


    Matthew had tolerated Denny all the while as he had never crossed his line. However, Denny never


    bothered to correct his mistakes due to the prince''s tolerance for him. Instead of standing down, he


    became even more excessive. He actually med Matthew for not protecting him anymore because he


    had no conscience.


    "Your Highness, even if you and Denny made a deal, I and my daughter have no grudge against you.


    Why would she want to poison you? It must be a false charge by someone." Johnson knew that Denny


    was unable to help him anymore. At this moment, all he wanted was an excuse to get away or else, his


    daughter''s life would end up in misery.


    "You know better if somebody had framed her. I know your intention very well. But you''d better give up


    the idea. Even if I am going to die, I don''t want your daughter!" Matthew said coldly. "A woman like her


    is a scourge to others! No matter how long both of you argue with me, the fact is that she is going to be


    sent to the military camp. You''d better worry about yourselves instead of


    her!"

 Chapter 532 The Helpless Pearce (Part One)

    Chapter 532 The Helpless Pearce (Part One)


    "Matthew, do you know anybody who uses a weapon like this?" Harper asked. Now she only knew that


    Alexander had been framed, but she had no idea who the real murderer was. Pearce would not let


    Alexander go unless the real murderer were discovered and captured.


    After thinking carefully for a while, Matthew shook his head and said, "I will tell my men to investigate.


    This kind of weapon must be a hidden weapon and rarely used. It is the sort of weapon that is used in


    conspiracies against people. If we investigate carefully, we will turn something up sooner orter."


    "I need to go to Pearce''s mansion. I want to persuade him to plead with the mayor on Alexander''s


    behalf, so that perhaps Alexander will be released from prison," Harper said seriously. Neither she nor


    Matthew could visit the mayor themselves. The emperor was waiting at every moment for a chance to


    pin some sort of me on them, and they could not afford to give the emperor an opportunity.


    "Let me talk with Marquis Pearce. You have been so busy. You examined the corpse and went to see


    Alexander, and you haven''t had a good rest yet since we came here. Why don''t you go back to have a


    rest at the inn? I will go to speak with Marquis Pearce at his mansion." Matthew felt sorry for his wife


    being so busy. He wanted to keep her healthy.


    "I''m fine. Alexander..."


    "You need rest," Matthew said decisively. "You''ve done enough for now. Marquis Pearce is a


    reasonable man. I will be easy on him, since he is no longer young and has lost his only son. Don''t


    worry. Alexander wille out of prison very soon."


    "But I''m afraid..."


    "What? You aren''t afraid that I will do things improperly, are you? Do you have so little confidence in


    me?" Matthew asked, pulling a long face. "Have you ever seen me make a mistake?"


    "I know you are careful and you will do things properly, but I''m afraid that those who are behind the


    scenes..."


    "Are you afraid that the people behind the scenes will y little tricks on me?" Matthew burst into


    laughter. "What I fear is that they won''t do anything. But as long as they take some action, any action at


    all, I will surely catch them."


    "I think whoever is behind the scenes is a force in the imperial capital," Harper said after thinking for a


    while. "His Majesty, Her Majesty, Felix, or even some other force still in the dark."


    "Whoever they are, I will make them reveal themselves. Don''t worry," Matthew said, stroking Harper''s


    head. "You just need to have a good rest now. After that, you can deal with these things at a proper


    pace."


    "All right. I''ll leave the business with Marquis Pearce to you. It''s getting dark. I''ll go back to the inn to


    have a good rest. Since we have already shown up in public in the River City, we''ll have to go to the


    government office sooner orter. I really want to avoid drawing attention to us, but we can''t avoid it


    any more since we''re here in person. I think I''d better appear natural." With that, Harper turned her


    heels and went to the inn. Forsythia followed her directly.


    Matthew and Harper hadn''t made a serious effort to hide themselves after entering the River City. If


    anyone investigated them carefully, their whereabouts could be found out.


    So, very soon, Hollis Shangguan, the mayor of the River City, was informed that Prince Matthew and


    his wife had entered the River City. The mayor felt a chill up his spine the moment he heard about it.


    He was afraid that the couple would vent their anger regarding Alexander''s case against him, even


    though he had done nothing wrong.


    It wouldn''t be a big problem if Alexander had killed a nobody. However, it turned out that the victim was


    the only son of Pearce, and Pearce insisted that the murderer be punished severely. As a mayor, he


    dared not offend either party, and he could do nothing other than try to handle the case impartially.


    What vexed him the most was that the emperor had issued an imperial edict to him, demanding that he


    punish the murderer severely.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    "My Lord, Alexander Chu is scheduled to be executed in only three days. Prince Matthew and his wife


    havee to River City at a critical moment. I don''t suppose they came here just to watch Alexander


    Chu''s beheading, right?" the private assistant asked Hollis cautiously. He had a feeling that a storm


    was brewing. After all, Pearce was a tough character as well. If Pearce and Matthew were to lock


    horns, the winner would likely be Matthew, because he had military power. However, the case had


    happened in the River City, where Pearce was a local oligarch, so he had a fair chance of winning too.


    "They must havee to watch me get beheaded!" Hollis said, knocking his private assistant on the


    forehead with his finger. "Everybody knows how much Prince Matthew dotes on his wife. Lady Harper


    now has only one brother left alive, and that is Alexander Chu. If Alexander Chu dies through my


    judgment, how could she not take revenge against me? It''s possible that they will leave Marquis


    Pearce alone, but they will definitely make trouble for me!"


    "Then what should we do? Can we release Alexander Chu?"


    "Bullshit!" Hollis eximed. He was in a dilemma. "If I let Alexander go, not only will Marquis Pearce


    tear me to pieces, but His Majesty will also punish me severely. His Majesty already knows about the


    case, and has told me how he wants me to settle it. If I don''t satisfy him, I''m dead!"


    "So, we can''t kill him, but we can''t release him either. But he can''t be always kept in prison. His


    execution is scheduled in three days."


    "I know that. You don''t have to remind me!" Hollis said. He was so perturbed that he almost burst into


    tears. He didn''t know how such a thing could have happened. He was unprepared for a murder case


    involving two students of high status as opposite parties. All the students in the Clivia School were of


    high status. One was the only son of Marquis Pearce, a local oligarch in the River City, whom even he


    dared not offend, and the other was a brother-inw of Prince Matthew, who had great military power.


    Even the emperor could not afford to provoke Matthew lightly, let alone a tiny mayor like him.


    "How about you have a chat with Prince Matthew and sound out his opinion?" the private assistant


    suggested cautiously. "If Prince Matthew did not, in fact,e here to save his brother-inw, you


    would no longer have to worry."

 Chapter 533 The Helpless Pearce (Part Two)

    Chapter 533 The Helpless Pearce (Part Two)


    After thinking for a while, Hollis shook his head and said, "Prince Matthew hasn''t shown himself openly


    in public here, yet. If I approach him rashly, he may suspect that I''m having him watched. If so, matters


    would only get worse."


    Hearing that, the private assistant also felt perturbed. "Then let''s simply pretend that we''re unaware of


    his presence. If Prince Matthew makes a move to prevent Alexander Chu''s execution, you can ask him


    to provide you the evidence. If he can do so, you will release Alexander Chu ordingly. If Marquis


    Pearce raises an objection, you can tell him what Prince Matthew has done and let him deal with


    Prince Matthew. Then the two powerful men will fight, while all you need do is watch their fight."


    Hollis pped his hands and said, "Excellent n! It''s settled then. I pretend that I don''t know Prince


    Matthew hase to the River City. As long as they don''t show themselves openly, I will pretend to be


    ignorant of their arrival, until Alexander is executed."


    "Very wise of you, My Lord," the private assistant said, giving Hollis a thumbs up.


    At the same time, in Pearce''s mansion, Matthew sat and drank a cup of tea silently, while Pearce also


    kept a gloomy silence. The two of them had been sitting in this way without speaking for two hours.


    The atmosphere in the hall was so frightening that the servants all lowered their heads. Matthew gave


    out a freezing aura, which scared them to death. But they were more scared by the anger emitted from


    Pearce. They didn''t know why neither of the two powerful men said a word for such a long time.


    Seeing Matthew keeping his silence after sitting down, Pearce knew clearly why he hade.


    However, he didn''t want to surrender so easily, so he decided to put on airs too. However, he never


    expected that Matthew would be so patient that he wouldn''t utter a word for two hours.


    Pearce was forced to admit to himself that Matthew deserved his great power, because he had never


    known a man to be so calm. The current emperor hated and feared princes with military power more


    than anything else. But it was not only that Matthew had an army, but also that his soldiers were


    exceptionally loyal to him. The emperor would be extremely relieved if Matthew died on the battlefield,


    but to his continual disappointment, Matthew was victorious in battle again and again, and always


    came back to the imperial capital alive, driving the emperor nearly to madness.


    Finally, Pearce could no longer bear the tense atmosphere. It was difficult for ordinary people to endure


    the sinister aura that came from Matthew''s experience on the battlefield. Pearce just thought that


    Matthew wouldn''t dare to be so aggressive if his father were still alive and present.


    "Your Highness, you''ve been here for two hours. You have drunk several cups of tea already. Are you


    here for something else?" He was hoping to imply that Matthew should leave now and that he didn''t


    want Matthew to stay in his mansion any longer.


    Matthew nced at him casually and said lightly, "Alexander Chu."


    Pearce breathed a deep sigh. Of course he already knew that Matthew came here for the boy. If it


    weren''t for the pressure Pearce had put on the mayor, Alexander would not have been sentenced to


    death so soon. Alexander was only a nine-year-old child, after all. A murderer had to pay with his own


    life, but he already knew that Alexander was not the real murderer. He knew he should help absolve


    Alexander, but he still felt it wasn''t fair for him.


    "It''s up to the government," Pearce said indignantly. He was the father of the victim, and his wife wiped


    her face with tears all day long. Their entire mansion was overwhelmed with sadness. How could


    Matthew demand that he deal with Alexander''s case at such a time?


    "He wouldn''t have been sentenced to death so soon if it weren''t for your intervention," Matthew said


    coldly. "Do you want to kill an innocent boy and let the real murderer escape being punished?"


    "What do you mean? I never kill innocent people!" Pearce eximed defensively.


    "Do I not speak urately? You know that Alexander is not Alban''s killer, but you have not lifted a hand


    to save him from death. How should I describe your conduct?" Matthew said coldly. "ording to the


    laws of the Bright Dynasty, if someone who is under fourteen years oldmits a murder, they will not


    be executed until after passing the age of fourteen years. You used your power to fix the sentence. If it


    weren''t for you, Alexander would not be in this situation."


    Pearce opened his mouth, but found he wasn''t able to gainsay Matthew. Nheless, he was not


    disposed to let Alexander off so easily. It Alexander hadn''t fought with his son, the real murderer


    wouldn''t have had the chance to kill his son. In Pearce''s view, Alexander was an indirect murderer


    though he hadn''t killed his son.


    "My son wouldn''t have been killed if Alexander Chu hadn''t stirred up trouble."


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    "Are you giving a false ount of the events?!" Matthew sneered coldly. "Several witnesses saw with


    their own eyes that it was your son who initiated the fight. If it weren''t for your son, Alexander would


    have been fine."


    "Matthew Jun, what are you suggesting?" Pearce demanded, boiling with rage. "I know that even if my


    son hadn''t been involved, someone else would have died because of Alexander."


    Raising his eyes, Matthew said, "I thought you had already forgotten how these dirty political games


    go, living a quiet life here for so many years. But it seems that you understand that both Alexander and


    your son are the victims of power."


    Silence engulfed Pearce. Of course he could descry the hidden fact. The reason why his father had


    chosen to step back from the court in haste was because he knew that the current emperor could do


    anything to his subjects. If his father hadn''t quit the court, his n would have been set up. Besides, at


    that time, his father had lost a leg. Therefore, he chose to be a marquis with no real power, and he


    moved to the River City. However, neither the father nor the son had anticipated that their n would


    still be entangled in the struggle for imperial power many yearster.

 Chapter 534 A Weird Thing (Part One)

    Chapter 534 A Weird Thing (Part One)


    Pearce was well aware of the fact that he had to let the mayor release Alexander. Otherwise, he had no


    idea what Matthew might do. But he wouldn''t just let it go like this.


    "Your Highness, I want to know who killed my son," Pearce said with a sullen expression on his face.


    "Don''t worry. I will definitely find out who the murderer is. After all, this person must be scheming


    against both you and me. I certainly understand how you''re feeling. Even I don''t feel happy about it. No


    matter who is behind all of this, I will find this person and demand an exnation," Matthew replied with


    a sharp look in his eyes.


    "The reason that my father chose to settle in River City was that it was the right amount of distance


    from the imperial capital. It wasn''t too far or too near. This would allow us to find out what happens in


    the capital quickly without being affected. But wherever we are, we are unable to escape the


    conspiracy," Pearce sighed.


    "Your father was right. The only thing he forgot is that it''s hard to stop others from plotting against your


    family. Though your family doesn''t have the military power, you actually have a lot of money. Even the


    emperor is jealous because of that," Matthew said. He revealed the reason why Pearce and his family


    were included as targets of the plot.


    People always said that winners took all, while losers got none. If anyone wanted to win, they both


    needed military power and money. Both of these two factors were indispensable because one should


    have money for training soldiers. It was a fact that one couldn''t do anything without money.


    Pearce became even more distressed. "Your Highness, if my family were about to suffer from a great


    tragedy¡ª"


    Before he could finish speaking, Matthew interrupted him, "Don''t worry. I will make sure that won''t


    happen. The more they want to take you and your family down, the more that I''m going to make it hard


    for them to even have a chance to do so. I want to see who is so capable and brave enough to dare


    touch you and your family. They knew that using your family would cause enormous trouble in the city."


    Matthew''s words immediately relieved Pearce a little.


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    "Thank you, Your Highness. Later today, I will go to the government office and ask for rification from


    the person in charge. The coroner who made the autopsy for my son is from the local government. So


    there''s a chance that a spy is in the government office. Because of this, I''m afraid I need to go there


    myself to tell the officer in person. Even so, I''m afraid this may not work," Pearce said in a worried tone.


    He was well aware of the fact that the enemy was not easy to deal with. He might not even be able to


    let the mayor release Alexander. What was worse, the emperor had issued an imperial edict,


    demanding that the mayor shall not be biased to anyone so that this case must be dealt with fairness.


    "Marquis Pearce, aside from me, you are the most powerful man in this city. Don''t you remember that?


    You are not a schr. You used to be a general. You don''t need to reason with anymore. Besides, the


    evidence is irrefutable that Alexander is innocent," Matthew firmly reminded him with so much


    conviction in his eyes.


    For a few seconds, Pierce was stunned, but eventually, he realized that Matthew was telling the truth.


    In River City, his family had a very strong influence. How could he forget that? When he found out that


    the mastermind behind the whole thing was from the imperial capital, Pearce was so enraged that he


    forgot the power that he had. Now that Matthew had reminded him, he knew that no matter how strong


    his enemy might be, he could hardlypete with his family''s force in River City. It finally dawned on


    him that he had the upper hand.


    "Thank you for your advice, Your Highness," Pearce gratefully said. He must admit that Matthew had as


    much capabilities and influence as him, especially because of the fact that he owned military power. It


    was because of this that the emperor had a love and hate rtionship with him.


    "Well, I have something else to do so I''m going to leave first."


    "In no time, I will definitely bring Alexander to the ce where you are staying at," Pearce stated with a


    little confidence.


    "I see. Thank you then," Matthew responded.


    "My Lord! Bad news!" the assistant cried out while he rushed into the mayor''s office.


    Meanwhile, Hollis was peacefully enjoying his tea. He was so surprised when he heard the assistant''s


    frantic screams that he dropped the teapot in his hand. In a second, the tea that had just been made


    was gone as it quickly spilled from the cup. Hollis felt so much pain in his heart because of such a great


    loss.


    "Why are you shouting? You made me drop and waste the fresh tea I just made. This is a great tea and


    you ruined it! Oh God! It cost me ten taels of silver to buy that kind of tea!" Hollis scolded while


    watching the tea as it continued to spill on the table. He felt so much regretful that he almost leaned


    over to lick the tea so that it wouldn''t go to waste.


    The assistant grew extremely worried when he saw that Hollis could still have the time and care to feel


    sorry for his tea. "My Lord, please forget about your tea for a moment. Marquis Pearce is here. He is


    waiting for you in the front hall. And it looks like he didn''te here to talk peacefully."


    Hollis'' eyelids twitched when he heard this. He began to wonder if he had done something to offend


    Pearce recently. He thought for a while and couldn''te up with anything. Then he promptly


    straightened his official clothes and said, "Since Marquis Pearce is here, you should follow me to


    entertain him. Stop standing there like an idiot. And why were you screaming for help like a crazy


    person? That''s so annoying. Don''t do that again."


    "I was just really worried," the assistant replied. When Hollis finally reached the entrance of the hall, he


    was very shocked when he saw that Pearce had brought so many of his people. It only proved that


    although it might seem like Hollis was the mayor of the River City''s local government, the one who


    actually had the most power was Pearce.


    "It''s very nice to see you, Marquis Pearce. It''s such an honor to have you here. What can I do for you?"


    Hollis asked while he respectfully made a bow to Pearce.


    "Where is the coroner who examined the corpse of my son?" Pearce asked nonchntly while he took


    a sip of his tea.


    Hollis immediately had mixed feelings about Pearce''s question. ''Why did hee here to ask about


    the coroner? Could it be that the coroner did something wrong with his son''s autopsy?'' With these


    questions in mind, Hollis shivered subtlety. Then, he quickly replied, "I''ll send someone to bring the


    coroner here at once."


    "Yes, do it quickly. I''ll wait for him in here," Pierce stated firmly and slowly.


    "Yes! Bring that coroner in here. Marquis Pearce demands to talk to him," Hollis quicklymanded


    with urgency in his voice.


    The assistant ran out of the hall immediately to execute his task. Although he didn''t know what had


    happened, he had to go and fetch the very person who Pearce was looking for. Otherwise, who knew


    what would happen to the entire government office if he got upset?

 Chapter 535 A Weird Thing (Part Two)

    Chapter 535 A Weird Thing (Part Two)


    After the assistant left, Hollis carefully initiated small talk with Pearce. Hollis tried to ask him indirectly


    about what happened. However, Pearce did not answer his inquisitions. He merely drank his tea in


    silence. Hollis felt quite embarrassed with how Pearce was treating him. However, he finally figured out


    that Pierce did not want to talk about it at that time. Atst, he chose to stop asking Pierce and silently


    wait with him.


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    In any case, they had been waiting for more than an hour and still, the coroner was nowhere in sight.


    With a cold sweat on his forehead, Hollis strode to the door and asked the guard outside, "Where is my


    assistant?"


    "He went out to look for the coroner in person," replied the guard.


    "Didn''t the coronere to the government office today?" Hollis then asked.


    "He''s on leave today so he didn''te to work. The assistant went to his home to fetch him there. I


    think it wouldn''t be long now. My Lord, may I ask what happened? Why did Marquis Pearce bring so


    many people here? It seems like..."


    But he immediately stopped when he remembered that people could insult the mayor of River City or


    disrespect the assistant, but the only thing they couldn''t do was say anything that was remotely


    unpleasant about Pearce and his family. Otherwise, any person who would dare do so would certainly


    encounter some unexpected troubles.


    "Stop talking and go after the assistant! Marquis Pearce has been waiting for a long time," Hollis


    eximed in a stern tone. Then he turned around and set foot in the hall again. He then exined to


    Pearce why the coroner had note yet after such a long time.


    Upon hearing his exnation, Pearce did not be upset. He merely said, "It doesn''t matter. I can


    just wait."


    "Thank you for your kind understanding," Hollis said while he secretly wiped the sweat from his


    forehead. With that, they continued to wait in silence once again.


    All of a sudden, the assistant ran in a hurry. "My Lord, bad news."


    "Stop talking nonsense! Don''t panic like this!" Hollis rigidly scolded. Then he suddenly felt that he had


    inappropriately behaved in front of Pearce. He nced at thetter in secret. When he saw that Pearce


    didn''t show any response, he let out a sigh of relief and asked, "Where is the person I asked you to


    bring here?"


    Looking at Hollis with horror in his face, the assistant said, "My Lord, he killed himself!"


    "What?" Hollis blurted out in surprise. He almost jumped because it was too surprising. "What did you


    just say? He killed himself? Why?"


    "I don''t know. I took some guards to find him in his house. But when we got there, no one answered


    even after we had knocked and called to him repeatedly. ording to the neighbors, he had not left his


    house for a long time. So I thought maybe the weather was just cold so he was still sleeping. We


    knocked on his door harder, but still, no one answered. At that point, I had no other choice. I turned to


    the window on the left side and tried to stab it so that we could break into his house. But when I was


    finally inside, I found his body hanging from the ceiling. A rope was tightly wrapped around his neck. I


    tried to save him but he was already unconscious by that time."


    Even though Hollis was really stupid, he immediately understood the situation. He turned to Pearce and


    said, "My Lord, it seems like the person you''re looking for hadmitted suicide."


    "Committed suicide? Did you bring his corpse with you?" Pearce asked while he turned to look at the


    assistant.


    "Yes, My Lord. His dead body has been brought back here. I''ve asked the guards to put it outside for


    now," the assistant responded.


    Pearce looked at the person around him. Hollis realized that it was another known coroner in the city.


    Not a lot of people wanted to work as coroners, so there were only three of them in River City.


    Pearce didn''t need to ask. The coroner followed the assistant and walked outside to check on the


    corpse. Hollis felt his right eyelid twitch when he saw the dead body. He thought that he could stay safe


    and avoid trouble as long as he stayed inside the government office. However, there was no way he


    could avoid it.


    After examining the corpse, the coroner looked at Pearce and showed him a mark on the dead body''s


    neck. "My Lord, this man didn''tmit suicide. As you can see, there are two types of marks on his


    neck, one stretching up until his left ear and the other around his neck. The killer strangled him first and


    then hung him on the ceiling to make it look like hemitted suicide."


    "What? Are you saying that he was murdered?" Hollis asked in surprise. He and the assistant


    exchanged looks with great shock on both of their faces. Who would kill a coroner and what would


    have been their reason? The coroner was only earning a few taels of silver a month. He was also of


    low status so he didn''t have a lot of influence. Why would anyone want to kill him? They couldn''t


    understand even way beyond their imaginations.


    "Hollis," Pearce inly called out.


    "Yes, I''m here," Hollis responded at once.


    "I brought another coroner to examine my son''s corpse. We have reason to suspect that my son didn''t


    die out of falling on the ground and breaking his head." The moment Pierce exined why he was


    there, Hollis couldn''t help but tremble for a second with fear. He suddenly understood why the coroner


    had been killed. It was because he had falsified an examination record of a corpse and Pearce found


    out about it. The person who asked the coroner to do this was afraid of being discovered, so he killed


    the coroner to tie up loose ends.


    With the degree of the situation, Hollis'' knees became weak, causing him to kneel down on the floor.


    "Please, this has nothing to do with me. I didn''t know whether the corpse''s test is fake or not. It''s the


    dead coroner who made the report. The judge pronounced a guilty sentence for Alexander because of


    that. I did not collude with others or deliberately misinterpreted anything. If someone really fabricated


    the report, I was deceived as well. I have no idea about the whole thing at all."


    Pearce stared down at Hollis before asking, "Then how are you going to deal with it?"


    "I will follow your orders," Hollis obediently said. As far as he was concerned, he was not to me. At


    this moment, he thought following Pearce''s orders was the best way to deal with the matter.


    "Give Hollis the record of the corpse''s inspection," Pearcemanded right away.


    "Yes, My Lord!"


    Hollis reviewed the report carefully word by word. Atst, there was so much cold sweat on his


    forehead after he finished reading the report. He found out that Alexander was indeed innocent. Since


    Pearce came in here with so many of his guards, Hollis didn''t know what Pearce would want him to


    deal with the case. If he were going to be hanged for a sheep, he should have just been hanged for a


    lamb.

 Chapter 536 Alexander Is Set Free (Part One)

    Chapter 536 Alexander Is Set Free (Part One)


    "Marquis Pearce, do you mean to say that we should not respond to this mistake, and just make the


    best of it?" asked Hollis cautiously. He dared not make wild guesses. He could suffer serious


    disadvantages if he made the wrong guess about Pearce''s intentions. Whatplicated the situation


    was that Matthew was Alexander''s brother-inw, and he couldn''t afford to offend the prince either.


    Also, he knew that Matthew was in the River City now. If Matthew knew that Alexander had been


    framed, he would be in trouble and his life might even be in danger. But Hollis sensed that Pearce


    obviously wanted to convict Alexander for the murder. Thus, the first thing Hollis needed to do was


    appear to be obeying Pearce''s demands, and then figure out a way to inform Matthew.


    Pearce wrinkled his brows in perplexity. Hollis immediately observed his subtle reaction and felt that he


    had read his mind correctly. So Hollis said, "Sorry, I misspoke. It wasn''t a mistake. Alexander is the


    murderer who killed your son. He will be put to death in two days!"


    Pearce''s brows wrinkled into a deep frown. He had gone so far as toe to the government office in


    person. And now Hollis insisted on the death penalty for Alexander. Had Hollis done it on purpose?


    Had he incited the coroner to issue the false judgment?


    Pearce restrained his anger and asked, "Hollis, do you know you are the mayor of the River City?"


    "Marquis Pearce, I know. Although I am the mayor, you are well-loved here. I will not let you suffer, nor


    let your son die in vain. I will definitely seek justice for you and punish the murderer, Alexander Chu!"


    Hollis thought he had read what was in Pearce''s mind. Killing Alexander to avenge his son was simple


    enough. If Matthew wanted to me him, he would simply insist that it was Pearce who pushed him to


    do that, and that the whole thing had nothing to do with him. He was just a low-level local officer and


    could only obey themands of high-level officials.


    Taking a deep breath, Pearce couldn''t contain his impatience anymore. Then he stood up and kicked


    Hollis down to the floor, snarling, "Damn you! You think I am a lousy official who has people killed


    regardless ofw and justice, do you?"


    Hollis, after being kicked to the floor, quickly got up and went on kneeling down in front of Pearce. He


    added anxiously, "Marquis Pearce, I don''t think that of you. Please tell me how I should deal with


    Alexander Chu."


    "Are you the mayor or not? Why must I tell you what to do?" Pearce was so disgusted with Hollis that


    he felt a headache. He used to think it was a good thing that Hollis was so spineless, but now it


    seemed that his character was bound to drag him down.


    "Marquis Pearce, you are my superior and of course you have the right tomand me. I and all the


    civilians of River City will follow yourmands." Hollis hastened to tter him.


    Pearce''s face turned red in anger and contempt. He snorted, "Since Alexander Chu is innocent, let him


    go, you damned fool! And Imand you to find the killer of my son with no further dy. Otherwise


    your political career wille to a quick end!"


    Shocked, Hollis nodded quickly and said, "Yes, all right. I''ll tell my men to release him right now.


    Marquis Pearce, please don''t worry. I''ll dedicate myself to finding the murderer.


    Taking a look at Hollis, Pearce felt increasingly angry. He stormed off after ordering Hollis, "Send


    Alexander Chu to Joy Inn."


    "Yes, Marquis Pearce. I''ll make sure that he will be sent to the Joy Inn right away." Even though Pearce


    had already left with his attendants, Hollis was still kneeling on the floor. When Hollis''s assistant saw


    that Pearce had gone out, he whispered to him, "My Lord, Marquis Pearce has gone."


    Then Hollis lifted his head and saw that there was no more trace of Pearce to be seen. He heaved a


    sigh of relief, forced himself up from the floor, and kicked his assistant. "Why are you still standing


    there, fool? Why don''t you get Alexander out of prison and take him to the Joy Inn?"


    Alexander was stunned to find himself released. When he saw people waiting outside the prison, his


    eyes turned red with tears.


    "Mister Alexander, let''s go. I must drive you to the Joy Inn," said the assistant gently. It was not easy to


    be a mayor''s assistant nowadays. He was the one who ran errands, and he was also the one who took


    beatings. He couldn''t share the honor and wealth of the position, but only took the me. What had he


    done wrong?


    Alexander took two steps forward and said, "Sir, you don''t have to send me there. The person to pick


    me up is already here."


    Taking a look at the carriage that was waiting at the gate, the assistant was a little worried and said,


    "The mayor ordered me to send you to the Joy Inn. If you go with others halfway and run into danger, I


    will be the one to pay the price."


    Alexander paid him no attention and went straight to the carriage. "Robert," he said to the man who


    was driving the carriage.


    Robert bowed to Alexander and said, "Mister Alexander, Her Highness is waiting for you in the


    carriage. Please get in."


    The assistant found that Alexander was quite familiar with the group of people. Suddenly, something


    popped into his mind and his eyes lit up. Matthew and his wife seemed to be staying in the Joy Inn.


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    The curtain of the carriage was lifted up and Alexander entered. The assistant saw a man in white


    sitting in the carriage, and he looked quite handsome. As soon as Alexander got in, he jumped into the


    arms of the man. It was obvious that he knew and trusted that man.


    Still fearing an emergency, the assistant summoned up his courage and asked, "Excuse me, but who


    are you?"

 Chapter 537 Alexander Is Set Free (Part Two)

    Chapter 537 Alexander Is Set Free (Part Two)


    "My master''sst name is Chu." Robert answered as he turned the carriage around and drove away.


    The assistant pondered Robert''s words carefully. Was the man in the carriage actually Princess


    Harper?


    He had heard a lot about Matthew and knew that the prince spoiled his wife so much that he would give


    her whatever she asked, no matter what it was. If anyone offended her, he would torture those who


    infuriated her. Since Pearce had barged into the government office today, could it be possible that he


    had also been intimidated by Matthew?


    Thinking of that, the assistant ran to the office at once. He must remind the mayor thatpared with


    Pearce, Matthew was the one to whom he must pay greater honor and respect. If they offended


    Pearce, they would be kicked into the mud. Yet if they offended Matthew, they could only guess how


    much time they had left to live.


    In the office, Hollis was still perplexed about the murder, and his assistant brought back more confusing


    news. He was irritated by it. "Don''t exaggerate the situation here!"


    "My Lord, I do not ring any undue rms. Princess Harper went to the prison in person, and took


    Alexander Chu away. If she hadn''t known we would release Alexander today, she wouldn''t have got the


    news so soon." The assistant was rather anxious. "And Marquis Pearce also told us to find out the real


    murderer. We should prepare somevish gifts, so that we may visit Prince Matthew on the pretense of


    comforting the wronged Alexander. Then we can ask him how to find the murderer. This way, Prince


    Matthew will feel your sincerity and you can also get some clues about the murderer. Isn''t this a good


    idea that will satisfy both sides?"


    Hollis considered his assistant''s suggestion and decided that it was feasible. Then he sent a servant to


    prepare the gifts and went to the Joy Inn to meet the prince.


    When Hollis arrived at the inn, he found that the prince and his wife had already checked out and were


    staying in the official inn of the River City, proiming their identity to the public. With no dy, Hollis


    turned his steps quickly to the official inn.


    When he arrived at the official inn, he was osted by a guard. And when he stated his identity, the


    guard told him that Matthew was busy.


    Indeed, the prince was busy preventing his wife from bathing Alexander. After ten days in prison, the


    boy smelt sour and stinky. When Harper was about to bathe him with the prepared warm water,


    Matthew stopped her.


    "What are you doing?" Matthew asked in a weary voice, his blue veins standing out on his forehead.


    "Help Alexander take a bath," Harper said innocently.


    "Men and women must be treated differently. Don''t you know that?" Matthew now decided to teach


    Harper about the relevant custom. "ording to the custom, men and women should not sleep in the


    same bed after they be seven years old. He is already nine years old. Can you bathe him?"


    Alexander then said in a low voice, "Harper, I can do it myself."


    "I just want to see if he has any injuries, and bathing him will make the examination more convenient!"


    "Impossible!" Matthew took Harper out of the room. "Take a bath by yourself, Alexander. Your sister will


    come to see youter."


    "Yes, Matthew," Alexander said immediately. He also didn''t want his sister to bathe him. After all, he


    had grown up. He knew that men and women had to be treated differently. Yet, he hadn''t dared to


    refuse his sister''s kind offer. Thanks to Matthew''s intervention, he felt relieved.


    After she was taken out, Harper was somewhat puzzled. "He has been in jail for so many days. I must


    check if he was hurt."


    "We''ll discuss it after his bath. He''s not a child, and he''ll tell you if he got hurt. By the way, don''t you


    need to take a bath yourself?" He looked at Harper''s white robe and saw several ck stains, and


    even some fingerprints.


    Harper looked embarrassed about that, and ordered, "Bring me some water."


    Matthew was relieved to see that. In case his wife tried to bathe Alexander again after her own bath, he


    stood guard at Alexander''s bathroom door decisively. But when he heard the noise outside, he


    immediately felt annoyed.


    "What''s going on?"


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    "Your Highness, the mayor of the River City hase to visit you. We told him that you were busy now.


    But he refused to leave," the guard said quickly. "I''ll go and get rid of him straightaway."


    "No, just tell him toe in," Matthew ordered at once. Then he went downstairs. River City was


    controlled by Pearce. Matthew was curious to know which side the mayor would pick.


    After the guard went out, a man was quickly brought in. When he saw Matthew, he quickly knelt down


    and kowtowed to him, saying, "Your Highness, greetings!"


    "Get up. I heard you want to see me. What do you want? Snap to the point." Matthew''s voice was as


    cold as ice.


    Hollis swallowed and said, "Your Highness, I heard that you are staying at the official inn of our River


    City. As the mayor of our city, it''s my duty to visit you. In addition, Mister Alexander was terribly


    wronged. I''m here to apologize."


    Matthew nced at Hollis and said, "I heard that you are one of the former Prime Minister Charles''


    students."


    Hollis trembled slightly. Charles, the former prime minister, was Harper and Alexander''s father. He felt


    uneasy to hear Matthew suddenly bring up such an old fact.


    "Yes, Your Highness." Hollis didn''t dare to deny it. The emperor had forced Charles to be a monk, and


    there was no longer a powerful and influential male official in the Chu n. Hollis couldn''t afford to


    offend the powerful Pearce for an insignificant boy like Alexander.

 Chapter 538 A Visit To Solace (Part One)

    Chapter 538 A Visit To Sce (Part One)


    "Well, so when your teacher''s son was down and in trouble, you didn''t hesitate to hit him," Matthew


    said in a t tone, but Hollis trembled with fear at his words.


    "Your Highness, you are scaring me. I didn''t hit him when he was down, nor do I have the nerve to do


    such a thing. As for this case, after the post-mortem examination of the corpse, Marquis Pearce


    pressurized me to bring justice to his son. I did everything ording to what thew prescribes."


    "Really?" Matthew sneered. "Are you trying to fool me thinking that I know nothing about thew?"


    "Please forgive me, Your Highness! I never meant to offend you. I''m so sorry. Please forgive me!" Hollis


    could not help but curse his assistant in his heart, because it was thetter who had advised him to visit


    Matthew and get some information about the murderer. But now, it turned out that he came to dig his


    own grave.


    "All right, I don''t intend to call you to ount for this. I will be going back to the imperial capital in a


    couple of days. You may leave now." After taking a cold nce at Hollis, Matthew stood up and walked


    upstairs as he saw Harpering out of the room fresh after her bath.


    "Your Highness, the murderer¡­?" Hollis tried to ask once again.


    "It''s the government''s duty to arrest the murderer. What is it that you want? Do you want me to arrest


    the murderer for you?" Matthew asked, as he paused and turned around to cast a sinister look at


    Hollis.


    Hollis felt so terrorized that his heart almost stopped pounding. He bid goodbye and left as soon as


    possible, fearing that he would be killed by Matthew then and there.


    Harper saw Hollis moving out in a hurry. She asked Matthew silently with her eyes what was going on.


    "It''s nothing serious. He came in an attempt to sound out my opinion and get some information from


    me," Matthew exined with a smile. The fact that Hollis made his visit as soon as they arrived at the


    official inn was an indication that they were always under constant surveince. However, someone like


    Hollis was incapable of doing such a thing. Chances were that, someone working for the murderer was


    in the government office, or the murderer himself was in the government office.


    A flicker of light shed across Harper''s eyes. "It seems that many people are uneasy due to


    Alexander''s release from prison," she said.


    "If they know that I''m going back to the imperial capital, their uneasiness would only increase. I''m sure


    they will react," Matthew said, ying with his wife''s long hair. "Darling, do you think I have stirred the


    grass well enough to alert the snake?"


    "Not bad. But, I''m not sure if the people hiding behind would take the bait." Harper feared that the aim


    of their opponent would have been to make them leave the imperial capital. If so, now that they were in


    the River City, the opponent was sessful in achieving their aim. So she was afraid that they wouldn''t


    be hooked easily.


    "Even if they want to keep me out of the imperial capital, I still don''t think it would be easy for them to


    do what they want. They will have to keep me in the River City by all means, at least till they achieve


    their target," Matthew analyzed. He had his doubts that there was another hidden force in the imperial


    capital. But it was only that the force had hidden itself too well, making it difficult for him to find a trace.


    "Are you suspecting anyone?"


    Matthew shook his head and said, "It''s difficult for me to make a wild guess, especially with minimal


    evidence. Otherwise, I will be misled by my impression, which will only satisfy our enemy."


    Harper nodded in agreement. At that time, she saw Alexandering out after freshening up. She


    went to check on him, and tried to find out if he was injured. Fortunately for him, Hollis hadn''t tortured


    him. Moreover, since Alexander believed that it was he who killed Alban, he signed his confession


    without offering any resistance. In this way, he had also avoided suffering inquisition by torture.


    However, as the food in prison was gross, he hadn''t eaten well and thus suffered from malnutrition.


    Although hungry, Alexander was careful to keep his manners. Harper picked up food for him and


    served with her own hands.


    "Harper, can I go back to the school tomorrow?" Alexander asked curiously. "I don''t want to miss any


    more courses."


    "No way," Matthew answered firmly, even before Harper could say something. "You can''t go back to the


    school until the murderer is apprehended."


    Alexander was also aware of the fact that the people hiding behind were targeting him. If he were to go


    back to the school, he might be in danger once again. So, he didn''t resist Matthew''s decision. "Then, at


    least can you have someone bring my books here? I would be able to read and write in the official inn."


    "No problem. That I can arrange," Matthew said without hesitation. Immediately, he then looked in a


    certain direction. Although Harper couldn''t see anyone there, she knew that there would be secret


    guards hiding there. Matthew always had a unique way tomunicate with his secret guards.


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    "Harper, can I go to visit Marquis Pearce and his wife tomorrow?" Alexander asked with caution, after


    finishing his lunch. Though he was innocent, Alban''s death was rted to him anyway. He wanted to


    console Pearce and his wife Allie.


    "What are you saying? We can''t tell how they would react upon seeing you. They might even vent their


    anger on you physically. Aren''t you afraid?" Harper stared at Alexander for a moment and asked back,


    without answering yes or no.


    "Yes, I am," Alexander answered frankly. "But I am more afraid about my conscience. I know I didn''t kill


    Alban, but if I would have put up with him without much arguments, maybe he wouldn''t have died. I


    think I am obliged to apologize to his parents."


    Harper stretched her hand to touch Alexander''s head with affection. "Alexander, you''ve grown up. You


    know how to consider others."


    "Marquis Pearce and his wife are good people," Alexander said with embarrassment. "Although Alban


    was a bully, he never did anything evil. He just liked to make fun of us asionally. He shouldn''t have


    died. Marquis Pearce and his wife would have been heartbroken as he was their only son. My apology


    is insignificant and can''t change what happened, but I hope they would see my sincerity."


    "Good! Don''t be afraid. I will take you tomorrow to Marquis Pearce''s mansion," Matthew praised him for


    his attitude and volunteered to go along with him.

 Chapter 539 A Visit To Solace (Part Two)

    Chapter 539 A Visit To Sce (Part Two)


    "Are you going to sit face to face with Marquis Pearce and look at each other silently?" Harper asked


    teasingly. Jack had told her about how Matthew sat in Pearce''s mansion silently for two hours, thereby


    putting Pearce under pressure and forcing him to go to the government office to facilitate the release of


    Alexander. Harper was of the opinion that Pearce might still be angry with Matthew. So, if Matthew


    were to go to the mansion again, Pearce would expel him out. Therefore, she thought it would be better


    if she would apany Alexander to Pearce''s mansion.


    "I''ll take him there tomorrow," she said.


    "I''ll go with you," Matthew said immediately. He was not going to let his wife, who was feeble and soft-


    spoken, face the two who had just lost their only son. If the situation went out of control, he knew that


    Harper might not be able to deal with them.


    "We will just pay a visit," said Harper, trying to discourage Matthew.


    "He is an irritable man and he is likely to hurt others."


    "We are not going there to fight. We just want to apologize to them," Harper argued back.


    "He has lost his only son. It would be hard for him to control his emotions, and he''s very likely to use


    violence against you," Matthew said, not giving up.


    "He is not an unreasonable man." Harper once again tried to counter him.


    "You can''t expect him to be reasonable when he has just lost his only son. He will use violence and


    wouldn''t mind to hurt you."


    Harper thought that it was simply impossible to stop her husband. If she continued to refuse him, he


    wouldn''t mind doing something way out of the box. So, she simply nodded, "Okay, but remember that


    we are not going for a fight. You can''t conflict with them."


    "Okay." Matthew was quick to agree this time.


    Early next morning, Harper instructed the maids to prepare some gifts for Pearce and Allie. Then they


    went to Pearce''s mansion. The steward of the mansion was puzzled seeing Harper and Alexander. But


    when he saw Matthew, who was behind the sister and brother, he immediately swallowed his saliva


    awkwardly. The sight of Pearce breaking his favorite coral, right after Matthew leaving the mansion


    yesterday, suddenly came to his mind. The steward wondered why Matthew woulde again today.


    "Please report to Marquis Pearce that Harper Chu hase to visit him," Harper said with a smile.


    They hadn''t informed Pearce of their visit in advance, so now they had to wait outside the gate of the


    mansion.


    "Please wait for a while," the steward requested as he went inside to inform Pearce.


    At the moment, Pearce was in his son''s room. While looking at Alban''s personal belongings, he


    couldn''t control his grieve and felt a deep sense of loneliness. When he saw the copybook in Alban''s


    handwriting, he couldn''t control his outburst.


    "My Lord."


    Wiping his eyes, Pearce asked in a trembling voice, "What''s the matter?"


    "Someone is here to visit you. She said her name is Harper Chu, and she also brings a child," the


    steward reported. Since he had never seen Alexander before, and only knew the boy''s name, he had


    no idea who Harper was.


    However, Pearce did know the name of Matthew''s wife. He asked the steward, "Just two of them?"


    "They are with the guest who visited you yesterday, My Lord." The steward looked at Pearce cautiously.


    He knew very well that Matthew was someone who was difficult to deal with. He guessed that if he


    were to refuse seeing them, Matthew might go crazy and wouldn''t even mind breaking in.


    "Tell them to wait in the main hall." Of course, Pearce was aware that he couldn''t refuse Matthew to


    enter his mansion, but he could still give him a cold shoulder for a while. If it weren''t for Matthew, his


    n would not have been involved in the partisan strife.


    Because of her son''s death, Allie had been muddled until a couple of days ago. Recently, she got


    better of herself, and now subconsciously walked into her son''s room. There, she found that Pearce


    was also present in the room, holding some personal stuff of Alban.


    "Pearce."


    "Darling why are you here?" Pearce asked in a tone of disagreement. He walked to her and stopped


    her. "I will have some people put Alban''s things away. You''d better note here always, or we will


    only feel sad."


    Allie''s eyes were red and swollen, as she had wept a lottely. Pearce felt so sorry for her. He gripped


    her shoulders and said in a soft tone, "Don''t cry anymore. My heart breaks when I see you like this. If


    Alban knew how you are now, he would not rest in peace."


    "I¡­" Allie burst into tears. Alban was their only son. In order to take good care of him wholeheartedly,


    they decided not to have another child. However, this decision turned out to make them without an


    offspring. She not only cried for the loss of her son, but also felt sorry for her husband.


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Pearce understood what his wife was thinking. He too was in deep sorrow due to their loss. However,


    what had happened had happened, and there was no turning back. He thought he had to try to cheer


    up, since it was useless to live in sorrow.


    "Prince Matthew and his wife have brought Alexander Chu here. Would you like to see them?" Pearce


    asked. He wanted to divert his wife''s attention, as this was the only way to bring her out of her deep


    sorrow.


    She was confused to hear that. "Prince Matthew and his wife?"


    "Alexander Chu is the younger brother of Prince Matthew''s wife. Alexander is here with them."


    She wiped her tears. Earlier, she had been of the thought that Alexander was behind Alban''s death.


    She was so much enraged that she wished to kill Alexander with her bare hands and wanted to drink


    his blood. However, after knowing there were other hidden secrets behind her son''s death, she stopped


    being angry with Alexander.


    "Let''s go and see them. I owe the boy an apology," she said. In an attempt to seek revenge for her


    son''s death, she had been to the prison to hit and curse Alexander. Now that she knew he was not the


    real murderer, she thought she had to apologize to him.


    Pearce nodded and supported her as they walked to the main hall.

 Chapter 540 Supporting You With All My Life

    Chapter 540 Supporting You With All My Life


    Matthew and hispanions had been waiting in the front hall for quite a while. Pearce still hadn''t


    shown up. They kept calm and just waited in silence. About an hourter, Pearce appeared, supporting


    his wife, a beautiful woman with a thin face.


    "It''s a great pleasure to see you, Your Highnesses." As soon as Pearce''s wife had entered the hall, she


    bowed to Matthew and Harper.


    Harper stepped forward quickly and extended her hands to offer support. "You don''t need to be so


    courteous. We just came here to apologize to you for what Alexander did."


    Harper supported Allie with her hand and led her to sit down at the master''s seat. There was a spark in


    Pearce''s eyes when he noticed this, but he didn''t do anything to stop her. He followed his wife and sat


    down next to her. Alexander knelt down and made three kowtows in front of them. Then he said,


    "Thank you, Marquis Pearce and Lady Allie! I will never forget your generosity and kindness."


    Allie looked at Alexander kneeling on the floor with an anxious face, as if he feared that they would not


    forgive him.


    "My son''s death was not your fault. I am the one who should apologize. You got into serious trouble


    because of my impulsiveness. Will you forgive me?" Allie''s voice was sad and tender. Alexander was a


    few years younger than her son. She could imagine how terrified he had been recently.


    Alexander nodded his head heavily and said, "If I hadn''t quarreled with Alban, he wouldn''t have been


    harmed by evildoers. I know I was wrong. Lady Allie, will you please forgive me?"


    "You didn''t do anything bad. I know Alban well, and I can imagine how he must have provoked you first.


    You were just defending yourself." Allie understood the personalities of both her husband and her son


    well. She wiped away her tears and said, "Although I knew he was somewhat vain, I never wanted to


    rebuke him. As a result, I am also to be med for what happened."


    "Well, Allie, don''t be so sad now." Seeing his wife''s sorrowful condition, Pearce felt distressed. He


    could not help looking at Matthew and thinking, ''What have you done, Matthew? Yesterday you forced


    me to make the government release Alexander. Today you arrange a meeting to make my wife sad.


    Can you do something good for us?''


    "Lady Allie, if you don''t mind, I wille to visit you and Marquis Pearce often. I will take care of you


    for Alban''s sake and support you with all my life," Alexander said suddenly.


    Pearce and Allie were surprised. Even Harper felt surprised. However, Alexander''s idea was sensible,


    and therefore she would not object to it.


    "You..." Pearce said in uncertainty. "Do you intend to be my adopted son?"


    "Marquis Pearce, it''s not quite like that. Alban was your only child. Although I didn''t kill him, he died


    because of me. I wish to support you even though I can''t be adopted. I have an elder sister and a


    younger sister to be taken care. As the only heir of my n, it''s my duty to maintain the Chu n, so


    naturally, I cannot be your adopted son. Nheless, I would like to take you and Lady Allie as my


    parents, serve you and support you," Alexander exined. Then he turned to ask Harper, "May I do


    that?" He looked at Harper expectantly.


    "Sure, you may." Harper nodded.


    "Marquis Pearce and Lady Allie, may I have the honor to support you and serve you?" Alexander


    turned to Pearce and Allie again.


    The couple stared at each other. They were amazed that Alexander would offer to take care of them for


    the rest of their lives even though he was not their son.


    "Certainly you may, but without a formal status, it''s not justifiable," Pearce said in a hesitant voice. The


    fact that Alexander was unwilling to abandon the ruined Chu n showed that this child was honorable


    and sincere. With Matthew''s protection, he would certainly have a bright future, so they were willing to


    let him support them for the rest of their lives.


    "How about this?" Harper then turned to look at Pearce and Allie. "How about letting Alexander


    recognize you as his sworn parents? What do you think of it?"


    "Great idea! Allie, what do you think of that?" Pearce looked at his wife cautiously. He was afraid that


    she would be unwilling to agree.


    Allie''s face brightened into a smile. She responded then, "I am more than happy."


    Alexander was overjoyed and excited.


    With a gentle push to Alexander, Harper reminded, "Greet your sworn father and mother."


    "Greetings, Father and Mother." Alexander promptly knelt down and kowtowed sincerely.


    Allie stood up and helped Alexander up. "epting a sworn son can''t be so simple. I will arrange a


    banquet, invite the guests and then recognize Alexander as our sworn child. This will also be good for


    Alexander."


    "I''m afraid you can''t do that," Matthew finally said. "If it bes known to the world that Alexander is


    your sworn son, the emperor will regard you as the members of my party. That will do you no good."


    "There is nothing to be afraid of. We won''t let it trouble us." Pearce didn''t care whether he would be


    regarded as a member of this or that party. He only wanted his wife to be happy.


    "How about this? Let Matthew and I be the witnesses. We can just make it simple," Harper suggested.


    "The murderer is still hiding in the dark, and we''d better keep a low profile. Of course, we will definitely


    catch the murderer."


    "But this has happened all of a sudden with no preparation. It will be unfair to Alexander," Allie said,


    feeling a bit uneasy. "I need some time to prepare for it. The ancestral temple has to be prepared as


    well."


    "Well, in this case, you can determine a date, and on that day I will take Alexander over and then, you


    can recognize him to be your sworn son," Harper said to Allie with a smile.


    "Okay, okay, I''ll have my people prepare for it at once." Allie stepped out to tell her people to prepare


    for all the things that would be needed. Pearce gave a grateful look at Harper. Now that his wife had


    something to do, she would be cheered up rather than immerse herself in sorrow every day.


    "Thank you, Your highnesses."


    "Pearce, it is not our idea." Harper looked at Alexander. "It is his own idea. He didn''t even tell this to us


    beforehand."


    Pearce looked at Alexander, reached out his hand and stroke his head. "You are truly a good boy."


    "Alexander, you go outside now and y for a while. I have something to discuss with your sworn


    father." Harper asked Alexander to go out. Pearce gestured to an attendant to escort him out.


    "Take good care of him."


    "Yes, My Lord."


    Pearce looked at Harper first, and then turned to look at Matthew. "Have you found something


    already?"


    "Pearce, you must know all about the powerful forces of the River City. Recently, have any powerful


    people entered the city? Or are there any powerful people in the city who are involved in the battle for


    power?" Harper suspected that the murderer was still in the River City. Even if the main criminal behind


    the murder was not there anymore, his aplices must still be there. They helped the main criminal


    by keeping Matthew staying in the city.


    "Powerful people who have recently entered the River City, and who are involved in the battle for


    power..." Pearce suddenly widened his eyes and looked straight at Matthew.


    "Except us," said Harper sullenly.


    "In addition to you, the other powerful person in the River City would be me," Pearce said confidently.


    Harper had the urge to throw her teacup at the head of Pearce in frustration. ''Are you kidding me?'' she


    thought.


    Noticing Harper''s unhappy attitude, Pearce thought for a while and said, "I can''t think of any other


    powerful person. But actually, there is someone from the imperial capital."


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Who is it?"


    "Prince Jason."


    Harper looked at Matthew. Jason had been travelling outside the capital all the time, so he had nothing


    to do with the imperial court affairs. He might not be involved in the fight for the throne. However, who


    was really indifferent to the throne? Although Jason was constantly travelling around, who knew what


    was in his mind? They wouldn''t know the truth until they met him.


    "I have only seen him a few times. I had the impression that he was like a coward." A look of disdain


    overtook Matthew''s face. Back then, when he red at Jason, thetter would cry. He cried so hard


    that he couldn''t catch his breath. What was more, Jason even once had pissed his pants just because


    of Matthew''s re.


    Harper looked at Pearce. She thought, ''As a prince, how could Jason really be such a coward?''


    "I don''t think he looks like a coward. Actually, he looks like a reserved person who is averse to social


    contact," Pearce said as he recalled his memory on Jason. "The point is, whenever Prince Matthew''s


    name was mentioned, he always seemed to be unwell."


    Matthew snorted and said, "No other prince has been so frightened to the extent of wetting his pants at


    the sight of me."


    The corner of Harper''s mouth twitched. She thought, ''To think that a prince pissed his pants because of


    your stern look! How terrible you are! He must have been very embarrassed.''


    "I treat him no differently than I do all the other princes, but he is the only one to be such a coward."


    Matthew indeed disliked Jason. Jason was even about the same age as him, but he cried every time


    he saw him and even pissed his pants. He hated cowards more than anything else, so his dislike of


    Jason grew every time he saw him.


    "Prince Jason did not stay in the imperial capital. Was it because of you?" Harper asked yfully.


    "I have no idea," Matthew answered.


    Pearce had also heard of that. At the time, Matthew had juste back from the battlefield. He was full


    of sinister aura and couldn''t restrain himself at all. Felix, being the eldest prince, was not afraid of


    Matthew at all. But the other princes were all very afraid of him, so it was believable that Jason was


    scared enough to piss his pants.


    "Could it possibly be Prince Jason?"


    "Humph! If he knew that I was in the River City, he would have run away like a mouse." Matthew looked


    very disdainful at the thought of it. The smile on Pearce''s face also turned stiff, to realize that Jason


    was so afraid of Matthew that he might actually run away overnight.


    Harper felt pity for Jason, thinking of how badly Matthew might have traumatized him.


    "Find out straightaway if Jason is still in the River City," Matthew ordered coldly, and Fred went out to


    carry out the task at once. Then Matthew asked Pearce, "Is there any powerful secret force in the River


    City?"


    "Secret force?" Pearce considered it for a moment. "Yes, the Scarlet Devils."

 Chapter 541 Matthew The Demon (Part One)

    Chapter 541 Matthew The Demon (Part One)


    "Did you mean the organization that would do anything you ask, for the right price?" asked Matthew,


    feeling uncertain. He hadn''t been aware that the Scarlet Devils had a stronghold in the River City as


    well.


    "Yes." Pearce thought again for a moment before he added, "It''s actually interesting that the Scarlet


    Devils has never taken any serious action in the River City. But even if they didmit crimes here,


    they would leave no incriminating evidence. So this organization didn''t ur to me at first, since


    they''ve always been very low-key here in this city."


    "Matthew, I heard that the Scarlet Devils is a self-governing gang from the world of martial artists.


    Could it possibly be connected to the court?" Harper asked doubtfully. In general, people or


    organizations out there would not get involved in court business or politics. On the other hand, if


    anyone from the court paid for an assassination, an organization like the Scarlet Devils would be happy


    to carry out the job.


    "I don''t know yet," Matthew replied. Suddenly, he recalled that the Scarlet Devils sometimes did their


    assassinations with hidden weapons like silver needles. "But still, there is reason to doubt that the


    Scarlet Devils was involved in this matter," he then added.


    "You mean the murder might have been done by the Scarlet Devils?" Harper then realized that it would


    make sense for a group like the Scarlet Devils to utilize such a subtle and sinister method of killing.


    Indeed, she herself often carried hidden weapons for self-defense, but the assassins among the


    Scarlet Devils would find it useful to kill their targets by such a quiet method.


    "Are you sure?" asked Pearce, his face going pale when he heard this.


    "No, I''m not quite sure yet. I think I ought to pay the Scarlet Devils a visit." A cold smile found its way to


    the corners of Matthew''s mouth. "I hope that the Scarlet Devils is not involved in this. Otherwise, I''ll


    have no choice but to ughter everyst member of that gang."


    "What kind of organization is the Scarlet Devils, exactly?" Harper wondered out loud. She didn''t have a


    clear idea of this legendary organization.


    "The Scarlet Devils is a band of assassins. For the right price, they could even kill the emperor for you,"


    exined Pearce. "The leader of the organization is called Marquis Scarlet, and he has six fierce


    killers, known as the Scarlet Killers, who take orders directly from him. They are murderous devils, all


    of them."


    "It''s really an extraordinary gang. Their leader calls himself ''Marquis Scarlet, '' as if he were truly a


    marquis of the court," scoffed Harper, unable to hold back herughter. At her words, Matthew and


    Pearce both stared at her with rapt attention. It had never urred to them that the leader of the


    Scarlet Devils might be someone from the court!


    "What''s the reason for that look on your faces?" asked Harper, feeling disconcerted.


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "You might be right! Marquis Scarlet may be an actual marquis from the court," said Matthew, with a


    glint in his eye. "There has always been an extremely secretive power hiding in the court, which even I


    couldn''t reveal. But I do sense its existence and its influence, though I couldn''t trace any evidence of it


    yet. Now, it appears that the force finally couldn''t keep itself in the shadows anymore."


    "Your Highness." It was Fred, who had juste back. He greeted the others politely, and then turned


    to Matthew. "It turns out that on the day you checked into the inn, Prince Jason packed up and hurried


    out of the River City."


    Harper giggled when she heard this news. "Matthew, it seems that you''re a truly ferocious man with a


    fearsome reputation. You can not only scare wailing children into silence, but also frighten away the


    prince."


    Matthew, however, said nothing. It seemed to him that he had discounted Jason long ago. If there were


    any other princes worthy of consideration, Francis and Lucas were the only notable ones. Unfortunately


    for them, Lucas didn''t have the support of his mother''s n, and Francis had been weak for a long


    time. If they wanted to fight against Felix, they could only rely on Matthew.


    "Your Highness, you must know that His Highness built his reputation a long ago! He can scare a


    prince away as easily as he can blink. Once he even intimidated the emperor of the Great Jade


    Kingdom enough to force him to depose the crown prince appointed by himself."


    "The crown prince of the Great Jade Kingdom?" Harper murmured. A familiar face shed in her mind.


    "What happened at that time?"


    "Those events had nothing to do with me," Matthew remarked stiffly.


    "If you hadn''t led the ck g Army to threaten the borders of the Great Jade Kingdom, and forced


    them to render an ount, their emperor would not have deposed his crown prince, Rndo, to mollify


    your anger," Pearce told Harper. He wasn''t fond of Matthew''s sour and cold face, which seemed to say


    everyone owed him a great debt and must follow his orders, so he ignored Matthew and told Harper


    how her husband''s reputation was built.


    "Rndo..." Harper repeated the name. She looked at Matthew and pondered the name as deeply as


    she could. Soon, the name rang a bell. Could this Rndo actually be Chodak?


    Matthew narrowed his eyes when he returned Harper''s nce. That look contained his answer. Harper


    had guessed it, and Chodak was indeed Rndo, the former crown prince of the Great Jade Kingdom.


    However, the truth was not that the emperor of the Great Jade Kingdom deposed Rndo at the


    prompting of Matthew''s army, but rather that there was already some serious domestic turmoil in the


    Great Jade Kingdom at that time, and their emperor had a long-cherished plot to establish a new crown


    prince. Quelling Matthew''s anger was just a convenient excuse for what the emperor had already


    arranged.


    "So, Your Highness, now you know what a demon he is. It can''t be easy for you, being married to him,


    honestly." Then, as if to further tease them, Pearce added, "I bet a man like him knows nothing about


    romance, does he?"


    "Oh, Pearce, I can''tpete with you on that score, I admit. Otherwise, how could thatdy from the


    famous brothel love you so much?" Matthew riposted.


    "Who is she?" A voice came after Matthew''s words. It was Pearce''s wife, definitely. "Pearce, your


    exnation had better be a good one!"


    Matthew was chuckling to himself, and he strode out of the mansion with Harper, like a general who


    just won a battle. He was rather pleased with hiseback.


    Looking at his smug face, Harper shook her head. "You knew that I wouldn''t believe him, but you still


    tried to stir up trouble between the couple. I don''t think that was a good idea. After all, they just lost


    their son. Their rtionship probably needs repairing now."


    "Don''t worry. They are overwhelmed by the recent loss of their son. Saying their thoughts out loud


    would help them all the better to make peace," Matthew responded thoughtfully. "The most important


    thing for us to do now is discover the murderer."

 Chapter 542 Matthew The Demon (Part Two)

    Chapter 542 Matthew The Demon (Part Two)


    Harper nodded. They couldn''t leave the River City if they didn''t find the murderer, because the killer


    might attack Alexander again after they left, and they couldn''t stay here to guard him forever.


    "Watch out!" Matthew shouted in warning abruptly, and extended out his arm to pull Harper to him by


    her waist. They both turned around to escape the sudden attack, and when they turned their eyes


    back, they saw that a row of darts had pierced the ground silently where they had just been standing.


    "Attack!" Following thatmand, the assassins closed in on them without saying another word. In a


    sh, they surrounded Fred with absolute ease. Their leader wore a blood-red robe and his face was


    covered by a mask of savage appearance. He looked very much like a devil from hell.


    "Marquis Scarlet." Matthew uttered the name. Staring at the killers facing him with his fierce eyes,


    Matthew felt that he had seen through the enemy''s disguise without a doubt. Moments ago, it was only


    his guess that the Scarlet Devils was involved in this dark business. Now he had no doubt that the


    organizationmitted Alban''s murder.


    "Your Highness," Marquis Scarlet greeted him in a low voice, "I have heard that you are a skilled


    fighter. I would like topete with you."


    Matthew sneered, "I suspect it''s not just apetition. In fact, you want to chop my head off, don''t


    you?"


    Marquis Scarlet smiled inside his mask. "You are reputed to be a clever man as well as a good fighter,


    Your Highness. But in this regard, it seems they are wrong. I''ve been admiring you for a long time, and


    I just want topete with you and learn from you. I have never had a thought of killing you. Sadly,


    your bodyguards are quite strong, so this is the only way to get close to you. I hope you won''t mind."


    "Fred, step back and guard Harper." Matthew gave the order with a cool brain and Fred retreated


    ordingly, taking Harper with him several meters from the encirclement to stay away from the fight


    that was about tomence.


    Harper stayed quiet, just watching the fight calmly. Matthew unsheathed his sword and called out, "Very


    well, I''ll help you make your dreame true, so that you may you die a happy death today."


    "Don''t let your arrogance lead you astray. You stay out of this, all of you! I will deal with this fool


    myself," Marquis Scarlet said to his men. He then raised his sword and went straight at Matthew.


    Harper, at the same moment, casually withdrew some snacks from her pocket, which she munched on


    festively while watching Matthew battle the killers, as if she were viewing an entertainment show.


    Fred cast a nce at Harper with mixed feelings. ''Isn''t she concerned about His Highness?'' He just


    found herposure quite astonishing.


    Sensing that Fred was looking at her with a puzzled air, Harper did something that surprised him even


    more. She took a handful of her snacks, ced them into Fred''s hand and said, "Have a try and enjoy


    the show. How many moves do you think Matthew will take until he beats this guy?"


    Fred looked at the snacks in her hand and then at the two fighters, he hesitated a bit before he took


    some and tried to enjoy them as Harper suggested. "I wager it will be no more than thirty moves."


    "Thirty moves?" Harper turned and looked at him. "I think that will be too quick for him to manage. I


    wager Marquis Scarlet can take fifty moves from Matthew."


    Fred was eating the snacks much more slowly than Harper did. So when Harper had already finished a


    handful, Fred still had a big half left in his hand. Feeling bored, Harper took half of what remained in


    Fred''s hand and said, "Matthew, it''s gettingte now. Please finish him before I finish my snacks."


    "Hmm," answered Matthew rather unconcernedly. But Marquis Scarlet shot an irritated nce at


    Harper, feeling insulted that a woman had interrupted his concentration.


    "Honey, he just red at me impolitely," Harper said while continuing eating her snacks. "I''ve changed


    my mind."


    A doting smile appeared on Matthew''s face. "Okay, whatever you wish," he answered affectionately.


    "Hey, no nagging, woman! This is men''s fight!" shouted Marquis Scarlet.


    Smack! Just as Harper bit at her snacks, Matthew kicked Marquis Scarlet on his belly. The man


    groaned in pain at once. Harper smiled and turned to Fred. "That man is a chauvinist pig."


    "What is a chauvinist pig?" Fred asked with sincere curiosity. He had never heard that word. Could it be


    a kind of boar? If so, he didn''t think he had ever seen any boars that might deserve the fancy name.


    "The man who looks down on women is a chauvinist pig!" Harper exined as sinctly as she could.


    The corner of Fred''s mouth slightly stiffened as heprehended Harper''s exnation. He looked


    instinctively at Matthew, who seemed to be startled by Harper''s words as well. Meanwhile, Marquis


    Scarlet froze for a split second and then was kicked by Matthew again. Feeling the sharp pain, he


    red at Harper once more, resenting herments.


    Fred felt a little embarrassed, and didn''t know what to say to Harper. If he were Jack, he would


    certainly ask her with a smile, "So is His Highness a chauvinist pig, too?" But Fred didn''t have the


    nerve to say it. He would never dare to speak so irreverently like Jack.


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    "Matthew, time''s up." When thest bit of the snack went into Harper''s mouth, the game was over.


    Marquis Scarlet was spitting blood from Matthew''s blows, like a drowned rat.


    "Did you kill Alban?" Matthew demanded, cing his sword on Marquis Scarlet''s neck.


    Marquis Scarlet wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and replied, "I have no time or interest to


    kill a suckling baby."


    "You mean you didn''t do it yourself but you are involved in the matter, right?" Harper demanded, in a


    loud and clear voice.


    At that moment, Marquis Scarlet finally turned to take a good look at the woman in front of him. He had


    always assumed that she was just a useless woman who followed Matthew like a shadow. But now it


    seemed to him that he was wrong.


    "Why did you say that?" he asked her calmly. He had received instructions not to harm her, and


    therefore he was curious about what kind of person this woman was. At the same time, he also wanted


    topete with Matthew.


    "Matthew just asked whether you have killed Alban. Then, you said you wouldn''t bother to kill a child


    yourself. That sounded as if you had others do the killing even though you didn''t kill the child


    personally. It means the same thing to me: it was all your doing." With those words, Harper''s face


    turned cold and her eyes became like daggers. "Spit it out, then. Why did you draw us to this city?"

 Chapter 543 Annihilating The Scarlet Devils (Part One)

    Chapter 543 Annihting The Scarlet Devils (Part One)


    Turning to Harper in surprise, Marquis Scarlet said, "I heard that Prince Matthew''s wife is arrogant and


    overbearing. It wasn''t until now that I found out they were telling the truth, though they forgot to mention


    that you''re also a liar who makes irresponsible remarks and uses others of hasty nderous


    charges."


    Harperughed sarcastically before responding, "Oh, really? I did hear some things about you too, you


    know. I wonder what the face behind that mask really looks like."


    She stretched out her hand to remove the mask from Marquis Scarlet''s face. But as soon as her hand


    touched the mask, a silver needle was shot at her wrist. In a second, Matthew hastily pulled Harper


    away to protect her. Marquis Scarlet took the chance to get rid of Matthew''s grip on him and quickly


    stepped away from them.


    "I admire your agility, Prince Matthew. But next time we meet, I won''t lose to you." After that, Marquis


    Scarlet looked at Harper with eyes full ofplex emotions. At that, he was finally ready to leave.


    As a glimmer of light shed through her eyes, Harper shot three silver needles from the bracelet


    around her wrist towards Marquis Scarlet. The man quickly turned around to avoid the attack. But,


    unfortunately for him, one of the silver needles found its way into his body.


    Marquis Scarlet spat out a mouthful of blood. He turned around one more time and gave a ferocious


    nce at Harper. Wiping off the blood from the corner of his mouth, he quickly disappeared in the


    darkness. All the other assassins had already fled away in different directions even before their leader


    could. Matthew made a gesture with his hand, ordering the secret guards who were in hiding to chase


    them.


    When they were sure that every member of the Scarlet Devils had fled, Harper finally had the time to


    worry about the situation in the imperial capital. If it was true that someone had deliberately lured them


    away from the imperial capital, their family there would have been in great danger by then. After


    thinking about it for a little more while, Harper suddenly breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Matthew


    out of concern.


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    "What''s wrong?" Matthew asked with worry since he could feel the obvious change in Harper''s mood.


    "I just couldn''t help but think that if our enemy deliberately lured us away from the imperial capital, our


    family would be in danger right now. However, the next moment I realized that my actual family is


    together with me right now," Harper softly said with a small smile. She looked at Matthew, wanting him


    to know that by "actual family," she meant him. She then added, "Also, Gianna is in Allen''s mansion


    and is being taken good care of by him and his wife, so I don''t need to worry about her safety. The Bu


    n members have the ability to protect themselves, and Alexander is with us. There is nobody in the


    imperial capital that we need to worry about."


    "But your father is there," Matthew reminded her. Even though Harper did not consider Charles as her


    father anymore, there was no denying that they were still bonded by blood.


    "He is not my father," Harper said firmly, emphasizing each word. Her father was not a frantic bastard


    like Charles. In her previous life, her father was actually stricter with her than with her elder brother


    because he thought that a female should be independent and self-reliant. Even so, he didn''t love her


    any less than her elder brother. In fact, her father took care of her more carefully than he did to her


    elder brother.


    "If you say so. I guess he doesn''t deserve to be called like that," Matthew agreed with her.


    "How are we going to deal with the Scarlet Devils?" Despite the assurance that her family would be


    fine, Harper was still worried about the Scarlet Devils. After all, she knew that these people were


    merciless and desperate. If they were determined to get rid of someone, no one knew the limit that they


    would be willing to take. Moreover, Scarlet Devils had been associated with Alban''s death. For just that


    fact, Harper was reluctant to let them go that easily.


    "Don''t worry. Once my secret guards find the Scarlet Devils'' location, it will be easy to capture all of


    them. Of course, I won''t let those gangsters go free and go about doing what they want. What''s more,


    they even dared to think of going after me. How can I not do something to them in return?" Matthew


    confidently stated with conviction in his eyes. He knew that at whichever cost, he would find them.


    "When you''ve finally caught the Scarlet Devils, you should tell Pearce before killing them. I''m sure he''ll


    immediatelye. After all, you''re going to kill the murderer who killed his son. Since Pearce and Allie


    are willing to ept Alexander as their sworn son, I believe they are sensible enough to tell what is


    right and wrong. Now that they have a legitimate reason to hold a grudge against them, they would


    regret it very much if they weren''t there at the very least," Harper stated softly.


    "As a matter of fact, Pearce''s n has a reputation for being humble and dignified. Not everyone has


    the courage to fade in the background at the height of their prosperity. But that was exactly what


    Pearce''s n did in the past," Matthew stated in consensus with Harper.


    "You seem to have a very high opinion of Pearce," Harpermented. It was rare for her to see


    Matthew praise someone this much. In fact, he was a very proud man who regarded himself and the


    people around him with high standards. Therefore, he would praise only a few people from time to time.


    Even when it came to Franklin, Matthew merely described him as an old fox. Inparison, he spoke


    extremely highly of Pearce.


    "I praise you very often, don''t I?" Matthew said teasingly with a yful smile and twinkle in his eyes.


    "Oh honey, did you ever praise me?" Harper went along with his yful mood.


    "Don''t be like that! I have praised you multiple times. I said that you''re clever, sweet, gentle,


    considerate, and exceedingly beautiful," Matthew said, almost like a boy whining.


    "Oh, you''re such a smooth talker!" Harper eximed. Even though she was usually confident and


    proud, she couldn''t help but blush at his words. To hide her embarrassment, she retorted at him, "Why


    don''t you say that I''m always jealous, savage, and wild? You can even call me disgusting for daring to


    dissect corpses."


    "So what? Dissecting corpses doesn''t bother me at all. Even if you want to dissect living people, I''ll


    support you. And you have my word. I would still look at you the same way," Matthew said in a sincere


    tone. Back then, Harper had operated Nicole and done an emergency caesarean section on her. She


    had to cut open Nicole''s belly to take out Gianna. By doing so, she not only saved Gianna but also


    fulfilled Nicole''sst wish. Besides, at that time, Allen didn''t me Harper for cutting Nicole''s belly open


    and taking the baby out. However, what Harper had done was too shocking formon people to bear.


    Therefore, in order to keep it a secret, Matthew had meticulously tracked down everybody who knew


    about it. He then threatened them to take the secret to their graves, or else, he was going to be the one


    to take them there.

 Chapter 544 Annihilating The Scarlet Devils (Part Two)

    Chapter 544 Annihting The Scarlet Devils (Part Two)


    "I always know that you treat me the best, darling," Harper said. A bright smile bloomed on her face,


    giving out tender light on that cold night.


    A few moments after then, it began to snow again. The whole River City was covered in white, casting


    a magical glow all over the ce.


    When Harper woke up the next morning, Matthew wasn''t by her side. Instead, Forsythia was standing


    by the bed. Seeing that Harper was finally awake, she asked, "Your Highness, you''re awake. It''s


    snowing outside very heavily. Would you like to go out and have a look?"


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    "Help me freshen up," Harper stated, ignoring Forsythias'' question. Harper got up, got dressed, and


    freshened up. Only after then did she asked, "Where is Matthew?"


    "His Highness went out when it began snowingst night and hasn''te back yet. He said that he


    was going to deal with something. He took Fred with him and left Barry here in the official inn to protect


    you." Forsythia promptly exined the situation.


    "What is Alexander doing right now?" Harper asked.


    "He''s reading. He said that he had been skipping a lot of courses these days, so he wants to take this


    opportunity to catch up. He''s actually very focused and determined about his studies." Forsythia


    couldn''t help but praise Alexander. She then added, "Earlier, I cooked ginseng soup for him in order to


    build up his immune system so that his health won''t be affected with all the studying that he''s doing.


    Just rest your heart at ease, Your Highness."


    "Has Alexander had his breakfast yet?"


    "Not yet, I''ll have someone send breakfast to his roomter."


    "No, just let him go downstairs for breakfast. If he stays in his room all day long, he may feel


    miserable," Harpermanded. Studying hard was a good thing, but he shouldn''t let it affect his own


    health because of it.


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    Soon after, Harper went downstairs to the dining hall for breakfast. After a few moments, Alexander


    joined her. He greeted her politely, "Good morning, Harper."


    "Come and sit down for breakfast."


    "Yes, thank you so much." Alexander sat down in a well-behaved manner, looking like an adult. Harper


    couldn''t help but burst into loudughter and lightly pinched his face with her fingers, saying, "You don''t


    have to be overcautious and formal in front of your sister."


    Feeling a little embarrassed, Alexander scratched his head and said, "My teacher says that a man


    cannot be independent if he doesn''t behave properly and with dignity. I just want to let you know


    that I''m trying my best to live up to your expectations."


    "Oh you don''t need to worry about that. I just want you to be happy." Harper smiled while she handed


    him a bowl of porridge. "Have your breakfast first. It''s getting cold."


    "Thank you!" Alexander said while he took the bowl with both of his hands. He couldn''t help but be


    curious when he looked around and didn''t see his brother-inw. So he asked, "Where is Matthew?"


    "He went out for business," Harper answered inly. In a more lively tone, she asked, "Are you going


    out for a walk after breakfast?"


    "No, I am not. I have missed a lot of courses recently and I can''t even go to school in the near future,


    so I''m afraid that I''ll be way behind my ssmates when I finally go back. If I don''t seize this


    opportunity to make up for the lost time, by then, it will be impossible for me to catch up to them."


    Harper picked up a steamed stuffed bun and put it in his bowl. She then reminded, "Don''t study too


    hard. Your health is important as well."


    "You have nothing to worry about, Harper. I am very healthy right now. Forsythia cooks ginseng soup


    for me every day. I almost have a nosebleed because of it," Alexander said in embarrassment.


    "That''s very considerate of Forsythia," Harpermented.


    "Your Highness, I have to take good care of his health, or else, you will get worried about him,"


    Forsythia exined.


    "You naughty girl. You''re young but sly. I can see through you," Harper yfully said.


    Forsythia had a smug smile on her face. Then, she caught sight of Matthew, who was walking into the


    dining hall. In a hurry, she walked up to him and greeted, "Your Highness, wee back."


    Harper turned around and saw Matthew walking in. She quickly asked, "You''re back. Have you had


    breakfast?"


    "Not yet," Matthew briefly responded. He then took off his cloak and handed it to Fred who was closely


    following him. Forsythia quickly fetched one more pair of chopsticks and one more bowl. Matthew sat


    down next to Harper and ate his breakfast with them.


    "Has the matter been settled?" Harper casually asked. Although Matthew had meticulously cleaned


    himself on the way back, she could still smell a faint scent of blood from him.


    With a steamed bun in his hand, Matthew nodded and said, "All is done."


    "Are you all right?" Harper asked while she carefully looked at every part of Matthew''s body. It was as if


    she wanted to see if he was injured anywhere, even though she couldn''t see through his clothes.


    "I''m fine. Don''t worry. Pearce asked me to tell you that they are ready to formally ept Alexander as


    their sworn son," Matthew softly said, changing the subject.


    "When?"


    "Tomorrow."


    "That''s great." Immediately, Harper ordered the servants to prepare some gifts. Since Alexander was


    going to take Pearce and Allie as his sworn parents, he had to give them gifts. However, Alexander


    was still very young, so Harper had to prepare the gifts on his behalf.


    "Harper, Matthew, I''m already full. If you may excuse me, I''m going back to my room to study."


    "Okay, go ahead."


    After watching Alexander as he made his way upstairs, Harper turned to Matthew and asked, "Did you


    destroy the Scarlet Devils'' strongholdst night?"


    "Yes, but it''s a pity that Marquis Scarlet had already escaped when we got there. He is very clever and


    cunning. When he realized that something was wrong, he abandoned all the others and fled by himself.


    Except for him, all the members of the Scarlet Devils werepletely annihted," Matthew stated


    while he squinted his eyes at the thought of Marquis Scarlet.


    "Have you gathered any useful information?" Harper curiously asked.


    "Nothing at all." Matthew shook his head.


    "Did you find any money in that ce?" Harper asked. Since Scarlet Devils had been operating as an


    organization of contract killers for so many years, she thought that they must have made a fortune.


    "Not really, there was only a small amount of treasures and some lists left at their stronghold. Nothing


    else was there."


    "Where is the money that the Scarlet Devils have earned over the years?" Harper asked in confusion.


    After all, the Scarlet Devils had high rates for their services. And their business didn''t actually require


    too much cost. Their profit from a single deal could amount to the annual profit of one of Harper and


    Matthew''s shops. Due to the high profitability, they must have earned a lot of money. Harper wondered


    where all of that money went on earth.

 Chapter 545 Into The Silk Business (Part One)

    Chapter 545 Into The Silk Business (Part One)


    "The Scarlet Devils is associated with somebody who is a member of the imperial court," Matthew said


    as he passed over a list to Harper, with records of the assassination dealings of the Scarlet Devils over


    the years. Most of the dealings were rted to the assassinations of the officials in the court. Of


    course, some of the names on the list were unknown figures, and some others were pretty famous


    figures in the world of martial artists.


    "That''s a good way to nt one''s own person," Harper said slowly as she looked at the list. "Eliminating


    some officials can make their positions vacant, and thus, one can nt his own people to rece the


    dead. Moreover, since some of them held less important positions, it didn''t attract too much attention.


    Even though we knew that these people died mysteriously, the Scarlet Devils was careful not to leave


    any trace. They also made it look like an ident to cover up the truth."


    Matthew''s eyes lit up. It finally made sense to him why that person acted discreetly, leaving no trace at


    all. He used the Scarlet Devils to secretly kill the officials, and then he had his men arranged in the


    imperial court to take up those vacant positions. These positions were not important, and few people


    paid attention to them. However, at certain pivotal moments, these people could y a key role.


    Perhaps, if Matthew carried out an investigation on them based on this list, he could yield some


    unexpected harvest.


    "I never thought of it that way. The man is indeed sophisticated and a hard nut to crack." Matthew


    sneered coldly. "If he were to fight against Felix, I doubt if thetter would survive. I''m curious about


    what is going to happen in the imperial capital."


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    "We''ll know what will happen in the imperial capital as long as we stay here," Harper said as she put


    down her bowl and chopsticks. "Do you want to stay here?"


    "Yes, let''s stay. Since they don''t want us to go back, we can spend the New Year here, in case we will


    meet too much trouble when we go back," Matthew said without hesitation. The hidden forces were


    finallying out of the shadow at the end of the year. Since they were never stingy with their tricks,


    there must be even more of them on the way. If Matthew was able to find out the neer of the


    imperial capital, he would be one step closer to the man behind the scene.


    "Well, I need to prepare some more medicine. You have to order someone to take it to Francis. After


    this course, he no longer needs to take any medications, at least for the time being. ording to his


    recovery, further treatments can be decidedter. By then, we should get back to the imperial capital


    already," Harper said. Even though now they were in the River City, she couldn''t forget about Francis''


    treatment. His condition had been under control recently, and it was important that he continued his


    medications. If he was not handled well enough, he was likely to suffer a rpse.


    "Well, tell me after you have prepared the medications. I''ll ask the guards to take them to him,"


    Matthew said. Although he didn''t like Francis, he wouldn''t mind as long as Harper wouldn''t stay with his


    nephew alone.


    "The matter of the Scarlet Devils is now over. After Pearce and his wife officially adopt Alexander as


    their sworn son tomorrow, it will be better to send him back to his school to continue his study," said


    Harper. After thinking for a moment, she added, "Matthew, is there anyone in the River City who works


    for you?"


    "What are you intending to do?" Matthew asked, raising his eyebrows.


    "Since we are here, we can''t go back empty-handed." Harper smiled, as her eyes sparkled. "The south


    region is indeed prosperous and the best ce to earn some money."


    The corner of Matthew''s mouth twitched slightly. He was expecting something special from Harper, but


    it turned out that she wanted to make money. Though it sounded vulgar, money was something that


    everyone got attracted to.


    "Do you know what the most profitable business in the south region is?" asked Matthew slowly.


    "There are three kinds of most profitable business in the south region: first, the entertainment business,


    second, the salt business, which can make people rich overnight and third, the silk business." Harper


    listed out like an expert. Apparently, she had already done her research. "The entertainment business


    will also include the prostitution business, so I''m not going to get involved in it. The salt business in the


    south region is very subtle and a slight change in the business will influence the whole empire. Thus, I


    won''t get involved in that too. As a result, my only option is the silk business."


    "Although the silk business may be profitable, it''s not easy to make it, especially in the River City¡­"


    Matthew said as he looked at his wife tenderly. "Actually, you don''t need to work so hard to make


    money. Our mansion has other businesses to earn extra revenues in addition to those obtained from


    the businesses you have already known."


    "I know that and the person in charge of the other businesses is Rufus." Harper picked up the


    conversation. "He had already asked me about some new ways to run businesses."


    "Then why didn''t you ask me about the businesses run by Rufus?" asked Matthew, without changing


    his face.


    "No need," Harper said frankly. "What Rufus does is outside our mansion, but what I need to do is


    within our mansion. Even if I go out to make money, it is to support the life inside our mansion. So, I


    don''t need to care about businesses outside our mansion. Moreover, it''d be a huge project and I don''t


    want to worry about it."


    Matthew then exined, "I have a lot of industries outside, but they are all private. I''ve been funneling


    the profits from those to support the ck g Army and offset its secret expenditure. I didn''t want to


    tell you about it because if this secret is uncovered someday, I''m afraid that you too might get


    implicated in it."


    "You don''t have to worry about it. I don''t care," Harper said calmly. "Matthew, I know that His Majesty


    has put you in a difficult position. For an outsider, you seem to be enjoying great glory and fortune, but I


    know that you are treading on thin ice and have to be careful with your every action. I also know how


    hard you have tried to protect our mansion, but it''s not advisable to keep a defensive posture all the


    time."

 Chapter 546 Into The Silk Business (Part Two)

    Chapter 546 Into The Silk Business (Part Two)


    "I made you feel worried again," Matthew said with concern.


    "We are a couple now. Of course, the hardships have to be endured together," Harper said, as she held


    Matthew''s hands. "Don''t forget what I have told you, ''No matter we are living, dead or separated, we


    always love each other.''"


    "It''s still in my mind, ''I want to hold your hand and grow old together with you, ''" Matthew continued at


    once.


    The next morning, Harper and Matthew took Alexander to Pearce''s mansion.


    Although Harper had told Pearce and his wife that receiving Alexander as their sworn son should be


    treated as a small matter and needn''t be disclosed to the public, they still took the matter seriously.


    They specifically confirmed the auspicious asion and opened the ancestral temple of their mansion.


    They even invited an elder of the Zhao n to witness the whole ceremony.


    The steward of Pearce''s mansion hurried in and reported, "They areing! My Lord, My Lady, they


    areing!" ted, Pearce and wife looked at each other, and rushed out to see Matthew and his wife


    walking in with Alexander.


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    The boy gave the gifts he had prepared to Pearce and his wife and said respectfully, "Please ept


    the gifts. I have personally prepared them for you two."


    "Thank you, Alexander. You are so considerate."


    Seeing the arrival of the guests, the elder of the n hastened to urge them, "It''s almost the auspicious


    time. We need to take the boy to the ancestral temple first and worship the ancestors."


    "All right." Pearce and his wife then took Alexander to the ancestral temple of their mansion. Today, the


    ancestral temple had been opened in order to pay respect to their ancestors before the big event. Even


    though the ceremony was not grand, it would still be necessary to keep Alexander''s name on the


    ancestral temple. But before that, the ancestors should be worshiped, and then, the elder would write


    his name on the pedigree.


    In the first process of the ceremony, Pearce and his wife worshiped the ancestors by lighting the


    incense and kowtowed repeatedly in front of their tablets. Then, it was Alexander''s turn to follow suit.


    Since Harper and Matthew were outsiders, they had to wait outside for the ceremony to bepleted.


    Immediately after Alexander finished the process, the elder announced thepletion of the


    ceremony. Next, the elder recorded Alexander''s name on the pedigree. In such a way, Alexander was


    officially recognized as a member of Pearce''s mansion.


    The next step was Alexander offering tea to his sworn parents. Pearce and his wife were sitting in the


    main seat of the main hall. The elder was sitting on their left, and Matthew along with Harper sat on


    their right. The steward brought two cups of tea for Alexander to finish thest step.


    Alexander took a cup of tea and handed it to Pearce, "Father, please have a cup of tea."


    "Certainly." Pearce smiled and had a sip of tea. Then he gave a big red envelope to his sworn son.


    Alexander took the other cup of tea, knelt down and offered it happily to Allie, saying, "Mother, please


    have a cup of tea."


    Taking the cup and having a sip of the tea, Allie not just gave him a big red envelope, but also a pair of


    silver bowls, chopsticks and even a longevity lock. Then she said, "Alexander, you may rise."


    "Thank you, Father and Mother." Alexander politely expressed his gratitude and got up.


    "Your Highnesses, it''s the Rice Porridge Festival in two days. If you all don''t mind, please celebrate it


    along with us in our mansion," Allie proposed. "It''d be so quiet if only we two were to celebrate it


    together."


    After her son''s death, she was feeling lonely and empty. So toe out of that, she wanted the


    mansion to be more lively and noisy.


    "I will oftene back to apany you, Father and Mother," Alexander said.


    "That''s great." A grateful smile emerged on Allie''s face. Even though she knew that Alexander said it to


    console her, she felt very grateful to him.


    "Well, for the Rice Porridge Festival, we are going to be here, and we''ll celebrate the festival with you,"


    Harper said at once. "After the festival, we''re going back to the imperial capital in a few days.


    Alexander will continue to study in the Clivia School."


    "Can Alexander live in our mansion these days?" asked Pearce tentatively. He knew that his wife liked


    Alexander very much. The other day, she even specially prepared a yard for him. She said that he


    could live there when he came back.


    Pearce was someone who loved his wife the most. Though his son''s murderer was already punished


    with death penalty, he knew that the real conspirator was still atrge in the imperial capital. With his


    currentpetence and his peaceful life in the River City, he was unable to take revenge for his son''s


    death. Fortunately, the person who had killed his son was already dead, which helped him in getting rid


    of the knot in his mind, but the knot bothering his wife couldn''t be rid of that easily.


    "Alexander, what do you think?"


    With a nce at the eager face of Allie, Alexander nodded and said, "Harper, I wish to stay here along


    with my sworn parents, and have more contact with them. Can I?"


    "Of course you can." Harper rubbed her brother''s head with affection. "You are a man now. Take care


    of your sworn parents."


    "I will. Don''t worry, Harper."


    Then Harper turned to Pearce and Allie, and said with a smile, "Then Alexander is going to bother you


    for a while."


    "It''s our pleasure!" Pearce replied at once.


    "Okay. I think then it''s time for us to leave now." Harper bid them goodbye.


    "Please, stay for lunch before you leave," Allie proposed eagerly.


    "Thank you so much for your invitation, but sorry. We have something to deal with urgently, so please


    excuse us from lunch." Harper then left with Matthew. She wanted to do research on the silk business


    in the River City. There were a lot of tea ntations in the region, and it was not advisable to do tea


    business here. But since the region was also good for mulberry ntations, she was inclined to do silk


    business. Her interest was not just limited to silk material, but also into silk clothes.

 Chapter 547 Turn Him Into A Money-making Slave (Part One)

    Chapter 547 Turn Him Into A Money-making ve (Part One)


    Matthew didn''t have any misgivings about Harper entering the clothes business. It was no longer like


    the beginning of their marriage. At that time, he would have had his doubts. How could such a young


    lady from a powerful family who barely went outside know how to do business in different fields?


    However, he had learned to respect her capabilities after being married to her for so long. Moreover, he


    was mystified by her way of thinking. The more he knew her, the more she intrigued him.


    "What kind of garments do you want to make?"


    "Matthew, do you have outstanding female embroidery workers?" Harper asked. The couple had visited


    all the garment shops in the city, and had seen the wide scope and abundance of garment makers


    there, but not many of them were outstanding.


    "Yes. How many do you need?" Matthew asked decisively.


    Harper stretched out three fingers and said, "I need thirty. All of them must have exquisite embroidering


    skills."


    Matthew nodded, looking at her lovingly. "Don''t worry. I will find only the best ones for you."


    "Why don''t you ask me what I have in mind? Aren''t you afraid that I will do something foolish or bad?"


    Harper asked with a smile.


    "Will you? Do you need a knife? I will prepare one for you," Matthew said after a moment''s


    consideration.


    With a smile, Harper punched her husband. "I want to create a brand in River City."


    "Who is ''Brand''? Is it a boy or a girl?" Matthew asked innocently.


    Harper''s mouth twitched in a mixture of amusement and irritation, and for a moment she didn''t know


    how to answer, but then she calmed down. "I mean, when people see any garment thates from my


    shop, they will recognize it straightaway. This is the brand."


    "I see. It''s a form of fame." Then he made a deduction. "We can use the rich and powerful people in


    River City... Hmm, Pearce and his wife are our best choices, I think. We can invite them to your shop to


    buy some clothes. Your brand will spread twice as far with half the effort if they wear the clothes with


    your brand."


    "That''s what I am thinking too. So, now, let''s try our best to keep them happy. If we need any help, we''ll


    just ask them," Harper said frankly.


    "Smart girl!" Matthew praised as he stopped in front of a tea house. "How about using this building as


    your shop?"


    Harper looked the building up and down several times. It was a three-floor house, which met her


    requirements for a clothing shop perfectly. She walked into the building with her husband in order to


    have a look at the interior.


    This tea house was quite busy with customers. The waiter walked over to them as soon as he saw


    them enter. "Wee! There are private rooms upstairs, please."


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    "Yes." Harper nodded her head and was pleased to see how the hall was decorated. She walked


    upstairs to the second floor, following the waiter. The arrangement of the second floor was also nice,


    but if she wanted to make a clothing shop there, she would need to make some adjustments.


    "Waiter, what is on the third floor?" she asked the waiter.


    "The storeroom is on the third floor, and our shopkeeper lives there," the waiter said with a smile. "Sir,


    ma''am, what would you like to drink?"


    "A pot of green tea, two tes of your best desserts."


    "All right. Hang on, please."


    "Honey, it won''t be easy to buy this ce, since they are doing such good business," Harper


    commented cautiously.


    Matthew stared at her and smiled. "If they don''t sell it, we can just snatch it. Or, we can kill them all and


    loot it."


    Harper''s face darkened immediately, but she would have been a fool if she couldn''t see that he was


    joking. "Is this tea house yours?" she asked.


    Matthew nodded and said, "Yes, but if you like it, it''s yours now."


    "Well, thank you very much. When will the embroidery workers be ready?" A pleasant smile spread


    across Harper''s face. She had faith in his speed.


    "Within three days, I will have the embroidery workers arranged for you. Although outstanding


    embroidery workers are easy to find, their embroidery styles are almost the same without any


    specialties. How do you make the clothes of your shop distinguish from other shops''?" Matthew asked


    curiously. He had once gone to the gambling house improved by her, and found that it had drawn many


    new customers in an instant and defeated all itspetitors within a few neighboring blocks. When


    Felix became aware of it, he almost wanted to take back the title deed. This time she wanted to open a


    clothing shop, and Matthew looked forward to her good performance.


    "We won''t leave here until the New Year, at any rate. I have enough time to think about it." Harper


    smiled mysteriously. "By the way, all the embroidery workers you find must be morally upstanding."


    "Don''t worry. I will find all the workers for you and give their indentures to you. If you find problems with


    any of them, you can beat or kill her."


    "Cruel beast." Harper rolled her eyes. "But I like that."


    "Well, you always need some method of intimidating your subordinates, after all. But I''m curious. What


    exactly are your intentions, Harp?" asked Matthew.


    "There are many gifted schrs and beautifuldies in River City. It''s natural to make good use of


    them. We need to persuade Marquis Pearce and his wife to help us and let everyone else think it is


    their business. Since we are doing business outside the imperial capital, we must keep a low profile as


    much as we can. His Majesty is always waiting for me to make a mistake." Harper was excited by her


    n.


    "Are you afraid?"


    "I''m not afraid of him, but I don''t want to get in trouble." As she spoke, Harper poured a cup of tea for


    her husband. "Honey, please support me in the following days."


    "No problem. By the way, when you''re free, you should train Rufus more. Turn him into a money-


    making ve for us."

 Chapter 548 Turn Him Into A Money-making Slave (Part Two)

    Chapter 548 Turn Him Into A Money-making ve (Part Two)


    "No problem. I know how to give orders." Harper was overjoyed, but when Rufus received his


    summons to River City, he felt a shiver down his spine.


    "Mister Rufus, are you all right?"


    Rufus rubbed his hands and said, "The cold air has got to my bones nowadays. Make the stove burn


    hotter. Don''t slow down. Prince Matthew has summoned me to River City urgently. Something


    momentous must have happened."


    "Yes, Mister Rufus."


    But to Rufus'' amazement, he was called in urgently to see Matthew, not for military business, nor for a


    matter of life and death. It was just because his wife wanted to open a shop in River City that he was


    summoned in such a hurry.


    The main point was, as soon as he arrived, he was informed that Matthew had taken a well-run tea


    house in the best location from him, and offered it to his wife like a trinket for her amusement! Money


    shouldn''t be wasted like that!


    "Your Highness, what has got into you? Have you been drugged?" Rufus gritted his teeth. That tea


    house had been a perfect ce to inquire for information, as many people came and went through


    there. But Matthew offered to his wife without regard for anything. ''Even if you wanted to give your wife


    a tea house, we could choose somewhere else. Why insist on taking this one?'' Rufus thought.


    "What''s wrong? Do you think I look like I was drugged? Take out the title deed," said Matthew with


    unconcern


    "No way!" Rufus howled. Then he sat down and crossed his legs, with a sulky and defiant look at


    Harper.


    While ying with a silver needle in her hand, Harper gave a cold nce at Rufus. "Mister Rufus, your


    thin blood and your swollen eyes are the omens of kidney deficiency. Do you want me to give you


    some acupuncture?"


    "You''re suffering from kidney deficiency, and your whole family suffers from it," Rufus said crossly. But a


    split secondter, Matthew''s murderous look overwhelmed him, making him tremble with cold.


    Realizing that Matthew was also a member of her family, he quickly said, "Your Highness, I didn''t mean


    you."


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "You are one of my family members, Matthew. It''s obvious that he was talking about you, no matter how


    he denied it. Honey, I promise you that I will turn him into a duck dying of kidney deficiency if you say


    the word," Harper said, with a mischievous intention.


    Hearing that, Rufus didn''t know how to respond. He looked at Matthew furtively, and found that


    Matthew was not merely a bit irritated. In fact, the prince was ready to eat him alive. So without any


    further resistance, he took the title deed out and said, "Here you are. It''s the deed that you want."


    Matthew took it over and handed it to Harper, who received it and then whispered in his ear, "Honey,


    don''t you think that Rufus looks like your neglected wife while I''m your favorite concubine?"


    Considering Harper''s words, Matthew looked at the woeful Rufus and said seriously, "You are the only


    wife I have. I have no concubines. Even if I have one, you will still be my only wife. He is a trouble-


    making concubine, so I allow you to deal with him."


    "What? Wife? Concubine?" asked Rufus, feeling utterly perplexed.


    "I said you look like Matthew''s resentful wife while I look like his concubine. He pampers his concubine


    more than his wife. Thus, when I''mpeting with you for power, he supports me against you. Yet, he


    disagreed about my interpretation, saying that you are a concubine who has got the power, while I am


    the poor wife bullied by you. He asked me to punish you at my will," Harper said slowly.


    Hearing this, Rufus almost jumped up and said, "Who would dare to give you trouble? Even if Matthew


    has concubines in the future, could they dare to be a nuisance to you? I''m afraid you''ll kill them secretly


    when they least expect it."


    "You imagine too much. I''m a person of principle." With a cup of tea in her hand, Harper drank it calmly.


    "I would never take the initiative to hurt anyone else."


    "Did every one of the Chu n take action against you without provocation?" Rufus sneered.


    Harper drank her tea indifferently. There was only one person in the Chu n who had never hurt her,


    Gianna. Harper had taken her out of Nicole''s belly. Of course, it was because the baby was too young.


    Even Alexander had once had bad intentions toward her at first. Later, he repented, and she was


    softhearted. She had intended to send him away to see if he would be a good person.


    Surprisingly, he had already be a good boy. It was not until then that she decided to send him to


    the Clivia School to keep him away from the disaster-ridden Chu n.


    "Did Alexander actually hurt you, too? He''s just a child less than ten years old."


    "I heard that your elder brother tried to strangle you when you were six years old, and he was only


    eight at that time. I don''t care about any of the small trouble they stirred up and wouldn''t have taken


    action if I hadn''t felt threatened by them," Harper said in a rxed and unconcerned tone.


    Rufus nched. As the second son of the Xiao n''s head, he had a high position in his mansion, but


    there was deep enmity between him and his family. That was why he stood by Matthew. Nheless,


    the Chu n was not a patch on the Xiao n.


    "I know. The Xiao n is moreplicated than the Chu n, but at least not everybody in your n


    wants to kill you, right? What''s more, you are on Matthew''s side now. Those of your n do not object


    to you for that?" Harper asked.


    "Why would they object?"


    "Because the Xiao n betrayed Matthew when his mother died."

 Chapter 549 You Must Be An Illegitimate Daughter (Part One)

    Chapter 549 You Must Be An Illegitimate Daughter (Part One)


    Rufus'' face turned pale the moment Harper''s words faded away. He looked at Matthew in worry. The


    previous betrayal of the Xiao n had almost led to Matthew''s doom. If he had been less lucky, he


    would have died with his mother.


    "Harp," Matthew said, casting Harper a doubtful nce. He always thought that he and the Xiao n


    were fully independent of each other. The Xiao n had never dered loyalty to him, so they couldn''t


    betray him. The person they had betrayed was his mother.


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Harper fell silent immediately. She had never mentioned the Chu n to anybody unless someone


    else mentioned them first, because she thought they had already been left behind her. She didn''t like to


    continually dwell on things that had happened long ago, nor did she like to reopen anyone else''s old


    wounds. If Rufus hadn''t annoyed her first, she wouldn''t have said what she said just then.


    "Harper Chu, I have nothing to do with anyone in the Xiao n!" Rufus shouted angrily.


    "None of us can choose the families we are born to, and I am no exception. I can''t deny that Ie


    from the Chu n, because everybody knows it. You can''t deny that you are a member of the Xiao


    n, either, but you can control your own behaviors. You can decide what kind of person to be, rather


    than giving yourself up as hopeless only because of your family of origin," Harper said in a slow yet


    powerful voice.


    Rufus had always hated his own identity as a member of the Xiao n, because the people of the n


    hadmitted many evil deeds which disgusted him. The members of the Chu n also had


    committed many terrible sins in their past, but Harper still regarded herself as a daughter of the Chu


    n, and even made great efforts to cultivate Alexander. It was clear that she didn''t let her family


    history bother her. Otherwise, she would have hated other members of the Chu n such as


    Alexander or Gianna, instead of helping them


    "If they pressured you to do something you didn''t want, what would you do?" Rufus questioned Harper,


    fixing his burning eyes on her.


    "That would depend on what they wanted me to do. Take Sue and her daughters as an example. They


    wanted to advance themselves through my blood, which was extremely malicious of them. In that case,


    I fought back calmly without revealing anything. As for Charles, who wanted to use me to obtain power


    and wealth, I did not take his life, but I let him lose everything he had." Rufus was struck dumb by her


    deration. Seeing that the cup in his hand was empty, Harper took it, refilled it with water, and put it in


    his hand again.


    After a long silence, Rufus said, "There is a proverb that says parents never make mistakes. No matter


    how horrible they are, they are still my parents."


    "There are many parents in the world that are worse than beasts," Harper retorted, suddenly fuming


    with rage at the memory of her birth mother''s death at the hands of Charles.


    "Parents'' actions are intended for the good of their children, even including the actions which are


    mistakes."


    "So my father killed my mother for my own good? He allowed his adopted son to kill my grandmother


    for my own good? And he connived with his concubine to have me killed for my own good? He even


    connived with the children of his concubines, who also plotted against me, just for my own good?"


    Harper asked, finding Rufus'' remarks ridiculous.


    For a moment, thetter wasn''t sure how to reply. Was Harper talking about her own father? It sounded


    more like Charles was her sworn enemy.


    "You''re talking about your sworn enemy, not your father, aren''t you?" Rufus said in a weak voice.


    "That was exactly how I hade to view him," Harper confirmed. "I suspected it was because my


    mother cheated on him and I''m not the daughter of his blood that he tried by every means to kill me."


    "What happened atst?" Rufus asked. It made sense to him that Harper could be an illegitimate


    daughter of Charles, because it was unimaginable for a man to treat the child of his own blood so


    horribly.


    "I acquired a sample of his blood by stealth, did a blood test by mixing his blood with mine, and found


    that our blood waspatible. Although the result was slightly ambiguous, there is not much doubt that


    I''m rted to him by blood. That is to say, I am his daughter." Harper spread her hands in despair.


    "Then I thought carefully about everything I had done, hoping to find what the reason could be why he


    let other people harm me in that way. But the conclusion I drew in the end was that I didn''t do anything


    wrong."


    Swallowing hard, Rufus said, "It can''t be easy to live as you have until now."


    "Yes, it has not been easy," Harper said seriously. "I was framed by the daughter of my father''s


    concubine, and used of plotting to murder the baby in the belly of Maxwell''s concubine. The most


    remarkable part of it was that His Majesty wanted me to pay with my life."


    "General Maxwell had never had a son until then. Finally, his concubine was pregnant with a son, but


    the baby died, and they thought you did it. It made sense that they wanted to kill you," Rufus said,


    reasoning quickly.


    "But I was wronged and I didn''t want to die. It was not until then that Ipletely renounced the Chu


    n. When I asked Matthew for help, I wanted everyone else in the Chu n to die with me. Butter


    my anger subsided and I realized that my testimony alone would be insufficient to bring justice against


    those of the Chu n who set me up. Therefore, I decided to use my knowledge to clear myself of


    suspicion." While speaking, Harper looked very peaceful, as if she were talking about someone else''s


    experience.

 Chapter 550 You Must Be An Illegitimate Daughter (Part Two)

    Chapter 550 You Must Be An Illegitimate Daughter (Part Two)


    "When you went back to the Chu n..."


    "I came back to the Chu n to take my revenge against them," Harper interrupted. There was no


    trace of unease or guilt on her face. "But I underestimated my father''s determination to kill me. If I


    hadn''t asked my grandmother toe back as a precaution against him, he would have beaten me to


    death on the night I escaped from the execution."


    Looking at Harper, who talked and smiled as if nothing had happened, Rufus suddenly felt sorry for her.


    She could still smile after suffering such injustice. He then realized that his own sufferings were nothing


    compared to hers. At least his own parents had never wanted to kill him. They only wanted to force him


    to do something to advance their n''s interests.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    "So, you are going to open a shop. Do you need any help?" As he felt sorry for her, Rufus offered his


    help willingly.


    "Of course, I appreciate it, Rufus."


    With Rufus'' help, things went very well. On the evening of the Rice Porridge Festival, Matthew and


    Harper went to Pearce''s mansion to have dinner together with them and Alexander. After dinner, they


    left in a rush. Harper was too busy to have a rest.


    She took over the tea house very soon after that. Rufus helped her with the renovation because she


    wanted to redecorate the first and second floors.


    Concurrently with the renovation of the building, she also had to train the thirty female embroiderers


    that Matthew had recruited for her. She had to teach them a new method of embroidering. In order to


    outshine herpetitors, she intended to use an embroidering method that had never been popr on


    the market.


    "You are the best embroiderers in the River City, and you have all signed permanent indentures,"


    Harper said, ncing over all the women in front of her. "From this moment, you have half a month to


    learn my new embroidering method. If you can master it, you can stay; if you can''t, you will have to go


    back to wherever you came from."


    "Yes, boss."


    "Now we''ll have a word about your wages and benefits," Harper said, smiling faintly. "For each ready-


    made garment youplete, you will earn ten taels of silver."


    "Ten taels!" All the embroiderers were astonished to hear it. Even though they were the best


    embroiderers in the River City, they could earn only two taels of silver for making a garment, at most. It


    was extraordinary to be offered ten taels of silver for making a garment.


    "Yes, ten taels of silver," Harper confirmed, still smiling. "Besides, each of you will get two taels of silver


    as your allowance for each festival. And you can have four days'' rest each month."


    "Boss, are these really so?"


    "Yes. Depending on the quality of yourpleted garments, you will be eligible for a raise in wages


    after working for us for a certain period of time." Everyone found Harper''s offer quite irresistible. "But


    there is one foremost requirement¡ªyour absolute loyalty. You can''t betray your boss."


    "We will never betray you, boss."


    Harper smiled slightly as a response. She said, "I''m d you understand. The next step is for you to


    learn the new embroidering method for half a month. If you don''t want to work here after that, you are


    free to leave, but you must give me advance notice. Lastly, if you want to teach the embroidering


    method to others, you must ask for my permission in advance. All right. Do you understand?"


    "Yes, we got it."


    "Excellent." Then Harper took out a handkerchief. It was embroidered with a peony and several


    butterflies. It was a pretty handkerchief, but then something remarkable happened. As Harper rotated


    the angle of the handkerchief, the butterflies seemed to dance beautifully, as if they were alive. All the


    embroiderers present were astonished to see this effect.


    "They''vee to life!"


    "They are not alive. They only look alive because of a unique embroidering method, and that''s the skill


    you''re going to learn," Harper said with a smile. "You have only a little time to learn it, because I won''t


    stay long in the River City. This is the only skill I will teach you for the time being. After you master it, I


    will teach you other embroidering skills in the future."


    "Thank you, boss." All the female embroiderers were extremely impressed. Everyone knew that this


    sort of embroidering technique was a very exclusive skill. No embroiderer, generally, would be willing to


    teach it to others except to their apprentices. And even if they taught such a skill to their apprentices,


    they would still keep the most critical step of the technique to themselves, lest their apprentices be able


    topete with them or even surpass them.


    "Well, enough chit-chat for now. Let''s get started." Harper then exined to them the key points of this


    embroidering skill. Then she told each of them to embroider something based on their own abilities and


    methods, so that she could customize her instruction for each of them. By doing this, she found several


    female embroiderers who were particrly good learners. She was quite satisfied with them.


    Meanwhile, Rufus was busy redecorating the shop for Harper. She required that the shop be


    redecorated as a truly high-end, splendid emporium. The redecoration n she gave him certainly


    looked splendid.


    After having speaking frankly with each other, Rufus and Harper now got along very well. She even


    gave him a considerable amount of advice. After he got the advice, he regretted that he had not


    listened to her more in the past. He talked with her as often as possible in the hope that he could learn


    everything she knew. As a result, Matthew became quite jealous of him, so he warned him repeatedly,


    but he continued talking often with Harper. In the end, Matthew lost his patience. He grasped Rufus by


    the cor, opened the door, threw him out, and closed the door. He did all of the movements in one


    breath.

 Chapter 551 Draw A Picture Book (Part One)

    Chapter 551 Draw A Picture Book (Part One)


    Rufus had a heavy fall. After getting up slowly, he scratched the door and wanted to continue his chat


    with Harper. However, to his surprise, the door opened as soon as he put his hand on it. The ensuing


    moment, he was kicked out by Matthew and rolled down from the second floor the first floor.


    "Get away from her!" Matthew warned.


    The door was mmed again with a bang. Rufus felt as if sparks flew before his eyes before he could


    finallye into his senses. He felt resentful and angry and was in a mood to really fight it out with


    Matthew, though he knew he wasn''t a match for him and would just be kicked down once again. Finally,


    heid on his stomach on the floor. If he were to offend Matthew again, he would never let him see


    Harper, and that would be a great loss for him.


    Inside the room, Matthew folded his arms and looked at the smiling Harper. "Hope you had a good chat


    with him?"


    "No. Darling, the posture you threw him out was so handsome that I couldn''t stopughing," Harper


    immediately ttered. "I feel so lucky that you are back. I''m totally fed up with that guy. He is as


    talkative as a sparrow. But since he is your good friend, I can''t drive him out. Thanks for your help, and


    now the peace is restored."


    Matthew''s face softened. Harper quickly poured a cup of tea and handed it to him. "You must be tired.


    Have a cup of hot tea. It will warm you up."


    "Alright." Matthew looked calm. Harper made him sit down and kneaded his shoulders for him. "Darling,


    you''ve been a great help. Among the embroidery girls you recruited for me this time, many are greatly


    talented. I nned to finish the task in half a month, but now, it seems that I can make it in less than


    ten days. Thank you so much."


    "Well, as long as you''re happy, I''m happy too," Matthew said as a faint smile appeared on his face. If he


    had a tail, his tail would have been wagging now. Harper''s words worked well. In an instant, his


    adrenaline rush curtailed and gave way to the feel-good dopamine.


    "Of course, I feel so satisfied. I am not just teaching the embroidery girls these days, but I have also


    drawn a picture book using Pearce and his wife as the models. Then, I''m nning to make ready-made


    garments ording to the picture book. They will be sold in the first season after the opening


    celebration. Would you like to have a look?" Harper asked with excitement. She was so happy as if she


    was going to show him her treasure troves.


    Matthew didn''t understand what Harper said. ''Using Pearce and his wife as models? What kind of


    model?'' But when he saw Harper was happy, he didn''t want to lose his face by asking such a silly


    question. So, he put on airs and said, "Okay, let me have a look."


    Harper soon showed him the picture book, which she had drawn in her spare time. The more he looked


    at it, the more astonished he became. He pointed at the man in the picture book and asked, "Are you


    sure the man you have drawn is Pearce?"


    "Of course!"


    "Pearce is a fat man with less than 1.7 meters of height. Are you sure he is this handsome man you


    have drawn in this picture book?" Matthew''s expression seemed like Harper was trying to fool him, as if


    he didn''t know what Pearce looked like.


    Harper red at him. "Don''t you know that your wife has the ability to turn rotten things into magic?"


    "Oh, does his wife know that you have created a handsome Pearce?" Harper felt that something wasn''t


    right with Matthew''s words.


    She then asked in a low voice, "Matthew, why do you sound a bit sore?"Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "I''m not happy because you drew another man!" Matthew answered immediately. "I''m not going to


    forgive you unless you draw a picture book for me as well."


    "Draw you?" Harper asked as a hint of interest suddenly shed her eyes. She always liked ying


    tricks on others. But, aftering here, she had been very cautious in her every word and action, as


    she had a fear of losing her life at any moment. She was someone who used to be very free and


    unrestrained, but on the contrary, her brother was a dull person. In order to amuse him, she had always


    yed a lot of tricks on him. Now, after seeing that Matthew had asked her to draw him, a small trick


    came into her mind at once.


    "What? Can''t you do that?" Matthew asked in a raised tone.


    "Of course, I can. But, I''m just afraid that you might be unhappy." She gazed calmly into his eyes, not


    willing to let her husband know that she was nning to y a trick on him.


    "As long as the one you draw is me, I''ll be happy," Matthew said proudly.


    "Are you sure you''ll be happy with whatever I draw?" Harper confirmed once again.


    "Yes, I am pretty sure."


    That was exactly what she wanted to hear. She sat down in front of the desk, picked up a charcoal


    pencil, and started to draw something quickly. Matthew didn''t feel worried. He sat aside quietly and


    waited. He thought, ''If Harper depicts me as someone uglier than Pearce, I will beat Pearce badly and


    burn the picture book. If I am satisfied with what she draws, I will forgive him.''


    About an hourter, Harper drew dozens of sketches. Matthew tried to take a nce at the sketches.


    Although he couldn''t see them clearly, he was a little worried about the quality of her sketches. As she


    drew in a high speed, he thought it was less likely for her to draw him well.


    Even though she saw her husband peeping in, she was in no hurry to finish. She kept on drawing


    carefully at her own speed. After making around twenty sketches, she put down her pencil, sorted out


    the papers and approached Matthew.


    "Matthew, I have finished drawing."


    Matthew stretched out his hand and said, "Let me have a look."


    He doubted that Harper was being perfunctory to him. In less than two hours, shepleted twenty


    sketches. He didn''t believe she had drawn carefully!


    She hesitated and said, "Don''t get angry after seeing the pictures. I hope you''d remember your words.


    You promised that you''ll be happy with whatever I have drawn."

 Chapter 552 Draw A Picture Book (Part Two)

    Chapter 552 Draw A Picture Book (Part Two)


    "I will not get angry," Matthew said, grinding his teeth. Seeing her hesitation, he was more confirmed


    that the sketches were perfunctory. "Give them to me."


    "All right," she said, handing over the sketches. After handing over the sketches, she moved a few


    steps backwards, where she felt rtively safer to stay.


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    When Matthew saw the first picture, his eyes almost popped out of his socket. He raised his head and


    looked at her in disbelief. Immediately, she took a few steps back again subconsciously, feeling like she


    hadmitted a grave mistake.


    When he turned over the pages and saw the second picture, no one could tell the kind of expression on


    his face. Harper even couldn''t feel his breath. She couldn''t help but wipe the sweat from her forehead.


    It seemed that she was in danger.


    Matthew went through the sketches slowly and carefully. Seeing that there wasn''t any expression of


    anger or rage on his face, Harper couldn''t recognize what was going on in his mind.


    "Matthew, darling, are you happy with my sketches?" Harper asked, as her eyes were filled with light-


    hearted flirtation.


    After going through all of her sketches, Matthew slowly put away them carefully. Then he looked at


    Harper and said, "Yes, very happy, especially with the postures inside."


    His words were indeed a surprise for her. ''What? Why didn''t things go as expected? Shouldn''t he be


    very angry?'' Harper thought uncertainly.


    "Come here, dear," Matthew said, waving at her.


    Harper took a few steps back out of instinct. How could he stay calm after what she had done? In her


    drawings, she pictured him as a male character in pornography. She believed that he was just ying a


    trick by saying that he wasn''t angry.


    Thinking of this, Harper ran straight towards the door, hoping to escape. But Matthew pounced upon


    her in lightning speed and held her in his arms, saying, "My darling, tonight let''s try all those gestures in


    your sketches. Otherwise, don''t you think it would be a waste of this picture book you drew for me?"


    "Matthew, I''m sorry." Harper swiftly begged for mercy.


    "You''re right, darling. It''s my entire fault. I didn''t realize that we had that many sex positions to be tried. I


    will certainly give it a shot tonight. Don''t worry, my darling, I swear that I''ll try all those gestures."


    It never urred to Harper that things would end up like this. She just wanted to make fun of him, but


    forgot that he wasn''t that same cold man as he used to be. Now, she was like amb in the tiger''s den,


    and it was toote for her to run away.


    Harper was so tired that she fell asleep soon. Matthew was still awake, looking at her. His thoughts


    were immersed in the news from the imperial capital. On the day of the Rice Porridge Festival,


    someone tried to assassinate the emperor and Francis got stabbed while trying to save him. Francis


    was now in his deathbed.


    After a while, Matthew stood up and went out. "Guards," he called out.


    "Your Highness."


    "Ask Rufus to find out where Jason is and whether Francis has any connection with the Scarlet Devils,"


    Matthew ordered. His eyes turned cold. He hoped that the truth wasn''t the same as he imagined,


    because if it was, then Harper would get disappointed again.


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    "Also, make sure to guard the main roads into the River City. Intercept all the news from the imperial


    capital and report to me without dys," Matthew instructed. "Don''t pass any news to Harper,


    especially anything rted to Francis."


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    "Besides, send Alexander back to the Clivia School and tell Pearce to be more vignt. My gut feeling


    tells me that there is going to be a disturbance from the imperial capital very soon," Matthew added. It


    never urred to him that Francis would be the man they had to deal with while they were in the River


    City.


    He recalled each of his previous interactions with Francis. In his mind, Francis was someone who


    always gave other people an impression that he was weak. Every time he saw him, he sat on a


    wheelchair, but his smile was extremely pure.


    If Francis was really as innocent as he appeared, everything would be fine. But, if he was disguising


    himself, he must be a terrible person with a lot of dubious plots.


    "Your Highness, should we be worried about Prince Francis?"


    "I''m not sure yet, but it''s highly possible," said Matthew. Earlier, he had never been suspicious of this


    weak and sick prince. When Sherry pleaded to him, he had even thought of supporting Francis to fight


    against Felix. After all, Sherry''s family was powerful enough to fight against the empress. But now, it


    seemed that the real intention of Sherry and Francis was to make use of him.


    If it turned out that Francis was the person hiding behind, then it would also mean that he was


    responsible for killing the only son of Pearce, and then framing Alexander for it.


    But there were so many other options avable if he wanted to get Matthew out of the imperial capital.


    He couldn''t understand why Francis used this method. Could it be that he was not the person he


    wanted to get out of the imperial capital, but Harper!


    The person who worried the most about Alexander was Harper as he was her only brother. If he was


    framed and put in prison, Harper would definitely go to save him. But Matthew still couldn''t understand


    why Francis wanted to keep Harper away from the imperial capital. Didn''t he want Harper to stay in the


    imperial capital? Or would her presence in the imperial capital affect him in any way?


    Matthew was unable to figure it out. But now, Francis was seriously injured and dying. If he really died,


    then it would mean that there was someone else still hiding behind. But, if he was safe and sound, then


    the mastermind must be really him. The reason why Matthew blocked the news from the imperial


    capital was to prevent Harper from going back there. Because if she came to know about this, she


    would certainly try to go back and save Francis. He wanted to see what Francis was up


    to!

 Chapter 553 Go Back To The Imperial Capital (Part One)

    Chapter 553 Go Back To The Imperial Capital (Part One)


    Looking at the beggar who appeared in front of her, Harper was stunned for a moment. The beggar


    looked at her expectantly. She then instinctively handed him two taels of silver.


    "Take the money and go buy some food and a warm coat. The air is getting cold," she said. Then she


    shook her head, and was about to leave.


    The beggar looked expressionlessly at the silver in his hand. Seeing that Harper was turning to go, he


    grabbed her clothes and said, "Lady Harper, please wait a minute."


    Harper then realized that the beggar obviously knew her identity. Squinting to see if she could


    recognize him, she said, "You are..."


    "Lady Harper, I''m Owen, the one who works for Prince Francis," the beggar replied at once as he tried


    to smooth his hair in haste, and revealed his face. Although his face was dirty, his features were


    recognizable.


    Looking at the dirty face in front of her, Harper carefully thought of Owen''s face, and then looked back


    at the young beggar in front of her. She was still uncertain. "Are you Owen?"


    "Yes, yes! I''m Owen. Thank God you finally remember me! I''m the Owen who works for Prince


    Francis," Owen said eagerly. He was indescribably grateful to find Harper. However, before he could


    say another word, Harper tapped his forehead with her finger.


    "Why did youe here? You should be taking good care of him. Don''t you know that he needs you to


    take care of him?" she scolded.


    "Lady Harper, misfortune has befallen him. I''m here to implore you for help," Owen cried.


    Harper was disconcerted by this news. "What? What happened to him? Has the poison in his body


    intensified again? That''s impossible. I remember clearly that I have given him enough medicine. How


    could the poison be suddenly intensifying?"


    "No, that''s not what happened. An assassin appeared at the Imperial Pce on the Rice Porridge


    Festival. At that festival, Prince Francis was next to His Majesty and he warded off the assassin''s


    sword for His Majesty, saving his life. Prince Francis was hurt and is still in aa now. The imperial


    physicians can do nothing about it. I was so distraught and worried that I came here to search for you.


    It was my misfortune to meet some gangsters on the way. They robbed me of all my money. That''s why


    I am such a mess now," Owen exined, feeling heartbroken. He almost burst into tears again when


    he recalled what he had suffered when he came here to look for Harper on his own initiative, without


    permission.


    "Francis is still in poor health. How could he block an assassin for His Majesty..." Harper''s words trailed


    off and she did not finish speaking. Fortunately, she had almostpleted her business in the River


    City. She had intended to celebrate the New Year with Matthew in the city, and had never anticipated


    an urrence like what Owen had just told her.


    "Lady Harper, will he..." Owen started to ask tentatively.


    "Don''t talk nonsense," Harper scolded. "Follow me to the official inn. I need to talk about this with


    Matthew."


    "Yes."


    Matthew learned the news when Owen found Harper. A faint smile curved on his lips. He and Harper


    had sneaked away from the imperial capital. But Owen, who worked for Francis, came to the River City


    immediately after the incident, as if he knew that anyone who went to the River City to report the news


    would be stopped. Therefore, Owen had dressed up like a beggar to escape from being stopped and


    finally appeared here. This was remarkable.


    When Harper arrived at the official inn with Owen, Matthew was sitting in the hall. His nce fell on


    Owen who instinctively hid himself behind Harper, apparently afraid of the prince.


    "Matthew, Francis was seriously injured at the royal banquet. I''m afraid we can''t celebrate the New


    Year in the River City," Harper said urgently.


    Matthew held her hand while looking closely at Owen, saying, "You are the servant of Francis. Why


    have youe to the River City?"


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "I came here to find Lady Harper," Owen murmured awkwardly.


    "Oh?" Matthew spoke with cool suspicion in his voice. "Who told you that she was in the River City?"


    Hearing that, Owen nced at Harper timidly, and saw that she was also looking at him. Then he


    answered carefully, "Prince Francis once mentioned it in front of me."


    "Francis?" Harper was bing curious, too. She had never told Francis that she would go to the


    River City.


    "Yes," Owen replied as he turned to look at Harper. "Lady Harper, you said you woulde to check


    on Prince Francis on that day. But you never came, and just had a bottle of medicine sent before you


    left with Prince Matthew. I was very surprised when I saw that. Prince Francis then mentioned that you


    probably went to the River City with Prince Matthew. I asked him why you went here, but he didn''t


    answer me."


    Harper kept an unreadable look on her face. "Was Francis still unconscious when you left the imperial


    capital?" she asked.


    "Yes, the imperial physicians have been making a lot of efforts to cure him. I don''t know how he is


    doing now, but I''m sure he will recover soon if you are willing to cure him," Owen eximed delightedly.


    In his eyes, Harper was like a goddess who could cure anyone. It seemed to him that there was


    nothing she couldn''t do.


    "If we rush back at this time, I''m afraid that Francis will have almost recovered from his wounds,"


    Harper said joyfully. "His body is weak. Although I have treated him well with my medicine and needles,


    he hasn''tpletely recovered yet. He was also hurt badly by the assassin when he protected His


    Majesty, so he was in aa from which it would properly take two or three days to awaken. It''s about


    five or six days from the River City to the imperial capital, so I think he should be awake by now."


    "Really?" Owen''s eyes burst with ecstasy. He put no faith in other people''s words, but believed Harper


    absolutely. He was sure that Francis would be all right now. But he still asked her awkwardly, "Then


    when will youe back to the imperial capital?"

 Chapter 554 Go Back To The Imperial Capital (Part Two)

    Chapter 554 Go Back To The Imperial Capital (Part Two)


    "Tomorrow," Matthew answered on Harper''s behalf, then asked her, "Will that be good enough?"


    Harper nodded and thought to herself, ''I''m almost done here in the River City. All the embroiderers are


    doing a good job. As long as they follow my instructions for the design and construction of those


    garments, I will arrange for Pearce and his wife to promote the sales. Since I don''t need to monitor the


    business full-time, there''s no need for me to stay here. I can simply have Rufus manage things in my


    absence.''


    "Prepare a room for him so that he can freshen up. We will set off tomorrow and return to the imperial


    capital," Matthew then said. The situation in the imperial capital was calm then. The emperor must


    have been feeling guilty that Francis was seriously injured in order to protect him. He would try to


    compensate Francis as well as he could. Francis was his son, after all.


    "Thank you, Your Highness," Owen said. Then the waiter took him to his room so that he could freshen


    up. Matthew pinched Harper''s palm and said, "If you don''t want to go back now, we can stay here and


    go back after the New Year."


    "Everything here is set. Although the imperial capital is not truly at peace, it''s not chaotic now either. I


    need to go back to have a look anyway," Harper said slowly. "And the people behind it, who failed once,


    are bound tounch more attacks. Their targets are Charles first, and then Alexander. I''m particrly


    afraid that they might hurt Gigi."


    Matthew squinted his eyes a bit, and answered, "Well, let''s go back to the imperial capital tomorrow


    morning. We can leave Rufus to deal with matters here."


    "I had the same idea." Rufus, at that moment, was busy urging on the workers, when he suddenly felt


    that a cold wind strike his neck for no reason. When he turned around, he didn''t see anyone there. The


    windows were tightly closed, so he had no idea where the wind came from. Maybe it was a telepathic


    link which indicated that Harper had left everything for him to deal with. He was going to be a busy


    man.


    They left in such a hurry that they didn''t even have time to say goodbye to Pearce and his wife in


    person. They just sent someone to inform Pearce that they were going back to the imperial capital for


    some unspecified reasons.


    Hearing that, Pearce merely waved his hand, as if to say that he had known it already.


    Allie felt a bit uneasy. She asked him, "Pearce, the situation in the imperial capital..."


    Before she could say another word, Pearce interrupted, "Don''t worry. Prince Matthew is cunning and


    clever. The emperor seems to have the upper hand now, but the truth may be totally different. Over the


    years, if it weren''t for the fact that Prince Matthew still values his blood ties, the emperor wouldn''t have


    been able to keep his throne for such a long time." The situation was perfectly clear to Pearce. If


    Matthew were to join the struggle for power, he would be sure to win, given his unmatched cleverness.


    But would he actually be willing to fight for the throne?


    He had once asked Matthew frankly whether he wanted to take the throne or not. He quickly found that


    the prince had no interest in that position. The only focus of his interest and passion was Harper, his


    wife.


    "He is a deplorably unambitious man in that respect. All his attention is directed to that woman."


    "Do you dislike Harper?" Allie quickly asked him sullenly. In her eyes, although Harper was young, she


    was very capable and smart, so she liked her, and Pearce''sment bothered her.


    "I dare not," Pearce answered at once. He was wise enough to keep such thoughts to himself. Matthew


    was cunning, while his wife was even more cunning. Even if she looked fragile and gentle, the truth


    was that he dared not underestimate her.


    "It''s good to know that. I''m very fond of her," Allie said. She had only just stepped out of mourning for


    her son. "Even as a weak woman, she dared to endure trouble for the sake of the Chu n. If it


    weren''t for her, her n would have been eliminated. In such a crisis, others would have abandoned


    that family and left them to perish, but she didn''t do that. Instead, she helped to raise her younger


    brother and sister even though they weren''t her own mother''s children. She is truly a broad-minded and


    kind-hearted woman."


    "If she were any less outstanding, she would not have dared to marry Prince Matthew,"mented


    Pearce.


    "Yes, I agree. She has to endure even more as Matthew''s wife," Allie sighed. Even while living in a


    remote city, they still couldn''t avoid getting involved in trouble. How much worse it was for Harper,


    being so close to Matthew?


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    "News from the imperial capital informs us that the emperor was almost assassinated, and Prince


    Francis was seriously injured in order to protect the emperor. They rushed back to the imperial capital


    on that ount. I''m afraid something momentous will happen there soon," Pearce said. Though he


    didn''t know what was in Matthew''s mind, he was pretty clear about the situation in the imperial capital.


    Yet he still couldn''t figure out who was the real murderer of his son.


    Pearce was puzzled. Jason, who was hiding outside the city, was also puzzled. He had nned to


    leave the River City because it would do him no good to encounter Matthew. However, when he saw


    Owen appear in the River City, dressed up in disguise, his curiosity held him to the spot.


    Owen was a close manservant to Francis. Now that he appeared here, it could only mean that Francis


    was there, or that Francis sent him there, but in either case, Owen''s appearance at that spot was


    extremely weird to Jason.


    The next day, when Matthew''s carriage left the official inn and headed for the imperial capital, Jason


    was still confused. ''Why is Uncle Matthew going back to the imperial capital with Owen at this moment?


    Is the situation in the imperial city already cleared up?'' he pondered.

 Chapter 555 Adventures On The Road (Part One)

    Chapter 555 Adventures On The Road (Part One)


    The carriage ride home took a rather slow pace. So much so that there were several times Harper


    doubted whether the carriage had actually stopped or not. However, every time she opened the curtain


    to check, she found that they were still moving, and it was just that they were moving so slow that she


    couldn''t feel any bumps on the road. It shouldn''t be that far, and they could probably reach the imperial


    capital in six days. That day also happened to be the first day of the Lunar New Year. But Matthew kept


    on asking the carter to slow down, leaving them with no choice but to spend the first day of the Lunar


    New Year holiday on their way home.


    Although Owen was so worried about Francis'' condition, he didn''t dare toin. After all, Matthew


    and Harper had nned to celebrate the Lunar New Year in the River City. But because of his sudden


    arrival, they had to spend it on the road. For that reason, Owen would never dare to have any


    comint, even when the couple went off somewhere else on their own for an entire day on the first


    day of the Lunar New Year holiday.


    That being said, seven days had gone after the Lunar New Year. Yet, they were still just halfway to the


    imperial capital. At the rate that they were travelling, Owen couldn''t help but wonder if they would still


    be able to get back to the imperial capital.


    The pace at which they were going was much too slow for Harper as well. They could only cover about


    thirty miles per day. If they continued travelling like this, it was highly likely that they wouldn''t arrive at


    the imperial capital until next year.


    "Darling, when are we going to reach the imperial capital at this pace?" Harper asked with a smile. And


    she thought, ''What the hell is he up to?''


    "You''re still weak. I''m afraid that the long ride home won''t be good for your health. If we go fast, the


    carriage would keep shaking, and you might not be able to stand it," Matthew carefully said, without


    taking his eyes off of the book he was reading in his hand. Taking a quick nce at it, Harper found


    that it was a book about Go.


    "Since when were you interested in reading such a book?" As far as Harper could remember, he had


    never picked up the Go book, let alone read it. Most of the books he usually read were about military


    strategies or state governance. She had no idea when he began to take a liking to the Go book.


    Hearing this, Matthew looked up at Harper and then continued reading the book. ''How could I not read


    it?'' he thought to himself. He had been quite proud of his superb Go skills, but he lost when he yed


    Go with Zack for the first time. Upon the thought of the triumphant look on Zack''s face, Matthew gritted


    his teeth with intense hatred. Once they reached the imperial capital, he would definitely have another


    Go game with him. By then, he must defeat him and make him kneel down and beg for mercy.


    Seeing the look of bitterness and hatred in Matthew''s eyes, Harper remembered that he started


    reading the Go book after he yed Go with Zack some time ago. ''Is he nning to y Go with him


    again and get back at him?''


    With this possibility in mind, Harper cast a nce at Matthew. As it turned out, Matthew didn''t like to


    lose. But when he lost to her in the past, he didn''t hold a grudge against her and didn''t seem to be that


    affected even though she had a little chance of winning.


    She never thought that even though Matthew was willing to admit defeat when he lost to her, there was


    no way he could afford to lose to his rival in love. He had to make aeback no matter what.


    "Darling, it''s still a long way home. How about finding something to do to kill time?" Harper suggested


    with a smile on her face. To relieve the boredom, she wanted to do some recreational activity, such as


    ying Go.


    "All right." As soon as he said those words, Matthew tossed the book aside and took her into his arms.


    Seemingly a bit surprised, she asked, "What are you doing?"


    As he looked deep into her eyes, he tly replied, "Didn''t you say that we still have so far to go, so we


    should find a way to keep ourselves entertained? Well, I actually feel the same way, so I want to do


    something with you. We still haven''t tried all the positions in the picturesst time. Why don''t we give it


    a try today?"


    "I...I¡­ When I said ''find something to do'', I meant I wanted to y Go game with you! You''re


    misunderstanding things," exined Harper, trying to clear things up right away. Of course, that wasn''t


    what she was implying. All she wanted was to y Go!


    "Well, we can do that after we''re done with this recreational activity for developing intimacy," Matthew


    insisted with a straight face.


    "No, it''s still daytime!"


    "Have you already forgotten? We used to do it during the daytime." In one swift motion, Matthew pried


    away Harper''s waistband using his fingers. However, Harper managed to catch his hand and said,


    "We''re in the carriage right now."


    "There''s no need to worry. It''s the secret guard who''s driving the carriage. He won''t dare to eavesdrop."


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    After she heard that, her face darkened in an instant. ''That''s not the point!'' What she was trying to say


    was that it was still daytime and they were riding the carriage. ''How on earth are you nning to do it


    while the carriage is moving?''


    "Can''t we just wait until we get home?"


    "No!" Matthew refused decisively as he held Harper''s hands, a passionate look shing across his


    eyes. "How are we supposed to wait? In any case, didn''t we already agree to have a baby? Then, I


    should work hard as your husband."


    Hearing this, Harper had to give up on the idea of arguing with him, letting out an audible grunt. If it


    wasn''t for her reputation, which she really cared about, she seriously wanted to kick him out of the


    carriage. ''This man is getting wilder and wilder!" she thought. But in the end, she hated herself the


    most. Why did she have to draw those pictures to entice him? Wasn''t she just setting herself up into a


    trap?!


    Although she once told him that she wanted to have a baby, that was only tofort him. Now, she


    ended up getting caught in her own trap. Every time she wanted to turn down his advances, he would


    put on a face like that of an abandoned little dog and ask whether she just wasn''t interested in doing


    the deed with him. And every time, without fail, all she could do was raise her hands and give in.


    This time, she just couldn''t stand his eagerness anymore, so she got out of the carriage and asked to


    ride the horse instead. However, due to the cold winter breeze, he didn''t allow her to do that.


    "The carriage is moving at a snail''s pace!" she yelled out, feeling both ashamed and angry at the same


    time.


    "I can ask the guard to go faster," Matthew said, trying to convince her toe back inside. "If you''re


    not satisfied with it..."


    Without finishing his sentence, he pulled his clothes a little, revealing his well-built chest muscles. As a


    practitioner of the martial arts, the cold did not faze him. Even though Harper was wearing a thickyer


    of clothes, he only had two clothes on. "I don''t really mind letting you take the lead."

 Chapter 556 Adventures On The Road (Part Two)

    Chapter 556 Adventures On The Road (Part Two)


    Seeing this made Harper fly into a fit of rage, so she kicked Jack off of the horse. Not wanting waste


    any time, she strode away at full speed. At that moment, she was afraid that if she stayed with Matthew


    for even a second longer, she wouldn''t be able to stand him anymore. Moreover, she might need to


    teach him a lesson, leaving him crippled.


    As he watched the horse galloping away, Matthew realized that he had crossed the line. Without dy,


    he got off the carriage, mounted a horse and went after her.


    Harper was so upset with Matthew. But she never would have expected that she''de across a


    robbery. It was quite unusual for a robbery to ur on such a cold winter day, and the person who was


    being robbed was a ''beautiful woman''!


    For convenience, Harper was still wearing men''s clothes. When seeing Harper rushing over, the


    ''beautiful woman'' opened herrge fierce-looking mouth, with her voice as loud as a bell. "Please help


    me!"


    Looking at the troublemakers who had wretched grins on their faces and then at the one who was


    robbed, Harper dashed forward without thinking twice. In her heart, sheforted herself, ''I didn''t see


    them! I didn''t see them''


    Both the robbers and the woman who got robbed had been takenpletely by surprise. Shouldn''t


    people tend to be righteous when they see a fragile woman being robbed and offer to lend a hand to


    the helpless? The robbers were thinking they could ckmail the helper by offering them a huge


    amount of money. But as it turned out, she was actually nning to manipte the horse, make it


    stomp on them and kill them!


    "Ah!"


    Screams of agony came from the robbers and the ''woman'' who had been robbed. Harper was in a bit


    of a panic, so she didn''t have the time to care whether her horse trampled on them or not. The scene


    was just too dreadful. At that point, she was so scared that it might give her nightmares. That robbed


    ''woman'' wasn''t actually a woman. This guy was clearly a man dressed up as a woman. ''If you''re


    pretending to be a woman, you should try to do a better job! You could have at least shaved off your


    beard. Your voice is thick, and you even have a full beard. You even tried to imitate ady speaking in a


    coquettish voice. That is so disgusting!''


    With that, the horse sped away, leaving a trail of its hooves on the ground. The man who was posing as


    a woman was left lying on the ground, with marks of the hooves all over his body.


    "Boss, are you all right?" The brigands walked over and helped him up immediately.


    "Oh, my God! How heartless could that guy be! How could he ride away like that even after seeing that


    a woman was robbed! He even made the horse trample on us!" The man who had a red slip skirt on


    sat up. He simply wanted to take his men out to make a killing, but unfortunately, he just ended up


    getting wounded.


    "Boss, we should just head back. The chances of someone passing through here in this cold and


    snowy day are slim¡­ Wait, I can hear a horse galloping in the distance."


    "Someone''sing. Quick! I''ll try harder and act like a real woman this time..." The horse came closer


    and closer, and the man riding it had a rather murderous re in his eyes. Noticing this, the man


    disguised as the robbed woman thought, ''This man looks like a brave and just guy. We could make a


    fortune using him!'' With that in mind, he opened his mouth and said, "Sir... Ah!"


    Before he could say what he had prepared, the horse ran him over, trampling on him and sending the


    three brigands who were blocking the way flying. And just like that, Matthew and the horse he was


    riding disappeared into the distance. The man who disguised as a woman convulsed and stopped


    moving. Today was definitely not their lucky day!


    Even Harper herself felt a lingering fear after she left them. The face she just saw was much too


    shocking. It wasn''t right to judge a person by his appearance. Be that as it might, it was indeed too


    blood-curdling!


    Never would she have expected that she''de across another group of people who werepletely


    different from the mobs she had met before. Although there were only six of them in the group, save for


    the pale-looking man leaning against a tree trunk, all of them seemed powerful and knew martial arts.


    When Harper looked at their carriage, she realized that one of its wheels was broken. Two of them had


    their hands full with repairing the carriage while the rest were guarding the pale man. For that reason,


    Harper slowed down subconsciously.


    When those men saw Harper approaching, all of them looked at her with hostility and had their guards


    up. Despite that, she remained calm as she rode forward. She was by no means a troublemaker, and


    simply wanted to mind her own business.


    Those people''s gazes were fixated on Harper as she moved forward, with their hands holding their


    weapons. From the looks of it, they were prepared to kill her on the spot if she did anything unusual.


    It was only then that she began to somewhat regret running away from Matthew and the guards and


    moving ahead all by herself. If those men had been sent by the emperor to kill her, she probably


    wouldn''t have the chance to make it out alive.


    Holding her breath, she urged the horse to continue moving forward. She felt a bit relieved, thinking


    that she might be able to leave without incident. However, the man who was leaning against the tree


    suddenly fell on the ground, breathing heavily while tightly grasping the clothes on his chest area. The


    middle-aged man who was beside him took out a medicine bottle from the man''s arms and opened it,


    only to find that it was empty. This made his face darken instantly.


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Master, do you still have any medicine on you?"


    The man, who was obviously in agonizing pain, shook his head with difficulty. Although the guards


    surrounding him seemed a little restless, they continued to look at Harper warily, fearing that she might


    take this opportunity to attack them.


    "Is he all right? I''m a physician," she asked, albeit hesitantly. "He seems to have a heart illness. You are


    still about seventy miles away from the next city. If you don''t have the drug to help alleviate the pain, he


    will be dead before you even get there."


    With a look of suspicion in his eyes, the middle-aged man asked, "Are you really a physician?"


    "Yes," Harper replied as she got off the horse.


    "Stop! Don''te any closer. Otherwise, we''ll have no choice but to attack you," the guards warned


    Harper as they drew their swords.


    "Just by looking at me, you guys should have already realized that I don''t know any martial arts." With


    a shrug of her shoulders, she went on and added, "Of course, I only have a dagger with me, but I''ll


    leave it in your care. You can choose for yourself whether you want me to save his life or not."

 Chapter 557 The Life And Death Of Others

    Chapter 557 The Life And Death Of Others


    The guard looked at the middle-aged man, and thetter felt that he had no time to waste, as his


    master was breathing more and more rapidly. He gritted his teeth and decided to make an attempt.


    "Please, sir."


    Harper handed the dagger to one of the guards. "Take it, please. Mydy gave it to me. If I lose it, her


    fury will be terrible."


    "Please rest assured, sir."


    Harper stepped forward and felt the young man''s pulse. She found that his heart was beating


    irregrly, so she took out a needle bag and said, "Unbutton his clothes. I must give him an


    acupuncture treatment."


    The middle-aged man saw the silver needle in Harper''s hand and quickly undid his master''s clothing.


    Harper promptly put the needle into the young man''s body. His breathing soon improved, bing


    smoother, but his face was still pale.


    "How curious. It''s not a heart condition, so why does he have symptoms of heart disease? Has he been


    poisoned?" Harper murmured to herself. The middle-aged man was surprised by herment, but he


    said nothing.


    "Sir, will my master be all right?"


    "He is fine now. I estimate he has been like this for almost ten years," replied Harper, as she withdrew


    the needle.


    "That''s right. Do you have any cure for him, sir?" the middle-aged man asked hopefully. "My master


    has spent all year looking for physicians. We have inquired of many famous physicians, but they were


    unable to help him. So all these years he keeps taking medicine to alleviate his pain."


    Without saying anything, Harper suddenly pinched the young man on his chin. The middle-aged man


    felt his master was offended and quickly pped the back of her hand, which turned red in an instant.


    Harper rubbed the back of her hand and asked him, "Why did you do that?"


    "How dare you!" the servant reprimanded her. It seemed to him that Harper was trying to be flirtatious.


    "Ahem." The patient coughed and looked at the middle-aged man in disapproval. "Samuel, he just


    wanted to confirm my condition. Sir, please forgive my servant''s rudeness."


    Harper massaged the back of her aching hand, and it felt as if this servant had almost broken her bone.


    But since his master had made such a good apology, she said, "It doesn''t matter. It was my fault. I did it


    too abruptly."


    "You should recuperate in a good environment. Why don''t you stay at home to rest? How can you think


    of travelling now? Aren''t you suffering?" Harper asked, feeling perplexed, as she extended her hand to


    the young man again. There was a strange bluish mark near his chin. This mark was concerning, so


    she had pinched his chin to check it just now, but she had been pped.


    "I am weary of my long suffering from this disease. All my family have been seeking a physician


    everywhere for me, and this time I also came out to search for one." A moment ago the young man


    seemed like an invalid, but now his voice had be full of strength.


    Harper was bewildered by the man''s condition and thus, felt his pulse again. Her face darkened as she


    found that the man had no indication of a pulse. She blinked in disbelief. When she checked his other


    hand, she still couldn''t feel his pulse. Just a moment ago, she had felt his pulse clearly.


    "Astonishing." Harper leaned closer to him in curiosity and extended her hand to the artery of his neck.


    His loyal servant Samuel wanted to p her hand again, but the young man prevented him in time. He


    detected no malevolence in Harper. He felt familiar with her, and her faint aroma of medicine told him


    that she was indeed a physician.


    Harper touched the man''s neck and smiled. "It''s the first time I''ve encountered such a strange pulse.


    When you''re unwell, I can feel your pulse, but when your condition is alleviated, your pulse fades away


    and I can''t even feel it. That''s fascinating."


    Samuel''s face darkened instantly. ''My master has such a terrible disease. How can this person call it


    "fascinating"? I''d like to pinch his thin neck and kill him.''


    "You look so young. How long have you studied medicine?"


    "I''ve studied it since I was born. You suffer from a disease," Harper said without any doubt.


    "Yes, I do," the man affirmed. He suffered from a disease, not poison, but it was a very rare one. When


    he was feeling well, even the best physicians couldn''t diagnose him, and they just said he had little


    time left to live.


    Harper rummaged through her briefcase for something. After a long search, she took out a green china


    bottle and said, "I have this medicine here. It''s better than yours. Take one pill each time you suffer a


    rpse. Will you dare to take it?"


    "Thank you very much, my friend." The man epted it without hesitation. "By the way, I haven''t asked


    your name."


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "My surname is Qin, and my given name is Harrell." Harper used this secret alias when she disguised


    herself in men''s clothes.


    "Your family name is Qin?" The man was surprised, but he quickly smiled. "What an interesting


    coincidence. My surname is also Qin, and my given name is Felton."


    "It seems that we are destined to meet. Your carriage''s wheel is broken. Repairing it will be a


    challenge. Wait a moment. My men are on their way and will arrive soon. I''ll ask them to give our


    carriage to you." Harper smiled.


    "You are not alone?" Felton Qin asked in astonishment. He had assumed that Harper was a young man


    from a rich family and was just hanging out, but the case turned out to be otherwise.


    Harper shook her head and saw a horse approaching rapidly from a distance on the snowy road.


    Several guards surrounded Felton Qin in the blink of an eye. Harper waved at theer and said,


    "Don''t worry. It''s all right. He''s my brother."


    Matthew stopped in front of Harper, nced at her, and then threw a white fox fur cloak over her


    shoulders, saying, "Put it on."


    Harper put it on obediently, and right away she felt much warmer. "Their carriage is damaged, so we


    must lend them our carriage."


    "That''s none of our business! We don''t have time to pick up stray cats and dogs from the roadside!"


    Matthew said coldly and looked at Felton Qin.


    "How dare you!" Samuel roared. Felton Qin reached out his hand to stop his servant from saying


    another word. Then he turned to look at Matthew.


    "Harrell, thank you for your help. I will be in grave danger without it. If I would disturb you to borrow..."


    "Yes, you will disturb us!" Matthew cut him off immediately. They only had one carriage, and if it was


    given to them, how could he continue to stay next to Harper?


    Harper squinted at him and said, "Brother, you seem to be depressed. Would you like me to give you


    an acupuncture treatment?"


    Looking at Harper intimidating him with that innocent smile on her face, Matthew thought, ''Damn it! I


    can surrender in front of her, but not in front of outsiders.''


    "The carriage is for you. If we have to give it to them, where will we put you? You are weak and not as


    strong as these warriors, who won''t suffer from the cold weather. Besides, I don''t care about anyone


    else''s survival," Matthew said crossly. Then, he turned to Felton Qin and added, "And you! The thing in


    your hand seems not to belong to you!"


    Harper turned around and took the dagger from the man. "I asked him to hold it," she said, putting it in


    her pocket.


    "Come on. Let''s mind our own business." Then Matthew extended his hand to Harper. These strangers


    were notmon people, and he didn''t want to have any trouble at this critical time.


    Putting her hands in her cloak, Harper stared at him stubbornly. She was determined to lend them her


    carriage, and had no intention of taking it herself. Being cold outside on the horse was preferable to her


    now.


    Seeing that Harper was going to be stubborn, Matthew had a headache. He knew her personality, and


    that he would not be able to win this argument. "Fine. I''ll give it to them.


    We can give them the carriage after our other people arrive here."


    He was helpless and frustrated, but he couldn''t knock Harper unconscious and carry her away by


    force. So he just sent up a signal re to remind his men to hurry up.


    Seeing his master''s signal re, Barry drover the carriage quickly and soon met with his master. Then


    he saw his master standing by the roadside with a long face and his mistress talking andughing


    merrily with another man. Apparently, his master was unhappy to see that.


    "Barry, we are lending them our carriage. Theirs is damaged." Seeing that Barry and hispanions


    had arrived, Harper was happy and paid no mind to Matthew''s gloominess.


    Barry nced at Matthew, but thetter said nothing, so he gave away the carriage promptly.


    Harper entered the carriage and only took out Matthew''s favorite white jade board and warm jade


    stones. The rest were still untouched. Samuel observed her carriage, feeling impressed. The carriage


    looked simple and unadorned on the outside. Yet, inside, it was decorated with a thick fur carpet on the


    floor and warm cushions on the stools and all kinds of necessities were in it. One could even sleep in it.


    "Well, since your own carriage is useless, this carriage is yours now. We must go now."


    "Thank you very much."


    Harper grinned joyfully, feeling happy that she had finally given the mboyant carriage to somebody


    else. Unexpectedly, Matthew reached out to take her by the waist, lift her onto his horse, put her in his


    arms, and wrapped her tightly in his cloak.


    "Let''s go."


    Seeing Harper being wrapped up like that and led away, Felton Qin''s subordinates looked at each other


    speechlessly. "Are those two handsome men gays?"


    "I guess they must be gays, from the way they hugged each other so closely."


    "Ahem. Don''t gossip about anyone behind their backs." Felton Qin coughed.


    "Yes, master." Samuel helped his master into the carriage, and drove it outside. The carriage moved


    along quickly, but Felton Qin didn''t feel any jolts or bumps.


    "Harrell Qin, Barry Jun..." He muttered these two names. The surname of Jun belonged to the royal


    family in the Bright Dynasty. Were these two people from the royal family? But the surname Qin had


    nothing to do with the imperial family. Who was that person?


    Leaning against the wall of the carriage in silence, Felton Qin thought about the emperor''s sons and


    brothers. The crown prince Felix had to be in the imperial capital city now and wouldn''t leave the city


    except underpulsion. The second prince, Walden, on the other hand, didn''t have that imposing


    manner. The man he just saw now was very imposing and had a malicious aura that made him feel


    very ufortable.


    Felton Qin had met the third prince Jason several times. The sixth prince, Francis was bed-ridden and


    was surely still in the imperial capital. The seventh prince, Hoffman was disowned, and the eighth


    prince Lucas was of a different age. Thus, that person could only be one man.


    ''He is Prince Matthew, the emperor''s brother.'' Felton really couldn''t imagine running into the prince at


    that time. Who was the man next to him? It was said that the prince loved his wife very much, but now


    he was flirting with another man. Felton Qin wondered if his wife would be heartbroken to learn


    this.

 Chapter 558 Francis Seemed Weird (Part One)

    Chapter 558 Francis Seemed Weird (Part One)


    "Master, are we still going to the imperial capital?" Samuel''s voice was heard. They were nning to go


    to the imperial capital in order to seek for medical assistance, but at that point, it seemed like it would


    be all in vain.


    "Yes, why not? Somehow, I always feel that this trip will give us unexpected oues," Felton


    responded slowly.


    With that, Samuel asked another question. "Master, is the medicine that young man gave us reliable?"


    In fact, he was a bit worried. On the way, they met a young man with teeth as white as snow and lips as


    red as cherries. The stranger gave them a bottle of medicine and a luxurious carriage without asking


    for anything in return. So Samuel felt that it was like a pie falling from the sky. For him, it was just too


    good to be true. How could a stranger be so generous and kind-hearted to people he didn''t even


    know? That just didn''t make any sense. From overthinking about the situation too much, Samuel was


    actually feeling a little dizzy.


    "Don''t worry about that. It''s reliable. The medicine he gave us was actually better than the one I took


    before. Besides, I smelt a faint fragrance from his body. So I guess he must have been a physician for


    many years. But what I couldn''t understand was how he could be with someone like that man? The


    physician looked to be talented and dignified so how could he stay..." All of a sudden, Felton fell silent


    while he was thinking out loud. He just couldn''t imagine a situation where a man was dating another


    man. What was more, the other man was Matthew who had a beloved wife. Felton couldn''t help but


    wonder how would the young physician face Matthew''s wife. That would be quite awkward.


    Matthew, on the other hand, was not wasting any second of each day. He and Harper were on their


    way back to the imperial capital at a very quick pace. They kept on marching until they arrived at the


    small town which was only thirty miles away from the imperial capital. It was only then that they finally


    slowed down. Harper didn''t even argue with Matthew because she was too tired from riding the horse


    for such a long time. The travel had already exhausted all of her energy and at that point, she was


    already dying for a good rest.


    When Matthew finally noticed how tired she was, he decided that it was time for them to take a rest.


    "Let''s stop here and get some rest. Go prepare a carriage. We will continue our journey tomorrow."


    "Yes, Your Highness," his servant responded at once.


    As soon as Harper entered the inn, she couldn''t wait to go into her room. So the moment she reached


    the designated room, she threw herself onto the bed and immediately decided that she would not move


    from thatfortable position from then on. After riding atop a horse for quite a few days, she couldn''t


    even feel her body anymore.


    "You should have a warm bath and eat something before you go to sleep," Matthew said while he


    lightly pushed his wife. However, Harper just pulled the quilt higher to cover herself.


    When he saw that, he couldn''t do anything but sigh helplessly. When the waiter brought the bathtub


    and warm water in the room, Matthew forcibly pulled the quilt off her, then warned her, "If you don''t get


    up right now, I won''t mind bathing you myself."


    With such an excessive threat, Harper finally decided to do it herself. She got up from the bed with


    great difficulty and made her way to the bathtub. Deep inside, she was still very reluctant to do so


    because she felt so drained, both physically and mentally. Although most of the time, it was Matthew


    who was technically riding the horse and she was just at his back, merely being atop the horse for such


    a long time was rather exhausting for her.


    "I know you''re really tired. But I still remember that you were very generous when you gave them the


    carriage instead," Matthew teasingly said while he looked at her shadow behind the screen. "Tomorrow,


    we''ll reach the imperial capital. Guess who we''re going to see first?"


    "I don''t know," Harper replied idly. Sinking her body into the warm water, she felt quitefortable. It


    made her so sleepy that she almost fell asleep in the bathtub.


    "Come on; take a guess. If you get it right, you''re going to get a reward," Matthew urged her.


    However, even after such a long time of waiting, Harper still wasn''t responding. Having left with no


    choice, Matthew turned around and found that she had fallen asleep in the bathtub, her headid


    calmly at the edge. Matthew could only helplessly shake his head while he looked at her. Then, he


    quickly took out a towel and dried her body. After he was sure that she wouldn''t get sick from being


    cold, he put her on the bed. She didn''t even move or wake up a little. So when he finally took a good


    look at her who was still soundly sleeping, he felt a little sorry.


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    "Your Highness," Barry called from outside of the room.


    Matthew carefully opened the door and asked, "What is it?"


    "Prince Francis is awake. He was injured because he saved the emperor. Because of this, the emperor


    became really fond of him and would like to make him an official of the court." Barry exined


    everything in a calm tone.


    Matthew furrowed his eyebrows and thought for a while. He then asked, "Have you found any


    connection between the Scarlet Devils and Francis?"


    "I''m sorry but I didn''t," Barry replied.


    "That''s not surprising. All the strongholds of the Scarlet Devils in the River City have been eliminated,


    and they are not allowed to exist in the imperial capital anymore. By all means, try every single way to


    dig out all of the Scarlet Devils'' strongholds in the imperial capital. In three days'' time, I want all of them


    to disappear in the imperial capital," Matthew stated. His voice was filled with determination and


    resolve. One thing that he hated the most was whenever someone would try to harm his beloved wife.


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    "By the way, how is the Bu n doing recently?" Matthew then asked.


    "Lady Caroline got married already. The entire Bu n seems quite calm. But it seems like the


    emperor is interested in having Prince Francis associated with the Bu n," Barry replied in a strange


    tone. The Bu n had always been loyal to the emperor. But now, the emperor had been implying to


    associate Francis with the n. It was obvious that the emperor favored Francis very much. However,


    since Felix had been the crown prince and had taken part in the court for many years, Barry personally


    did not think that Francis would be a match for Felix, even if the emperor were to support him with


    utmost dedication.


    "Francis is really something, isn''t he? Apparently, there''s more to him than he let on," Matthew


    commented with a sneer. He had already noticed before that Francis was only pretending to be a weak


    and innocent man. Matthew thought that the man did it for two reasons. One, he wanted to win


    everyone''s sympathy. And two, he wanted everyone to think that he wasn''t a threat. He fooled


    everyone into thinking that he was naive about everything. In reality, Francis was well aware of all the


    things that mattered. Matthew wondered how many people in the kingdom were working for Francis.


    Even Matthew had not figured it outpletely, not to mention Felix, who didn''t seem like a formidable


    match for Francis.

 Chapter 559 Francis Seemed Weird (Part Two)

    Chapter 559 Francis Seemed Weird (Part Two)


    "Your Highness, I apologize but your humble servant doesn''t understand."


    "I think the emperor knows it very well. Anyone who bes associated with the Bu n would


    eventually be loyal to him since the n has supported him for years. This has been the Bu n''s


    custom so they wouldn''t just be able to survive but maintain their status in the society. They will never


    favor any prince and will always be loyal to the emperor. The only reason why the emperor would ask


    Francis to be associated with the Bu n on purpose is to intentionally fool others. The Bu n also


    knows this and Francis knows it too. I''m quite sure that the only one who is unaware is Felix," Matthew


    patiently exined with eyes as dark as the night.


    Felix had lived infort all his life. Even though he had dealt with Hoffman, he was still too young to


    be taken out of his bubble. Guidance from the empress didn''t help him as well. He only became more


    close-minded. On the contrary, Francis, who had not been valued in such high regard, had at least


    gained the support of Sherry and her family. Moreover, Francis was intelligent. If it were not for his poor


    health, the emperor would have made him the crown prince instead of giving the position to Felix for so


    long.


    "Your Highness, should we investigate Prince Francis then?"


    "No, that''s not necessary for the time being," Matthew said while he shook his head. Francis had


    created a persona and fooled everyone for so many years. Even though he knew his life would be


    threatened if he stayed in the Imperial Pce, he could still live in there and reached twenty years of


    age. The man on the throne had never been a warm and kind person. Francis was very clever to live


    so closely with him.


    However, now that Francis had revealed himself to be the one behind all of this, there was no need for


    Matthew to investigate him further. After all, it was only a matter of time until Francis would show his


    true colors. Matthew had thought that Harper would feel upset when she found out that Francis was


    actually cunning and maniptive. But she reacted so normally, as if she wasn''t angry or troubled at


    all. It even seemed like she had already known it.


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Is everything all right in the mansion?" Matthew casually asked. Although he was almost sure that


    Francis wouldn''t do something untoward, he was still worried that the man would lose control and do


    something irreparable.


    "Everything is fine. Lady Gianna is doing great as well in Prince Allen''s mansion. Except for the


    servants who take care of her day in and day out, no one else is allowed to get close to her. Lady


    Casey is protecting her carefully," Barry replied.


    Only then did Matthew feel relieved. If there was anyone whom Harper was worried about in the


    imperial capital, it would be her personal maids and Gianna. Matthew''s mansion was heavily guarded


    and it was almost impossible for the outsiders to hurt anyone inside. Allen''s mansion didn''t seem to be


    heavily guarded, but he was a very cautious man. His son, rk, was also very mindful. Matthew was


    confident that they wouldn''t let anything terrible happen to Gianna.


    "And the situation in the Holy Chant Temple?"


    "It is not long until Master Chodak has fully recovered," Barry responded, assuming that Matthew was


    asking about Chodak. After all, he was hurt because of Harper and he even broke his right hand. In this


    regard, Chodak could almost be seen as a savior. However, Matthew didn''t think so.


    "I don''t care about him! What happened to Charles?" Matthew asked while he looked at Barry intensely.


    "He''s doing good. I heard he''s very obedient with the teachings of the Holy Chant Temple," Barry


    replied while he subtly raised his eyebrows upon hearing Matthew''s question. Since Chodak saved


    Harper at the cost of his right hand, Barry had no idea how would Matthew return the favor. However,


    even as a monk, Chodak was a cunning man. It was very likely that he saved Harper with a hidden


    agenda in mind.


    "By the way, Your Highness, We just received news that someone sneaked into the mansion. The


    intruder didn''t steal anything or hurt anyone. However, we''re not sure if we didn''t lose anything. We are


    waiting for you to return so you can check yourself and see what we may have missed," Barry informed


    Matthew with so much fear and hesitation. It was a surprise he could still formplete sentences.


    When Matthew heard that, he narrowed his eyes and thought deeply. The only thing that other people


    wanted from his mansion was probably the ck g Token. However, even if others got a hold of it,


    they wouldn''t be able to manipte the ck g Army as long as Matthew was still alive. ''But who


    would have the courage to sneak into my mansion?'' Matthew could not help but wonder.


    "Which parts of the mansion had been searched?" he asked.


    "Your study, Lady Harper''s room, your room, and Lady Harper''s dowry," Barry replied. In all honesty, he


    was a little confused. He didn''t understand why would anyone want anything among Harper''s dowry.


    With that information, Matthew immediately thought of something. He was sure that whoever the


    intruder was, that person was not looking for the ck g Token. That would mean the trespasser


    was not acting on the emperor''smand. Matthew could almost be certain that the person was


    actually looking for the third Heavenly Book!


    The first person who came to Matthew''s mind was Chodak. After all, he had been looking for the third


    Heavenly Book for the longest time. In fact, Chodak already had the first and second Heavenly Books.


    It was only natural for him to want thest one. However, only a handful of people were aware that


    Matthew had the third Heavenly Book.


    "You can leave now. I know what the intruder was looking for," Matthew inly said, dismissing Barry.


    After Barry left, Matthew''s eyes instantly had an intense look. He quickly assessed the situation at


    hand. Apart from Harper who gave the Heavenly Book to him, only Rufus, Barry, Jack, and Noah were


    aware that he had the third Heavenly Book. If others wanted to find out the whereabouts of the book,


    they would have gotten that information from either one of those five people or Matthew.


    Meanwhile, in the imperial capital, Francis was right in theforts of his mansion but his face was


    extremely pale. Although he hade to his senses, the wounds were just healing so he didn''t dare to


    move, even by just a little bit. "How is the situation?" he asked.


    "Prince Matthew and his wife are now thirty miles away from the imperial capital. They will reach the


    imperial capital by tomorrow. Owen is with them."


    Francis nodded and yed with the sugar figurine in his hand. Recently, he had been obsessed with


    making various shapes out of sugar. But most of his works had been two human-shaped sculptures.


    Looking at Francis who was concentrated on the sugar figurines, the secret guard felt that it was really


    weird. A weak handsome man was making such figurines. Most of the time, his eyes were so fixed on


    them and sometimes he would furrow his eyebrows. But perhaps, the weirdest thing was that he would


    sometimes smile while looking at them. For the past few days that the secret guard had been with


    Francis, he figured that instead of the belly, Francis was actually stabbed in the head by the assassin.


    The prince was acting so weird, as if he had injured his brain.


    "Do you think this sugar figurine that I made is beautiful?" Francis asked the secret guard.


    Thetter looked at it carefully before saying, "Yes, it''s beautiful."


    "Does it look like a person?" Francis asked again. Although the secret guard couldn''t see the face of


    the sculpture that clearly, he could tell that it was a woman.


    "Yes," he briefly responded.


    "Who does it look like?"


    "It looks like a woman," the guard honestly said. He didn''t know who it looked like except that it looked


    like a woman.


    All of a sudden, the expression on Francis'' face changed. He then ordered, "You can leave now."


    "Yes, please excuse me."


    Francis carefully put the sugar figurine aside and continued to make the next one. He had made


    countless sugar figurines by then, and his skills had gotten better and better. However, when he looked


    at the figurines he made, he was still unhappy with them. He hadn''t seen that person for a long time but


    now, she was finally on her way back.

 Chapter 560 Maxwells Death List (Part One)

    Chapter 560 Maxwell''s Death List (Part One)


    The steward of Francis''s mansion came in to report, "Your Highness, Lord Andy is here."


    Francis nodded slightly and continued to mold the sugar figurine in his hand. Interestingly, it was in his


    own shape this time. "Let him in."


    "Good evening, Your Highness," Andy greeted Francis with a smile and bowed down.


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    "Please rise, Lord Andy," Francis said in a soft tone. "How is Father?"


    "Don''t worry, Your Highness. His Majesty is fine. He''s just worried about your health. That''s why he


    ordered me to bring you some ginseng to add your nutrition. The imperial physician informed His


    Majesty that you have lost too much blood. After hearing that, His Majesty ordered me to send you all


    the top quality ginseng from the storehouse."


    "I am so grateful to Father for his kindness and concern," said Francis. He struggled hard to sit up and


    make a kowtow to express his gratitude, but his wound was affected. Immediately, he opened his


    mouth and gasped in pain. Andy rushed forward to stop him and said, "Your Highness, please don''t


    move. The wound is not fully healed. It might get even worse if it gets torn. His Majesty knows quite


    well about your love and respect for him and cares about your health very much."


    "I can walk now. It''s just that my wound got pulled up because of my excitement," Francis said with a


    smile. "Please tell Father that I''m recovering well. Also, please tell him not to worry about me. He


    should pay more attention to take care of himself."


    "Your Highness, I will surely convey your words to His Majesty. Please have a good rest. I''m going back


    to the Imperial Pce and report to His Majesty right away." Lord Andy smiled like the Maitreya


    Buddha and took permission to leave. Among all the sons of the emperor, Francis was the most


    easygoing.


    "Send Lord Andy out," Francis ordered the steward.


    Before Andy walked out with a smile, the sugar figurines molded by Francis came into his sight. He


    couldn''t help but feel funny. He was quite surprised to find that Francis had such a hobby.


    The news about Matthew''s return to the imperial capital was already swirling in the town.


    In Maxwell''s mansion, he was reviewing the military reports in his study. His wife, Ivy, came with a cup


    of ginseng tea. "Maxwell, it''s alreadyte at night. You should take care of yourself. I''ve made a cup of


    ginseng tea for you."


    "Put it down. I will drink itter," Maxwell said without even raising his head.


    Hearing this, she ced the tea on the desk. But she didn''t leave immediately but kept staring at him


    for quite a while. Then she asked hesitantly, "Maxwell, have you been dissatisfied with your concubines


    in our mansion recently?"


    Maxwell stopped writing as soon as he heard the question. He raised his head, and asked, "What do


    you mean?"


    "Recently, you have not been visiting any of your concubines. Instead, you are regrly sleeping in the


    study. If you''re tired of all of them, I can recruit two other beautiful concubines for you... Cough." Ivy


    began to cough. Recently, she coughed a lot, and always felt weak.


    "You think too much. I''m just busy with my work these days. It''s cold, so you''d better wear some warm


    clothes. If you feel unhealthy, just call the physician in the mansion to diagnose you," Maxwell said in a


    t tone. "Besides, what''s the use of having more concubines? None of them can bear a child for me."


    Hearing Maxwell''s words, his wife felt uneasy and her face suddenly turned pale. "Sorry, Maxwell, it''s


    my entire fault. I wish I had borne a child for you."


    "All right. You can leave now. I have to finish with these files," Maxwell said impatiently. He was no


    longer interested in dealing with any of the women in his mansion. He understood that more women


    would result in inviting more trouble. The female poption in his mansion was so stupendous that he


    couldn''t even find out who had poisoned him. Fortunately, he remembered what Harper had told him.


    She had shared her observation that the woman who had poisoned him would have simr physical


    conditions as that to him. That was when he decided to check all the women in his mansion for


    simrities with him, but couldn''te to a conclusion, as several among them were akin to him.


    "General." The deputy general walked in.


    "Prepared well?" Maxwell asked in an apathetic tone.


    "Yes, everything is ready. It''s perfectly arranged and no one would cast any doubt," the deputy general


    said decisively. But he was confused about Maxwell''s future course of action. He even wondered if


    Maxwell was mentally stimted, as he himself incited his concubine to cheat on him, and would go to


    catch their adultery in bed.


    "If everything is ready, you may leave now," Maxwell ordered immediately. His intention was to remove


    one of the questionable concubines. Although he wasn''t sure which of his concubines had poisoned


    him, he would rather kill them all than let go of the real criminal.


    "Yes."


    Tonight, Maxwell''s mansion was doomed to be devoid of peace. Due to her poor health recently, Ivy


    seldom slept tight. So, she got easily disturbed by the noiseing from outside. It was the middle of


    the night, and she felt something unusual. She immediately asked her maid, "What''s happening


    outside? It''s so noisy."


    "My Lady, it''s because something happened in Lady Chelsea''s house. Shemitted adultery and was


    caught cheating in the bed by the General," the maid said in a low voice. "General is in Lady Chelsea''s


    yard now. He has ordered to kill her."


    Ivy felt restless at the news. She got dressed quickly, and said, "Let''s go and have a look."


    "Yes, My Lady."


    She then led a group of people to Chelsea''s yard. When they arrived there, what they witnessed was a


    pathetic scene. Maxwell had ordered the servants to blindfold Chelsea, and she was about to be


    drowned into a pond. Naked, Chelsea was tied up tightly with a rope, and her beautiful face was filled


    with fear. She couldn''t help but shake her head. She wanted to open her mouth to beg for mercy, but


    she couldn''t say a word, as her mouth was stuffed with a cloth.


    "Maxwell, this¡­" Ivy mumbled. She felt embarrassed because of the scandal in the n. But, when


    she came here, to her surprise, she found that all of the concubines were present there. Obviously,


    Maxwell wanted to take the chance to warn other women despite the shame.


    "Throw her down," Maxwell ordered coldly. He was sitting on a chair in the yard and was directing the


    whole proceedings. Then several guards lifted Chelsea, and threw her into the pond.

 Chapter 561 Maxwells Death List (Part Two)

    Chapter 561 Maxwell''s Death List (Part Two)


    She sank down without much struggle. The scene was so terrible that the women present around were


    deeply scared. None of them dared to utter a single word. Many of them thought that Chelsea deserved


    it, because she has cheated on Maxwell. But what perplexed them most was the reason why he had


    called out everyone and forced them to watch the horrific scene. Some of them even looked at Ivy


    questioningly. Covering the mouth with her handkerchief, Ivy too looked quite disturbed. This was


    because even though he had called out all his women in the mansion, she was spared.


    "Maxwell, the crime Chelseamitted was unforgivable, so she deserved more than this. But what


    about the servants in her house? Do you want to expel them all?" she asked calmly, pinching her own


    palm.


    Maxwell stood up, passed by his wife, and left without looking back. He didn''t say anything, but the


    anger on his face was evident. Not knowing what to do, all others looked towards Ivy.


    Maxwell had always respected his wife and had never embarrassed her in front of others. It seemed


    that at that time, he was very angry with her as well. Seeing the incidents unfolding before their eyes,


    the others became more cautious. Ivy felt suffocated as she didn''t know what to do. Finally, she broke


    her silence and ordered, "Sell out all the servants and maids working in Chelsea''s house. Seal up her


    house and yard. Get her dead body out of the water and throw it to the mass grave."


    "Yes, My Lady."


    Ivy felt extremely uneasy. At this sensitive moment, she didn''t want more misdeeds happening in their


    n. Now, Francis was greatly favored by the emperor as he saved thetter''s life. The emperor


    seemed inclined to bring Francis into politics. However, Felix was deeply rooted in the imperial court


    and had the support of many courtiers. But, Maxwell belonged to the emperor''s faction. The recent


    incidents unveiling in their mansion made her feel that everything was a bit too coincident. It was not


    long ago that another of Maxwell''s concubines had fallen into the water and drowned due to her


    carelessness. What happened today to Chelsea was due to her treachery. But it was ironic that the


    cause of death was simr in the case of both the deaths. With all these thoughts in mind, Ivy had an


    intense feeling of negativity. But she tried tofort herself by believing that she was thinking too


    much unnecessarily.


    After returning to her own room, she began to cough again. However, this time, she coughed up blood.


    Seeing the blood on her handkerchief, the maid got very scared. Everybody knew that hemoptysis was


    serious and was an obvious sign of dying. She wondered why Ivy had such a symptom at this young


    age.


    The patient was scared too. She never thought that her sickness would be this severe. She ordered the


    maid, "Call the physician in the mansion... No, not now. Let''s wait until daybreak. You can say that I''m


    not feeling well and want the physician to examine me."


    "Yes, My Lady."


    "Make sure that no onees to know about me vomiting blood," Ivy added coldly. She guessed that


    she must have too much concern recently. Thus, she tried tofort herself that she would be fine.


    At the same time, after reaching back in his study, Maxwell took out a list from a drawer and crossed


    out the name of Chelsea. The list included all the suspects from his mansion, who might have poisoned


    him. He had been getting rid of these people one by one, and had sessfully eliminated all the


    servants and guards from the list. Now, all the remaining servants and guards in his mansion were his


    men, but leftovers were the suspects among his women, and they were his next target.


    "Son, I will be able to live with you and your mother soon. It won''t be so long," Maxwell mumbled to


    himself. Then he put the list away, as cool as ever, and went to bed in his study. Tomorrow, Matthew


    and Harper would be back, which would make the imperial capital a ce devoid of peace once again.


    As long as Matthew was there, the emperor was not going to pay much attention to the happenings in


    Maxwell''s mansion. Now, what Maxwell needed the most was to cut off his wife''s connection with the


    outside world.


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Ivy was also questionable, as she had the most simr physical condition with Maxwell. As the thought


    that his wife might be the one who had poisoned and plotted against him came into his mind, he


    couldn''t help but feel depressed. But when the thought of his son and his true lover came into his mind,


    he suddenly cheered up.


    At the same time, there were also some other people who had a sleepless night. Felix couldn''t sleep as


    he was thinking about Francis, who had saved their father, risking his own life. The emperor had


    always favored Francis. Moreover, Francis'' health had greatly improved, and he was able to walk


    without a wheelchair. Thus, he became a big threat to Felix.


    Matthew''s return was supposed to be a good thing for him. However, Felix felt quite worried at the


    thought of the tricks he had yed against Matthew. After all, he knew the sheer capability of his uncle.


    If his uncle found out what he had done, he was never going to help him again, and this worried him.


    After the copse of Hoffman, Felix had had the ardent belief that none of his father''s other progeny


    would be able topete against him, and the Bright Dynasty would be the apple in his hand. But now,


    to his surprise, Francis became his tough contender. The problem was that the emperor had a special


    love for Francis right from his childhood, thanks to thetter''s poor health, and now he saved the


    emperor from danger. The emperor seemed like he wanted to give all the best things to him. Earlier, he


    hadn''t considered Francis as his heir because of his poor health; now he seemed willing to give the


    whole country to him after his health had greatly improved.


    The more Felix thought about this, the more frightened he became. He even regretted some of his


    previous actions. His only hope was Matthew not finding out about his role in the incident in the River


    City. Otherwise, his uncle would never let him go. After all, everyone knew that his uncle dotted on his


    wife so much.

 Chapter 562 What If I Like Her

    Chapter 562 What If I Like Her


    "Murry." Felix contemted the question long and carefully, and decided to visit Matthew after he


    returned. He didn''t send any of his henchmen to frame Alexander, so he thought that Matthew couldn''t


    find out that he also framed Alexander. To be safe, Felix felt it necessary to confirm his thought by


    himself.


    Murry pushed the door in. "Your Highness, it''s veryte already. Why don''t you turn back and get some


    rest?"


    "Murry, Uncle Matthew will return tomorrow. You should go to the storehouse..." Felix paused. He


    thought he should give Harper a gift, but he felt so grumpy that the gambling house he had given


    Harper was snatching half of his business. Harper apparently cared only for money. He couldn''t stand


    the idea of giving her another gambling house. The very thought of it made him feel ill.


    "What gift do you think Aunt Harper would enjoy?" Felix wondered.


    Murry scratched his head. He was a married man, but his wife was so gracious that any gift he gave


    her would delight her for a few days. Harper was another story. How could he know what Harper would


    like?


    "Women like perfumes, cosmetics, silks, satins and velvets, don''t they?" Murry suggested tentatively,


    "Your Highness, you acquired a pearl as big as man''s fist a few days ago, right? All women like pearls."


    Felix''s eyes lit up and he said, "Go and bring me that pearl. I will send it to Aunt Harper tomorrow as


    my gift."


    "Yes, Your Highness." Murry turned to walk out, but then he stopped and turned back awkwardly. "Your


    Highness, Her Highness said she liked it. She already took it away from the storehouse..."


    Felix froze. He had almost forgotten about that. "That all right. I''ll ask my wife for it myself. You may


    leave now."


    As soon as Matthew and his wife arrived at the city gate, Owen left them quietly. As Francis'' personal


    servant, he had taken a big risk to sneak out of the imperial capital. If he were found to be with


    Matthew, he could get in trouble.


    "I''ll go with you." Harper wanted to check Francis'' condition straightaway.


    A hint of pleasant surprise shed through Owen''s eyes, but then he looked at Matthew timidly.


    Constant fear of Matthew''s displeasure had made a mark on him. It was relieving to see that the prince


    didn''t seem displeased.


    He just took a thick cloak and helped his wife put it on. Then, he helped her out of the carriage. Fred


    followed Harper to protect her.


    After Matthew''s procession entered the city, Owen, Harper and Fred avoided drawing attention to


    themselves and slowly entered the city, heading to Francis'' mansion.


    Smiling brightly, Owen nced at Harper from time to time. "Lady Harper, His Highness must be very


    happy to see you."


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    Harper nodded, absent-minded. She was thinking about something else and barely heard Owen''s


    words. She was trying to guess who had set Alexander up, Felix or Francis.


    Fred raised his eyebrows and nced at Owen, but said nothing. He knew Matthew''s character very


    well, and that anyone who coveted Harper''s beauty or hurt her had better be ready to have his arms


    and legs broken.


    Owen led Harper through a backdoor to enter Francis'' mansion. The mansion was lively with visitors


    around. The emperor sent his greetings, and Sherry sent tonics every day. Since the mansion was


    crowded with people, it was less conspicuous to enter from the back door.


    Owen took Harper straight to Francis'' room. The prince was reading a book. He frowned in disapproval


    as Owen pushed the door open. "What did I tell you? I wish not to be disturbed by anyone. Ask them to


    leave. I don''t like to deal with these things."


    "Your Highness, I''m back. Look who hase with me!" Owen raised his voice. Francis raised his


    head to see who was behind him.


    Harper took off her veil and looked at Francis'' pale face. She stepped forward and expertly checked his


    pulse. When she saw him in thin clothes, she asked reproachfully, "Why are you still wearing such thin


    clothes before you have recovered?"


    "You''re back, Aunt Harper." Francis was overwhelmed. Like a naughty boy who had broken the rules,


    he dared not look into her eyes. "I¡­ I didn''t hurt myself on purpose."


    Harper was perplexed. She had begun to suspect that he was targeting Alexander, but when looking at


    him, she was doubtful. "How have you been feeling these days?"


    "I just feel weak. My wound has been slightly painful." Francis touched his injured belly. "It was an


    emergency. I found myself standing in front of the assassin at the time of the attack. I thought I was


    doomed..."


    "Leave it in the past." Harper checked his wound. The wound on his abdomen was quite severe. With


    his chronic weakness, it was almost fatal for him to be stabbed.


    "You..." Harper wanted to ask why he had risked his life for the emperor, but she didn''t. Even though


    the emperor was his father, and had loved him these years, giving him whatever he needed in his


    weakness, there still seemed to be a missing piece to the puzzle. "Well, your wound is recovering well,


    and the poison in your body has been removed. I''ll write another prescription to speed up your


    recovery. Please follow the prescription."


    "Thank you very much, Aunt Harper." Francis'' smile was as innocent as ever. He took out a sugar


    figurine and gave it to his aunt. "Take this as a thank you gift, Aunt Harper."


    Looking at the sugar figurine in his hand, Harper thought, ''Although I know the figurine is me, it doesn''t


    look like me. Yet, as the prince, he is actually doing a good job in making the sugar figurine.''


    "Thank you." Harper took it over. "Your mansion is very lively with all these guests."


    A touch of sadness arose on Francis'' face. "Do you know how to stop them from visiting me again,


    Aunt Harper? I am a patient and I need to rest in peace. I don''t like the noise."


    Harper couldn''t helpughing. If Felix had all those officials visiting him, he would be thrilled and


    heartened, but Francis only felt burdened by it.


    "You don''t like to have people around?" asked Harper gently.


    Francis shook his head and said, "Theye here only for the sake of my father, not because of me. I


    don''t like to see them."


    Harper somehow felt pity for him, so she stroke his head. Even though he was a few years older than


    her, he still seemed like a child to her. "Aunt Harper, will you visit me after I recover?"


    "I will." Harper didn''t hesitate to agree. After all, they still hadmunication and interaction, so they


    would certainly meet again. Moreover, before she found out whether he was the mastermind behind the


    plot against Alexander, she would continue treating him as she always did.


    "My injury has kept me confined to this bed for a long time. No one talks to me. Aunt Harper, can I visit


    you and Uncle Matthew tomorrow?" Francis giggled innocently.


    "Your wound hasn''t healed yet," Harper refused indirectly.


    "I''m all right now. They don''t let me get out of bed as they think I am too weak. With your help, I''m


    already stronger." Then, he took the quilt off him, got out of the bed, walked towards Harper and said,


    "See! I told you I''m fine."


    Harper knew that he had almost made a full recovery. He only needed nourishment. Over the years,


    the poisonous medicine had almost ruined his physical condition. Now, even though his poison had


    been cleaned up, his body was still weak and needed to be nourished.


    Harper gave her another bottle of medicine and said, "Take a pill every day to strengthen your body


    and replenish your vitality. If you don''t want to take the medicine, you can have medicated meals."


    "Don''t worry, Aunt Harper. I will do exactly as you say." Francis'' cooperative attitude triggered a


    personal memory in Harper. During her childhood in her previous life, when her brother was unwell, she


    would look after him, and he would always tease her to cheer her up. Their father was consoled to see


    his two children support each other.


    Harper''s eyes began to lose their focus. She was not really looking at Francis, but someone else. She


    had seldom given any thought about her previous life since she came to this world, but she had been


    thinking about her family of previous life more often in recent days.


    "You must get better quickly, or..." Suddenly, Harper came to her senses and changed the topic. "I


    should go back to my mansion now. You should rest well."


    "Let me walk you out."


    "No, thanks. I came in through the back door. I don''t need all that attention. You have already refused


    to see those officials. If they see you go out with me, you will surely be bothered by them. Anyway, you


    need to have a good rest, as I said. When you are fully recovered, you cane and go just as you


    please."


    Francis didn''t insist, so he told Owen to walk Harper out. He gazed after her silhouette as she


    disappeared.


    "Wake up! She is gone." A mocking voice rang out abruptly.


    Without turning his head, Francis asked, "Why did youe back now?"


    "The power of the River City was crushed by Matthew. They found out that it was the Scarlet Devils


    who framed Alexander. Matthew ughtered almost all the members of Scarlet Devils and we suffered


    great losses." Wearing an exquisite ferocious mask, Marquis Scarlet asked, "Is Harper the one who


    healed you from poison?"


    "Yes."


    "You like her?" he asked tentatively after a moment''s hesitation.


    Francis turned around, walked to a chair and sat down. "She''s Matthew''s wife, and they love each


    other very much."


    "You didn''t answer my question. Do you like her?" Marquis Scarlet asked stubbornly. He didn''t know


    much about Harper, but Matthew''s love for her was indeed out of the ordinary. If Francis liked Harper,


    he wouldn''t just sit back.


    "What if I like her?"

 Chapter 563 Foxes Are Bad At Hiding Their Tails (Part One)

    Chapter 563 Foxes Are Bad At Hiding Their Tails (Part One)


    "You must be kidding me." Marquis Scarlet was astonished.


    Francis raised his head and said seriously, "Do I sound like I''m kidding?"


    Marquis Scarlet took a deep breath and replied, "She''s Matthew''s wife."


    "I know that. What about it?" Francis asked with perfect calmness.


    "Pearce and Matthew have reached an agreement. Alexander has be Pearce''s sworn son. Do


    you have any idea what it means?" Marquis Scarlet frowned slightly. It meant, obviously, that Harper


    and Matthew would be Francis'' enemies once they found out that Francis had something to do with the


    plot against Alexander.


    "So what?" Francis said in an icy voice. "Scarlet Devils took Felix''s money, framed Alexander, lured


    Harper out of the imperial capital, and ambushed her. It''s safe to say that none of this had anything to


    do with me."


    Marquis Scarlet was confused, but after a moment of reflection, it seemed to be true. Although Francis


    owned the Scarlet Devils, they never needed his permission to make this deal. They had received 100,


    000 taels of silver from Felix to frame Alexander and kill Harper, and indeed Francis was not directly


    involved in that transaction. Even if Harper ever learned that he owned the Scarlet Devils, she couldn''t


    use him of anything.


    "It is said that invalids are usually cunning. In my view, you are more cunning than you ought to be."


    Marquis Scarlet was somewhat vexed now. "How wonderful for you. Now you don''t have to take any


    responsibility. Meanwhile, I''m being hunted down everywhere. In addition to Matthew''s men, there is


    another force secretly investigating me."


    "They must be the secret guards of the Chu n, who are under Harper''s absolute control. You ought


    to take great care. If either of those two forces discovers your whereabouts, you will certainly die,"


    Francis said casually as he pinched the sugar figurine in his hand.


    "Do you have any shame? Don''t you remember who got me into this situation? I can''t believe that you


    don''t care what happens to me. I''ll certainly sell you out after I get caught."


    "No, you won''t," Francis said firmly, smiling innocently and sweetly. "Don''t forget, we are good friends."


    "And is this how you treat all your friends?" Marquis Scarlet took the figurine from Francis''s hand and


    bit its head off. "Don''t pay excessive attention to this hobby! I must go now. Take care of yourself in the


    meanwhile. They are a devious couple."


    "Well, be careful. If the crisises, you can abandon your identity as Marquis Scarlet," Francis


    replied tly without even looking up. Marquis Scarlet froze for a moment, but said nothing and


    disappeared in a sh.


    As soon as Harper returned to the mansion, she saw that Matthew was toying with something in his


    hand. Intrigued, she asked, "What''s that?"


    "A gift the crown prince sent to make you happy," Matthew said as he tossed it back into its box. "If you


    like it, you can put it away."


    Harper picked it up and looked at it. "Such a big, fist-sized pearl is umon. Too bad it''s imperfect. I


    saw a big ck dog following Noah when I came in. I think it would look great on that dog''s neck."


    Matthewughed. He couldn''t help imagine how Felix would react if he saw the pearl on a chain round


    the dog''s neck when he visited the mansion.


    "Your Highness, don''t you think that would be a waste? I''ve never seen such a big pearl. Do you really


    want to put it on a dog''s neck?" Angelica couldn''t help asking, thinking it was too extravagant.


    Harper smiled at her. "I''ll add a simr pearl to your dowry when you get married. Now take it and put it


    on the dog''s neck."


    "Yes, Your Highness." Angelica took the pearl and left. Matthew put his arm around Harper''s waist.


    "How is the situation in Francis''s mansion?"


    "Francis was seriously injured, and his abdomen was prated. Many officials were visiting him. It


    was a really interesting sight." She tucked herself in Matthew''s arms, soaking in the warmth of his body.


    "His Majesty is grasping at straws. He needs someone to counterbnce Felix''s power, and Francis is


    his best choice. Francis'' mother is from a very influential family. On the other hand, a sickly prince can''t


    afford to be entangled in political intrigues. He has always stayed neutral in the past. But now Francis is


    recovering, and he happened to have saved His Majesty''s life. Naturally, His Majesty feels grateful and


    trusts him. Francis is intelligent and it should be easy for him to seed." Matthew always had a more


    detailed understanding of these things than Harper did.


    "So do you think the plot against Alexander has anything to do with Francis?" Harper wrapped her


    arms around his neck and asked.


    "I''m not so sure," Matthew said slowly. "If the assassination was not carried out by the Scarlet Devils, I


    would be inclined to think Francis was behind it. But we had already left the imperial capital, it was


    illogical for them to mess with us. If they annoyed us, we could have rushed back to the imperial capital


    and crushed whatever ns they might have had. So I don''t think Francis has anything to do with it."


    "It''s a pity that Marquis Scarlet escaped our grasp. If we ever catch him, we can surely make him talk."


    A cold gleam passed through Harper''s eyes. She had many ways to loosen Marquis Scarlet''s tongue,Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    but that man was too cunning and escaped.


    "Calm down. Foxes are bad at hiding their tails." Matthew gently patted Harper on the waist.


    "Remember, you must pay a visit to the Bu n."


    "Yes. I will go visit the Bu n and then the Kong n. It''s a pity that I was unable to attend Caroline''s


    wedding. Now that I''m back, I have to see her." Harper''s smile grew wider when she thought of


    Caroline. Now that Caroline and George were married, she wondered how her married life was.


    "Felix will undoubtedly visit you tomorrow. It would be a good idea for you to visit the Bu n.


    Otherwise, you will be bothered," Matthew said softly. "His Majesty seems to want the Bu n to be


    bound with Francis."

 Chapter 564 Foxes Are Bad At Hiding Their Tails (Part Two)

    Chapter 564 Foxes Are Bad At Hiding Their Tails (Part Two)


    "The Bu n?" Harper was taken totally aback. Many of the officials were Franklin''s students, so the


    idea of joining Francis together with the Bu n seemed far too bold a move. What on earth could the


    emperor be ying at? Did he want to make a new crown prince?


    Noticing Harper''s puzzlement, Matthew exined to her softly, "The Bu n won''t befriend any prince.


    His Majesty knows that perfectly well. His only purpose in doing this is to mislead Francis into thinking


    that His Majesty thinks highly of him. It also carries the side benefit of making Felix feel uneasy."


    "What a devious plot!" Harper never had any good impression of the emperor, and now she was even


    more displeased to see him plotting against Francis. "Even vicious tigers don''t eat their own offspring.


    But monarchs are all heartless. There is very little love in them. They just can''t seem to build any filial


    love, even between father and son, or husband and wife."


    "I love you with all my heart," Matthew said immediately. "I''m not like them at all. They are fakers and


    schemers, but I''m sincere."


    "You know I didn''t say anything bad about you." Harper poked Matthew''s forehead. "It has been an


    exhausting day. That long journey and the visit to Francis have worn me out. I''m going to take a nap


    now. Don''t wake me up until dinner."


    "All right. I must deal with some paper work."


    Matthew carried Harper up to bed, tucked her in, and then went out to review the official files. So many


    files had piled up in the past few days and he needed to read all of them in case any important


    information was contained in them.


    The next morning, Harper brought gifts to visit Franklin and Isabe. When she arrived, Franklin and


    his son had still not returned from the imperial court session. So she chatted with Isabe for a while,


    then took her leave and went off to the Kong n.


    As the Kong n had just hosted a wedding not long ago, and the wedding decoration at their door


    hadn''t been taken away yet, the whole mansion seemed to have a festive atmosphere. Harper sent a


    servant to knock at their door. The steward recognized them by Matthew''s carriage, and immediately


    invited them in.


    Harper was ushered into the parlor and she sat there for a moment. A momentter, a pretty girl ran


    into the room and called out, "Harper!"


    With a resigned smile on her face, Harper said, "Calm down. You''re a married woman now. How can


    you still be so naughty?"


    Caroline made a silly face at Harper and sat down beside her. "Harper, you''re finally back! But you


    missed my wedding ceremony!"


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    "That''s why I had toe here and see you directly after I came back," Harper said with a smile. "How


    is your new married life? Is George treating you well?"


    Caroline blushed slightly and stole a shy nce at Harper. Twisting the handkerchief around her


    fingers, she said, "George treats me very well."


    "Your happy face shows me that you''re telling the truth. So, George is a court official, and now the


    other members of the Kong n are all in the south. I''m sure you must be working hard to take charge


    of all the arrangements for the mansion. If you have any problems, don''t hesitate to go back to the Bu


    n and ask your mother for advice, or send someone to inform me."


    "Yes Harper, don''t worry. I will keep that in mind." Then Caroline took Harper to walk around and see


    her new home. It was not big, but it was decorated in fine and delicate taste. The Kong n had


    bought this house in a hurry, but George had already converted it into an elegant,fortable home.


    The pavilions, rockeries and waterfalls were quite a treat for the eyes.


    "Harper, His Majesty intended for Prince Francis to join the court," Caroline whispered in a low voice


    after she sent the servants away. "Besides, His Majesty has been dropping hints to my father that he


    wants my father to give his support to Prince Francis. He also wants my father to familiarize Prince


    Francis with the Cab as soon as he recovers from his injuries."


    Harper raised her eyes. She couldn''t believe what she had just heard. The emperor had actually told


    Franklin to help Francis get familiar with the Cab. She would never have guessed that the emperor


    would be interested in such a thing.


    "What did your brother say about it?"


    "His Majesty wants my brother to spend more time with Prince Francis. He said something to the effect


    that they''re both young men and must share somemon interests. My father has been worried to


    death nowadays." Although Caroline was a girl, she was not entirely ignorant of the court. After all, she


    was Franklin''s daughter, so her political antennas were better tuned than most.


    "His Majesty has plenty of good reasons to do so. Anyway, your father and brother will deal with it. Rest


    your heart. The Bu n always takes His Majesty''s side. His Majesty would never weaken himself for


    someone else." Harper understood that the old emperor just wanted the Bu n to y along with him


    to deceive everyone.


    "But we still don''t know who was behind the assassination, and now His Majesty is trying to push us


    into a prominent position. I''m concerned about the safety of my father and brother." Caroline


    remembered the day Zack was nearly killed. If it hadn''t been for Harper, Caroline and Zack would have


    died.


    Harper took Caroline''s hand in hers. "Don''t worry. I understand why you are scared, but lightning


    doesn''t strike twice. We were just caught off guardst time. If the enemy tries to make a move again,


    we will not let them go."


    "Harper, my brother asked me to tell you..." Caroline looked a little awkward as she said this. "Beware


    of Prince Matthew."

 Chapter 565 A Bullied Young Wife (Part One)

    Chapter 565 A Bullied Young Wife (Part One)


    What? A look of bemusement appeared on Harper''s face. She had no idea what Zack could have


    meant.


    Gritting her teeth, Caroline told her in detail what Zack had found. "Before you left the imperial capital,


    Zack received some news from Joy City. He sent his men there to investigate, but only to find that all


    the inhabitants were dead and... a waist token from Prince Matthew''s mansion was left there."


    Harper frowned and nodded. "Thank you for the news, Caroline. Now that I know about it, I''ll look into


    it."


    "I don''t believe Prince Matthew would do any such thing, but it was a fact that a waist token from his


    mansion was found there. Although Zack worries about your safety in Prince Matthew''s mansion, he


    has no doubt about the deep affection between you and Prince Matthew. Therefore, he only wanted me


    to tell you about this." Caroline feared that Harper would think she and Zack were attempting to ruin


    their rtionship intentionally.


    "I know you both mean well. And I will certainly look into this matter. I thank you and Zack both," Harper


    said, patting Caroline on the shoulder tofort her. She intended to find out the truth about the


    matter.


    "I''m d that you don''t me us. Zack has been hesitating for such a long time. He didn''t know


    whether to tell you. He might have discovered more information but hasn''t told me yet. If you have time,


    you can talk to him about it. Perhaps you can learn something more." Caroline was being prudent. The


    reason why her capabilities were so little recognized by others was because she was in the shadow of


    Zack, who was so outstanding, and the Bu n had always spoiled her. Now that she had be


    Mrs. Kong, George''s Wife, she still had her girlish liveliness, but in fact she was also quite mature and


    astute.


    "Okay, I will find an opportunity to have a word with Zack."


    Harper didn''t go back home until she finished lunch together with Caroline at her mansion. That was


    because Matthew had told her that Felix would pay a visit to Matthew''s mansion today and she had no


    wish to encounter Felix. However, as soon as she came back home, she found that the atmosphere


    was tense and strange. When she walked in, she saw Matthew ying with the ck dog. The big


    pearl on the ck dog''s neck looked very dazzling.


    At that moment, Felix sat on one side of Matthew while Francis sat on the other side. Francis, however,


    seemed as dejected as a doormat.


    When Francis saw Harpere in, he stood up immediately as if she were his savior. However, as


    Matthew red at him, he sat down right away and looked at Harper, silently beseeching her with his


    eyes.


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Felix, Francis," Harper greeted the two princes calmly. "Have you had lunch?"


    Francis shook his head. He had been sitting there since his arrival that morning. Matthew entertained


    him with nothing but tea. Francis was very starving, but nobody had said a word about lunch. They just


    sat here.


    "And have you had lunch, darling?" Harper asked Matthew since no one responded to her previous


    question.


    "Not yet," Matthew said. That was his first time to open his mouth since the brothers came that


    morning.


    "Tell the kitchen to cook lunch and send it here," Harper ordered the servants. "I don''t suppose Felix


    and Francis have had lunch yet either. How about joining us?"


    "No, they won''t stay here for lunch," Matthew dered.


    "Since Aunt Harper has already invited me to stay for lunch, I won''t turn it down," Felix said. When he


    looked at the huge pearl hanging on the ck dog''s neck, his eyes were bleak with disappointment. He


    had taken the pearl from his wife and given it to Harper as a gesture of goodwill, but his gift turned out


    merely to be jewelry for a dog. Felix''s wife had been angry at him for taking that pearl. Nheless, he


    managed to hold back his anger when he remembered his aim.


    "I''ll stay for lunch too," Francis said in a low voice.


    "Francis, don''t you think Father will feel sorry for you when he learns that you came to Uncle Matthew''s


    mansion despite your injury? You must remember that you almost died of the injury, yet you still run


    around and make everybody else worry about you," Felix satirized Francis. Thetter always pretended


    to have no interest in power, and yet he visited Matthew as soon as the couple came back to the


    imperial capital. It seemed obvious to Felix that his brother was also ambitious.


    Francis nced at Felix. Then he lowered his head in moody silence, just looking at the cup and


    allowing Felix to taunt him freely.


    Francis'' silence was provoking to Felix. "I heard that you have a close rtionship with Zack Bu.


    Everybody knows that Zack will inherit his father Franklin''s position. Your friendship with him will get


    you twice the result with half the effort when you begin working at the court."


    "Politics bores me. I have no interest in it," Francis finally replied. "Zack only came to relieve my


    boredom once in a while. He assumed my life was very dull."


    Felix snorted coldly and said, "Even if you have no feeling for politics, Father wants you to take part in


    it. Do you really think you can refuse him?"


    Francispsed again into silence. Obviously, he was in no position to go against the emperor''s


    decision. After all, apart from Matthew, who dared not to cooperate with the emperor? Francis shifted


    his eyes to Harper as he thought about that. He thought Harper was the only other person who dared


    to resist his father.


    "Your silence speaks volumes. So, in fact, you still intend to get involved in politics." Felix sneered at


    his pretense of innocence. "Actually, among all our brothers, you are the most loved by Father. Even


    Lucas cannotpete with you in that respect."


    Francis remained silent. In fact, he envied Lucas the most. Although Lucas was indifferent to politics,


    he got along well with courtiers of all the factions. As arrogant and domineering as Matthew was, he


    had never shown any hostility or unkindness to Lucas. Furthermore, Lucas was the only person who


    didn''t cause distress to their father by being friendly with Matthew and Harper.

 Chapter 566 A Bullied Young Wife (Part Two)

    Chapter 566 A Bullied Young Wife (Part Two)


    "I envy Lucas immensely," Francis said in a light voice that was just enough for everyone to hear. "He is


    healthy and carefree all the time, and Father dotes on him endlessly. He has lived the mostfortable


    life among us."


    Felix turned to look at Francis. Although thetter had taken some strides along the road to health, his


    face still looked somewhat morbidly pale. He looked like a bullied young wife because of his condition,


    without a trace of masculine spirit.


    "How are you getting along with Zack?" Felix asked tly. He had gone to Matthew''s mansion that


    morning to sound out Matthew''s opinion. But as soon as he arrived, he found that Francis was already


    there, which was quite awkward. After all, their father had already shown his desire for Francis to


    engage in politics, and Francis'' mother came from a powerful n. If Francis really stepped into the


    struggle for the throne, he would be a formidable opponent for him.


    "I enjoy ying the game of Go with him," Francis said. A smile quickly spread across his face.


    "Unfortunately, I''m no match for him. I''ve never won against him yet, not even once."


    Felix was dumbstruck. It was impossible for him to believe what Francis said. "Zack has been going to


    your mansion every day. ying the game of Go was the only thing he does with you?"


    "Yeah. Zack is really a master in doing that. I''ve been studying tactics with him because I am weak and


    have nothing better to do, but I''m still no match for him." Francis didn''t seem to feel any shame about


    being no match for Zack. Instead, Zack''s superiority in the game of Go just seemed to make Francis


    admire him all the more.


    Matthew drank his tea in silence. He was the sort of man who would never let his two nephews know


    that he had also been defeated by Zach in the game of Go. He regarded Zack as devious and cunning.


    Despite his gentle smile, he showed no mercy when he yed the game of Go. While chatting with him


    cordially, Zack set up traps on the board. That was how Matthew had lost the game.


    The steward came in and reported, "Your Highness, lunch is ready. Your Highnesses, pleasee to


    the dining hall for lunch."


    Matthew promptly stood up and strode towards the dining hall, trailed by Felix. Felix bumped into


    Francis intentionally. Without uttering a word, Francis followed them in the rear.


    Felix raised his eyes in disdain to see Francis'' reaction. Despite the high status and great power of his


    mother''s n, Francis was meek and totally without ambitions. He could neverpete in the great


    struggle for power at court.


    Felix had been quite wary of Francis at first, but after seeing his manners today, he began looking


    down on him. He always felt that Francis wascking in spirit. He had been sitting in a wheelchair since


    he was six years old. He had never even studied the national policies. Later, because of his poor


    health, their father only sent him a tutor to teach him to read, because an illiterate prince would bring


    shame to his country. Otherwise, he would likely have never learned to read.


    There were only three people in the dining room. Harper was absent, but Matthew immediately


    understood why she wasn''t there. "Let''s have lunch."


    "Uncle Matthew, why doesn''t Aunt Harpere to eat lunch?" Francis asked mildly.


    "She has already had lunch. You''d better eat quickly and go back soon." Matthew didn''t even bother to


    hide his wish to drive them away quickly. If Felix and Francis weren''t there now, he would have had


    Harper forpany at lunch instead.


    Francis just kept quiet and ate his meal with his head down. Felix''s visit was only to sound out


    Matthew''s attitude on him. Unexpectedly, he learned that Francis had no stomach for power struggles,


    so the biggest threat to him was still Matthew. There was no need for him to fear the weak Francis. All


    things considered, it seemed to Felix that he had better deal with Matthew first. His most immediateText content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    grudge against Matthew was his humiliation in seeing that the pearl he had given Harper as a gift was


    now hung on the neck of a dog.


    "Uncle Matthew, I''m done. Goodbye," Felix said after just a few bites. Since he no longer needed to


    sound out Matthew''s opinion, it was unnecessary for him to stay there, so he stood up and left.


    After Felix walked away, Francis continued eating his own food slowly. If possible, he would have


    preferred not to have lunch with Matthew. Matthew''s cold stare made delicious food as tasteless as


    wax.


    While taking his time to have his meal, Francis wondered how Harper could bear to live with Matthew.


    Didn''t she feel scared in front of his cold face every day? Or did Matthew have a totally different


    expression in front of Harper?


    Francis could not help but imagine that Matthew smiled like a fool in front of Harper. That image in his


    mind caused gooseflesh on his body. He peeped at Matthew, only to find that he was staring at him


    with icy persistence. Francis couldn''t resist pausing to touch his face, to check if he had rice on his


    face.


    "What''s wrong, Uncle Matthew?" Francis asked. As a good student, he had always asked questions


    when he didn''t know the answers.


    "Why are you still here?" Matthew asked with obvious discontent. He couldn''t understand why Francis


    had no sense. Felix had already gone, but Francis didn''t show the least intention of leaving.

 Chapter 567 Felixs Mad Behavior (Part One)

    Chapter 567 Felix''s Mad Behavior (Part One)


    "I''m not full yet," Francis said, feeling aggrieved to be chased away so soon. When Harper came over,


    she heard what he said and she gave Matthew a reproving look, as if she demanded to know what was


    going on here.


    Matthew reached out to take her hand and pulled her down to sit next to him. "Do you want some


    more?" he asked Harper.


    "No, I''ve already had a good enough lunch at the Kong n''s mansion. Has Felix left?" Harper asked


    as tly as she could, hoping that she wouldn''t have to see that man.


    "Yes. When he walked away, he stared fiercely at the dog several times as if he desperately wanted to


    fight it." Matthew reported this amusing detail.


    With a wicked smile, Harpermented, "If that had really happened, then the rumor that Felix had


    lost his mind and was fighting with a dog would spread all over the imperial capital tomorrow!"


    "Ha ha." Francisughed out loud. When Harper and Matthew turned their faces to him, he smiled


    awkwardly and asked, "I had no idea there was actually such a disease that could drive people so mad


    that they would fight with a dog. Is that really possible?"


    "Of course there is such a disease. It''s known as the mad dog disease," Harper exined. "Just as the


    name suggests, a person with this disease behaves like a mad dog. He will bite anyone or anything


    that he sees. So he would also fight with a dog, just the same as a mad dog."


    Francis opened his mouth slightly, as if he were totally dumbfounded by this extraordinary thing. But in


    a moment he realized that Harper was implying that Felix was like a vicious, violent mad dog.


    "So, was Felix suffering from that disease from the moment he came here? He was acting as if he


    wanted to tear me apart. It was really creepy," Francis asked. Teasing Felix was a clever strategy to


    ingratiate himself with Harper. Harper didn''t like Felix, so he wanted to emphasize that he didn''t like him


    either. Felix made his life difficult wherever he went, and he was nearly at his wit''s end to deal with that.


    But Harper merely gave him a nd smile in response. Seeing the two of them both smiling, Matthew


    felt a bit jealous and ufortable. Then he picked up a piece of braised pork and took a bite from the


    fatty section of it, and then offered it to Harper. "It tastes excellent. Have a try," he suggested.


    Harper then took a bite and chewed it slowly, savoring the quality. "Mmm, it tastes good. Megan''s


    cooking is improving."


    Matthew''s mouth curved into a smile. It was clear that he was in a good mood. Francis also kept the


    smile on his face, but his smile was fake. The scene of domestic happiness in front of him became a bit


    hard for him to see after a while. He then said, "It''s obvious that you love each other very much. I really


    admire it. Well, I think I''d better leave now, so that I won''t disturb you. I''ll pay you a visit another day."


    Francis got up slowly and walked out steadily. As his figure receded, Matthew lifted up his eyes to


    Harper. He then said, "Harp, I want to have the exquisite lotus-nut sweet soup made by you."


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    "Okay, I''ll cook that for youter, but you have to eat lunch first now," Harper replied obediently.


    Francis, meanwhile, could hardly keep himself from smiling as he heard them talk from behind. Now he


    understood that Matthew, who was cold and indifferent to everyone and everything else, only showed


    love and affection in front of his wife. Francis felt infinitely jealous that Matthew had such a tender and


    warm domestic life. He wished that he were Matthew, so that he could act like a spoiled child in front of


    Harper.


    After Felix left Matthew''s mansion, he went directly into the Imperial Pce to speak with the empress.


    The empress was still worried about Francis'' rising. She did not yet know that after Felix had spent


    some time with Francis, he realized that his weak brother was harmless and that Matthew was the real


    danger.


    "Your Majesty, Prince Felix is here," Nancy reported to the empress.


    "Oh? Bring him in!" the empress said eagerly. She was holding a hand warmer in her hands. When she


    saw Felix appear grumpy as he entered, she frowned and said, "Don''t your servants take care of you?


    They haven''t even prepared a hand warmer for you. It''s so cold today. You might catch a cold."


    "Mother, I''m not fragile like an old man," Felix said with a wry smile. Then he threw his cloak off. Nancy


    quickly rushed over, took the cloak, and ced a hand warmer in his hands. Even though Felix said he


    did not need one, as servants, they had to have everything prepared. That was their responsibility.


    Although Felix thought that holding a hand warmer was a bit feminine, he decided to humor his mother


    and obey her request. ordingly, he epted the hand warmer like a good son and sat opposite the


    empress.


    "So, did you gain anything today at Matthew''s mansion?" the empress asked softly. Matthew''s attitude,


    state of mind, and positions were what they cared about now. The emperor intended to assist Francis


    to make an entry into court life because Francis had saved him. Thising change greatly threatened


    Felix and the empress. After all, Francis always had a force behind him that was as powerful as the


    empress''s family. Moreover, Sherry was a favorite of the emperor. If Francis really began to work as an


    official, he would be a great opponent for Felix. In that event, Felix would be desperate for


    Matthew''s support.


    "A bumper harvest," Felix said as the maid gave him warm tea and he opened the lid. The tea leaves


    floated in the warm water. "Francis knows little of politics, and cares even less."


    "People from the royal family know how to disguise themselves. There is no one in the world who does


    not want to sit on the throne," the empress asserted confidently. "You must be careful. Don''t be fooled


    by him."


    Felix frowned and said, "Francis'' health is greatly improved now, but he is still very weak. He saved


    Father at the expense of his own body. He is just a feeble invalid and we have no reason to be afraid of


    him. What''s more, Francis is a coward. He even didn''t dare to contradict me after I gave him so many


    provocations today. I don''t think we should spend too much time or energy on him."


    "Francis..." the empress murmured as she tried to recall what he looked like. Although he had lived in


    the Imperial Pce for many years, she had actually seen him very few times. That was because he


    had been bed-ridden most of his life. The impression she had gathered from her few sightings of him


    was that Francis was a very sick man, with a weak body but a handsome face. That was the empress''s


    impression of him.

 Chapter 568 Felixs Mad Behavior (Part Two)

    Chapter 568 Felix''s Mad Behavior (Part Two)


    "I''ve confirmed it with the imperial physician. The imperial physician said that Francis has long suffered


    from a serious chronic illness, and his current condition is just a momentary improvement before death.


    Some days ago, he was seriously ill, and it was doubtful that he would survive past New Year''s Day.


    Strangely, he has be much better after leaving the Imperial Pce. He even had the strength to


    ward off the sword which would have killed Father. His illness... Don''t you think it''s rather hard to


    exin?" said Felix.


    "I have also heard from the imperial physician that he was born a very weak body," answered the


    empress, her eyes lighting up.


    "Mother, do you find it believable?" Felix was obviously unimpressed by what she said. If Francis was


    really born with a weak body, how could it be possible for him to recover as soon as he moved out of


    the Imperial Pce? There must be something he didn''t know.


    Holding her teacup in her hands, the empress fell into silence. She had guessed what was going on


    with Francis'' body, but she didn''t have any evidence to prove that Francis'' weakness was just a


    pretense. On her second thought, it seemed to her that Francis could not possibly be a threat to her


    and her son. After all, a prince with so little time left to live surely couldn''t be the next emperor.


    However, she was still worried that the Bu n would be foolish enough to support Francis.


    "What is the Bu n''s position?" the empress asked in a contemtive voice. The Bu n held the


    greatest prestige among the civil officials. If they supported Francis, then he would bepetitive


    despite his poor health.


    "The Bu n was summoned to visit Francis," Felix said as a surge of resentment arose from his


    heart. He was also the emperor''s son, and had been proimed to be the crown prince by the emperor


    himself. But over the years, the emperor had shown him very little favor, and had even been on his


    guard against him. The two of them were not at all like father and son.


    "Oh, I see. In other words, His Majesty did so, in order to fool others," the empressmented. A cold


    and calcting light shed in her eyes. "In that case, Francis is indeed no threat to us. We should be


    wary of Matthew instead."


    "Today, I went to Uncle Matthew''s mansion. He and his wife treated me with extraordinary hostility,"


    Felix said, gritting his teeth. He ached with resentment whenever he thought of the big pearl on the


    dog''s neck.


    "Oh, really? What happened?" the empress asked, with her face darkening instantly.


    "Yesterday I sent a bead of pearl to his mansion. But when I paid a visit today, I found the pearl


    hanging on the neck of a ck dog." In his wrath, Felix clenched his fists as if he were about to tear


    Matthew apart. Still, he had no choice but to be patient because he knew perfectly well that he had no


    military power and was no match for his uncle.


    "What? That arrogant bastard has gone too far this time!" the empress growled upon hearing that. She


    felt so provoked by that story that she immediately smashed the teacup in her hand onto the floor. The


    maids were so scared that they kneeled on the floor at once. Hearing the chaos inside the room, Nancy


    quickly came in, cleaned away the porcin fragments from the floor, wiped up the tea on the floor, and


    then made another cup of tea for the empress. After doing all this quickly, she waited quietly outside at


    a distance, to prevent anyone from getting close or eavesdropping.


    "Mother, we can''t just sit still and wait for death. When Hoffman offended Uncle Matthew before, Uncle


    Matthew partnered with us to get rid of him. Now I''m afraid he has us in his target. If we just sit still,


    we''ll be in trouble," Felix reasoned. "Francis is on good terms with Uncle Matthew nowadays. If he


    wants to use Francis to deal with us, we will both be in danger."


    The empress of course fully understood what Felix meant. Matthew was good at using the hands of


    others to get rid of his enemies. And even if they were killed directly by Matthew, it was highly unlikely


    that the emperor would bring justice to them. Maybe the emperor would even create an usation of


    treason in order to assuage Matthew. In such a situation, they would be totally out of luck and have no


    way to prove themselves innocent.


    "Your father''s birthday ising soon," the empress remarked after a long silence.


    "Father''s birthday party will be held on the second of February. We still have more than two months to


    prepare," Felix said after a long, thoughtful silence. "Mother, what do you think?"


    "How about that certain person you have prepared?" the empress inquired softly, looking at him.


    Felix''s eyes lit up. "Good. Even I cannot tell them apart. I don''t think Harper will ever expect that there


    is such a person in the whole world who knows her so well."


    The empress smiled to think of it. "Tell her to get ready. The second of February is a good day."


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Yes, Mother."


    "You must prepare avish gift as well. This is your father''s fiftieth birthday, and all the princes and


    princesses will be there to present him with gifts in his honor. All the officials of the country will present


    birthday gifts as well, so you must make sure that your gift is really unique and outstanding," the


    empress suggested, with excitement lighting up her eyes. They were going to take advantage of this


    magnificent birthday party to send a grand "gift" to Matthew.


    "I''ve got an idea for the gift," Felix said. He whispered a few words into the empress''s ear, but then the


    latter frowned a bit.


    "Is it reliable?" asked the empress. Somehow, this idea seemed too bold. If anything went wrong with it,


    they would all be doomed.


    "Of course it''s reliable. I''ve been informed that the physician, who is highly skilled, has been working on


    this all his life. It''s almostpleted. When I visit him, I can get that very gift for Father as his birthday


    present. I''m sure he will like it," Felix replied firmly. The gentleness of his smile at that moment was


    rare, but the coldness in his eyes was permanent. He was absolutely determined to win the emperor''s


    favor this time.


    "Well, then I will take your word for it. Take care of yourself well, and prepare the birthday present.


    Don''t let others take it before you, and don''t tell anyone. After all, this is the most important thing," the


    empress said softly. "Since we don''t need to beware of Francis, we can just focus all our attention on


    Matthew."


    "Mother, don''t worry. It''s all in my hands and everything will be taken care of well," Felix replied


    obediently, keeping the sinister smile on his face.

 Chapter 569 Francis Spat Out Blood (Part One)

    Chapter 569 Francis Spat Out Blood (Part One)


    "It''s almost dinner time. Are you going to stay for dinner?" the empress earnestly asked. It was already


    winter at that time so the gates of the Imperial Pce were being locked rtively early. If Felix wanted


    to stay for dinner, she would have the servants prepare it earlier.


    "No, I have something to deal with. I''m leaving now." At the thought of his wife being in tears, Felix


    could already feel a headache. After all, she was his wife and he couldn''t just turn a blind eye to her.


    Moreover, he had already found a good reason to put up with her. She was from the Yang n whose


    power was pretty significant. Since Matthew didn''t want to ept his respect and liked to y it the


    hard way, Felix didn''t have to be so polite. He had to take advantage of the power that he had.


    "Okay, Felix, take care of yourself. It''s freezing outside." The empress didn''t insist that he stay. Felix


    had his own beliefs and ideas, but sometimes he could be a bit reckless. So, she felt like she still


    needed to guide him. However, when it came to Matthew, she and her son had never dared to be


    careless. In this regard, she felt somewhat at ease.


    "Mother, I got it," Felix briefly responded.


    He was about to leave when the empress stopped him again. "Another thing. Even if you''re busy, don''t


    neglect your wife. She is your wife after all. But most importantly, the support of her n is important for


    you. You''ll need their support when the timees. Don''t forget that."


    "I understand. Don''t worry, Mother. I''ll take care of her."


    Upon leaving the Sleek Pce, Felix directly made his way to the gates of the Imperial Pce. On the


    way, he met Lucas who came to the pce to greet the emperor. Lucas was holding a little fox in his


    arms, and when he saw Felix, he rushed to greet him. "Felix, good evening. Did you go and see your


    mother?"


    "Yes." Felix nodded. Only then did he notice the little fox in Lucas'' arms. He then asked, "Where did


    you get that little thing?"


    Lucas then held up the fox, so Felix could see it a little better. "Several days ago, it was snowing


    heavily and a hunter caught it. I thought that it looked very lovely. Thus, I bought it. The color of its fur is


    very unique and its quality is one of a kind. Although it cost me one thousand taels of silver, it''s worth it.


    This little being understands human beings as well."


    Felix picked up the little fox from Lucas'' hand and said, "I''ll pay two thousand taels for it. You can send


    someone to my mansion to pick up the moneyter."


    "Well, Felix, it was very difficult for me to find this. And I know it''s only been two days, but the little fox


    and I have already formed a bond." Lucas was dumbfounded as he stared at Felix who held the little


    fox in his arms and was walking away fast.


    "It''s just an animal. If you give it to me today, I''ll immediately ask someone to find you a better one in


    the near future." Felix didn''t even give Lucas a chance to refuse. He thought that the little creature


    looked very cute. If his wife saw it, she might forget about the pearl thing.


    If this snow fox could stop his wife from making a fuss, Felix would do everything to obtain it. Not to


    mention two thousand taels of silver, he was even willing to pay three thousand. Moreover, Lucas had a


    lot of ways to entertain himself and be happy. Felix could just send someone to capture another one for


    himter. His top priority at that moment was tofort his wife.


    For Lucas, it felt like a daylight robbery. He was so helpless that he could only watch Felix''s receding


    figure with his beloved snow fox. When the emperor heard about it, he thought that it was a joke.


    "Since when did Felix start to like pets?" Sherry giggled before saying. "Well, it is Lucas who has


    always been interested in ying with those things."


    "That rascal is always running around chasing the most exciting thing after the other. It''s no wonder


    that he keeps on losing focus on more important things like his ambition. I can''t me him in any way.


    However, what I didn''t expect was that Felix is able to control him." While they were speaking about


    Lucas, the emperor had a bright smile on his face. Among so many of his sons, he rarely had to scold


    Lucas. Although the prince was often idle and was pretty much cheerfully unconcerned about the


    future, he would often please the emperor.


    "I guess it''s good that someone can control him, in case he goes too far. He is already 17 years old,"


    Sherrymented with a smile.


    "You''re right, Lucas is 17, but Francis is 20 years old already. Sherry, do you have anyone in mind that


    would make a good match for Francis? Would you know if he likes anydy from a noble family?"


    There was no denying that the emperor favored Francis very much.


    "Your Majesty, you know that Francis has been in poor health since he was a child. He has always


    been in the Imperial Pce with me. Recently, his condition has be much better. But he has little


    to no contact with women at all. Over the years, he has never been in love with anyone. Because of his


    health condition, what kind of woman would want to marry him? Now, I''m afraid that he won''t ever find


    someone to marry! He''s definitely in trouble," Sherry stated with so much distress in her voice.


    "Even if he has his health condition, he is my son. No one can deny that. Besides, he''s a handsome


    man with a high position. Is there anyone who doesn''t want to marry him? Tell me who thedy is. I will


    grant the marriage between her and Francis immediately." Although the emperor had been on guard


    against Francis because of the rumors that had circted, it had been so long since Francis had been


    confined in his bed. Feeling sorry for doubting his son and believing in those rumors, the emperor


    wanted to make it up to him. He wouldn''t allow anyone to trample on his son.


    "Your Majesty, I''m so worried about him. He''s been so weak for a very long time and his condition didn''t


    get better for the past years," Sherry stated with grief in her eyes. It was really hard for her to talk about


    Francis without feeling disheartened. She had given birth to him after 9 months of a difficult pregnancy.


    She had thought he would grow healthy and strong after that. But, for so long, he was just surviving


    and barely living. There wasn''t even assurance about his life expectancy. As a mother, how could she


    not feel distressed? She continued, "I don''t know how much longer he can live. I''m afraid that I''ll wake


    up someday and he''ll just¡ª"


    The emperor interrupted her and said, "No, he won''t. Not long ago, didn''t his condition get so better


    that he was finally stable? This boy is very lucky. I''m confident that he''ll always be."


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "I hope so," Sherry hopefully replied. She leaned against the emperor''s chest. She had privately


    investigated the person who had poisoned Francis and found out that it was the emperor. She was a


    little nervous but didn''t want to believe that the person who consciously chose to harm her son was his


    birth father.

 Chapter 570 Francis Spat Out Blood (Part Two)

    Chapter 570 Francis Spat Out Blood (Part Two)


    "You should pay more attention to Francis. Look into possible candidates from noble families that would


    be suitable for him. Once you find someone, tell me right away. I will immediately decree his marriage.


    It has been dyed all these years because of his weak body. Now that he is getting better, it''s time for


    him to get married as soon as possible."


    Sherry nodded in silence. The truth was that she didn''t want her son to marry a woman he didn''t have


    affection for. And since it was about time for him to marry, he must marry the woman he loved. She


    would never allow him to suffer in any way or form again.


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The emperor was very pleased with Sherry''s obedience. On top of that, Francis was getting better so


    he felt like he was on top of the world. In a second, he pulled Sherry closer to him and kissed her


    deeply while his other hand found its way to her body. However, he found it very hard to do so since he


    was getting too old for that.


    As an emperor, what he craved most for the country was to maintain its peace and prosperity. For


    himself, he wanted to live very long so he cared a lot about his health. Immediately, he sent for an


    imperial physician to check on him. The imperial physician checked his pulse and told him that he was


    fine. Only then did the emperor feel relieved. However, when it came to matters about sex, he had less


    interest.


    As the New Year holiday passed, the officials began to go back to work. The first thing on the imperial


    court''s agenda was to discuss how to celebrate the emperor''s 50th birthday. After all, reaching that age


    was a milestone. An important asion as such must have thorough and meticulous preparations so


    they could have an extravagant celebration.


    "Just leave this matter to the Ministry of Rites," the emperor ordered while he waved his hand. As for


    his 50th birthday, it was a custom for the Ministry of Rites to be in charge of the celebration banquet''s


    preparations and nning. Since the empress nned his birthday banquets in the past, the Ministry of


    Rites asked if she would be a part of it. However, the emperor said that there was no need for her to


    participate.


    Simrly, the empress had thought that she would be responsible for preparing the imperial banquet so


    she didn''t expect that the emperor would solely hand the matter to the Ministry of Rites. At that


    moment, she was immediately displeased. However, the emperor himself had given the order, so she


    couldn''t defy him.


    The next morning, Monica and other concubines paid their regr visit to the empress at the Sleek


    Pce. "Your Majesty, for the past years, you had always been in charge of His Majesty''s birthday


    banquet. Why is the Ministry of Rites preparing it this time?" Monica raised her doubt.


    "Unlike ordinary birthdays, this is his 50th birthday. He will even celebrate with the public and set some


    criminals free. Of course, he needs to assign the Ministry of Rites to prepare for the celebration," the


    empress inly said, without any expression on her face. Although she was a little unhappy about the


    situation, she did not show it in front of anyone. All the women in the Imperial Pce were dignified and


    ustomed to presenting themselves very well in front of others. Since she was the empress, she


    should remain calm and not show any disagreeable emotions.


    Meanwhile, Sherry was actively listening to their conversation. The emperor had always been fond of


    her, and now that her son Francis had saved him, he was even more affectionate to her. Because of


    this, Sherry had a newfound confidence. She then picked up their conversation. "Speaking of which,


    there''s something that I was just curious about. I heard that His Majesty did not only ask the Ministry of


    Rites to prepare the birthday banquet, but he also asked the people of Matthew''s mansion to


    participate."


    When the people in the room heard that information, they all stopped talking. After all, in the harem''s


    residence at the Imperial Pce, it was not appropriate to talk about Matthew so casually. If something


    untoward happened, they might get implicated.


    The empress kept silent for a while before answering Sherry. She thought that generally speaking, Ken,


    the leader of the pce guards, should be in charge of the royal banquet''s safety, but the emperor


    made Matthew responsible for the task. The meaning behind his actions would certainly make one


    think further. "Yes indeed, His Majesty told Matthew to secure the safety of the birthday banquet."


    "Aren''t the pce guards responsible for the safety of the pce?" someone asked cautiously.


    "This birthday banquet is by no means insignificant. All the officials, including the ones working outside


    the imperial capital wille here to celebrate for His Majesty. We can''t just treat this asion very


    lightly. Therefore, it''s only normal to let Matthew take responsibility." The empress then looked at


    Sherry straight in the eyes before asking, "By the way, Sherry, how is Francis? Is he getting better?"


    "Your Majesty, Francis is much better. Thank you for your concern." Sherry gave her a simple but


    perfect answer. The emperor loved Francis so much that many people paid attention to him. Some


    people hade to inquire about him, and some had shown their loyalty to him, but all of them had


    been kept at arm''s length by him, so no one could see through his mind.


    "Not long ago, an imperial physician said that Francis spat out blood. I was very shocked and worried


    to hear that. If he spat out blood, it must be serious. But now that you said he is getting better, I can


    finally be relieved," the empress stated with so much conviction while she ced her palm on her chest


    to further prove her point.


    Sherry clenched her hands into fists inside the sleeves of her dress and calmly said, "Don''t worry, Your


    Majesty. Francis has been like this for many years. Fortunately, he is very lucky and has met a


    physician that does wonders. So now, he is getting so much better. I''m sure he will fully recover soon."


    If one looked closely, there was a sudden coldness in the empress'' eyes while her smile faded. But still,


    she remained herposure while she said, "Well, I can only hope that Francis will fully recover as


    soon as possible."


    "Thank you for your kind words, Your Majesty," Sherry responded.


    The empress then turned to Chloe and asked, "Chloe, how is Wale?"


    "Your Majesty, Wale is quite fine. He is so energetic that he''s able to make some trouble for me now." It


    was the first time for Chloe to be a mother. She looked very gentle and when she spoke of her son,


    affection filled her eyes.


    The empress nodded. "Wale is the youngest son of His Majesty and he loves him very much. You


    should pay more attention to the baby."


    "Yes, I will continue taking good care of him."


    "Bring Wale to me. Let me have a look at him," the empress said as she turned to the wet nurse


    standing behind Chloe.

 Chapter 571 Request For Pill (Part One)

    Chapter 571 Request For Pill (Part One)


    The wet nurse was uneasy and full of doubts. Chloe stood up, took the child from the wet nurse''s arms,


    and walked slowly towards the empress.


    Wale was so pretty with his fair skin. His big eyes twinkled like stars. However, as soon as he saw the


    empress, he burst into tears, crying out at the top of his loud baby''s voice. Chloe tried to coax him to


    lighten the awkward atmosphere. However, no matter what she did, Wale just kept crying, as if the


    thought of being hugged by the empress terrified him. With no other choice, Chloe looked at the


    empress with apologetic eyes.


    "Well, never mind. He is probably just hungry now. You can take him away and go back first," the


    empress said gently, as she stretched out her hand and pinched Wale''s cute little face. "You have such


    a strong cry. It means you will have a promising future."


    "Yes. Please excuse me," Chloe said as she held Wale, who was crying so hard that he was almost out


    of breath, in her arms, and went out quickly with the wet nurse. The empress''s gloomy eyes lingered on


    Chloe''s back as she went out. It was obvious that this scene had triggered her displeasure. Even a little


    baby responded to her as if she were a devil from hell! How could she endure that? Nheless, she


    repressed her temper until there was no more sign of it on her face. To be morose over such a trivial


    thing would reflect badly upon her as an empress.


    Seeing this, Sherry also excused herself and left the room. Her motivation for maintaining a peaceful


    facade with the empress was that Francis hadn''t fully recovered, and Felix, meanwhile, still had a lot of


    power. Her priority was to stay out of all troubles in the Imperial Pce. Thus, she would avoid


    unnecessary conflicts with the empress.


    Despite the empress''s annoyance about the incident that day, she quickly let it go without taking it


    seriously. From that moment, she only had thoughts for the birthday gift she would prepare for the


    emperor. Everyone else was busying preparing gifts. Those gifts would be delivered to the Imperial


    Pce within a few days. It was by no means a simple matter to prepare a gift that would truly make


    Felix stand out and the emperor happy.


    Inside Matthew''s mansion, Harper studied the imperial edict in her hands, and a mysterious smile


    appeared on her face. "Honey, the emperor has asked you to take charge of security at the birthday


    banquet. Isn''t he afraid that he is going to die fast enough?" Harper joked.


    Matthew raised his eyebrows and looked at her. "I will carry it out without leaving a trace of evidence


    against me in public."


    "You have already left a lot of such evidence for others to discover, honey," she said. "I''m just a bit


    puzzled by this. The emperor should be on guard against you, but now he is actually entrusting you


    with security at his birthday banquet. Don''t you find that hard to ount for?"


    Matthew pondered this question carefully, but he wasn''t sure how to ount for the emperor''s


    decision. Now that Harper had raised this doubt, he agreed that there must be something fishy going


    on. It was almost certainly part of a plot the emperor was hatching.


    "Come what may, I fear nothing," Matthew said in a t tone, and it was true that he had no fear at all.


    "There''s nothing else we can do. At the birthday banquet, there will be many guests. It will be very


    lively, and the situation will beplex. Moreover, all those vassal states, those countries under the


    rule of the Bright Dynasty, will alsoe to the celebration. In this environment, security will be a


    serious issue, and the emperor has entrusted you with it... I''m afraid the situation is more treacherous


    than it looks. Will the emperor exploit this opportunity tounch an attack against you?" Harper


    suggested a possibility. This was the only possibility that came to her mind.


    Her suggestion raised another possibility in Matthew''s mind. He looked at her with narrowed eyes. "I


    suspect he''s not aiming at me, but you," he said, with furrowed eyebrows.


    "At me?" Harper asked, feeling puzzled. How could she be endangered when Matthew took charge of


    security during the birthday banquet?


    "Since I am responsible for safety at the birthday banquet, I will definitely not be at your side at that


    time. This will give others an opportunity to hurt you," Matthew said, with a deadly gleam shing in his


    eyes. He would teach the emperor a hard lesson if thetter dared to make a move against her.


    "Well, now I''m quite intrigued by this situation," Harper said as she tossed the imperial edict away. "I do


    wonder what they would try to do to me."


    Because of what had befallen Howard, Walden was starting to be more active recently after his long


    disappearance from the public eye. But this time, he did not make his presence felt at court. He had


    other business to deal with instead.


    With the emperor''s birthday approaching, like all the other princes, he had to prepare a birthday gift.


    However, as a supporter of Felix, he also needed to help him prepare a gift. In recent days there were


    many rumors about the Longevity Pill. Felix had ordered him to obtain it at all costs.


    Walden and his men stayed outside the legendary physician''s house for a long time. It was proverbial


    that people with extraordinary abilities had strange personalities, and the brilliant old physician was a


    case like that. His mansion was built on the hillside of a mountain. Walden and his guards had suffered


    a lot to locate him.


    "Your Highness, shall we stay here continuously?" asked one of the guards. In the midst of the


    mountain, it was bone-chillingly cold. Their first thought had been to enter the physician''s mansion.


    However, a servant of the old physician shut the door against them without hesitation.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    "Yes, until he sessfully makes the Longevity Pill," Walden said. He had an iron-bound resolution to


    obtain the Longevity Pill. He had bungled the job involving Howard before. As a result, Felix had


    be implicated and fell under the emperor''s suspicion. He was still repentant for that. This time, he


    would spare no expense to aplish the mission Felix assigned to him, and thereby make amends.


    "Yes, Your Highness." The guard was shivering with cold, but he dared notin. He took out a


    strong liquor and gulped it. He soon felt warm all over thanks to the wine.


    Walden had been raised in afortable environment. Then, right after the New Year, he had left the


    imperial capital and undertook a long journey to reach this ce, in order to acquire the pill. However,


    this old physician was very stubborn. Just as if the rumors about him were true, hemanded his


    servant to drive his men out directly, and he lied that he didn''t have the pill they wanted.


    It was said that several groups of people hade to beg the physician for the pill, and they too were


    all shut outside the door. However, there were also people who hade to request other medicines,


    and their requests were granted.

 Chapter 572 Request For Pill (Part Two)

    Chapter 572 Request For Pill (Part Two)


    "Your Highness, does a Longevity Pill actually exist?" asked the guard. He had begun to doubt whether


    the legends were true. Many people had been shut outside, but there were also many people who were


    granted entrance and then got what they came for. This fact suggested that the physician was actually


    not a mean man, and that the only reason why he refused to give them the Longevity Pill was that it did


    not exist anywhere in the world.


    "Felix said there is such a pill; therefore, the physician must have it. Moreover, I''m sure you have


    smelled this remarkable scent over the past few days," Walden said, taking a deep breath. A faint


    medicinal fragrance floated out of the old physician''s mansion.


    "That''s the herbal fragrance," the guard eximed in surprise.


    "Yes, it is, and it smells thicker than before," Walden said in excitement. "The Longevity Pill will be


    ready soon!"


    "Can the Longevity Pill really prolong one''s life as the rumor says?" the guard asked again with


    curiosity, as if he found it hard to believe.


    "Have you ever heard of the Reviving Pill?" Walden countered.


    "Yes, I''ve heard of it. It''s a secret pill and His Majesty has it," the guard replied unhesitatingly.


    "The Reviving Pill was created by this physician''s old master. I''m sure you have witnessed its effect.


    When Aunt Harper was dying, she took the Reviving Pill and she recovered. Rumor has it that this


    physician has created a kind of pill which is even better than the Reviving Pill, and that pill is none other


    than the Longevity Pill," Walden replied confidently. "The question is, how can we get the Longevity


    Pill?"


    "That physician is short-tempered. Thest time we saw him, he didn''t even spare us a polite nce.


    Should we visit him courteously again?" the guard asked again.


    "Of course we should. I''m not one to give up so quickly. Let''s pay him a few more visits," Walden said,


    scoffing at the idea of despairing so soon. "He will give me the Longevity Pill without a doubt."


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    The crowd waiting outside the physician''s house suddenly smelled a strong medicinal aroma from


    inside, and they heard a happy voice inside the house. Upon hearing that, Walden threw aside the


    empty wine bottle and said, "He just made it!"


    "Your Highness!"


    "Let''s go and request the pill!" Walden said with a smile. "You two follow me in, and the rest of you wait


    outside for my signal."


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    Walden knocked on the door again, and the physician''s apprentice opened the door. Upon seeing him,


    he frowned and said, "What? It''s you again! My master said he doesn''t have what you want. Please


    leave."


    One of the guards immediately pressed his foot against the door and said, "Please go to tell your


    master that we are here for the pill, and we are willing to offer as much gold as he wants."


    The young man wanted to close the door, but he was prevented by the strong guard exerting all his


    strength to push the door the other way. The guard seeded in pushing the door open quickly


    enough. The young man was so angry and anxious that his eyes almost turned red. He had never seen


    such rude guests before.


    "Go and tell your master what he just said," Walden said in a slow and mild voice, looking at the young


    man who was on the verge of tears.


    The young man could do nothing other than stamp his feet. He could see that he was powerless to stop


    them, so he led them to the main hall and said, "Please wait in the main hall here, and I will go to


    inform my master."


    Walden nodded gently. After the young man left, he walked in the direction of the smell. There was no


    doubt now that the Longevity Pill had been refined sessfully. If the physician refused him again, he


    would not be so polite and would take the pill by force.


    The physician was overjoyed to have sessfully made the Longevity Pills. As he filled the box with


    the pills one by one, his young apprentice rushed in and said, "Master, that man is here again. He is in


    the main hall now..."


    But before he could finish his words, Walden''s voice came. "Physician Scott, it seems that your


    Longevity Pills have been created sessfully." Walden strode in and fixed his eyes on the box in


    Scott Wei''s hand. The box was filled to the brim with pills. Walden had the object of their journey within


    his sight.


    Scott Wei frowned and instinctively covered the box and hid it behind his body. "Mister, I''ve already told


    you that I don''t have the Longevity Pills. Please go back now."


    "Physician Scott, I''d like to offer you ten thousand taels of gold for those pills there," Walden said with a


    large grin. "Look, why don''t you just hand over the box you are holding now? What do you think?"


    "No, I can''t give it to you!" Scott Wei refused indignantly. He had put all his heart and soul into the


    making of these pills, so he would not surrender to them so easily.


    "You can stipte any terms that are in my power to fulfill. All I need is the box in your hand now. I''m a


    man of word," Walden offered once more. He was absolutely determined to aplish his mission.


    "No matter what you offer me, my decision is fixed. I need these pills to deal with other things!" Scott


    Wei said with absolute certainty. "There is no room for negotiation. Please go back."


    "Physician Scott, I suggest you reconsider that decision," Walden said in an icy tone. The Longevity


    Pills were right in front of him, and it was out of the question to return empty-handed. If Scott Wei didn''t


    hand them over, Walden would be determined to snatch the pills by force.


    "I''ve no need to reconsider. I''ve said that I won''t change my mind. I will neither give away, exchange,


    nor sell the pills to anyone!" Scott Wei stated decisively, with an unmistakable firmness on his face.


    "Well, since you are so unmovable, I can''t persist anymore. Goodbye," Walden said as he turned away


    all of a sudden and walked out. Even his attendants found his behavior was inconceivable. Since when


    did he be such an agreeable person? It was just too shocking to be true, that he would turn away


    compliantly after the physician''s refusal.


    But they didn''t dare to speak up. After Walden said he would leave, they followed him out the door


    promptly. Scott Wei was worried that Walden mighte back again, so he sent his disciple to watch


    them in secret. When he confirmed that they had gone indeed, he breathed a sigh of


    relief.

 Chapter 573 The Atrocity (Part One)

    Chapter 573 The Atrocity (Part One)


    "Father, Congrattions! You have sessfully made the Longevity Pill atst!" Scott''s son


    congratted his father for his achievement. After years of research, he finally made a treasure that


    was previously thought to be impossible.


    "Years of painstaking effort has finallye to fruition," Scott said in excitement. In order to prepare the


    Longevity Pill, he had spent a lot of effort, right from finding all kinds of precious and rare medicinal


    materials, to performing and revamping theborious procedures. It was all an extremelyplex


    schema, finally on the victory podium.


    "Congrattions, Father! You have made your wishe true. But, I have a question. What''s the use


    of the pill?" Scott''s daughter-inw asked curiously. As a miracle-working physician, Scott had studied


    innumerable wondrous pills all his life. Now, the Longevity Pill was an extremely valuable pill, and


    something that was extremely hard to ask for.


    Scott took the box and said with a smile, "It prolongs your life. Put away the box in case of need."


    "You are asking us to put it away?" the couple asked, a little surprised. Why would he ask them to keep


    such invaluable pills away?


    "Yes. The pill was made from innumerable treasures, costing half of my life''s painstaking efforts.


    Naturally, I can''t give it to outsiders. You should be careful to keep it well." The old physician smiled and


    turned his eyes towards his grandson ying with another child in the courtyard. The expression on his


    face became softer and softer. "Now, I n to stop refining pills and live an ordinary life. I will have my


    retirement and wish to spend more time with my grandson pleasantly. From now on, you and your wife


    will take care of everything in our mansion."


    The whole family was enjoying a blissful moment, and had no idea that danger was approaching. The


    reason for Walden''s withdrawal earlier was not because he gave up, but he was waiting patiently for


    the dark night, when he could kill all of the family members and grab the pills.


    The nightfall was earlier in the mountainside. It was early evening, but the air was abnormally quiet. Not


    even the birds were chirping their songs. Usually, this was the time when the birds would fly back to


    their flocks, swooping, singing and ying. But on that night, everything was so hushed.


    The two children were ying hide and seek in the courtyard. Scott was fiddling with medical herbs in


    the pharmacy, and the young couple were busy preparing some intricate things for tomorrow. There


    were peopleing and begging for the medicines, and the couple would show up to greet them.


    When Walden led his men and broke into Scott''s mansion, the old physician remained unaware, but


    the couple noticed it. They both were skilled fighters and always did well to defend their mansion from


    troublemaking people. Since people with different backgrounds always visited their mansion for


    medicines, the couple were always prepared to deal with customers not so friendly.


    "Who is it? How dare you break into our mansion at night?" the couple yelled out with swords in their


    hands. They moved forward, but suddenly, as they saw the hostage held by the assants, the couple


    almost got frozen with fear.


    "My boy!"


    "Who the hell are you? Let go of my son!"


    "If you want your son alive, give me the Longevity Pills." Though Walden spoke slowly, he didn''t have


    much time to waste with these people as the birthday banquet was drawing nearer. He had to get the


    Longevity Pill tonight.


    "It''s you!" The couple were quick to realize the assants who were dressed all in ck. They were the


    same men who hade asking for the pills in the daytime. But as they couldn''t get them, they were


    determined to grab them instead.


    Walden narrowed his eyes and said, "I don''t have time for this petty talk. Hand over the Longevity Pills


    and I will spare your lives. Otherwise, I''ll start the bloodshed with your son."


    Walden grabbed the child''s head. It was agonizing for the little boy who was struggling while he was


    being dangled. He cried out loudly out of fear and pain.


    "You two, don''t test my patience," Walden said coldly. "Choose one, the pill or the child."


    Before the couple could say something, they heard a loud roar.


    "How dare you!" It was Scott. As soon as he heard the noise, he rushed out. What he witnessed was


    his grandson held under coercion by someone, and the boy wailing out.


    Walden''s eyes were cold. "Physician Scott, it would be better if youe out and make your choice


    between your grandson and the Longevity Pill. You are a wise man. Do you consider the Longevity Pill


    to be more worthwhile than your own grandson''s life? You know, you can refine more pills in the future,


    but if you lose your grandson¡­"


    "You monster. How can you be so vicious? You came to my homete at night and kidnapped my


    grandson. You are doing all this for the pill!" Scott was raging. Ordinarily, they would never have


    remained off guard. But today was indeed a special day. He had sessfully refined the Longevity


    Pills, making his dreame true after so many years of painstaking efforts. They had rxed their


    vignce, and the young couple had drunk a lot due to their happiness. The mansion''s security rm


    was shut down and no one knew how that happened. All this contributed to today''s disaster.


    "Father."


    "Give them the pill!" The physician walked towards his son and daughter-inw and whispered


    something. At the same time, the couple stepped back to take the pill.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Seeing this, Walden grinned. "Physician Scott, you finally agreed this time. Earlier, I offered you ten


    thousand taels of gold and begged for the pill. But you still turned me down, and I was left with no other


    option."


    "Well, the situation is different now." Scott ground his teeth furiously. The robber was a man who had


    earned all his fortunes, but still made the mistake of taking his gains for granted. If it was not for his


    grandson, or the fear of him getting hurt, Scott would never have conceded their demands.


    In an instant, the young couple came back with a box in their hands. Walden recognized it, as he had


    seen the same box previously in the day. The box contained the Longevity Pills in it. Walden breathed a


    sigh of relief and said, "Open it and let me have a look."

 Chapter 574 The Atrocity (Part Two)

    Chapter 574 The Atrocity (Part Two)


    The coupleplied and opened the box. Suddenly, a rich medicinal aroma was filled in the air, just


    exactly as what Walden had smelled in the day.


    "It is really the Longevity Pill." Walden''s eyes lit up. "Throw it here."


    "First, let go of my son!" Scott''s daughter-inw demanded.


    Walden frowned. He reached out and picked up the child, pinching his neck. "Lady, my patience is


    running out."


    The woman suddenly took the pill box from her husband''s hand, and moved a few steps back near to


    the big water tank in the courtyard. Pretending to dump the pills into the water tank, she said, "Let my


    son go, or I''ll dump the pills in it. You do know, the pill is going to melt in the water. There is just this


    one box existing in the whole world."


    Walden stepped forward in a hurry. Seeing her son''s pale face caused by the pinch, the woman


    swayed her wrist. A pill fell from the box into the water. It disappeared even without a trace.


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Walden understood that if thedy became too anxious, she wouldn''t mind dumping all those pills into


    the water tank. Then he analyzed the situation and considered the fact that the family was way too


    outnumbered by his men. Even if he were to let the child go, he could still manage to get the pills into


    his custody. Suddenly, he pinched the boy into aa and then threw him onto the ground. "Give the


    pills to me. Here is your child."


    Scott''s son picked up the boy in a hurry to check on him. Seeing that his son was safe and sound, he


    nodded at his wife. The woman heaved a sigh of relief, and pulled her hand away from the water tank.


    "Lady, I have already released your son as promised. Now, hand over the box to me." Walden kept his


    eyes glued on the box in thedy''s hand, ready to grab it at any time.


    Thedy sneered and said, "For a box of pills, you didn''t even bother about a kid''s life. Even if you take


    the Longevity Pills, you wouldn''t have a good ending."


    The woman waved her hand and threw the box out. A guard flew forward and caught it immediately.


    The couple, as well as the child, and Scott, looked at Walden warily. They thought of a way out, but the


    security rm in their mansion was damaged by the assants. Now, the family was left with no other


    choice but to wait until Walden got what he wanted, hoping that they would leave the ce as soon as


    possible.


    Walden took the box from his attendant and opened it. After confirming that they were indeed the


    Longevity Pills, he closed the box and walked out.


    Seeing that Walden was about to leave, Scott''s family breathed a sigh of relief. As long as they were


    alive, they could refine the Longevity Pills again, so losing the pills wasn''t a big worry for them.


    But things didn''t go as they hoped. As soon as Walden kept his foot outside the door, he ordered coldly,


    "Kill them all!"


    Looking at the men in ck who came back after leaving, Scott was quite shocked. Before he could


    react, the servant guarding the door was killed by a sword. He trembled with anger and yelled, "Son,


    escape with your wife and child quickly."


    The woman took her son in her arms and rushed outwards, but they were surrounded and there wasn''t


    a way out. They tried to exit through the back door, but it had already been blocked. Someone even set


    fire, and the entire mansion was in mes.


    "Bastards!" Scott was enraged seeing his son lying in a pool of blood. He fell to the ground, seeing his


    daughter-inw and his grandson being butchered right in front of his eyes. He wished to tear the


    killers into pieces, but he was helpless. Finally, he too was hacked to death in the cruelest manner.


    Walden''s men indeed left none to survive. Even a bird raised by Scott wasn''t spared. The assants


    made sure that none was alive in the mansion.


    After butchering all living beings, they torched the whole mansion. Walden didn''t even turn back to look


    at it, and disappeared with his people in an instant.


    At the same time, a figure appeared at the door of Scott''s mansion and jumped into the burning house.


    After a brief time inside, he came out with something and quickly disappeared.


    In an old tree beside the mansion, a person was hiding behind a withered branch. Looking at the


    burning mansion, he spat out. "Felix''s people are as heartless as ever. In order to get the pill, he


    burned out the whole family."


    The sky looked red due to the fire. Under the bright light, the man''s face was finally clear. It was


    Howard, who was nowhere to be seen after Hoffman''s case.


    "Mister Howard, are we not leaving?" a teenage boy asked as he stood under the tree and looked up at


    the man above.


    "Why not? Let''s go! Or somebody may think we havemitted this atrocity." Howard jumped off the


    tree, and the teenager followed him in a hurry. They disappeared away into the forest.


    The fire in the physician''s mansion soon drew a lot of attention. Many people in the neighborhood were


    his clients and they observed that the fire was in the direction of his mansion. Scott had saved most of


    their lives using his wondrous pills. So the rescuers and the people in his neighborhood rushed in to


    help them. But the fire burned so violently that they couldn''t even approach it. The firested for a day


    and a night before it died out. People found many skeletons in the ruins.


    Although an investigation was carried out on the death of Scott and his family, due to theck of any


    compelling evidence, the investigation couldn''t yield any fruitful results. The assants were careful not


    to leave any trace, and then the matter was stalled.

 Chapter 575 Wash Him Clean (Part One)

    Chapter 575 Wash Him Clean (Part One)


    Reading the message Howard had sent, Harper frowned slightly and said, "I didn''t expect Walden to be


    so cold-blooded too."


    "All members of the royal family are heartless," Matthew said while reviewing the official documents.


    Felix and he were both heartless men after all. The only difference between the two of them was that


    he prioritized his principles, while Felix prioritized his interests.


    "Nonsense, you are not at all like them," Harper said, crumpling up the slip of paper in her hand.


    "Rumor has it that the Longevity Pill can prolong a human''s life. Is there really such a miraculous


    medicine anywhere in the world?"


    "With everyone talking about it now, I think there is indeed such a medicine, but we don''t know whether


    it''s as effective as it''s rumored to be," Matthew said, extending his arm to grab her waist and make her


    sit on hisp. "After all, no one has ever eaten it before."


    "Would you like some?" Harper asked, pinching his chin yfully. "Look at me, Matthew. Do you want


    it?"


    Looking at her peacefully, Matthew asked, "Want what?"


    "The pill," Harper said quickly.


    "Do I want it..." Matthew repeated her question, emphasizing every word. There was a glint rising in his


    eyes, which she still hadn''t noticed.


    She nodded and echoed, "Yeah, do you want it... Ah!"


    Matthew pinched her waist. Harper screamed in shock and red at him. "What do you think you''re


    doing?"


    A handsome and devilish smile crept up at the corners of Matthew''s mouth. "Have I misunderstood


    you? Didn''t you say you wanted it?"


    "I mean the pill..." Noticing the growing passion in Matthew''s eyes, Harper tried to remember their


    conversation. In a sh, she realized that her husband misconstrued her words intentionally. She


    managed to keep herposure, but her earlobes turned red. "You are not being serious!"


    With smiling eyes, Matthew said, "I''m perfectly serious. I simply answered your question. I want it.


    What, don''t you want it now?"


    Matthew looked as hard and cold as ice, but actually he was an expert at flirting with her. Harper was


    no match for him in that aspect. She could make fun of him before, but nowadays, when she spoke any


    word with even any vague sexual suggestiveness, she would be the one to admit defeat in the end.


    "I''m trying to talk serious business with you," Harperined. She pushed Matthew''s chest to keep


    him at a distance from her.


    Matthew put more strength into his grip, pressing her against his chest. "Let''s take care of our own


    needs first before we discuss business."


    "Let''s get down to business first," Harper said anxiously. She couldn''t understand why he was


    bing more and more eager for sex. Even her most innocent and unremarkable words were


    enough to arouse his passion to make love with her straightaway.


    Matthew adjusted her posture on hisp, so that she faced him, with her legs separated on both sides


    of his own legs. He slid his fingers adroitly into her clothes. There was a charcoal fire burning in the


    room, so the couple were already thinly dressed, which facilitated Matthew''s advances.


    "What... You..." Harper was so disoriented that she couldn''t speak coherently.


    "Take it easy, honey. We can still talk while doing it," Matthew said. He took great pleasure in seeing


    Harper''s simultaneous shyness and annoyance. In the end, her protests turned into moans of pleasure.


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    After the sex, both of them were drenched in sweat. Harpery weakly in Matthew''s arms. While


    caressing her back with his hand slowly, Matthew used his other hand to turn over official documents.


    Seeing Harper''s clothes were about to slide down, he skillfully pulled her clothes back up. She didn''t


    even want to move at all. She only wanted to sleep at the moment.


    But her drowsy and disheveled look only triggered Matthew''s lust again, until he couldn''t resist it. He


    tossed aside the brush pen in his hand and took her into the bedroom, and they repeated the act once


    again. Soon afterward he would be very busy, and then he might not have much time to be with her.


    ordingly, he didn''t want to waste any time when he was with her.


    In the twinkling of an eye, the day of the emperor''s birthday arrived. Everyone had been busy preparing


    for it, and Harper hadn''t seen Matthew with her own eyes for a few days. She would fall asleep before


    he came home, and wake up after he went out. She had a mixed feeling as she touched the cold pillow


    by her side.


    "Are you up yet, Your Highness?" Nina''s voice rang out outside the room.


    Harper sat up, took up the clothes that were on the folding screen and put them on slowly. Since her


    marriage to Matthew, she had no need for the maids to dress her, because he would do it for her. Now


    that he wasn''t around, she wasn''tfortable being attended on by others, even though Nina and


    Anabel had worked as her personal maids for many years.


    It was not until she was fully dressed that she called Nina in. Nina brought a basin of warm water for


    Harper to wash her face. "Your Highness, His Highness said that you should go to the Imperial Pce


    early today."


    Harper nodded. Today was the birthday of the emperor. As the wife of a prince, she had to go to the


    pce early in the morning in order to celebrate the emperor''s birthday. Moreover, every woman with a


    title had to pay a visit to the empress to pay her respects to her, and Harper was no exception.


    "It''s still early. It''s notte to go to the Imperial Pce after breakfast." A faint smile crept up at the


    corners of Harper''s mouth. She wondered what the empress would do at the birthday party. She


    suddenly felt eager to see the oue.


    "Is Fred here?"


    "Your Highness, he has been standing guard outside."


    "Let him in." Harper''s eyes flickered with anticipation. She had to be on alert in this visit to the Imperial


    Pce today.

 Chapter 576 Wash Him Clean (Part Two)

    Chapter 576 Wash Him Clean (Part Two)


    Fred came in. His face was still bandaged, only revealing a pair of eyes and a mouth, so that his


    identity was effectively concealed from everyone. Harper was eating breakfast. With a nce at Fred,


    she said, "Sit down. Let''s have breakfast together."


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    Fred frowned ufortably. He was about to refuse when Harper added, "This is an order."


    After an awkward hesitation, Fred sat down, taking only a small portion of his chair. He looked at the


    bowl and chopsticks in front of him, but didn''t start eating.


    "Just eat. You wille with me to the Imperial Pceter," Harper said while eating her breakfast as


    usual. "Hurry up and eat."


    Fred picked up his bowl and chopsticks and slurped up the porridge quickly. Then he put the bowl


    down and stood up. He said nothing and just waited quietly on the side.


    Harper looked him up and down curiously, which made sweat roll down his back. He felt uneasy, but


    had no other choice than to endure it, because she was the master.


    "Angelica, Peony."


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    "Go and wash him up. Make sure he smells fragrant," Harper ordered. There was a sly twinkle in her


    eyes. When she saw the reluctance in Fred''s eyes, she became even more eager to make fun of him.


    "Hurry up. Wash him clean and then send him back. I''m waiting to use him."


    Angelica and Peony were dumbfounded by their master''s order and stood with their mouths agape.


    Fred''s previously stoical eyes were now filled withplex emotions. However, he went out after a few


    moments of silence. Having been in Harper''s employment for a long time, he knew her well enough to


    know that there must be a reason for her to give such an order.


    Before long, Fred came back to her. He had taken a bath, but the bandage on his face was still on.


    Harper gestured at him with a finger. He walked to her with hesitation, and got down on one knee. She


    extended her hand to remove the bandage from his face, which caused him to flinch backward for a


    moment instinctively. But he stabilized himself quickly, and allowed her to do what she wanted.


    She removed all the bandages from his face. She had assumed that he was using those bandages to


    conceal horrifying scars on his face, but in fact there was aely face under the bandages. The only


    problem with his face was that it looked a little pale.


    "You were hiding such a delicate face," Harper mumbled. "Your appearance is perfectly suitable. Now


    put on these clothes here. You''re not my guardsman but my maid today."


    Fred could hardly believe his own ears when she said that. However, he had been trained well to obey


    orders. ordingly, he stood up and went to put on the maid''s uniform that Harper had already


    prepared for him. However, when he saw the uniform, he had no idea how to put it on.


    "Anabel, show him how," Harper said, turning around to look at Anabel.


    "Yes, Your Highness." Anabel was patient enough to show Fred how to wear the uniform, and Fred was


    clever enough to learn it pretty quickly. Then he took the uniform to the other side of the folding screen,


    and reced his clothes with it.


    Fred was not an exceptionally tall man, less than half a head taller than Harper. Aside from that, he had


    delicate features. When he wore the maid''s uniform, he looked quite like a maid.


    "Help him wear his hair in a bun," Harper ordered her maids, and watched with satisfaction. With no


    expression on his face, Fred just let the girls deal with his hair. Then Nina put on makeup for him. By


    then, the only clue that he was a man was his t chest.


    "I didn''t know that Fred was so good-looking," Anabel said with a smile. "Right, Your Highness?"


    "Yes, he is." Harper took out from the dresser a pair of false breasts she had specially made, and


    handed them to Fred. "Put them on."


    At thisst order, Fred finally disyed a bit of embarrassment on his previously emotionless face.


    Nevertheless, he epted them and put them on behind the folding screen. When he came back


    again, even Nina and Anabel couldn''t be sure whether the person in front of them was a woman or a


    man.


    Harper was pleased with the result. "Fetch my official robe."


    She smiled with satisfaction and her eyes beamed. It was permitted for her to take two maids with her


    to attend the emperor''s birthday banquet today. Nina and Anabel were unsuitable because neither of


    them had any martial arts skills. Thus she had a vacancy to fill, and Fred was the best choice to fill the


    vacancy given his face and figure. He was born with a smiling face. His face would make people of a


    higher rank find him lively, while people of a lower rank would find him amiable. That was the reason


    why he had covered his face with a bandage.


    A smiling baby face was not suitable for a strong tough guardsman. When he confronted enemies and


    challenged them with his sword, his smiling face would impair his aura, making the atmosphere less


    threatening.


    "He is much cuter than Jack,"


    Harpermented. If Jack had heard thatment, he would certainly have voiced his disagreement.


    Jack had seen Fred''s face. The former was generally regarded as quick-witted and likely to get along


    well with others, but he was no match for Fred in that regard. When Fred appeared, he quickly inspired


    warm feelings among the people around him. If only he were a bit more smooth-tongued, he would be


    the one, instead of Jack, to be by Matthew''s side every day.


    After changing into her official robe, Harper went out with Forsythia and Fred to the imperial pce.


    "Forsythia, Freda, let''s go to the Imperial Pce now," she said to them.

 Chapter 577 A Reminder From Lucas (Part One)

    Chapter 577 A Reminder From Lucas (Part One)


    "Yes, Your Highness," Fred responded in his deep and intimidating voice. For a man like him, it was a


    typical voice quality. However, Harper thought that this kind of voice wouldn''t work for her n, so she


    frowned a little, then took out a pill and handed it to him.


    "Take it."


    Fred took the pill from Harper''s hand and immediately swallowed it without a bit of hesitation. However,


    what made him uneasy was when he noticed that Harper had her eyes fixated on his every move. He


    had never imagined that he would one day be forced to wear women''s clothes. It made him feel so


    ufortable as if he was stripped naked and made to walk towards the public.


    "Your Highness, if we don''t leave right now, we''re going to bete for sure," Fred reminded her. His


    voice was no longer gruff and deep but rather soft and sweet, which was very close to a woman''s


    voice. Although he didn''t consciously do anything to change his voice, it sounded romantic with a hint


    of being coquettish. Any man who would listen to that voice would certainly melt in an instant.


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "It works well," Harper observed. When she noticed that Fred''s face had turned pale, she stopped


    teasing him. She was on her way out with Forsythia and Fred behind her when it so happened that


    Jack ran towards them in a hurry.


    "Your Highness, the carriage is ready," Jack reported, grinning from ear to ear with all of his white teeth


    in full disy. But when Jack caught a glimpse of Fred, who was wearing a maid''s uniform, he was only


    confused and wondered why there was a maid who was unfamiliar to him.


    "What are you looking at? I''ll dig your eyes out if you don''t look away!" Those words, which were clearly


    a threat, came out of Fred''s mouth in a soft and sweet voice, like a means of seduction.


    Jack''s eyes lit up upon hearing that. He moved closer to Harper and asked, "Your Highness, when did


    you get such a beautiful maid?"


    Harper turned to him and said, "Zack sent her here. She knows some martial arts skills and has a bad


    temper, so don''t provoke her."


    "Yes, Your Highness. Since you havemanded it, I wouldn''t even dare to annoy her," Jack


    obediently said, but he looked at Fred from head to toe. Inside Jack''s eyes were deep suspicion, as if


    he was inspecting Fred.


    Fred squinted slightly but didn''t say anything. He simply followed Harper as they made their way out of


    the mansion and into the carriage. They were finally headed to the Imperial Pce.


    While in the carriage, Fred frowned deeply at the thought of Jack''s suspecting eyes on him. The more


    he thought about it, the more the frown on his face deepened. He couldn''t help but overthink every


    single thing.


    "Unhappy," Harper said. Rather than a question, it was a statement. There was not a bit of doubt in her


    voice.


    Fred looked at Harper with a confused expression on his face. He couldn''t understand what she meant.


    "You are not happy," Harper reiterated.


    "Your Highness, I''m not unhappy. I''m just a little ufortable," Fred responded. He was telling the


    truth, but he didn''t say that it was all because of Jack. Fred chose to keep silent instead of talking about


    why he was frowning.


    For the longest time, Forsythia had kept her eyes on Fred. Then, for a brief second, she looked at


    herself and then back at Fred again. She turned to Harper with sadness in her eyes. She then sighed


    before saying, "Your Highness,pared to him, I look more of a man."


    When Harper heard her concern, she burst into hystericalughter. While Fred was disguised as a


    female, he actually looked gentle and charming. In particr, with his expressive eyes and slightly


    furrowed eyebrows, he looked like a gentle girl who was very sensitive and cared about a lot of things.


    Inparison, Forsythia looked casual and carefree. Perhaps it was because she had been studying


    martial arts since she was a child and be a woman with a wild and daunting disposition.


    Compared with the demure female Fred, Forsythia looked more of a man indeed.


    "Miss Forsythia, don''t make meugh," Fred said.


    "No, I''m not trying to make youugh. I''m serious. By the way, you have to call me ''Sister Forsythia''


    when we''re outside. Do you understand, Sister Freda?" Forsythia told her carefully while she raised her


    eyebrows. On the other hand, Fred frowned again, as if he was trying his best to restrain his emotions.


    It was not until quite a whileter when he hesitantly said in a soft voice, "Yes, Sister Forsythia."


    His voice sounded so melodious that Harper had goose bumps all over her body. Covering her face


    with both hands, Harper said, "Fortunately, you''re a man. Otherwise, I believe a lot of men would fall for


    you."


    The expression on Fred''s face became gloomy. He was a man, a real man. If it weren''t for the sake of


    Harper''s safety, he would not have disguised himself in such an awful way. But his sacrifice was only


    paid back with Harper''s chuckle while she looked at him. How could sheugh at him? Fred thought


    that there was no doubt that he was a man, but if he were to be a woman, he would certainly marry a


    man like his master Matthew. When Fred got a hold of himself and caught his own self, the expression


    on his face became duller. He turned his head away from Harper and Forsythia, the evil mastermind


    and her aplice. He was only doing what he thought was right but these two were taking advantage


    of him.


    When they were still considerably far from the pce gate, the carriage came to a stop. Because of the


    emperor''s birthday banquet, the security check at the pce gate was very strict that day. The


    remaining path to the Imperial Pce had beenpletely blocked by carriages that were parked on


    the road. A lot of people got off the carriages and walked to the pce gate on foot.


    "Your Highness, the road ahead has been blocked but fortunately, we''re not that far from the pce


    gate," Forsythia said after lifting up the curtain of the carriage and taking a look ahead. In front of them


    were carriage after carriage which were struck as well.


    "Let''s get off the carriage and walk from here," Harper announced. Unwilling to wait in the carriage, she


    chose to get moving right then and there. Just after taking a few steps, she heard someone calling her


    name. She looked around and found out that it was Lucas.


    "Lucas," Harper greeted him.


    When he was close enough, Lucas greeted her with a smile. "What a coincidence to meet you here,


    Aunt Harper! Are you by yourself?"


    "Matthew has to be in charge of the Imperial Pce''s security today, so he came here early in the


    morning. By the way, you haven''te to our mansion in a long time," Harper stated calmly.


    "I actually miss your hot pot very much, Aunt Harper. When you cook it in the days toe, don''t forget


    to call me and I''ll be at your mansion in a second."


    "I certainly will. That''s a promise, okay?"


    "Okay! I''ll get going now." Lucas bid his goodbye and then stepped forward. The moment he passed by


    Harper, he said something in a very low voice. It was barely audible for everyone to hear but loud


    enough for her.

 Chapter 578 A Reminder From Lucas (Part Two)

    Chapter 578 A Reminder From Lucas (Part Two)


    Without a bit of a change in the expression on her face, she continued to walk forward. Lucas didn''t


    linger beside her either. He then went on to greet his friends. Harper took onest look at Lucas before


    immediately shifting her eyes. Just then, he reminded her to be careful with the empress.


    Although Harper knew the empress would take her chances and make trouble for her and Matthew,


    she hadn''t expected that Lucas would tell her that. At that very moment, her entire being was suddenly


    wary and alert. If the empress was nning to do something, it wouldn''t be that obvious and simple.


    Meanwhile, Francis was sitting in his carriage and idly molding a sugar figurine. He had been interested


    in molding the figurines ever since he went to the temple fair. Now, he could already make them that


    looked like real people. As a gust of wind blew the curtain, Francis raised his head and saw a familiar


    person walking past his carriage. In a second, hepletely lifted up the curtain.


    "Aunt Harper."


    Still lost in her thoughts, Harper didn''t hear when Francis called her for the first time. As soon as he


    noticed that Harper didn''t stop walking, he quickly jumped off the carriage and chased after her. Owen


    hastily ran after him. Carrying his cloak, the servant called out, "Your Highness, your cloak, your cloak."


    "Aunt Harper," Francis called her again while running behind her. Finally, Harper stopped walking and


    turned around. Fred and Forsythia stood aside to give way. But Francis was running so fast that he


    almost bumped into Harper. Fred stretched his hand in an attempt to stop Francis. To his surprise,


    however, Francis managed to stabilize himself before actually knocking into his aunt. The only problem


    was that he stopped when he was only inches away from her. His face was almost touching Harper''s.


    He hastily stepped back and felt embarrassed. He did not know what to say, so he looked everywhere


    else except on Harper''s face. Then, the sugar figurine in his hand caught his attention, so he


    immediately held it up and said, "Aunt Harper, look! I''m better at making sugar figurines now."


    When Harper saw the vivid sugar figurine in his hand, the corners of her mouth raised into a small


    smile. She took the figurine from his hand and bit its head. While chewing the sugar bit, she said, "It not


    only looks good, but also tastes good."


    Due to Harper''s praise, a wide smile bloomed on Francis''s face. He then walked towards the pce


    gate side by side with his aunt. Forsythia deliberately looked at Fred, as if she was trying to tell him


    something with her eyes. However, Fred only looked puzzled and had no idea what Forsythia meant.


    Seeing the confusion in Fred''s eyes, Forsythia red at him. As if she was saying it to Fred, she


    thought, ''Don''t you think Prince Francis is getting a little too close to Her Highness? Don''t you know


    that Prince Matthew gets extremely jealous of the smallest things? If he became jealous again, both of


    us would be punished.''


    When Fred noticed that Forsythia kept on looking at him tantly, he turned away from her. He thought


    that there must be something wrong with Forsythia. He felt like she should speak directly to him if she


    had something important to say.


    Forsythia was very close to being mad at Fred for what he did. Giving up on him for now, she turned to


    Owen. Then, her sight fell on the cloak in his hand. She snatched the cloak from him and said, "Prince


    Francis, your cloak."


    The two people who were walking in front stopped in their tracks. Forsythia immediately took the


    chance to step between them and handed the cloak to Francis. The prince took it with both of his


    hands and said in a gentle voice, "Thank you, Miss Forsythia."


    Forsythia blushed with embarrassment. After all, the reason that she gave him the cloak was because


    she wanted him to keep his distance from Harper. She knew that Matthew didn''t like to see any man


    standing by his wife''s side in very close proximity.


    Francis put on his cloak, but he couldn''t tie it properly. When Harper noticed this, she helplessly shook


    her head, stretched out her hands to untie the cloak, tied it smoothly, and even tidied up his cor. She


    did all of this in a very casual manner, as if she had done it thousands of times.


    Francis bent his knees slightly so she wouldn''t have a hard time reaching him. They were so close that


    he could even smell the light scent of medicine from her. Such a scent actually made him feel


    comfortable.


    "Thank you very much, Aunt Harper."


    "It''s time for you to learn how to take care of yourself. How are you feeling recently? Do you feel a little


    better?" Harper asked while they continued walking forward.


    For a little while, Francis couldn''t answer her question. With so much hesitation, he finally said, "I don''t


    know what I have been feeling, to be honest."


    "Tell me and we''ll figure it out together," Harper reassured with a smile.


    After taking a nce at her, Francis said, "Whenever I think about something, I always feel tight in my


    chest."


    "Tightness in the chest?" Harper mumbled in confusion. She was very concerned about his condition


    but she knew that it wasn''t the right time to properly diagnose him. "After the birthday banquet, let me


    check your pulse."


    "Thank you very much, Aunt Harper."


    Harper simply smiled as a response. When her eyes caught a thin figure in the distance, warmth filled


    her eyes. The man saw her as well and immediately strode towards her.


    "Harper, Prince Francis," Zack greeted them.


    "Zack, long time no see. You look thinner. How have you been?" Harper said while she looked at Zack.


    "I''ve just been busy with my work. I can actually say that things have not been bad, but they have not


    been good either. So somewhere in the middle?" Zack responded while he looked at Harper''s face.


    From both of their expressions and their exchanges, one could tell that the two of them had been good


    friends for many years. They could understand each other''s thoughts by merely looking at each other''s


    eyes.


    "Take care of yourself even though you''re extremely busy with your work. Anyway, it''s almost time. We


    need to hurry, or else we''ll bete," Harper said with a faint smile.


    "Sure, let''s go," Zack agreed.


    As a matter of fact, he walked beside Francis while Harper walked at a moderate and elegant pace.


    The three of them together drew a lot of people''s attention. After all, one of them was the gentle young


    minister from a noble n and one was the handsome son of the current emperor. No one was able to


    take their eyes off them.


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    "I heard Prince Francis has been very weak because of an illness. Why do I feel that he has fully


    recovered already?" someone on the sides mumbled. "Prince Francis looks very handsome."


    "He used to be a beautiful sick person. Now that he has recovered, nobody will be able to look away


    from him."


    "Mister Zack''s smile looks so attractive. Hold me; I feel dizzy." A lot of whispers could be heard as they


    made their way through the crowd.

 Chapter 579 I Wont Allow Anyone To Bully You (Part One)

    Chapter 579 I Won''t Allow Anyone To Bully You (Part One)


    In reaction to the murmurs of the youngdies, Harper slowly smiled. Zack and Francis were both


    outstanding, and they were all unmarried. Although all the youngdies in the imperial capital were


    eager to marry Francis, Lucas, or Zack, the truth was that being married into the Bu n was the most


    attractive option.


    Zack had already been ustomed to the zing and passionate eyes around him whenever he


    showed up in public. He smiled consistently and kept moving onward without looking askance. Francis


    had seldom appeared outside in the public, but had experienced many kinds of asions. Therefore,


    he also maintained a calm face, and could always regain hisposure by ncing asionally at


    Harper.


    "Are you Matthew''s wife?" a hostile voice said abruptly.


    Harper stopped and looked at the person blocking her way. She wondered who this person might be.


    Francis and Zack were already bowing to greet that person.


    "How delightful to meet you, Aunt Joyce," Francis said respectfully.


    The woman who addressed Harper was Joyce Jun, the emperor''s sister. Joyce Jun then looked at


    Francis. Although thetter seldom made public appearances, his mother was Sherry, whose family


    was a powerful source of support. Even though everyone thought Francis would not live long, Joyce


    Jun dared not offend him.


    "Arise, please. You don''t need to be so ceremonious with me," Joyce Jun said.


    "Thank you, Aunt Joyce," Francis said as he straightened his body.


    Joyce Jun then turned her eyes to look at Harper and teased her, "I heard that Matthew''s wife was


    arrogant and supercilious. Now I can confirm this to be true."


    Harper, on the other hand, simply maintained a calm smile and nodded as a salute. Seeing this, Joyce


    Jun squinted her eyes in disbelief. She was obviously displeased by Harper''s response. "Why don''t you


    salute me courteously?"


    "Aunt Joyce, please don''t be offended. Aunt Harper is a first rank princess. Therefore there is no


    requirement for her to make courteous salutes to anyone apart from His Majesty and Her Majesty,"


    Francis said quickly on Harper''s behalf.


    Joyce Jun was obviously surprised by his reply. She had never expected him to defend Harper. She


    looked again at Harper and found that she merely stood there quietly, with an unchanging smile on her


    face.


    Joyce Jun took a short step forward. Zack and Francis also moved immediately, standing in front of


    Harper to block her way. Joyce Jun was very unhappy about this, but she had no other choice but to


    grit her teeth and re at Harper sternly. Then she turned around and walked away.


    "God! I was so scared just now," Francis blurted out as he wiped the sweat off his forehead after Joyce


    Jun turned away. "I thought she would find fault with you. Father always indulges her."


    "Were you scared indeed? Then why did you stand up to her?" Harper joked.


    "No matter how scared I was, I couldn''t just stand by while she bullied you!" Francis said quietly. As


    they walked along, Zack looked at the prince who was wearing a poker face.


    "Don''t worry. She wasn''t as serious as she seemed. After all, I have Matthew''s protection. She wouldn''t


    dare to do anything to me," replied Harper with a smile.


    "Yes, I know Uncle Matthew is very capable," Francis murmured.


    Harper just smiled and looked at all the other people who were walking in a hurry. "Let''s move along to


    the Imperial Pce. If we arete, it will be hard to excuse ourselves," she said.


    "Yes." Zack kept his pace with Harper.


    Looking at Francis who was walking in front of them, Harper asked softly, "Zack, how are you and


    Francis getting?"


    Zack didn''t reply immediately. He nced at Francis and then said gently, "He is quite easy-going."


    Hearing this, Harper almost broke into a smile and said, "That''s just what he''s like. He is always quiet


    and never very talkative. You''re not so different from him in that respect. How much do you even


    communicate with each other when you two are together? You both don''t talk much."


    "Of course wemunicate often. Even though he is quiet, he is talented in poetry and Go. We have


    common interests to talk about."


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Excellent. Then I can rest assured," Harper said.


    Although Francis didn''t seem to pay any mind to the whispers behind him, he heard the conversation


    between Harper and Zack. It was heart-warming for him to realize that Harper was worried about him


    getting along with Zack. With his back facing them, he smiled, and his smile grew wider, which made


    his charm even greater.


    The birthday banquet that day was to be held in the Grand Hall.


    When the wives of the officers entered the Imperial Pce, they were expected to go to the Sleek


    Pce to pay their respects to the empress. So, the trio separated. The two young men had to go to


    the front hall to congratte the emperor on his birthday, while Harper had to go to the Sleek Pce to


    pay respects to the empress.


    Harper had brought two maids with her this time. As she was Matthew''s wife, she was a princess. This


    was normal for a princess, so it raised nobody''s eyebrows.


    Not long after Harper got separated from Zack, she met Isabe. "Your Highness," Isabe called.


    Harper went straight over to her and said happily, "Lady Isabe."


    With a warm smile on her face, Isabe said, "I am waiting for Caroline here. I''m surprised to meet you


    first."


    "Hasn''t Carolinee here yet?" asked Harper.


    "Yes, she has. She wille here after she has spoken with George for a bit," Isabe replied with a


    smile as she turned her face in the direction of where the footsteps came. As expected, they saw


    Caroline trotting towards them with the corners of her dress in her hands. It was easier for her to move


    quickly that way.


    "Mother, Harper," Caroline said, panting, after she reached them.


    "You''re a married woman now. How can you still be so naughty and girlish? Put your dress down, now!"


    Isabe said in a tone of motherly reproof, as she red at her daughter. The maid beside Caroline


    hastily smoothed the wrinkles on thetter''s dress.


    "Let''s go to see Her Majesty together."


    The three walked to their destination together. Caroline held her mother''s arm with one of her hands


    and held Harper''s arm with her other hand. Although Isabe felt exasperated with her daughter''s


    unceremonious behavior, she had a doting and satisfied smile on her face.

 Chapter 580 I Wont Allow Anyone To Bully You (Part Two)

    Chapter 580 I Won''t Allow Anyone To Bully You (Part Two)


    The empress''s pce was crowded with people, and thedies from different families all sat in specific


    seats that represented their status. Upon their arrival, a eunuch announced outside, "Heree Lady


    Harper, Lady Isabe and Lady Caroline."


    "Harper and Isabe are really inseparable friends. They even came here together, like sisters," the


    empress teased them with a smile. "If I didn''t know that Harper is actually a daughter of the Chu n, I


    would have thought that she was actually a daughter of the Bu n."


    "Greetings, Your Majesty," the three neers said in chorus after they came in.


    "Arise quickly, please," the empress responded at once. She sounded happy. She fixed her eyes on


    Harper''s outfit, and said, "I was just talking about you two and said that you are such close friends. I''m


    d to see you here. Please sit down."


    Harper looked at her seat, and then looked at Isabe''s seat. She stayed still, not moving to her own


    seat. Seeing this, the empress got the point right away, andmanded directly, "Maid, put Isabe''s


    seat next to Harper''s."


    "Yes, Your Majesty," a maid replied at once, and did as shemanded.


    "Thank you, Your Majesty,"


    Harper said. She then helped Isabe sit down, as if it were a matter of course. Everyone present was


    eager to see what Harper would say and do, because she was a controversial figure in the imperial


    capital.


    "Today is His Majesty''s fiftieth birthday, and it''s a beautiful day for our celebration. You don''t need to be


    restrained or formal today. Later, let''s go all together to the Grand Hall, to celebrate His Majesty''s


    birthday," the empress then announced to all her guests.


    "Yes, Your Majesty," everyone answered.


    In her boredom, Harper chatted mainly with Caroline. Isabe, on the other hand, was greeting with


    several otherdies. Joyce Jun was simmering with resentment over her recent encounter with Harper.


    But they were in the Imperial Pce now, and Harper''s status was very high, so she was totally unable


    to make aint.


    "Harper," the empress called abruptly.


    Unfortunately, Harper had all her attention focused on her chat with Caroline. Consequently, she didn''t


    hear the empress calling her.


    The smile on the empress''s face faded slightly. When she was about to call again, Joyce Jun had


    already called out, "Harper, you are so lofty and arrogant that you don''t even take Her Majesty


    seriously. You just turned a deaf ear to her."


    "Harper," Isabe also called at once. She had not paid much attention at first, but when she noticed


    that the atmosphere in the hall had be awkward, she turned her head and alerted Harper with a


    hard pinch. Thetter then turned around and asked, "What''s up?"


    "Harper, Her Majesty called your name several times, but you pretended not to hear her. Don''t you take


    her seriously?" said Joyce Jun in a voice dripping with sarcasm.


    Ignoring her sarcasm, Harper stood up and bowed to the empress. "Please forgive me, Your Majesty.


    The noise in the hall prevented me from hearing you. Please forgive me."


    "It doesn''t matter," the empress said as she waved her hand and gestured for Harper to sit down.


    However, Joyce Jun still wanted to make a bigger issue out of it.


    "Your Majesty, how can you tolerate such disrespect?" Joyce Jun sulked.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Joyce," the empress called out and frowned. She was actually annoyed about Joyce Jun. This day


    was a major event and she was not supposed to make a stir like this. In particr, the empress didn''t


    want to sh with Harper for the time being. If Harper was put on the alert by this, she would be unable


    to carry out her ns.


    Joyce Jun was still indignant, but she didn''t dare to go against the empress, so she just turned her


    head and pretended to ignore Harper. The empress then turned to Harper with a smile.


    "Harper, what kind of birthday gift will His Majesty get from Matthew this time? Do you have any idea?"


    she asked.


    "The birthday gift was prepared by Matthew, so I have no idea about that. I''m sorry I can''t give you any


    clue," Harper replied with a smiling face. Despite being Matthew''s wife, she wasn''t required to prepare


    a gift for the emperor. Besides, even though the emperor''s birthday was a big event, it meant nothing to


    her or to Matthew.


    "I''m sure the birthday gift prepared by Matthew is good," the empress said. She didn''t really care that


    Harper imed to know nothing of Matthew''s gift. She only cared about her ns that day. If her ns


    seeded, then the emperor would receive the best birthday gift from her.


    Therefore, she was not provoked by Harper''s reply. She cast a nce at the two maids beside Harper,


    and then began talking to her daughter-inw beside her.


    "Your Majesty, it''s about time for the birthday banquet to begin," a maid informed the empress.


    "The birthday banquet is about to begin. Now all of us shall go to the Grand Hall together," the empress


    then said to everyone.


    "Yes, Your Majesty."


    The empress led all thedies to the Grand Hall. Because Harper was Matthew''s wife, which made her


    a princess, she was not far behind the empress. Yet, the empress suddenly grabbed Harper by the arm


    and asked her to walk with her.


    "Harper, can you walk with me? Let''s chat for a bit," the empress said smilingly, as she held Harper''s


    arm. "Now, His Majesty thinks very highly of Matthew, and even asked him to be responsible for the


    safety of this birthday banquet. Now that you have some time away from Matthew, you can talk with


    me."


    "Yes, Your Majesty," Harper replied inly and made a slight nod. She was bing a bit curious


    about what the empress had up her sleeve.


    The empress patted the back of her handcently. When they arrived at the Grand Hall, it was still


    early and the birthday banquet had not begun yet. So the empress went to the side hall to rest for a


    while, and the others sat at their own seats and waited for their families.


    The empress also took Harper into the side hall. When they entered the side hall, Harper nced at


    Fred. Fred, however, only blinked his eyes. He didn''t resist when he was blocked outside the side


    hall.

 Chapter 581 Worse Than A Beast

    Chapter 581 Worse Than A Beast


    The door of the side hall was closed slowly. The empress released Harper''s hand and sat down at the


    head of the table while a maid served them hot tea. "Harper, I''m sorry to trouble you by bringing you


    here."


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Your Majesty, it''s all right." Harper had the teacup in her hand. She sniffed at it, and there was an odd


    smell. With a gleam in her eyes, she took a slow sip, and said, "It''s my honor to talk with you."


    "It''s said that you are an intelligentdy. You are indeed very understanding," the empress said with a


    smile. "Matthew dotes on you. Even in his mansion, you are the one inmand. Everydy in the


    imperial capital admires you."


    "Yeah, that''s true," Harper said nonchntly. Then she suddenly rubbed her temples, feeling some


    difort in her head.


    The empress kept her eyes fixed on Harper, with an evil gleam in them. Harper looked up at the


    empress, and felt dizzy. Then she passed into unconsciousness.


    Nancy stepped forward to check Harper''s condition, and found that she had passed out. She nodded at


    the empress. "Call her over and get them changed."


    "Yes, Your Majesty."


    A woman emerged from an inner room. She was like a mirror image of Harper, identical to her in both


    face and figure. Nancy quickly removed Harper''s ceremonial outfit and put it on the woman. Then she


    clothed Harper with the maid-in-waiting''s clothes. After they left the side hall, she told another servant


    to take Harper away.


    After the woman put on Harper''s ceremonial outfit, she bowed to the empress and said, "Your Majesty."


    Her words and gestures were exactly the same as Harper''s. The empress nodded with satisfaction and


    extended her hand to the woman. "Harper, the banquet is to begin. Let''s go to the front hall."


    "Yes, Your Majesty." The woman came forward to apany the empress, smiling decently just as


    Harper did. Every step she took was proper and all of her words were spoken softly. Even the empress


    could detect no difference from the real Harper whatsoever, as if she were not an imposter.


    The moment the door opened, Forsythia hurried up to the false Harper. "Your Highness."


    She nodded at Forsythia. "Let''s go to the front hall."


    Forsythia followed herdy directly behind, leaving Fred in the rear. He was standing there with his


    head bowed. The false Harper passed him and nced coldly at him, but without saying a word.


    Fred''s shadow slowly faded to the end of the group and then disappeared in the darkness behind. A


    momentter, he reappeared with the rest of them, following those in the front, heading to the front hall.


    After everyone left, two maids propped up someone dressed like a maid-in-waiting, and came out of


    the room. "Good grief! Why did you have a rpse on a day like this? Aren''t you making trouble for


    others? Let''s hurry up and send her back."


    The two maids carried the unconscious maid-in-waiting briskly along, having the bearing of martial arts


    masters. Instead of going to the ce where the maids lived, they took her to the Cold Pce. As they


    went further and further, there was no other person along the way, except for the three of them.


    Suddenly there was a quick movement, and one of the maids tumbled and fell to the ground. The other


    was taken off guard and let go of her hand, but hit back at the neer with a backhander. But her


    attack was warded off and she was struck. Then she felt a sharp pain in her chest, where a dagger


    pierced her chest.


    Before she died, the maid was shocked to see the owner of the hand holding the dagger. When did


    Harper wake up?!


    Harper took the dagger out of the dead maid on the ground. Then she smiled at the neer. "It


    turned out the empress wanted to y a game with an imposter of me. But I don''t know exactly who is


    waiting for me at the Cold Pce."


    "Your Highness, let me have a check," Fred offered.


    "Thanks, please do." Harper looked at the first maid lying on the ground and quickly had an idea.


    Before long, Fred came back, his face livid with murderous anger.


    While Fred was away, Harper cleared away the dead maid''s body by putting some corrosive


    substances on it, and disguised the other one who was in aa as her.


    "I imagine there is some sort of big shot waiting for me in the Cold Pce," Harpermented with


    great curiosity. ''This is turning out to be quite an interesting banquet.''


    Fred gnashed his teeth wrathfully, and after a long pause, he squeezed two words from his teeth. "His


    Majesty."


    Harper narrowed her eyes slightly. Her doppelganger and the empress went to the Grand Hall, but the


    hero of the birthday banquet, the emperor himself, was waiting for her in the Cold Pce. She knew


    perfectly well about how much the emperor hated her, and she had no doubt about the depths of his


    depravity. It was clear that his purpose of waiting for her was to torture and vite her, but she wouldn''t


    allow his wish toe true.


    "Come here." Harper crooked her finger at Fred, indicating him toe close, and then she whispered


    in his ear. He nodded and quickly sent a message. A man came there in a quarter of an hour, with an


    unconscious woman in his arms. Harper pinched the woman''s chin and forced her to look up. It was


    the crown princess, Fiona.


    Harper put a pill in Fiona''s mouth and then did something to her face. She was remarkably fast, but


    when Fred saw Fiona''s face bing like Harper''s, he was too astonished to say a word. Then he


    saw Harper take off the crown princess''s coat, leaving her only in her underwear, and his eyes


    widened.


    "Hide this maid. Let''s send Felix''s wife to His Majesty and see what he intends to do." Harper took out


    a small mirror and changed her make-up. In a few moments, she looked like an ordinary maid-in-


    waiting, someone who would be invisible in the crowd.


    Fred and Harper, on each side of Fiona, carried her to the Cold Pce. As soon as they entered, the


    old emperor asked angrily, "Why are you sote?"


    "Your Majesty, there was a brief ident. Fortunately, we are safe and sound and have brought her


    here," Harper said in a rush.


    The emperor stepped forward and pinched the unconscious woman''s chin. He looked at her beautiful


    face, his fingers yfully moving on it, and said, "Put her down. You can leave now."


    "Yes, Your Majesty." Harper and Fred put the woman down on the bed, exchanged a nce with each


    other, went out and shut the door.


    Looking at the woman on the bed, the emperor gnashed his teeth out of hatred, and quickly took off his


    waistband, saying, "Harper Chu, when you betrayed me, did you ever imagine such an oue?


    When Matthew knows that you have been defiled, I''ll see if you still have the face to live. I won''t be the


    one to kill you. Your suicide has nothing to do with me."


    As soon as he finished his words, he got on the bed and stripped off the clothes that were left on the


    woman. With absolutely no preliminary tenderness, he went straight to the point. At that moment, the


    woman woke up inexplicably. When she saw the man on top of her, her eyes opened wide in horror.


    She wanted to scream, but she couldn''t utter a peep.


    The old emperor was taken aback when he saw her wake up, but then he felt greater satisfaction with


    his revenge. He suppressed the struggling hands of the woman under his body, and his movements


    became rougher. He had an obscene and happy smile on his face. "You know what? Your frightened


    eyes make me want to rape you even more. This is the price of your betrayal!"


    Being totally unable to fathom the emperor''s words, Fiona widened her eyes in even greater disbelief.


    How could the emperor treat his daughter-inw like this? And how could she have betrayed him?


    However, no matter how much she tried to speak, she couldn''t make a sound. The immorality and


    cruelty of the emperor''s deeds were iprehensible.


    It was unusual for the emperor to perform so energetically in bed. He vented his anger but also felt a


    glow of satisfaction. When he saw the woman under his body crying ceaselessly, powerless to resist,


    his excitement increased and he wanted to torture her more and more. He altered his position and


    Fiona had already lost all her will to struggle. She was exhausted and weakened, so she justy


    passively, letting the emperor do whatever he wanted.


    About an hourter, the old emperor finally climaxed. He got off Fiona, wiped himself with her


    underwear, and then threw it at her face. Then he dressed himself and opened the door. As he walked


    out, hemanded, "Send her to the back gate."


    "Yes, Your Majesty."


    Harper walked to the bedside and saw Fiona lying on the bed, with hopeless and spiritless eyes. She


    sent her back to unconsciousness with a needle, and then put the ceremonial outfit of the crown


    princess on her again. She ordered a servant to leave Fiona at a ce near the Grand Hall. Fiona


    would never reveal this to anyone if no one found out.


    Then Harper pulled out the hidden maid who was her doppelganger, and made some scratch marks on


    her body. She wanted to find out what had been nned for her.


    The two of them carried the maid directly to the back gate of the Imperial Pce, where purchasers


    went through. Apparently, the n was to drive her out of the pce.


    "Fred, go and tell Matthew..."


    "His Highness ordered me to follow you closely. If you suffer the loss of even one hair on your body, I''ll


    have tomit suicide." Fred didn''t dare to leave Harper''s side. This was a crucial moment, and who


    knew how many people wanted to kill Harper?


    "Well, then you will apany me to see who is behind this."


    Both Harper and Fred put ck cloaks on themselves, as well as on the maid they carried. As soon as


    the three of them appeared at the back gate, they saw a carriage waiting for them. When the carriage


    saw them approach, someone stepped forward to bring the maid into it, and then the carriage slowly


    drove away from the Imperial Pce.


    The two of them turned around and pretended to leave, but hid in a corner. "Find a way to follow that


    carriage."


    "Aren''t you going back to the Grand Hall, Your Highness?"


    "There is another Princess Harper in the hall now," Harper said, smiling slyly. She wanted to know how


    Matthew would react when he saw a false Harper. Would he recognize her?


    "Your Highness, are you leaving the pce?"


    "I certainly am." Harper asked Fred to get two sets of eunuch''s uniforms. After putting them on, they


    quietly followed others out of the pce. After confirming the direction in which the carriage set off,


    they chased after it.

 Chapter 582 Something Big Was Happening (Part One)

    Chapter 582 Something Big Was Happening (Part One)


    The carriage headed straight out of the imperial city. After moving out of the pce, they changed their


    conspicuous eunuch uniform and followed the carriage from a safe distance. Fred was a little bit


    worried, so he said, "Your Highness, we are so far away from them. Are you sure we would be able to


    follow them?"


    "Of course we can," Harper said, looking leisurely at the flock of birds flying above them. She seemed


    quite pleased, as if she was going for a spring outing.


    Fred followed Harper. She changed into men''s suit and looked very handsome. Although she had worn


    a disguise, people on the way glued their eyes upon her due to the imposing feeling she released.


    Harper was riding her horse at a slow pace. Suddenly, another carriage passed by them from the


    opposite direction. The wind blew up the curtain of the carriage, and the people inside saw Harper


    riding a horse past them. One of the people seated inside the carriage held the curtain with his hand


    and looked at Harper curiously. Then he said, "It''s him."


    "Master, who is it?" asked Samuel.


    "The person who saved mest time," Felton said slowly, as he watched the horse leave.


    "But, I didn''t see him," said Samuel.


    Felton put down the curtain and kept smiling. "You can''t just recognize a person by his appearance.


    Sometimes, the appearance would deceive you."


    Samuel didn''t understand what he meant, but scratched his head in confusion, and drove the carriage


    into the city. At the same time, Harper, leading Fred, left the imperial city and was heading towards her


    destination.


    In the Imperial Pce, the birthday banquet of the emperor had already begun. The courtiers


    presented their gifts one by one to the emperor. Then, the other invited dignitaries would follow suit.


    Finally, it would be the turn of people with the highest social status to present their gifts.


    "Matthew, what gift have you brought for me?" the emperor asked, looking at his brother.


    Matthew stood up, and then said slowly, "It''s a firm armor that can protect you. It''s invulnerable to


    spears and swords, and water and fire are simply insusceptible to it."


    "Wow, that''s impressive. It''s your style." The emperor was in a good mood. He smiled while listening to


    the pce attendant announcing the birthday gifts.


    Matthew went back to his seat, but he did not look at Harper who was seated just beside him. He just


    kept fiddling with the wine ss in his hand, while Harper was quietly enjoying the delicacies being


    served. As always, she didn''t pay much attention to the things happening around.


    At that time, Francis stepped forward to present his gift to the emperor and said, "Father, I wish you


    sound health and happiness in life."


    "Francis, what have you brought for me?" the emperor asked softly. His attitude was quite different from


    the way he treated Felix.


    "Just a humble gift. It''s a painting." Francis ordered the servant to unfold the scroll painting. The


    painting depicted a scene of arge group of people worshipping the emperor, implying that the people


    admired and were inplete submission to their emperor, and that he had won their hearts.


    The emperor felt so happy and pped his hands. "Good! Very good!"


    He really liked Francis'' gift and that was the reason for the relentless praise. Felix''s face shed with


    disdain. ''All this praise, just for a doodle? I wonder what his reaction will be when he sees the


    Longevity Pill. After all, no one doesn''t want to live a longer life!'' he sighed.


    It was Lucas'' turn next. He gifted the emperor with a fur coat that was made from the fur of a beast. He


    had caught the beast by himself earlier while hunting and also prepared the coat by himself. His gift


    wasn''t that eye-catchy, but the emperor praised him for his effort.


    Felix was thest to present the gift. He stood up and walked slowly towards the center of the hall.


    "Father, I wish the prosperity of our empire and hope that it willst for endless generations."


    "Good. Felix, what is it that you''ve brought for me?"


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Well, Father¡­" Felix paused for a while, tantalizing everyone present around. Then he said slowly,


    "The gift I have brought for you is the Longevity Pill. It can extend the life of anyone who consumes it."


    "The Longevity Pill?" The emperor couldn''t believe his ears. Sounds of whispering were filled in the


    hall, as everyone around was so surprised hearing about the magical pill. The emperor was so ted


    to receive the wonderful gift that had the ability to extend his life. It was quite fitting for him.


    "Yes, Father." Felix indicated his men, and they immediately came forward to present the emperor an


    exquisite box. As soon as the emperor opened it, the rich aroma of the medicine permeated in the air. It


    was obvious that the gift was indeed of utmost value.


    "Felix, I have no words for your filial piety. Truly, you have touched my heart." The emperor was so


    overjoyed that he grinned from ear to ear. The Longevity Pill was the happiest gift for him. Being the


    emperor, he had the chance to enjoy all the worldly pleasures, so it was natural for him to wish a longer


    life. He even wanted to be immortal. But he knew very well that being immortal was simply impossible,


    and the next best thing he could have was the Longevity Pill.


    Suddenly, an imperial physician rose up and asked in a trembling voice, "Your Highness, is that really


    the Longevity Pill?"


    Felix was surprised as he looked at the imperial physician, who was just in his thirties. He was quite


    familiar with this man, who had a reputation of being one of the best from the Imperial Academy of


    Medicine. The physician''s name was Hodge Su.


    "Of course it is the Longevity Pill!" Felix replied without hesitation. "Well, if you don''t believe me, you


    may check it up by yourself."


    Hodge Su stumbled two steps and then went to the center of the hall. "Your Majesty, with your


    permission, can I have a look at this Longevity Pill?"


    "Yes, you may." The emperor didn''t hesitate. Hodge Su was an extremely talented physician, and if he


    could develop the Longevity Pill by himself, then it would be the emperor himself who would be the final


    beneficiary.


    Andy handed the box containing the Longevity Pills to Hodge Su. Hodge Su took over the box slowly,


    using both his hands. He then took one of the pills, put it under his nose, and sniffed it with closed


    eyes. He repeated it many times and after a while, he turned pale. "It''s really the Longevity Pill!"

 Chapter 583 Something Big Was Happening (Part Two)

    Chapter 583 Something Big Was Happening (Part Two)


    The emperor was pleased to hear that and said, "Hodge, it is served by Felix, my dear son. It must be


    true."


    But to everyone''s surprise, Hodge Su suddenly knelt on the ground and said, "Your Majesty, a grave


    injustice has happened. Please uphold justice for me."


    Everyone wondered why he was making a weird request to the emperor, after confirming that it was


    indeed the Longevity Pill. Would it be that the pill was developed by Hodge Su, and was snatched by


    Felix? They were all curious.


    The emperor was confused. "Hodge, what''s the matter?"


    "Your Majesty, the Longevity Pill was made by my master, Scott. He had sent me a letter about this and


    said that he was going to finish the pill refining. He invited me to witness it. Since I was caught up with


    something else, I had to dy my journey by one day. When I reached my master''s mansion, his whole


    family had been ughtered and his mansion waspletely burned to the ground!"


    "What?" Everyone, including Felix, was shocked. He wiped the cold sweat off his forehead and turned


    to look at Walden. Thetter never expected that there would be someone who knew that the Longevity


    Pill was made by Scott. He was also shocked to learn that one of Scott''s disciples was an imperial


    physician.


    "Felix, what''s all this?"


    "Father, I don''t know anything."


    "Your Highness, you said you didn''t know?" Hodge Su trembled with anger. "You killed all the people of


    my master''s mansion to get the Longevity Pill, including a five-year-old kid. You even burnt his mansion


    and ruined their bodies. Despite doing all this, how could you not know?"


    "Nonsense!" the empress snapped. "Hodge, when you make an usation, there must be evidence to


    back it. When has my son ever done such terrible things? Show me the evidence!"


    Hodge Su looked at the emperor and said, "Your Majesty, I was also part of the research on Longevity


    Pill. I know exactly what kinds of materials are used. I''m certain that this was developed by my master.


    As soon as my master made the Longevity Pill, his n was exterminated, and now, the pill is in the


    custody of His Highness. Isn''t that too coincidental?" He flew into a rage, turned to Felix and


    demanded, "Your Highness, please give us a reasonable exnation for this. How did you get the


    Longevity Pill?"


    "What? Well¡­" Felix didn''t know what to say to defend himself. The pill was from Walden, since he had


    entrusted him to get it for him. Although Walden mentioned about using some tricks, Felix didn''t expect


    that he would murder people for the pill.


    "It''s my people who found the pill," Felix said. It was true, because Walden was one of his people.


    Anyway, he was never going to admit the crime of killing people for the pills.


    "Your Majesty, my master had even nned to give the pill to you, through me, after it was refined. But


    before I could get the pill, all the people of my master''s mansion had been exterminated, and the pill


    had disappeared. Now, the same pill is in the hands of His Highness, and he must have something to


    do with the ughter. Your Majesty, please uphold justice for me." Hodge Su knew that the emperor


    needed the Longevity Pill, but he couldn''t allow his master to die with regret.


    "It''s so funny," Walden said with a smile. "Hodge, it cost Felix a huge sum of money to get the pill from


    someone else. As for how that person got it, that was something impossible for Felix to know."


    Hodge Su was speechless. Although Felix had the pill, it might be someone else who had killed Scott


    to rob the pill. Maybe, there was someone else who had killed Scott and then sold the pill on purpose to


    Felix, so as to frame him.


    "Yes, I bought it at a very hefty price."


    "Since the killer had killed so many people for snatching the medicine, how could he be willing to sell


    such a wonderful pill to someone else?" Maxwell said slowly.


    He was also present. Since his wife, Ivy was sick, he attended the banquet unapanied. In fact, Ivy


    was badly ill that she couldn''t even get out of her bed, and he had to put an all-out effort to take care of


    her. He also received a lot of praise for his efforts.


    "Who knows?" Walden said slowly. "Maybe he was trying to y up to Felix."


    "Wasn''t it better to offer the Longevity Pill directly to His Majesty?" Matthew finally broke his silence.


    "Does the murderer think that Felix is in a higher position than His Majesty?"


    There was pin drop silence as Matthew finished his words. Felix''s face was pale and Walden''s was no


    better. The empress looked blue out of horror. Matthew''s words implied that Felix was disloyal to the


    emperor.


    "Matthew, please be careful with your words," the empress reminded.


    "Father, I truly don''t know the origin of the Longevity Pill. All I know was about the rumors that it could


    prolong one''s life, so I sent someone to buy the pill with arge sum of money. I''m not the one who


    snatched it," Felix asserted. "If I knew that the Longevity Pill was developed by one of our own imperial


    physician''s master, and he was going to give it to you, I wouldn''t have asked for the pill. Please judge


    with discretion."


    "Yes, Father, Felix must have been framed by someone." Walden was a little bit worried. Fortunately for


    him, all the members of Scott''s mansion were exterminated. He did not leave any evidence either. As


    long as they refused to admit it, no one could charge against them.


    The emperor looked at Walden, but didn''t say anything. Hodge Su said anxiously, "Since His Highness


    ims that he is innocent, does he dare to confront the witness face to face?"


    Felix snorted, "Of course, I dare. I haven''t done any wrong. I''m not afraid of it at all."


    However, Walden was shocked to hear it. ''What? Could it be that someone from Scott''s mansion that


    has escaped? That''s impossible. All the people of his mansion were killed and even his mansion was


    burned into ashes. There can''t be any living people left!''Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 584 The Pawn Confessed His Crime (Part One)

    Chapter 584 The Pawn Confessed His Crime (Part One)


    Suddenly, Hodge spoke, and his words were like an echo of Walden''s own thoughts.


    "Your Majesty, Milo, my little son, was in my master''s mansion when the incident happened," Hodge


    said resentfully. "When the evildoers broke into my master''s mansion, my son was ying hide-and-


    seek with my master''s grandson. My son survived the ughter only because he was hiding in an


    empty rice jar."


    "Impossible!" Walden promptly denied it, but as soon as his words faded away, he realized that he


    should not have spoken. Immediately, everyone had their eyes fixed on him.


    "Why do you deny this so emphatically, Your Highness?" Hodge asked, looking at Walden suspiciously.


    "I mean, as you said, the attackers burnt Scott''s mansion to ashes. If your son was inside the mansion,


    he would have been burnt to death as well. How could he still be alive?" Walden said calmly. He clung


    to this idea as if it were his only hope. ''It''s impossible. There couldn''t be any survivor there, '' he thought


    to himself.


    "At the time of the fire, a very capable man living near my master''s mansion saw the fire. He went over


    to check, and found that my son was still alive, so he saved my son from the fire. My son said that he


    saw the murderer with his own eyes." Hodge believed that Felix was Scott''s murderer. He wanted his


    son to testify against Felix in order to obtain justice for histe master.


    "Such being the case, why not let your sone to testify? You will then find out if I am the murderer


    and the thief of the pills!" Felix eximed indignantly.


    "Hodge, how could the heir to the throne kill people and snatch the pills by himself?" Maxwell asked


    solemnly. "You''d better think it over carefully before you use His Highness."


    Hodge was blue with rage. "Your Majesty, may I bring my son here to identify the murderer?"


    The emperor frowned tightly. Murder and robbery were no trivial matter. A very vile crime had been


    committed. Moreover, the pills had been intended for him, but someone stood in the way. Thinking of


    this, the emperor felt immensely ufortable.


    "Call him in!"


    A young eunuch immediately went to summon the witness¡ªHodge''s son. A servant came in with Milo


    in his arms. When he saw his father Hodge, he cried and stretched out his hand for a hug.


    "Milo," Hodge said, in pity for his son''s distress and taking him into his arms.


    With his arms around his father''s neck, Milo slowly calmed down. However, one nce at Walden


    made him shiver in terror and made his face go pale. He couldn''t help but retreat into his father''s arms,


    while peeping at Walden with terrified eyes every now and then. He screamed as if he had seen a


    ghost.


    "Milo, Milo, what''s wrong with you?"


    "Please don''t kill me! Please don''t kill me!" Milo said repeatedly. "Father, he wants to kill me. He will kill


    me."


    The boy''s finger was not pointing at Felix but at Walden. He was obviously scared out of his wits.


    Walden had never thought Milo would recognize him with one nce. Only at that moment did he


    realize that he had indeed seen the boy in the daytime, but not in the evening. He hadn''t taken it


    seriously then, but now he knew that the boy really was hiding in Scott''s mansion at the time of their


    attack. Both he and his men had been negligent about him.


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Prince Walden?" Hodge could hardly believe it either. He hadn''t imagined that the person who wiped


    out his master''s family and snatched away the pills was Walden instead of Felix.


    Pretending to be calm, Walden said, "Hodge, has your son lost his wits? How could he talk such


    nonsense?"


    Hodge only felt the blood rushing to his head. His master''s family had been annihted, and his son


    had been forced to witness it with his own eyes. Of course, Milo was terrified, but he was not an idiot.


    He was just scared silly by the sudden sight of the murderer.


    "Prince Walden, you''re the murderer who killed my master, snatched his pills, and burned his mansion


    down to destroy the evidence!" Hodge pointed a finger at Walden in usation, holding his crying son


    by the other arm. "How could you be so cold-blooded?"


    Walden said, "Hodge Su, you are talking nonsense. I have never done any such thing."


    Hodge felt dizzy when he heard that the prince denied his guilt. But he was still calm. He put down his


    son and consoled him in a soft voice, "Milo, don''t be afraid. The killer can''t hurt you here. Tell everyone


    who murdered your sworn parents and your little buddy and his grandfather. Don''t be afraid, Milo. You


    must identify the killer bravely, to bring justice to the victims."


    Hodge''s son cried until he was out of breath, but gradually he calmed down and looked at his father.


    Although he was still trembling with fear, he turned around slowly and pointed his finger at Walden.


    "Father, it was him. He was the one who killed them all."


    "Prince Walden, what else do you wish to say?" Hodge asked angrily. "You are so shameless that you


    even murder an innocent child! You don''t deserve to be His Majesty''s son!"


    "Walden, do you want to exin?" the emperor asked, looking at Walden usingly. It was obvious to


    him that Hodge was speaking the truth. But what puzzled him was that if Walden was the one who had


    committed the murders and snatched the pills, why had the pillse from the hand of Felix?


    Felix was uneasy too. Everyone knew that Walden was a member of his faction. If Walden were


    convicted of murder and robbery, in an instant Felix would lose all the emperor''s trust that he had won


    with great effort. He looked to the empress for help. The empress shook her head furtively, hinting that


    he must calm down, and cast a nce at Walden.


    Walden shot a sideways nce at Hodge and then knelt down. "Father, it''s all my fault."


    "Really? Youmitted this crime?" the emperor demanded furiously. Walden hadmitted several


    murders, stolen the valuable pills andmitted arson to destroy the evidence. What a ruthless man


    he must be, far different from the man he pretended to be. It was very shocking to the


    emperor.

 Chapter 585 The Pawn Confessed His Crime (Part Two)

    Chapter 585 The Pawn Confessed His Crime (Part Two)


    Nodding his head, Walden said, "It''s my fault. I must have been out of my mind to make such a terrible


    mistake. Please forgive me, Father."


    Matthew looked at Walden and then at his "wife", who was sitting calmly by his side. "Walden, how


    ridiculous to speak in that way! Can a person momentarily lose his mind and ughter a whole family?"


    His "wife" turned her eyes to Matthew. "Since you are so ruthless, you must pay the price."


    With the expression on his face unchanged, Matthew toyed with the ss in his hand. Then his eyes


    fell upon the woman''s neck. "Why didn''t you wear the ne I gave you?" he asked.


    The woman''s heart skipped a beat at his question, but she managed to keep herposure. "Sorry, I


    was in such a hurry to go out. I forgot it," she answered.


    By now, Matthew was sure that she was not Harper. He had never given a ne to Harper as a gift.


    As a matter of fact, he had once given Harper a pair of bracelets as a token of affection, which the


    woman by his side obviously had no idea about. Matthew suspected that this was the empress''s new


    trick¡ªsubstituting someone else for his wife.


    "If it was Prince Walden who murdered Scott''s family and stole the pills, how did Crown Prince Felix get


    his hand on the pills? Did he order you to do that?" one of the officials demanded. Everybody knew that


    Walden was working for Felix. Walden murdered Scott''s family and snatched the pills. Then, the pills


    appeared in Felix''s hand. It was a very obvious deduction that Felix was the mastermind of the plot.


    "Father, I didn''t do that," Felix exined immediately. Although he had told Walden to search for the


    pills, he had never told him to kill anyone to aplish the mission.


    The emperor had already been suspicious about Felix. Walden hadmitted murder and robbery, but


    the pills had reached Felix''s hand. Furthermore, Walden and Felix were known to be getting along well


    with each other. In that light, it was unlikely that Felix was innocent.


    "If you are innocent of this, then tell me why the pills came to be in your possession?" the emperor


    interrogated him. The pills were supposed to be given to him as a tribute, but if Felix had hired


    someone else to obtain them by force, then this tribute would bepromised.


    "Well..." Felix failed to conjure up a quick excuse.


    "I sent the pills onward to Felix''s mansion," Walden said when he saw that Felix was in a dilemma.


    "After I had killed so many people and took the pills, I was afraid that my crime would be discovered, so


    I sent the pills to Felix''s mansion."


    Felix turned his eyes to Walden, but thetter avoided his nce. He understood that Walden could


    save him only by pinning the whole crime on himself, not on Felix. As long as Felix was still alive,


    Walden would have a hope of rising again.


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    "Father, the pills were indeed sent to me by someone. I even paid a lot of money to the one who


    delivered them, but I didn''t know that man was Brother Walden''s man," Felix said, disassociating


    himself from the charge.


    With sweat in her palms, the empress dared not say anything to echo Felix and Walden. She knew


    clearly that she would only make things worse by opening her mouth. She could do nothing but await


    the oue. However, she was quite pleased that Walden took all the me on his own ord.


    "Are you sure you really didn''t know?" the emperor asked. Obviously, he didn''t believe a word of what


    the two brothers said.


    "Father, I really didn''t know what had happened. I thought it was a miracle that someone sent the


    Longevity Pills to me because my filial piety regarding your birthday gift moved God. I didn''t expect


    someone to frame me deliberately." The more he spoke, the more lies he made up. He was sure he


    would be okay as long as he could survive his father''s suspicions this time.


    "Do you have anything else to say, Walden?" the emperor asked. He had never liked Walden, and now


    that Walden had done such a thing, he disliked him even more. But even though he knew there was a


    chance of Felix''s having something to do with the whole matter, he couldn''t strip Felix of his title as the


    crown prince so easily.


    "Father, I have nothing else to say," Walden said. He knew that he was out of luck for the time being.


    But if Felix seeded to the throne and became the next emperor, he would have a chance of making


    aeback. Therefore, he was trying his best to protect and support Felix.


    "Your Majesty, my master was loyal and devoted to you. He was developing the Longevity Pill for many


    years in order to help you. But his fate was to die a miserable death. Your Majesty, please grant justice


    to my master," Hodge said, weeping heavily. As an orphan, he was brought up by Scott. He became an


    imperial physicianter, but still had the utmost reverence for Scott, and even viewed Scott as his


    father. Now that he knew who the murderer was, he would definitely seek justice for Scott.


    "Your Majesty, Walden is so vicious. He not only murdered Scott''s whole family and stole the pills, but


    alsomitted arson and framed Felix. Please don''t pardon him," Matthew said. On the strength of his


    words, Walden would be convicted of murder and robbery and would not escape punishment.


    When Walden heard what Matthew said, he couldn''t argue back. If he denied nting the pills on Felix,


    it would implicate Felix. He knew that he had to repay the support Felix had extended to him for so


    many years.


    "Walden, how could you be so silly?" Francis eximed in astonishment, as if he could not believe


    what he had heard. "It would have been okay if you had just taken the pills. Why did you kill people and


    start a fire?"

 Chapter 586 See You Again

    Chapter 586 See You Again


    As Walden cast a nce at Francis who was pretending to be sad for him, he felt quite ufortable.


    How he regretted his crime now! It was frustrating for him to think of how badly his actions had


    backfired against him. If only Scott hadn''t refused to give him the pill, he wouldn''t have been so cruel. It


    seemed to him at the time that he had no choice but to kill Scott, but now it seemed that his own doom


    was sealed.


    Matthew also looked furtively up and down at Francis. Francis'' words put another nail into Walden''s


    coffin. Whether he would be executed or not, it was clear now that he was the murderer. Francis'' words


    doomed Felix''s right-hand man, who was also his brother. From this aspect, Francis was not soft-


    hearted at all.


    "Walden, I saw you grow up. I don''t believe that you are such a ruthless viper..." The empress wiped


    the corners of her eyes, looking sorrowful. "If you have been wronged, just tell His Majesty. He will


    uphold justice for you."


    Looking at the sad empress, Walden felt regretful. But someone must take responsibility for this act,


    either he or Felix. And if Felix were med, he would fall with him, without hope of aeback!


    "I''m sorry, Mother. I am indeed the culprit, and I let you down. I didn''t know that Scott already intended


    to present his Longevity Pill to Father. I heard that Felix was worried about Father''s birthday gift, and


    he knew about the Longevity Pill, so I took the initiative to go to the physician''s mansion to beg for the


    pill."


    "Prince Walden, you were not begging but robbing." A reprimanding voice sounded immediately. A


    prince of a country had been so vicious as to murder a whole family andmit robbery.


    Walden ignored that person''s reproach and just looked at the emperor. "Father, it''s all my fault. Scott


    refused to give the pill to me at that time. I was so angry about his stubbornness that I killed him and


    his family in a fit of rage. I just wanted to relieve Felix''s worry, and I was also afraid that the news about


    the killing would spread, which might affect him. So I had the Longevity Pill sent in secret to Felix''s


    mansion. I feared that he would ask where the pill came from, so I told my courier to sell it to him. Felix


    never knew anything about it. Father, please don''t punish him."


    "You are such a fool, Walden." Felix felt sad. He was moved by Walden''s willingness to protect him.


    Walden''s defense of Felix also impressed the empress. However, they didn''t realize that the emperor''s


    anger was only provoked by this more and more. Felix and Walden had grown up together from


    childhood. Walden''s mother died at an early age, and he had been raised by the empress. Moreover,


    Walden had no ideas of his own, and most of the time, he followed Felix. But this time Walden had


    actuallymitted an evil deed for Felix. As an emperor, he couldn''t afford to tolerate such a thing.


    "Since you have pleaded guilty, you must ept your punishment," the emperor pronounced sternly.


    "As a prince, you have failed in your duty to protect themon people, and instead you took your


    lessons from thieves and robbers who kill and loot. Your crime is ruthless and terrible. You are not


    worthy of being a royal family member!"


    Walden trembled fearfully. He never expected that his father would deprive him of his identity as a


    prince just because he slew Scott''s family. This was too heavy a punishment for him.


    "You are stripped of your title as a prince and you are relegated to a civilian. You will be sent into exile


    in the southeast. Do you ept your punishment?" the emperor asked.


    "Father, I..." Walden wanted to say he didn''t, but he couldn''t refute the fact that he had killed people for


    his own profit. Moreover, if a prince were to be punished like any other murderer, he could only atone


    for his crime with death. However, his brother Hoffman hadmitted a much more serious crime, and


    he had only been relegated to civilian status and imprisoned in the Repenting Tower. Why would


    Walden be exiled to the southeast?


    "Father, is the punishment too...?" Felix wanted to suggest that Walden get a more lenient punishment,


    but the empress cast a nce at him, and he said nothing more.


    "What? Do you think the punishment is too heavy?" the emperor asked coldly with a trace of


    displeasure. "Or do you think I have punished him inappropriately and you want to punish him for me?"


    "I dare not..." Felix was intimidated and quickly knelt down.


    "Then you think the punishment is insufficient," the emperor interrupted Felix. "Since you think the


    punishment is too lenient, tell me how to punish him."


    Felix was totally unprepared to be put in such a spot. He could choose either his loyal brother, or the


    trust of his father, the emperor. He didn''t know what to choose. He had a long hesitation and still


    couldn''t find an answer.


    "I think, Walden hasmitted a serious crime, and he should be punished. I also think Scott''s family


    should beforted."


    "Your Highness, all the members of my master''s entire family were killed," Hodge said painfully. His


    master who had brought him up lovingly came to a miserable end, while the mastermind of the crime,


    Felix, was to be let off the hook entirely. How could he vent the anger in his heart?


    Being interrupted made Felix a little angry. If Hodge hadn''t intervened in the matter, Walden wouldn''t


    have been relegated to civilian status. "I mean we should have a decent plot ofnd to bury Scott and


    his family."


    "The dead have already been buried," said Hodge calmly.


    "That''s enough!" the emperor interrupted them. "Walden''s punishment has been decreed. As for


    Felix..."


    The emperor looked at Felix. Felix and the empress were frightened into a cold sweat. They had


    assumed that as long as Walden took all the me, Felix would be safe. But they were too naive about


    that.


    "Although Felix didn''t know it, hemitted an oversight." The emperor frowned. "I order you to stay


    secluded and ponder your mistake. You are not to leave your mansion until you receive a summons."


    This was a thinly-veiled plot to put Felix under house arrest. The empress felt uneasy about the


    situation. She turned her eyes instinctively at the woman next to Matthew, but quickly looked away. It


    would be best if they made no resistance. Otherwise, the emperor would doubt them even more, and


    she and Felix would be suppressed.


    "Yes, Father."


    Because of Walden''s crime, a strange tension enveloped the air at the emperor''s birthday banquet.


    Everyone was very nervous and afraid of displeasing the emperor, and they all just wanted the event to


    be over as soon as possible.


    At that same moment, in a residential building outside the city, the fake Harper who had been sent out


    of the Imperial Pce was in a dire situation. She was tied to a rack, and a person in a ck cloak


    laughed wickedly while seeing her on the instrument of torture. The person in ck pped the


    woman''s face hard. She woke up slowly and was terrified by what she saw.


    "You didn''t expect me to capture you, did you, Harper Chu?"


    "Ahhh!" The woman tied to the rack was not Harper, but a maid-in-waiting of the empress. She tried to


    defend herself, but she couldn''t speak.


    "What? Aren''t you rather arrogant? Why are you so scared to see me? Can''t you open your mouth?


    Speak up!" The person took off the cloak and revealed a ferocious and hideous face. "Are you not


    afraid when you see my face?"


    That maid-in-waiting had never seen such a terrifying face. The face was thickly piled up with multiple


    scars, and there were many new scars on it. She could even smell a rotten odor from the woman. The


    woman with such a hideous face turned out to be Hailey.


    "When I see your face, I hate you so bitterly." Hailey touched the face in front of her, and her heart was


    consumed with hatred. She took out a dagger and viciously attacked the maid''s face.


    Hailey thenughed even more ferociously, but herughter onlysted for a moment and then


    disappeared, because she found that there was something wrong with the woman''s face. When she


    looked carefully, the closed door was suddenly opened.


    Fred looked at Harper''s feet, and then at the door that had just been kicked open. The princess was


    totally riled up. She would never have done such a rude thing before. Even when she was infuriated,


    the smile on her face was still quite elegant. But today, her anger made her lose all restraint.


    "I wondered who it would be, and it turns out to be you." Looking at that twisted and mangled face,


    Harper asked, "Do you like my gift?"


    Hailey looked at the woman who was tied on the rack of torture, and then back at Harper. "You are the


    real Harper Chu."


    "Yes, it''s me. Why didn''t you recognize me? I am your old friend, after all. I never thought you would be


    colluding with the empress! But I''m d you did. Otherwise, I wouldn''t have found you." Harper smiled


    exultingly.


    Hailey saw Fred standing beside Harper and asked, "You only brought one person with you?"


    "Yes, I''ve only brought one, but one is enough to deal with you. You won''t be able to escape this time,"


    Harper replied in a low and confident voice.


    "I didn''t n to escape today!" After Hailey finished her words, a man behind her made a quick


    movement, striking directly at Harper''s vital part. But Harper stayed still, and Fred took a step forward.


    He blocked the man''s attack directly, and then fought back at him.


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Harper stepped forward and said, "At longst, we can have a talk."


    "Yes, we can finally talk this through," Hailey responded hoarsely. She used to be a privileged member


    of the Chu n, but now was reduced to this low condition because she had been framed by Harper.


    "Have you seen your own father? I heard he is guarding the city gates." Harper''s posture was rxed.


    Although she was wearing men''s clothes, her demeanor annoyed Hailey a lot.


    Thus, her face was distorted with anguish. She couldn''t stand to admit her identity at all. She regarded


    herself as the eldest daughter of the Chu n, not an illegitimate child. "I don''t want to quarrel with


    you. Come on, Harper Chu."


    Harper looked disdainfully at Hailey, and Hailey was fiercely agitated by her disdain. She ran madly at


    Harper with a bloodlust.


    "You will die now!"


    Hailey had a poisonous thorn in her hand. It was about to stab Harper, but a shadow suddenly blocked


    her hands and kept the thorn an inch away from Harper.

 Chapter 587 It Feels Good To Die (Part One)

    Chapter 587 It Feels Good To Die (Part One)


    Hailey looked at the face of the man who caught her. At that moment, she almost couldn''t believe her


    eyes. With her voice trembling, she mumbled, "Howard! It''s you!"


    Howard quickly grabbed Hailey''s hand and pushed it aside. As a result, Hailey lost bnce and fell to


    the ground in an extremely awkward fashion. This caused her cloak to slip off, revealing her scarred


    neck, which looked so hideous.


    "Howard, what on earth do you think you are doing?" Hailey protested at once, giving him a cold re.


    At that moment, every fiber of her being was trembling in anger. "Do you have any idea what you are


    doing right now? You are protecting your enemy!"


    "I can''t let you hurt her," Howard answered in a cold voice, without the slightest hint of hesitation on his


    face. Even though the person he just threw out was his biological sister, he didn''t feel sorry for hurting


    her.


    "Have you forgotten who started all of this and brought us into this miserable situation? Why do you still


    want to protect that bitch?" Hailey cried out in anger. Hearing Howard''s response came as a great


    shock to her. Deep in her heart, she thought that he would be on her side and that he hated Harper


    more than her, so he was probably more eager to kill her. But the truth happened to be the exact


    opposite, as he actually saved Harper.


    With her arms crossed in front of her chest, Harper quietly watched as the two siblings argued, looking


    as though she was interested in such a farce. "It seems to me that the person who behaved like me at


    the royal banquet had been taught by none other than you," she firmly said.


    "Humph! So what? Do you seriously believe that you can still go back? Harper, let me tell you


    something. There''s no way I''m letting you go that easily now that you''ve finallye here!" Hailey


    suddenly blurted out as if she recalled something.


    "Well, it seems that we are thinking the same thing," Harper said, pushing Howard aside as she


    stepped forward. At that moment, every move she made was so elegant and graceful. "I also wasn''t


    nning to let you go that easily today, even if he tries to stop me."


    "Do you honestly think you can stop me all by yourself?" Hailey asked, curling her lips as she got up


    from the ground. After leaving the Chu n, she had never been idle at all. From the very start, she


    had been thinking of ways to make Harper''s life a living hell. Thus, she trained so hard to improve her


    strength and fighting ability. In her mind, she thought that Harper had simply been living her life in


    luxury, so she wouldn''t be capable of resisting her. For that reason, Hailey firmly believed that as long


    as Howard wouldn''t lend her a hand, she would definitely be able to kill Harper with ease.


    "Yes, I''m perfectly capable of doing that," Harper tly answered. Then, she said to Howard, "You stay


    out of this. This is about the grudge between us. We need to settle this matter by ourselves."


    Hearing this, Howard couldn''t help but frown. "If something bad happens to you, how am I supposed to


    exin it to him?" Cold as a snake, he was only thinking about himself. Harper likened him to a viper.


    There was no better way of describing him.


    "You don''t have to tell him anything. Don''t forget this. I am not just some weak woman," Harper said.


    Moving forward step by step, she was brimming with elegance. However, the more she acted this way,


    the more furious Hailey became.


    "Bitch, you should go to hell!" Hailey screamed her lungs out as she went straight for one of Harper''s


    vital parts. But just as she was about to reach her hand out, a rattan suddenly flew in from the window,


    binding her wrist. This caught Hailey off guard, leaving her stunned for a second. But she managed to


    pull herself together right away, waving the dagger onto her other hand to try to free herself from the


    rattan. To her dismay, another rattan flew in, binding her other arm as well.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    "What are these? What did you just do?" Hailey asked, sounding so furious as she struggled to break


    free.


    "I didn''t do anything," Harper slowly said. "But it should be enough to kill you."


    As she looked at Hailey who was hung in the air, the smile on Harper''s face disappeared. "Hailey,


    you''re the only person I''ve ever really wanted to rip into shreds so far. Today, you won''t be leaving this


    ce. No one can save you now."


    "You are such a heartless bitch! You bitch! Go to hell! Karma wille and get you!" Hailey cried out.


    Her guts were telling her that she was in such a dangerous situation right now.


    "Yes, I know I am heartless. But do you think I care? And I have already died once. To be honest, it


    actually feels good to die. You will experience it very soon. That being said, I''m not sure whether you''ll


    be lucky or not. When I diedst time, the king of hell saw me and thought that I was so beautiful that


    he didn''t have the heart to keep me there. So, he allowed me toe back. If the king of hell sees you,


    I don''t think he will do the same because you''re not really beautiful enough. Even if you are not


    supposed to die so young, he may want to keep you shackled there when he sees your ugly face,"


    Harper said mockingly.


    The corner of Howard''s lips twitched when he heard those words. This was the first time he had ever


    witnessed how narcissistic Harper could be. She could even spout such jokes at a time like this. With


    his eyes fixated on Harper, he realized that she seemed to be rather calm.


    "If it wasn''t for you ruining my face, I wouldn''t have been so disfigured!" Hailey continued screaming.


    "Everything in this world has its cause and effect. Your current ending is simply a result of all the things


    you have done," Harper said. Then, as she slowly raised her hand, a piece of rattan materialized in her


    hand and turned into a sharp sword. "I don''t want to see you suffering anymore. I''ll send you to hell with


    just one strike."


    Hailey clearly felt the murderous intent emanating from Harper. Even before, she knew full well that


    Harper wanted to kill her, but she wanted to kill her as well. But now that she had been caught by her,


    she was afraid that there would be no escape for her this time.


    "Help me!" she yelled out at once to the man who had followed her, trying to ask for his help.


    Hearing Hailey''s distress call, the man who was entangled with Fred immediately stopped fighting him


    and hurriedly went to Hailey''s rescue. Despite seeing this, Harper didn''t even move an inch. When the


    man was about to reach for Hailey to set her free, a sharp rattan pierced through the two of them.


    As she looked at the piece of rattan which had pierced her body, Hailey''s eyes were wide open in


    shock. The immense pain rendered her speechless. Then, she shot Harper a malicious re and spat


    out two words with difficulty, "You witch!"


    "Witch?" Harper echoed in an indifferent tone. Then, she turned around and walked away. "I couldn''t


    care less about what you called me. In any case, I''m doing you the favor of letting you two die


    together."


    Hailey wouldn''t be able to rest in peace after her death. After all, she couldn''t figure out how she was


    killed by Harper at all. All she thought was that Harper was a witch who performed dark arts to kill her.

 Chapter 588 It Feels Good To Die (Part Two)

    Chapter 588 It Feels Good To Die (Part Two)


    Even Howard found this very surprising as well, he knew a bit more than Hailey did. Harper''s mother


    was a descendant of the Qin n, and all of its members possessed magic power. From that piece of


    information, he concluded that Harper must have inherited such magic power from the Qin n as


    well. After all, she had the blood of the Qin n flowing through her veins.


    When Harper walked past Howard, he asked, "Aren''t you afraid that people might find out about your


    ability if you keep acting so recklessly like this?"


    Without stopping, Harper simply replied, "Afraid? Why should I be afraid? There is nothing to be afraid


    of. Will you tell other people? Will Fred tell other people? Or will the dead tell other people?"


    Upon hearing her response, Howard couldn''t say anything as he watched Harper walk out. However,


    the moment she stepped out of that ce, someone suddenly appeared in front of her, blocking her


    path. When she saw him, Harper respectfully bowed her head and said, "Mister, I''m afraid you''re


    blocking my way."


    Harper''s words gave Matthew a headache. If he hadn''t asked about the situation from his secret guard,


    he believed that Harper probably wouldn''t tell him the truth about what happened today. She had even


    allowed that fake Harper to sit right next to him. Because of that, he just couldn''t take it anymore. "You


    broke your promise," he said.


    "What are you talking about? I don''t think I understand," Harper said, feigning ignorance as to what


    Matthew meant. Matthew, on the other hand, was no patient man, so he didn''t want to y along.


    Pulling her into his arms, he whispered into her ear, "It matters not even if you don''t understand. I will


    teach you a lesson once we go back and while we are lying on the bed!"


    Meanwhile, in the Phoenix House, Nina looked at Harper who was busy reading a book by the table.


    Somehow, she felt that something seemed to be quite amiss. But she just couldn''t tell what it was.


    "Your Highness, would you like me to help you bathe and change your clothes?" Nina then asked


    cautiously.


    Hearing this, Harper raised her head and nced at Nina before answering, "No. Go and check if


    Matthew has returned or not."


    "Yes,"


    Nina politely replied. With that, she turned around and walked out of the room. Anabel was outside


    guarding the door. When she saw Ninae out, she asked at once, "Nina, is there something


    wrong?"


    "Oh, it''s nothing serious. I''m just going to check if His Highness is back. You just stay here and look


    after Her Highness," Nina simply said. Although she could tell that something didn''t seem right about


    Harper, she knew that she was still the mistress, so she wasn''t in a position to be asking her what was


    wrong. But the strange feeling in her heart kept haunting Nina. That was exactly one of the reasons


    why she decided to report it to Matthew.


    When Nina went out to look for him, she found out that Matthew had just returned, carrying Harper in


    his arms. But due to the fact that Harper was wearing men''s clothing as a disguise, Nina didn''t


    recognize her right away. For that reason, she was taken aback when she saw him holding a strange


    man in his arms and couldn''t believe her eyes. It seemed that she was at a bit of a loss because of


    everything that happened today. On one hand, Harper had been acting weird in the Phoenix House. On


    the other hand, Matthew was carrying a man in his arms. These things were just too hard to believe for


    Nina.


    Seeing Nina''s reaction, Harper wanted to poke fun at her. So, she turned around and teased, "Little


    beauty, what''s up?"


    "You are such a yboy!" Nina blurted out in a stern tone as she red at the stranger. Then, she


    bowed her head respectfully to Matthew and reported, "Your Highness, Her Highness has sent me here


    to ask you when you will being back to the Phoenix House."


    "Today, I''ll be staying in the Pine House," Matthew said. The Pine House was the ce he lived in. It


    wasn''t that far from the Phoenix House. However, Matthew rarely ever stayed in the Pine House unless


    he had a quarrel with Harper. So, when she heard this, Nina waspletely clueless as to why he


    would want to stay in the Pine House right now. Moreover, he was carrying a man in his arms.


    After giving it much thought, Nina remembered Harper''s unusual behavior back in the Phoenix House.


    With that, she immediately said, "Your Highness, you''d better go back to the Phoenix House right away.


    Her Highness... She..." Nina trailed off, hesitant to continue.


    "Why? What''s wrong with her?" Matthew asked in an indifferent tone. As Harper struggled to get down


    from his arms, Matthew mumbled, "Stop moving, or else I wouldn''t hesitate to teach you a lesson right


    here right now."


    Nina looked at Matthew in great surprise when she heard him say those words. Then, she shifted her


    gaze toward the man in Matthew''s arms. Although she wasn''t married yet, she was well aware of those


    things. After all, she had been serving Harper even since she was a child, so she had heard Harper


    and Matthew flirt with each other a lot.


    "Something is wrong with her," Nina blurted out, unable to hold it in any longer. At this point, she was


    beginning to worry. But there was no way she could let a man take away Matthew from herdy.


    "I see. You may take your leave," Matthew tly said. After that, he went straight to his bedroom along


    with the "man" in his arms. Nina immediately moved in front of them to stop them in their tracks and


    said, "Your Highness, you can''t do that!"


    "Get out of the way," Matthew said, with his eyebrows deeply knitted.


    Seeing Nina on the verge of tears, Harper patted on Matthew''s shoulder and said, "Come on, stop


    teasing her. She would get anxious if you continued to tease her like this. Don''t just stand outside. Let''s


    go inside and have a talk."


    After they entered the room, Matthew put Harper down on a chair. Nina looked at Harper in disbelief.


    She knew the voice quite well given that she heard it every day. However, this "man" in front of her had


    a strange face. Nina wasn''t sure how this could be. "Your Highness?" she asked.


    "You silly girl," Harper said with a gentle smile on her face. "It''s me. Haven''t you noticed already that


    something is different with that woman in the Phoenix House?"


    Nina was in a state of confusion. Judging from these words, she seemed to have realized that the


    woman in the Phoenix House at the moment wasn''t actually Harper. The person in front of her right


    now, without a doubt, was the real Harper "Your Highness, you are here right now! But that woman..."


    "Yes, I''m here. That person in the Phoenix House is a fake one. The empress was the one who sent


    her here. Be careful and make sure not to try to unmask her. Just keep acting like usual. I want to see


    what they''re nning to do," Harper ordered as she smiled at her.


    "As you wish, Your Highness," Nina replied at once. Now, all of the puzzles had been solved. She had


    been feeling strange about that fake Harper. Yet she just couldn''t figure out what was wrong with her.


    And she even felt so rmed when she saw Matthew flirt with a strange man. As it turned out, that


    "man" was none other than her real mistress.


    "Just do whatever she asks you to do. But I want you to think twice before making a decision. If you


    have trouble deciding what to do, juste here to ask me or Matthew. I will be here at any time,"


    Harper responded with the smile still glued to her face. "More importantly, the fact that the woman in


    the Phoenix House is a fake one shall be kept between us here. No one else should know about it."


    "Yes, Your Highness. I understand. I know what I should do,"Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Nina replied in a resolute tone. After that, she left, feeling so relieved. Now that she had confirmed that


    the woman in the Phoenix House was a fake, she didn''t have to worry about anything anymore. As


    long as she knew that Matthew and Harper still loved each other, everything was going to be all


    right.

 Chapter 589 The Scapegoat (Part One)

    Chapter 589 The Scapegoat (Part One)


    With her arms wrapped around Matthew''s neck, Harper said with a charming smile, "Darling, is the


    show for today''s birthday banquet very interesting?"


    "Do you really want to know?" Matthew asked with amusement when he saw that Harper''s face was


    filled with interest.


    "Although I have my personal guesses about the result, it will be interesting to hear it from you." Harper


    was an excellent maniptor. By ttering Matthew, she had found a way to make him say what she


    wanted.


    "Walden was stripped off his royal titles and was demoted as amoner. He was also banished to


    the southeast. Meanwhile, Felix is under house arrest." Matthew had stated his words so casually but it


    made Harper speechless for a few moments. Because of her reaction, the smile in Matthew''s eyes


    became more obvious.


    "Is that all? It should be a very exciting story. Why did it be so pale and boring when you said it?"


    Harper asked, refusing to ept that there wasn''t more to the story.


    "I summarized it for you and made it as simple as possible. Isn''t that what you want?" Matthew didn''t


    forget that when Harper saw the files on his table the other day, she said that there was a lot of


    nonsense in those files. He was rather surprised to see how annoyed she was at that point. She even


    suggested that his men should write the files in a simple and straight to the point manner. If their


    reports were still full of so much nonsense, they should be severely punished. Now, he only did what


    she had suggested before, didn''t he?


    Harper was choked for a while. Then she continued, "My suggestion was that the official files should be


    simple and straight to the point. I wasn''t talking about the stories. Since stories are meant for


    entertainment, they should be amusing. The more strange and diverting elements there are, the better."


    Matthew then removed her arms from his neck and put her down. "So you want to hear those kinds of


    stories, right? But the only problem is that I don''t want to tell a story like that."


    Harper did not know what to say and slowly felt a little frustrated. She started to conclude that Matthew


    was still mad at her for pretending that she didn''t know him. "Darling, I''m sorry. I won''t ever fake not


    knowing you again. I just want to see if you can recognize me at a simple nce. Please don''t be mad


    anymore."


    "You left me with another woman who I didn''t even know. If you want me to tell a story, perhaps, I


    should just tell it to that woman in the Phoenix House." Just from his voice alone, it was hard to tell


    whether he was fine or upset. He wasn''t shouting, but his words made Harper shiver.


    "Darling, do you smell the sour taste of jealousy in the air?"


    "I think the whole room reeks of it. Do you know that I have been overly jealous?" Matthew took a long


    and meaningful look at Harper. "Which prince has been as miserable as me? My enemy and my wife


    forced me to take a woman back."


    Embarrassed, Harper exined, "I didn''t mean to do that. Please believe me when I tell you that the


    empress set me up."


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "But you didn''t reveal it to me, did you?"


    "Because as your wife, I know that you''re not dumb. No one can fool you that easily. Even though that


    woman was dressed like me, I knew that you would instantly recognize that it wasn''t me. There is no


    doubt in my heart that you know me, the real me. I have my trust in you." Harper quickly exined her


    side to Matthew, in an attempt to soothe him. She knew that for that matter, she was in the wrong.


    "Really?" Matthew asked, with a hint of doubt in his voice.


    Harper briefly kissed him on the cheek before responding. "Of course. Why would I lie to you?"


    In an instant, the darkness in Matthew''s eyes disappeared as if it hadn''t been there at all. "In this case,


    I''ll forgive you. Do you still want me to tell you the story?"


    "I honestly don''t since you''ve already told me the ending. There''s no fun in hearing what happened."


    Then, Harper picked up the teapot and poured a cup of tea. The tea was already cold so Matthew took


    the cup and reheated it using his internal force. After a few seconds, he handed it to Harper before


    saying, "Francis had done things in a very ruthless way. He straight on turned Walden into a


    commoner. He even made the emperor suspect Felix and put him under house arrest. Apparently, we


    have underestimated Francis."


    Harper sipped a little from the cup of hot tea. With a confused expression on her face, she asked, "Are


    you sure it was Francis who did all of that?"


    "Yes, I''m. Because the only two people who would have the intent to go against Felix was me or


    Francis. And since it wasn''t me who did that, the only usible conclusion would be Francis." Giving


    Harper some time to process what he just said, Matthew went to the door, gave orders to someone,


    and then went back to his seat. "You don''t really think that Francis would be innocent from all of this, do


    you?"


    Harper put down the cup and stated, ""No, it''s not that. I just didn''t expect him to do something like that.


    After all, he is still recovering. Even though he is almost healed, he shouldn''t be in a hurry to act so


    recklessly. Is he not afraid that the emperor will doubt him?"


    "Do you think the emperor will ever be suspicious of him?" Matthew asked, with a hint of augh. With


    how borate Francis'' n had been for years, Matthew thought that there was a bleak chance that


    the emperor would even suspect him.


    Harper pursed her lips and exhaled before responding. "The emperor will never suspect him as long as


    you''re here. He would only assume that you framed Felix. No matter which son of his is in trouble, the


    first person that he will suspect is going to be you."


    Matthew carefully listened to her while he ced his hand on his lips, as if in deep thought. He then


    slowly said, "Francis did n well this time. First, he asked Hodge to sue Felix for killing people and


    robbing the medicine. Then, he made his son testify that Walden is the murderer who killed the whole


    family. This way, he made everyone, including the emperor, think that Felix has wicked motives. From


    beginning to end, Francis had effectively directed everyone''s suspicions away from him that not a


    single person would even doubt him. Perhaps, even Felix has never actually doubted him. Maybe, just


    like the emperor, he also thought that it was me who did it."


    "Yes, he had nned this very meticulously. But he had left out one thing. Because right now, we are


    suspicious of him. So it seems like his perfect little n is hanging in the bnce, don''t you think?"


    Harper said while she leaned against the chair with her head tilted to one side.


    "Yes, but in this round, he won," Matthew responded. At that point in time, someone knocked on the


    door so Matthew briefly opened it. When he was walking back to his ce, Harper noticed that he was


    carrying a tray of food. He put it on the table, took out the food and said, "Come here and eat


    something. You must be hungry right now."

 Chapter 590 The Scapegoat (Part Two)

    Chapter 590 The Scapegoat (Part Two)


    "My darling is so considerate and sweet! How did you know that I am so hungry?" With a wide smile,


    Harper went to the table, sat down, and took the chopsticks from Matthew. She then asked, "Will


    Francis get rid of us? After all, we are a loose end to his borate n."


    Matthew ced some food in front of Harper and said, "At this moment, I don''t think he would. As you


    said, he''s still recovering. Also, the emperor will not suspect him at all for two reasons. One, because


    he''s weak and two, because he had once saved his life. The emperor will believe that I had nned


    everything."


    "Then, I guess it''s time to admit that I''m really quite impressed with Francis. Darling, do you have any


    wine here?" Harper asked abruptly.


    "No, you shouldn''t drink since you have a very low tolerance for alcohol." Matthew was worried that


    Harper would lose herself once she had wine. Although he liked to see drunk Harper, her health was


    more important to him.


    Harper put down her chopsticks and said, "Then forget it. I admire Francis for his hard work and


    intelligence ining up with such a n. But if he had the ability to think of such aplex scheme,


    he should be able to notice that he was being poisoned for so many years."


    "It was the emperor who poisoned him," Matthew supplied.


    With those few words, Harper''s eyes widened in shock. She couldn''t believe what she just heard. But


    soon enough, she felt a sense of ease. "It''s not surprising that there''s an emperor who would poison


    his own son since there''s a father like Charles. No wonder, Francis could still be tricked by poison,


    even though he is very intelligent. Anyways, since it''s bing clear that the emperor does like to use


    poison, I''m afraid that it was him who poisoned our mother¡ªLady Cecilia as well."


    In a second, the intent to kill was seen across Matthew''s eyes. Cecilia''s death had left a wound in his


    heart that would never heal. Since a long time ago, it was clear to him that the emperor had something


    to do with his mother''s death. Now, he was certain that the emperor poisoned her. Matthew thought


    that if it was indeed the emperor who wanted to kill her, there must be someone helping him in the


    pce.


    Matthew also put down his chopsticks. He then poured a cup of tea and let Harper rinsed her mouth


    with it. "All the poisonse from the imperial pce. The royal family is full of the most wicked people


    that plot the most vicious acts."


    "But still, there are also many beautiful women in the royal family, including seventy-two concubines in


    different pces. Every kind of beauty can be found inside the family. It is literally like heaven on earth.


    Don''t you like it, darling?" Harper asked with faux interest while she ced her chin on top of her


    hands.


    "I have you and that''s more than enough for me. I don''t need anyone else." Then, Matthew asked a


    servant toe in and put away the dishes on the table. "What did you learn today?" Matthew asked


    Harper when they were alone.


    "The man behind the things that were done by the empress is the emperor. His purpose is to ruin me.


    But I did something awful in return." Harper stretched out her index finger and pointed it high in the air.


    "What kind of awful thing?" As soon as he asked, Matthew thought of Fiona who didn''t appear at the


    birthday banquet. At that, he could almost guess what had happened.


    With a guilty look on her face, Harper narrated, "I had Fiona dressed up like me and then, I sent her to


    the emperor''s ce. Who would have known that the emperor was so shameless as to defile his


    daughter-inw?"


    Suddenly, an intense look could be seen in Matthew''s eyes. "Do you have some sort of drug?"


    "Drug? What kind of drug?" Harper idly asked. She wasn''t sure if Matthew was upset or not.


    "After taking this kind of drug, a man will never be able to touch a woman again. I want to give this kind


    of drug to the emperor as his birthday gift. He already has so many sons and daughters, so he doesn''t


    need to have any more children. For the sake of his body, I want to give him the drug," Matthew


    frantically said.


    Harper giggled with her hand covering her mouth. "Then, the emperor would only be able to watch his


    beautiful concubines instead of touching them. That sounds interesting!"


    "Do you have that kind of drug?"


    "Not yet, but if I work hard, I think I can make it."


    "Okay, that''s perfect. When it''s finished, give it to me and I will give it to the emperor." Matthew put his


    hands on both sides of the chair and leaned closer to Harper. "Since that had been settled, let me


    teach you something you don''t know yet."


    "Wait!" Harper eximed while she ced her hands on his chest. "There''s one more thing. I can''t


    believe I almost forgot it."


    Matthew carefully looked at the expression on her face and he knew that whatever she was going to


    say, it wouldn''t be brief.


    "What is it? We can talk about it while I continue with what I am about to teach you," Matthew


    comined, almost sounding like a whine.


    Harper took a deep breath. "Stop it. Let''s talk about this first. Members of the Qin n in the Joy City


    were killed and the token of our mansion was left at the scene."


    "Did Zack tell you that?" Matthew asked while the expression on his eyes changed.


    "It doesn''t matter who told me. Just answer this: were you aware of this?" Harper looked into Matthew''s


    eyes. She believed in him. If he wanted to kill members of the Qin n, it was impossible for him to


    leave any traces on the crime scene.


    The expression on Matthew''s face changed once again. Of course, he knew everything that Zack


    knew. But he didn''t tell Harper about it because he didn''t know who had betrayed him. "Yes, but I didn''t


    tell you."


    "Is there a traitor in our mansion?" There was no other possibility that Harper could think of. If the news


    about the Qin n had spread so quickly and it had something to do with Matthew''s mansion, then it


    must be someone from the mansion who leaked it. Obviously, the person who did that could only have


    one intent and that was to drive a wedge between the couple.


    "Yes," Matthew briefly answered. He then squeezed into the chair and sat down beside Harper. She felt


    that the chair was a little bit too crowded, so she simply sat on his legs. Then, he continued, "Besides,


    during that time when we left River City, someone broke into our mansion. From what we know, that


    person was looking for something. He was extremely cautious, but fortunately, our secret guards found


    him."


    "Did we lose anything in the house?" Harper asked. She was so surprised. That person must be very


    familiar with theyout of the mansion since they were able to sneak in without being caught.


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    "No, he didn''t find what he wanted. Guess what he was looking for inside?" Matthew asked in a low


    voice.


    Harper raised her head in contemtion and said, "It must be something confidential or valuable."


    "The Heavenly Book," Matthew supplied.

 Chapter 591 Who Is The Traitor

    Chapter 591 Who Is The Traitor


    Harper was taken aback and frowned in deep thought. ''Is it a coincidence? What is the connection


    between the death of the one from the Qin n in the Joy City and the spy''s secret searching of our


    mansion for the Heavenly Book?'' She racked her brain to find an exnation.


    But what bemused her even more was that the spy had concealed himself so well in their mansion.


    Furthermore, only a few people knew that the third Heavenly Book was in their mansion. ''How did the


    spye to know about this? No matter who it was, we will be in danger if he is not found out.''


    "I don''t think many people know that the third Heavenly Book is in our mansion, do they?" Harper


    asked Matthew anxiously. She thought, ''If I consider all the people I know, I should be able toe up


    with some clues.''


    "Yes. The only four people around me knowing about it are Jack, Barry, Noah and Rufus," Matthew


    replied as he held Harper by the waist. After a pause, he asked, "How about you?"


    "I''m the only one." With a gravely ponderous face, Harper reasoned quickly. ''The Heavenly Book is


    very important and this is the reason why I have told no others about it over the years. I am the only


    one who knows where the third one is. I have not shared the secret with any of my subordinates.


    Therefore, the secret could only have been betrayed by those four near Matthew. Jack and Barry have


    been Matthew''s personal guards for so many years, while Noah is a good friend of his. The rtionship


    between Matthew and his steward Noah is even better than that between him and Rufus. I see no


    reason to suspect Rufus either. Even though I don''t know much about him, I know that he sincerely


    protects Matthew.''


    "In other words, one of those four betrayed me." Matthew''s eyes became cold as ice He suspected that


    the news might have been leaked from Harper. However, a spy sent by the Great Jade Kingdom had


    monitored her for more than ten years and even thoroughly searched the ce where she stayed


    before her marriage. What was more, he even thoroughly searched the whole Chu n mansion and


    still failed to find the Heavenly Book. This proved that the book was hidden by Harper quite well. Yet


    the information was leaked out after she handed over the Heavenly Book to Matthew. Therefore, one of


    the four men betrayed him.


    Although Harper didn''t want to admit it, there was no other choice but to turn her suspicions upon them.


    There must be something crooked with one of the four. "Which ces did the spy search out?"


    "My courtyard, my study, your courtyard, and the small warehouse where you store your dowry."


    Matthew told Harper what Barry had told him. The spy was clever. He knew enough to search those


    ces, but the Heavenly Book was extremely important. How could Matthew be sox as to put it in his


    own mansion? There were many people keeping an eye on him, and no matter how and where it was


    hidden in the mansion, it would be unsafe.


    "The small warehouse where I keep my dowry?" Harper pondered that information thoughtfully and


    concluded, "Then Rufus is excluded from our suspicions."


    Matthew nodded. "I remember that I never said that the Heavenly Book is your dowry, but the spy


    searched through dowry. That is to say, the spy must be a member of our mansion, and he knows the


    situation here very well. When I took out the Heavenly Book, Rufus was also there. I said that although


    everyone was hoping to get it, they would never expect that it was thrown into a dark corner and got


    moldy!"


    "Yes, this man knows both you and me very well. After all, the book appeared after I married you and


    moved into your mansion. This man suspected that the third one was brought here by me, so he looked


    through my dowry..." Harper stopped abruptly. She didn''t want to suspect anyone of those men whom


    she had trusted so much.


    "Leave it to me," said Matthew with his icy cold eyes.


    "Darling, don''t you want me to handle this matter? After all, I haven''t been with them for a long time. It


    will be easier for me to handle it..."


    "No, I''ll take care of it," said Matthew as he kissed her hand. "I''m not a weak man."


    Harper smiled and said, "Okay then, I''ll leave it to you."


    "Knock on the door ande in. Why are you hiding outside?" Matthew said coldly, suddenly looking


    out of the window.


    A man jumped in through the window and sat on the windowsill. The man turned out to be Howard. He


    said at once, "I had something on my mind and forgot to tell you about it, so I came over. I didn''t expect


    to see you two flirting with each other. I didn''t mean to disturb you."


    "What is it?" Harper asked, ignoring his teasing.


    "Scott once cured Francis, and they were on good terms with each other." Howard told the couple the


    information he found out. "Francis leaked the news that Scott had made the Longevity Pills."


    "I have guessed that Francis was involved in that incident. But I didn''t expect that he was on good


    terms with Scott." Harper''s face was transformed by surprise. "Was it really Walden who killed


    everyone in Scott''s family?"


    "Yes, I saw it with my own eyes. And you won''t guess who saved Hodge''s son." Howard looked at


    Harper who was confused.


    "Who?"


    "Marquis Scarlet."


    Harper was truly dumbfounded. Francis was actually the mastermind of the crime. Yet, Marquis Scarlet


    was the one who rescued Hodge''s son, Milo. Was the rescue also arranged by Francis? So, was


    Francis the one who framed Alexander?


    Matthew had already guessed that Francis had his hands in everything, but he didn''t figure out what


    motive he had. After all, the poison in his body had not yet cleared up at that time. Wasn''t he worried


    that Harper would refuse to treat him after he recklessly framed Alexander?


    "Have you figured out the rtionship between Francis and the Scarlet Devils?"


    "I can''t find any clues," Howard said frankly. "I can''t even find any clues about the rtionship between


    Francis and anyone else."


    Harper sighed and thought, ''That''s not strange. Francis, who had been silent for so many years,


    suddenly took action. He must have been well prepared. How could he pretend to be so innocent?''


    She was a little upset, but quickly restrained her sadness. She had no reason to expect someone to be


    kind, but the feeling of being deceived was painful to her.


    "Don''t feel sad for him. He counts for nothing," Matthewforted Harper, holding her hands.


    Harper shook her head. "I''m not sad. I just find it incredible. What can make a person change so fast?"


    Howard looked at Harper and said, "Everything is fine in the south region."


    After hearing that, Harper looked at him and said, "You don''t have to be responsible for that..."


    "After all, he raised me for many years, and I have to do something for the Chu n," Howard said


    slowly. Actually, he just wanted to do something for Harper. "Besides, I have buried Hailey''s corpse," he


    added.


    "I killed her. Don''t you hate me? After all, she is your sister," Harper asked Howard with an intense look.


    She knew that if someone had killed her own sister, she would take revenge with no hesitation.


    With a deep look at Harper, Howard answered, "Sister? I''m alone and single, and I don''t have a sister."


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    With these words, Howard left. He felt that he had nothing, no family, no sister, and no reason to hate


    Harper.


    "Master Howard," Robert called as soon as Howard emerged from Matthew''s mansion. Howard kept


    hisposure and asked, "What? Does she have something else to say?"


    Robert shook his head and replied, "No, not Lady Harper. His Lord wants to see you."


    "Charles wants to see me?" Howard didn''t know what to make of that. "What does he want from me?


    Does he think that I can help him make aeback?"


    Robert was embarrassed for a moment. In fact, it was Harper who could help Charles to rise, not


    Howard or Alexander. Charles must be fully aware that Harper would never help him at all, so naturally,


    he hoped that Howard would help him rise, after he knew that his son had returned to the imperial


    capital.


    "I don''t know why His Lord wants to see you. I''m just passing on the message." Robert gritted his teeth.


    It was extremely risky for him to pass any message on behalf of Charles. He knew that Harper could be


    provoked fiercely by any sign of betrayal. Although his action was not treacherous, his secrecy might


    look suspicious.


    Howard looked at him and smiled meaningfully. "You delivered a message for him. Does Harper know


    about this?"


    Robert''s face turned pale. Of course, she didn''t know. If she had known, he wouldn''t have stopped


    Howard privately, but told him in an open manner.


    "Judging from your look, I would say she doesn''t know," Howard said, about to leave. As he passed


    Robert, he added, "Let me give you a piece of advice. Don''t push her limits. If you do, you''ll regret it."


    "I haven''t betrayed Lady Harper."


    "It''s not about whether you betrayed her, what counts is her opinion of you," Howard said gently. "You


    should know how hard it is to win her trust, and how much she detests Charles. And you should also


    know that if I were you, I would definitely stay away from Charles. It''s not worthwhile to arouse the


    suspicions of your new master."


    "Lady Harper is not that sort of person!" Robert rebutted. "She is different from everyone else in the


    Chu n mansion."


    "If she were the same as the others, she would have died long ago. How else could she live until now?"


    Howard sneered. "Nobody thought highly of her before, but now, no one can surpass her. Even I envy


    her."


    "Master Howard, don''t you really hate her?" Robert was a little surprised to hear what he said. He had


    assumed that Howard was getting close to Harper to get revenge. But now he realized that his


    assumption was wrong. If not for revenge, then for what?


    "I hate her!" Howard turned back and looked at Robert. "Of course I hate her. How could I not hate her?


    "


    Robert narrowed his eyes and said, "Master Howard, as long as I live, I won''t allow you to hurt a hair


    on her head."


    Howard smiled bitterly and said, "What makes you think it''s necessary to kill those whom you hate? I


    hate her indeed, but so what? Compared with coldness, I prefer hatred. At least hatred is something I


    can feel."

 Chapter 592 Francis Was Refused (Part One)

    Chapter 592 Francis Was Refused (Part One)


    Owen went to Matthew''s mansion in order to pay Harper a visit. He had assumed that he would be able


    to see her in person by iming that Francis was feeling unwell. Unexpectedly, he was turned away.


    Looking at Nina with wide open eyes, he couldn''t believe his ears. "Nina, didn''t you tell Her Highness


    that it''s me, the one who works for Prince Francis, wanting to see her?" he asked again for


    confirmation.


    "Her Highness said that you may turn back. She won''t go to Prince Francis'' mansion now, and even


    added that she will never go there again in the future," Nina told him, then turned around and walked


    away. She dared not let anyone in, because the woman in the Phoenix House now was not the real


    Harper. Otherwise, the truth might be revealed for everyone to know.


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    In shock, Owen''s eyes widened even more. He could not understand what had happened. ''What could


    possibly be wrong with Her Highness? Hasn''t she always got along well with my master? Why was she


    suddenly refusing to go see him? How could she even say she would nevere back to my master''s


    mansion?'' he pondered in utter bafflement.


    Owen sensed that something was amiss. He decided he had better tell Francis about this straightaway.


    So he rushed back to Francis'' mansion and informed him that Harper had shut him out.


    "Ahem! Ahem! Ahem!" Francis coughed hoarsely after Owen delivered the news. "Were those her


    actual words?"


    "Yes. Your Highness. Are you all right?" Owen said with concern. He then poured a cup of warm water


    and handed it over to Francis to ease his difort.


    However, Francis merely shook his head and refused the drink. He asked, "Did she really say that she


    would nevere here again?"


    Owen''s eyes reddened a bit, and then he replied, "I didn''t even manage to see her in person. Nina


    came to deliver Lady Harper''s answer, and said that she refused to see me and asked me to go back.


    She told me that Lady Harper also said she would nevere here anymore."


    Francis leaned against the headboard, feeling utterly dejected by this news. The light in his eyes


    dimmed. After a while, he forced himself to regain hisposure and ordered, "Get the carriage ready.


    I''ll go to see her myself."


    "But, Your Highness, your condition..." Owen balked. He thought it was a reckless idea for Francis to go


    out when he was still so weak.


    "I''m fine. I just have a cold," Francis said, taking a deep breath. Then he asked his servants to get him


    ready. After he was fully dressed up, Owen put a cloak on him to shield him from the cold.


    Francis looked at Owen''s hands which were busy tying the cloak for him. He then remembered that on


    the day of the emperor''s birthday banquet, Harper had also put a cloak for him gently like this. It


    warmed his heart to recall that. He did not want to lose that feeling, and he craved it again.


    "Your Highness, are you sure about going there now? Your health is not robust. Why don''t you go there


    after you make a recovery?" Owen suggested. He was still very worried about Francis'' health, despite


    his insistence.


    "No, I''m fine. I''ll go there without another moment''s dy," Francis answered in a firm tone. He knew


    that the incident at the birthday banquet had raised suspicions in Harper and Matthew. He couldn''t


    imagine what might happen if he let the matter go. He didn''t want things to get out of hand.


    Although Francis went to Matthew''s mansion in person, he had to wait in the living room, and neither


    Matthew nor Harper came out to see him. Matthew was still at the Imperial Pce, at the regr court


    session with the emperor. As for Harper, she did not want to see him.


    Francis waited for a long time, yet still no one came to wee him. So he walked out and stopped


    Noah, asking, "Steward Noah, is Aunt Harper at home?"


    "Greetings, Your Highness. Yes, Her Highness is in the mansion." Noah told him the truth.


    "Would you please show me the way to her ce? I want to visit her there... Kaaahhkkk, kaaahhkkk,


    kaaahhkkk...." Before he could even finish his words, he had a sudden and violent cough, as if he were


    about to cough his lungs out. His pale face turned red suddenly because of the fierce cough.


    "Your Highness, if you feel ufortable, I think maybe you ought to go back now. When His


    Highnesses back, I will tell him about your visit," Noah suggested upon seeing Francis have such


    a bad cough. He feared the consequences if Francis were to pass out there.


    Francis, however, shook his head and replied, "No, I will stay here. I must see her, and I won''t leave


    until I see her."


    Noah stood there in uncertainty for a while, before replying, "Your Highness, Her Highness lives in the


    Phoenix House, but I''m not sure whether she will be willing to see you." Then he ordered, "Maid, lead


    His Highness to the Phoenix House."


    "Yes, Steward Noah,"


    replied a maid. The maid then led Francis to the Phoenix House. A drizzle began to fall at that moment,


    so she led Francis along the corridor to avoid the rain. But the corridor did not go all the way to the


    Phoenix House. If they wanted to enter the Phoenix House, they still had to get soaked in the rain for a


    moment.


    They soon arrived near the Phoenix House. The maid then said to Francis, "Your Highness, please wait


    here a moment. The Phoenix House is ahead. Allow me to fetch an umbre for you."


    "No need. You can leave now," Francis said, waving his hand to her in dismissal. He stood at the end of


    the corridor and saw the que not far away. The handwriting was tall and vigorous, cold and


    murderous. It was obviously written by Matthew.


    Looking at the open door of the Phoenix House and then at Francis, Owen suggested in concern, "Your


    Highness, why don''t we wait for the rain to stop? I think..."


    However, before he could finish speaking, Francis had already stepped into the rain. He walked slowly


    to the Phoenix House, yet his footsteps were firm. But he stopped at the gate and did not enter.


    "Your Highness, please go inside," Owen urged him in worry. The rain was bing heavier, and


    Francis was in poor health. If he stayed in the rain for a long time, Owen feared that his health would


    suffer.


    But Francis merely shook his head. He just stood there without moving. It was true that he was


    desperate to see Harper, but he didn''t want to break into her house. He didn''t want her to think of him


    as discourteous. Therefore, he preferred to stand outside, waiting for her toe out. He did not


    believe that she could be so heartless as to watch him in the rain.


    "Your Highness, the rain is bing heavier. You haven''t made a full recovery yet. Why not wait back


    there in the corridor instead?" Owen tried desperately to convince him.


    But Francis was stubborn and shook his head. He insisted on standing in front of the gate, staring at


    the gate with his tender eyes. If Harper didn''t see him that day, he was determined to stay there until he


    saw her. He wouldn''t give up so easily.

 Chapter 593 Francis Was Refused (Part Two)

    Chapter 593 Francis Was Refused (Part Two)


    In the Phoenix House, Harper''s imposter was reading a medical book. She had been told that Harper


    did not have many hobbies. Reading medical books was one of her few hobbies, so she pretended to


    read medical books as well. Nina went to the window and shut it. "The rain is bing very heavy.


    Your Highness, I''ll get you a cloak, in case you feel cold."


    "All right," Harper''s imposter said without raising her head. In the past few days, Matthew hadn''t visited


    the Phoenix House. Or to be more precise, she hadn''t seen him since the emperor''s birthday banquet.


    Nina went out briskly to fetch the cloak. Angelica came in with ginseng soup. She stood beside her,


    trying to think of something to say. However, she didn''t dare interrupt the false Harper, who seemed to


    be lost in thought. Therefore, Angelica could only look at the imposter with her innocent eyes.


    Her gaze was so intense that the false Harper couldn''t ignore it anymore. She actually preferred to


    avoid speaking whenever possible, because the more she spoke out, the greater the risk of giving


    away her true identity. But sometimes she still had to respond to her maids, because too much silence


    would seem strange and also arouse suspicion. "Why are you staring at me like this?" she finally


    asked.


    Angelica opened her mouth and was about to speak, but she saw Ninaing in with a cloak in her


    hand. Angelica shut her mouth right away and didn''t dare to speak anymore. Nina put the cloak on the


    false Harper and said, "Your Highness, what would you like to have for lunch today? I''ll tell Anabel to


    prepare it."


    "Anything. Is Matthew back now?" she asked.


    "Not yet. The rain is falling heavily. I guess His Highness wille homete," Nina replied, ncing at


    Angelica. "Angelica, you should also go to the kitchen to help. Don''t disturb Her Highness if you have


    nothing else to do here."


    Angelica looked again at the false Harper, and then looked back at Nina before she finally walked out


    slowly.


    "Nina, you are bing bolder nowadays," Harper''s imposter said. Despite her words, the tone of her


    voice was t.


    Nina moved her lips and was about to defend herself, but when she remembered the order she had


    received from the real Harper, she restrained herself. She couldn''t let this fake Harper in front of her


    notice anything amiss. So she fidgeted with her handkerchief uneasily and spoke again after a long


    pause. "Prince Francis is here."


    "What is he doing here?" the false Harper asked as she raised her head to look at Nina, feeling


    disconcerted. She was ignorant of the rtionship between Harper and Francis, of course, so she


    could only be confused.


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    "I have no idea either. He has been waiting outside the Phoenix House for two hours," Nina said


    carefully. "Your Highness, I know you don''t want to see him. I did not tell you before because I thought


    he would leave when the rain started to fall heavily. But against my expectations, he..."


    "I don''t want to see him?" the false Harper repeated in surprise as her eyes widened secretly. "Isn''t he


    in poor health now? Why did hee here?"


    "Your Highness, have you forgotten that you are monitoring his condition and giving him treatment?"


    Nina said slowly, while staying on the alert for any change of facial expression on the false Harper.


    The false Harper was surprised by this. She had not imagined that Harper was actually treating Francis


    in secret. She was determined to reveal this news to Felix or the empress. But with Francis waiting


    outside at that moment, she thought it would be unwise to go out to see him. He might discover her


    identity when he faced her.


    "I know. But why is he here now?" asked the fake Harper softly.


    "I guess he wants to see you. Are you willing to see him?" If you don''t, I''m afraid he won''t leave. Prince


    Francis has been weak and has been soaked in the rain for a long time. If anything happened to him, it


    might cause a lot of trouble for us," Nina replied.


    The false Harper''s brain was racing for a solution. If Francis got sick from standing out in the rain, she


    would probably need to treat him, which was something she could not do. In that event, she would find


    herself in an even worse situation. Considering this, she decided to go outside to see him.


    "Fine. I''ll go and see him," the false Harper said, as she stood up and walked out of the bedroom. She


    took the umbre leaning against the door, opened it and went towards the gate.


    Francis just kept on staring at the gate. He saw peopleing in and out. At first, his eyes would light


    up when someone was about toe out. But none of them was the one he wanted to see. His eyes


    grew dimmer with every passing moment, and his body was on the verge of copse from his long


    soaking in the rain. Owen was so worried that he would have rushed in to beg for help if he were not


    stopped by Francis.


    In the heavy rain, a familiar figure appeared. Francis'' eyes lit up again. He stepped forward and saw


    someone rushing over to him. Ecstasy shed through his eyes until the beautiful figure came near


    him. He hid his passion in front of her.


    His ecstasy turned to doubt and then disappointment when he saw the woman. His pale face became


    even paler. "Aunt Harper," he murmured.


    "Francis, the rain is falling hard, and your body is weak. You can''t afford to stand in the rain. You''d


    better go home now," the false Harper said coldly. "I can''t afford to take the me if your health suffers


    from this. You are a prince."


    "I''m sorry to disturb you. Please excuse me," Francis replied, then turned around and left decisively.


    Owen was furious. His master had been waiting in the rain for two hours, but Harper just came out and


    dismissed him so casually. In his anger, he stepped forward andined, "Lady Harper, how could


    you just act like this? Don''t you..."


    But before he could say more, Francis ordered him, "Owen, let''s go." His voice was stern. Then he lost


    his bnce and almost fell to the ground.


    "Your Highness..." Owen protested.


    "What? Will you disobey me now?" Francis shouted. He coughed again in his irritation. He knew that


    the woman in front of him was not Harper, although she looked exactly the same as her. Something,


    perhaps his sixth sense, told him that she was not the person he wanted to see. He had inscribed


    Harper''s image and her every gesture into his brain. He could even imagine how she would react to


    anything he said or did. This person was just an imposter¡ªhis gut feeling was always right.


    Determined, he decided to ask Matthew what he had done and where he had hidden Harper!


    "No, I dare not," Owen quickly replied, lowering his head.


    "Let''s go. Follow me to meet Uncle Matthew," Francis said. He could hardly stand still. He leaned his


    body against Owen and ordered, "Bring me to the Pine House."


    "Yes, Your Highness," was Owen''s reply.

 Chapter 594 He Is At Deaths Door

    Chapter 594 He Is At Death''s Door


    In the Pine House, the real Harper was asleep. She had been feeling drowsy and sleepy a lot in recent


    days. The heavy rain made her even more eager to sleep. She fell asleep after breakfast and hadn''t


    awoken yet.


    Fred and Forsythia were standing guard outside. It was a strange time, with a fake Harper in the


    Phoenix House, but the real Harper didn''t seem to be worried at all. However, Fred and Forsythia


    dared not rx even the slightest bit when Harper was sleeping.


    When Francis, supported by Owen, appeared in the rain, Forsythia was shocked to see him. Then she


    turned her head aside, as if something hade to her mind all of a sudden, pretending that she


    hadn''t seen him. Fred didn''t even raise his eyebrows from the moment he saw him. He just turned a


    blind eye to Francis'' embarrassment and difficulty.


    Francis'' eyes lit up slightly at the sight of Forsythia, as if something was about to spill over his eyes. He


    gestured for Owen to help him enter the Pine House.


    "Is Uncle Matthew here?" Francis asked in a feeble voice. He looked disheveled and out of sorts.


    Forsythia simply snorted, without uttering a word in reply. Fred answered in a cold voice, "His Highness


    has not yete back."


    "Is Aunt Harper here?" Francis asked. Somehow, he sensed that the Pine House was not empty, and


    the person inside was the real Harper.


    Fred was at a loss for words when he heard that, because he was a poor liar. Meanwhile, Forsythia


    said in anger, "Her Highness is in the Phoenix House. You havee to the wrong ce."


    "I have already been to the Phoenix House. The person inside is not Aunt Harper." Francis started


    coughing again. He coughed so violently that he could hardly straighten up, and it was very difficult for


    Owen to hold him up. However, Owen was shocked to hear what Francis had said since he had noticed


    nothing wrong with that Harper.


    Forsythia was astonished by Francis'' words too, for she hadn''t thought an outsider would be able to


    identify the woman in the Phoenix House as a fake Harper. For a moment, she wasn''t sure how to reply


    to Francis.


    "Miss Forsythia, Prince Francis has been feeling ufortable for a few days, and he was caught in


    the rain for a long time today. Please report to Her Highness and ask her to see Prince Francis in


    person," Owen pleaded.


    Turning her face to one side, Forsythia said stubbornly, "Her Highness is in the Phoenix House."


    "All right, I heard you. Her Highness is in the Phoenix House. But will you let Prince Francis see the


    person in this house now?" Owen said anxiously. Francis now could hardly stand steadily and might


    pass out at any time. He was too weak to endure this torment.


    Forsythia shifted her eyes to Fred, but Fred just stood still as if he hadn''t heard anything. She


    remembered Harper''s suspicions. At the thought that Francis, who was in front of her, might be the


    backstage mastermind of the plot against Harper, Forsythia dared not let hime in even if he looked


    like he might fall to the ground at any moment.


    Seeing Forsythia turn her head away and refuse to speak again, Owen immediately knelt down and


    pleaded, "Miss Forsythia, Prince Francis'' body really can''t bear it. I beg you. Please report to Her


    Highness and see if she is willing to see Prince Francis. I beg you. Please."


    Francis felt extremely unsteady and couldn''t see clearly. But he was determined not to fall down.


    Harper''s smiling face and voice came to his mind. He felt heartbroken by the thought that he might


    never see her face or hear her voice ever again.


    Half asleep, Harper heard people arguing outside. Drowsily, she asked, "Forsythia, what happened?


    What''s that noise outside?"


    Forsythia suddenly stiffened when she heard Harper''s voice. She knew it was because of Owen''s loud


    voice that Harper was awakened. "Sir, nothing happened. Please go back to sleep. I was just driving


    the chattering sparrows away."


    "Your Highness, I''m Owen. Prince Francis is about to die. I beg you. Please see..." Owen shouted,


    heedless of everything else, as soon as he heard the voice from inside. However, before he could finish


    his words, Forsythia mped him by the neck.


    "If you don''t pipe down, I''ll cut off your tongue!"


    Finally Harper woke up and became lucid. She got up and put her clothes on. When she opened the


    door, she felt the chill outside. She saw Forsythia with her hands mped on Owen''s neck, while


    another man dressed in white was lying on the ground, struggling to stand up but failing.


    Harper took a step forward, but Fred stopped her immediately. "It''s cold and wet outside..."


    Harper took an umbre and opened it, striding over to the man on the ground. Seeing that Harper


    come out, Forsythia hastily released her grip on Owen''s neck. Owen fell to the ground, gasping


    violently for air, but even in that state he crawled towards Francis right away and tried to support him.


    Harper frowned to see the terribly weakened Francis, who was lying on the ground. For a moment, she


    was unsure how to react. Meanwhile, Owen helped Francis stand up.


    Francis smiled innocently when he saw the person standing in front of him and frowning, though he


    himself looked extremely disheveled at the moment. His sincerity was revealed inly by his eyes.


    "Aunt Harper, you finally agree to see me."


    Harper frowned tightly while looking at the drenched Francis. "Were you trying to die?"


    Francis stumbled and looked at Harper with embarrassment. Something spilled over his eyes. It was


    hard to tell whether the liquid on his face was tears or just rainwater, since it was raining heavily. "Aunt


    Harper, what the point of my life?"


    Harper was dumbstruck by his words. Francis stopped walking to her when he was only a step away


    from her. He looked pathetic and smiled bitterly, "Aunt Harper, tell me, why is it him?"


    Harper had no idea what was wrong with Francis at that moment. However, she was still sure that he


    had something to do with the Scarlet Devils, and the Scarlet Devils were directly involved in framing


    Alexander. She couldn''t stand to see a loved one framed.


    "I don''t know what you are talking about," Harper said in a very low voice. It rained frequently in spring,


    and nobody knew when it would stop. Unable to bear it any longer, Francis swayed and fell to the


    ground.


    "Francis," Harper eximed in shock. She strode forward in order to catch him, but as a man, Francis


    was too heavy for her. As a result, Harper couldn''t keep him off the ground, even though with the help


    of Owen. She could only half kneel on the ground and support him. The oiled paper umbre had


    already fallen out of her hand.


    Putting his head on Harper''s shoulder, Francis mumbled, "Aunt Harper, why? Why does Father want to


    kill me? Why does he want to kill me? I''m his son, the child of his blood! He hates me. Aunt Harper, will


    you abandon me?"


    Harper instantly understood that Francis knew it was the emperor who had poisoned him. She told


    Fred then to help Francis into the house. By then, Francis had already passed out. The feelings in


    Harper''s heart wereplicated. She felt pity for Francis, but she knew clearly that she felt no other


    sort of warmth towards him.


    "Forsythia, prepare some hot water for Francis to take a bath. Fred, fetch some of Matthew''s clothes


    for Francis. And tell the cook to prepare some ginger soup for him."


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    "Yes, Your Highness."


    Before long, Fred came back with a fresh set of clothes that Matthew had never worn. He also brought


    a set of servant''s clothes for Owen. He gave them to Owen, who changed clothes quickly. Then with


    the help of Fred, Owen took the wet clothes off Francis.


    Forsythia told the servants to put some hot water in a bathtub. Fred threw Francis into it. Seeing that,


    Owen cast him a resentful re. However, Fred''s bandaged face looked so frightening that Owen


    dared not protest. He could do nothing but bathe Francis in a sulky manner.


    Meanwhile, Harper entered her room and changed out of her wet clothes. When she came out, she


    looked at Forsythia and asked, "How long has Francis been in the mansion?"


    "About four hours."


    "He has been outside in the rain all the time?" Harper asked in dismay.


    Shaking her head, Forsythia said, "He waited in the front hall for two hours and then stood in the rain


    outside the Phoenix House for two hours. It hasn''t been long since he came here. He knows that the


    person in the Phoenix House is an imposter."


    Harper was quite surprised to hear that. Even her own personal maids didn''t know that the woman in


    the Phoenix House was an imposter, except for Nina who already found out the truth when she noticed


    there was something wrong. She wondered how Francis had identified that woman as a fake Harper.


    "Did he meet the person in the Phoenix House?"


    "That woman came out and said a few brief words to Prince Francis. Then Prince Francis came to the


    Pine House," Fred answered. "I inquired about it. That woman didn''t say anything special. She simply


    told Prince Francis to go home."


    Suddenly, Owen''s voice emerged from behind the folding screen, calling for help. Fred went there,


    helped Owen take Francis out of the bathtub, dressed him in clean and dry clothes, and put him on a


    soft bed.


    Seeing Francis'' deathly pale face as if he had little time left to live, Owen felt distressed and angry. He


    cast Harper a sullen re. However, Harper looked unfamiliar and wore man''s clothes at that moment.


    Not knowing whether he should continue to re at her or withdraw his sight, he felt his eyes twitched.


    Sitting on the side of the soft bed, Harper began to feel Francis'' pulse. She nced at Owen and said,


    "You are Francis'' personal servant, but you made him like this. I think he should get rid of you,"


    When Owen heard this, his eyes turned red right away. He believed that Francis would not have gone


    through all this suffering if Harper hadn''t refused to see him.


    "If Your Highness hadn''t refused to see Prince Francis so stubbornly, he would not have been like this,"


    Owen said.


    "So it''s all my fault?" Harper asked, looking at Owen with her meaningful eyes. "Who do you think you


    are? Do you have any tie with me? And who do you think I am, a pet? Do you think I''m obligated to see


    you whenever you want to see me?"


    Owen opened his mouth, but couldn''t say anything in response. Harper was right. He had forgotten that


    she had noble status and he could not demand her attention whenever he wanted. But still, he believed


    that Harper was to be med for making Francis wait for four hours.


    "Your Highness, how is Prince Francis?" Owen just asked, since he knew he was in the wrong.


    "He is at death''s door."


    "What?" Owen eximed. He became weak in the knees from shock and fright. He promptly knelt


    down in front of Harper. "Please, Your Highness, please save Prince Francis. He has been in poor


    health for many days. He even spat blood out a few days ago. He told me not to tell Your Highness


    about it. Please, please save him!"


    Looking at Owen, with his face covered in tears and snot, Harper said in disgust, "If you don''t let go of


    me to cure him, your master will die for sure!"

 Chapter 595 Francis Confession (Part One)

    Chapter 595 Francis'' Confession (Part One)


    Harper took out a bag full of needles and had acupuncture on Francis'' body. Francis had a blood


    stagnation. She didn''t know what kind of stimulus he suffered led to such a symptom. Yet one way or


    another, Harper had to help him spit out the blood to save his life.


    After the acupuncture treatment with several silver needles, Francis spat out a mouthful of blood, which


    frightened Owen. Thetter immediately cried out, "Your Highness, are you all right?"


    After putting the silver needles away, Harper looked at Francis''s pale face. Francis looked like a wreck.


    If the events at the birthday banquet were plotted by him, he didn''t need to care about her opinions


    anymore. After all, his poison waspletely cleared, so she should have been useless to him now.


    But he came to see her, even disregarding the heavy rain. With a single nce, he recognized that the


    person in the Phoenix House was not the real Harper and even guessed correctly that she was in the


    Pine House. It was obvious that Francis was smart. Why did hee to Matthew''s mansion at such a


    moment?


    Looking at the pale face of Francis, and then at Harper, Owen pursed his lips and tears poured down


    his face. He cried louder, "You bully people. You are cruel to His Highness."


    Harper felt both amused and annoyed. "When did we bully him?"


    "You let him stay in the rain for two hours, and he fainted because of it. How can you deny that you are


    cruel to him?"


    "You brat! Your whining is so unreasonable. Her Highness didn''t even know that Prince Francis was


    outside. Comin to us instead; we hid the fact and didn''t report to her!" Forsythia stood with arms


    akimbo and shouted at Owen. She couldn''t bear to hear someone being rude to Harper. What was


    more, she couldn''t allow anyone to disturb her rest, so she didn''t report Francis'' arrival when he came.


    Hearing that, Owen cried even more bitterly. He pointed at Forsythia, gasping and saying, "You are


    also a bad person. You bullied His Highness and me."


    Seeing a man crying like this, Forsythia scorned at once. "Look at this! A man is actually crying like a


    woman."


    Her words made Owen so angry that he couldn''t even cry anymore. He just red at her furiously. He


    remembered that she had threatened to cut off his tongue at that time!


    Harper shook her head and her mind was racing fast. She wondered, ''Francis passed out because he


    was upset and suffering from the cold. Is it also because he knew how he got poisoned?''


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    "Your Highness," Forsythia called abruptly.


    Harper turned around and saw Matthewe in, wet from the rain. She frowned and said, "Hurry up.


    Bring a towel for Matthew."


    "Yes."


    After receiving the dried handkerchief from Forsythia, Matthew wiped Harper''s long wet hair adroitly


    instead of drying himself with it.


    "What happened here?" Matthew inquired, looking at Francis lying in bed.


    "I don''t know what happened to him. He passed out after staying in the rain for two hours," Harper said


    in a low voice. "Your clothes are wet too. Go and change your clothes. I prepared ginger soup for you in


    the kitchen. Go and drink a bowl of it, or you''ll catch a cold."


    "Okay." After putting down the handkerchief, he walked into the other room to change clothes. When


    the maid came in with the ginger soup, Harper helped Francis sit up and fed him the soup.


    Matthew walked in and frowned when he saw Harper feeding Francis. He took the bowl from Harper''s


    hand, pinched Francis'' jaw and poured the ginger soup into his mouth rudely.


    Most of the ginger soup was spilled, and only a little was drunk. When Harper turned to look at her


    husband, Owen was so scared that he forgot to react. He thought wildly, ''What''s wrong with Prince


    Matthew? Doesn''t he see that my master is in a desperate condition?''


    "Look. Your clothes were stained again." Harper frowned but still made way for him. "Forsythia, prepare


    another bowl of ginger soup and feed Francis."


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    Harper picked up the other bowl of hot ginger soup, blew on it and handed it to Matthew, saying with


    great concern, "Matthew, drink it up now, to drive away the cold."


    Matthew folded his arms across his chest and opened his mouth, obviously intending for her to feed


    him.


    Harper blushed scarlet from shyness. After all, with so many people watching, it was embarrassing. Yet


    if she didn''t feed him, she feared what might happenter. So she had to scoop up the ginger soup with


    the spoon, blow on it slightly, deliver it to his mouth, and feed him as if he were a patient.


    Matthew drank Harper''s ginger soup with a proud look on his face. When Owen saw the scene, his


    eyes dted drastically. He finally realized that Matthew tried to feed his master the soup only because


    he didn''t want Harper to feed his master in person. But was that "man" really the Harper he knew


    before? This person was wearing men''s clothes and looked unfamiliar, yet Owen did hear his master


    call her ''Aunt''!


    "Ahem." Francis coughed and opened his eyes before Matthew finished drinking his ginger soup. The


    first person Francis saw was Harper, who put down the bowl and was looked at him with concern.


    "How are you feeling now?"


    "Don''t stop. Continue," Matthew said as he took the bowl and put it in Harper''s hand. He opened his


    mouth and waited for her to feed him the soup again. Harper felt both annoyed and amused, but she


    didn''t refuse him. She continued feeding him while talking to Francis.


    "I have asked someone to bring you the ginger soup. You need another bowl of it. You are in fragile


    health. Why don''t you take better care of yourself? You got cold and stayed in the rain. Aren''t you afraid


    of dying early?" Looking at the empty bowl of ginger soup, Harper was about to put it down. Yet,


    Matthew was quicker and already put another bowl in front of her.

 Chapter 596 Francis Confession (Part Two)

    Chapter 596 Francis'' Confession (Part Two)


    "Do you still want more?" Harper was astounded.


    After stirring the soup with a spoon, Matthew said, "No, I''m done with it. It''s my turn to feed you."


    Harper felt ufortable and rolled her eyes. She said curtly, "Matthew, I can drink on my own."


    "I like to feed you. What? Don''t you like it?" Matthew''s voice was still calm and even, but Harper


    understood the threat contained in his words. So she obediently opened her mouth and drank the


    ginger soup fed by him, but she also stared at him with big eyes, protesting silently.


    He fed her at a moderate pace, paying no attention to her protests. Just when Harper finished drinking,


    Matthew said to Francis, "Get out of here now that you''re awake."


    Opening his mouth, Owen wanted to retort, but he was frightened away by a single nce from


    Matthew. He dared not say a word,pletely losing the arrogance he disyed in front of Harper.


    "Uncle Matthew, could you let them all out?" Francis sat up and asked quietly.


    Even though Matthew didn''t say a word, Harper waved her hand to signal for everyone to leave.


    Seeing that Owen was still in the room, Harper blocked Matthew''s spoon and said, "Owen, you go out,


    too."


    Giving Francis a nce, Owen walked out slowly, turning his head to look back repeatedly as he


    walked. He was afraid that Francis would be bullied by the couple when left alone with them.


    "At the banquet in the pce, I set up Felix." Francis spoke when they were the only three people left


    in the room.


    "I know that." Matthew''s response was cold. He was concentrated on feeding ginger soup to Harper,


    and was in no mood to mind other people''s business.


    "It was my father who poisoned me," Francis stressed with anguish and anger.


    On the other hand, Matthew remained unmoved, as if he had foreseen it. The emperor had never been


    a benevolent man. With such rumors abounding, the emperor would never allow Francis to live in


    health and be a threat to his own throne.


    Harper already knew it, so she was not surprised. It was not rare for an emperor to poison his son.


    There was no real father-and-son or any brotherhood in a royal family. Their only values were power


    and profit.


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    "I don''t understand why he wants to deprive me of everything. I am his son, his natural son. I grew up


    in a wheelchair and lived a life of hell. I would rather he granted me a quick death than force me to


    suffer from the pain of knowing the truth. How much I wish it was not him but the empress, Felix, or


    anyone else! I never thought it was my father!" Francis covered his face and cried. "He doesn''t love


    anyone but Felix, does he?"


    Looking at Francis, who was crying hysterically, Harper fell silent. She knew the actual truth was that


    the emperor didn''t love anyone but himself.


    "That''s why you broadcast the news about the Longevity Pill through Scott, in order to lure Felix to grab


    the pill? Even if Felix didn''t kill anyone to obtain the medicine, you would still kill everyone in Scott''s


    mansion?" asked Matthew slowly.


    Francis shook his head and said, "I knew from the beginning that Scott wouldn''t hand the pills out, and


    Felix also wouldn''t grab them personally. He would certainly send Walden, the one whom he trusted


    the most, to do that. Walden was a man of short temper. If refused by Scott, he would definitely take it


    by force. However, I thought he would take the pill and leave Scott''s mansion. By then, I would instigate


    Scott to sue him for robbery. I didn''t expect that Walden would actually have killed all the people in


    Scott''s mansion!"


    "You want the throne?" Matthew looked at Francis and asked seriously.


    Francis raised his head and looked at his uncle, saying, "Uncle Matthew, I don''t want any position or


    power. I just want to stay with my family and live a peaceful life with someone I love. But why didn''t my


    father allow it? Why did he drug me every day? Why didn''t he kill me directly? Wouldn''t it be easier for


    him?"


    "So you schemed against Felix to take revenge?" asked Harper in amazement.


    "Yes, I hate him. Since he brought me into this world, why did he force me to be in a wheelchair? Since


    he values only Felix and supports him wholeheartedly, I wanted to let him know that after taking away


    my health, I would also take his beloved son away!" Francis eximed in anguish. "It''s said that even a


    vicious tiger will not eat its cubs. Are members of a royal family really worse than beasts?"


    "Don''t drag me into this. I''m different from you." As soon as Matthew finished his words, he looked right


    into Harper''s eyes, as if he was telling her specifically that he was different from them.


    After a moment of silence, Harper asked, "Do you know Marquis Scarlet?"


    Francis shook his head and asked as if he were puzzled, "Who is Marquis Scarlet? Is there such a


    marquis in our dynasty?"


    "Marquis Scarlet is the leader of a secret society of assassins. Hodge''s son was saved by him," Harper


    exined slowly. "He is a heartless and wicked man who hasmitted all sorts of crimes."


    "I don''t know him. Hodge''s son was found lying at the foot of the mountain and brought back by the


    guards from Hodge''s mansion," Francis said, and the look on his face didn''t seem to be false or


    affected.


    "Did you arrange your rescue of the emperor on purpose?" Harper asked again. If Francis had


    arranged that event deliberately, she would really doubt his intentions.


    Francis smiled bitterly. "How could I have arranged for it? Now I wish I had not rescued him, so that I


    would still be ignorant of the truth of my illness. I would even prefer that I died in the hall that day, rather


    than be heartbroken now!"

 Chapter 597 A Prophecy (Part One)

    Chapter 597 A Prophecy (Part One)


    Seeing Francis'' grief, Harper felt sorry for him. As a very handsome man, when he wept in front of


    others in despair, even the stone-hearted Harper couldn''t suppress her sympathy. She even held back


    from what she wanted to ask.


    "Was it you who plotted against Alexander?" Matthew asked what Harper intended to ask. Seeing that


    she turned her head aside, he understood that she didn''t want to ask more questions, but he thought it


    would be better to rify things.


    With a bitter smile on his face, Francis said, "Uncle Matthew, do you think I am that ruthless? How


    could you even think I would conspire against a child?"


    Francis knew what had happened to Alexander. Alexander was framed for murder and put into prison.


    If Harper and Matthew hadn''t been to save him by finding evidence in his favor, he would have been


    executed already.


    "So, you were really not the chief conspirator?" Matthew didn''t hide his suspicion.


    "No. It wasn''t me," Francis said, looking at Harper. "If it was really me, I wouldn''t hide it from you. What


    I want is very simple. I just wish to take revenge on my father."


    "All right. You are not supposed to say these words casually," Matthew said in a t tone. You''d better


    get back to your mansion right now. Since you''ve been in my mansion for a long time today, it would


    invite suspicion from others."


    Hearing that, Francis stood up downheartedly and said in an indistinct voice, "Uncle Matthew, Aunt


    Harper, if you want me to do something, please let me know. Also, I wouldn''t hesitate to let you know


    anything you want to know from me."


    "Send Prince Francis back to his mansion,"


    Matthew ordered the steward. Francis was then escorted back to his mansion. Harper remained silent


    as she was immersed in thoughts about what Francis had told them. Matthew felt her silence quite


    surprising.


    "Don''t think too much," Matthew said, holding Harper in his arms. "I''m here with you."


    Resting her body in her husband''s arms, she said, "It''s not easy to be a member of the royal family, is


    it?"


    "Well, that''s a hard truth, and you''re not the only person to share that thought," Matthew consoled her.


    "Why would His Majesty poison his own son? Francis was poisoned with something that was highly


    toxic. What made him hate Francis so much that he decided to torture him in this way?" Harper asked


    in confusion. The emperor always seemed to be very fond of Francis, but he had been poisoning him


    for more than a dozen years. Harper just couldn''t make out the contradiction.


    "Because of a prophecy," Matthew intoned. "At the time of Francis'' birth, an eminent monk was in the


    imperial capital. He said that Francis was an incarnation of a disaster star. He also said that he had too


    hard a fate, and because of this fate, His Majesty would end up in the hands of death, sooner orter."


    "His Majesty poisoned his own son just because of such a groundless prophecy?" Harper was


    shocked. But soon, she recalled that the people here were all superstitious, and the emperor had been


    kind to Francis by not killing him as soon as he heard the prophecy.


    Matthew snorted coldly, "He cherishes his own reputation. He feared for his life, but didn''t want to take


    the me for killing his own son. So, he came up with a vicious idea and that was to poison Francis.


    When Francis turned too weak to take care of himself, he would just die out of his weakness. By then,


    His Majesty could get rid of the big load in his mind, and also remain safe from any usations of


    killing his own son."


    Harper sighed, "No wonder Francis found it hard to ept the truth. Matthew, do you believe in


    prophecies?"


    "No, I don''t," Matthew asserted. "I don''t believe in heaven, earth, Buddha or the ghosts. What I only


    believe in is you."


    With a smile appearing on her face, she said, "Matthew, believe me. I deserve your trust."


    "Yes, I know." The smile on Matthew''s face was as dazzling as the moon breaking through the clouds,


    and this fascinated her, "Darling, your smile makes my eyes blurry."


    "What? You don''t like it?" Matthew asked in surprise.


    "Yes, I do like it. But, don''t smile at others in this way, or I will be very jealous," Harper said frankly. She


    was an honest person, and bore no formalities. If she liked someone, she would admit her feelings; and


    if she didn''t, she would never pretend liking them.


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    "Don''t worry. I am not going to do anything you don''t like," Matthew promised in a gentle voice, and


    looked even more charming with the expressions on his face. "Just regard what Francis told as true.


    But don''t let your guards down, and we should be on alert."


    "I''ll ask Howard to further investigate into it," Harper said in a serious tone.


    After reflecting for a while, she continued, "I have never seen Jason. I have met all other sons of His


    Majesty, except him."


    "You remind me. I haven''t seen him for a long time either. He has remained outside and seldomes


    back to the imperial capital. This time, he didn''t even make it for his father''s birthday, and just


    presented a gift through someone."


    "Howe His Majesty is not angry with him?" Harper asked.


    "He simply doesn''t care," Matthew sneered. "The older he bes, the more importance he attaches


    to his throne. He is always afraid that someone might usurp the throne. Naturally, he became


    hypervignt. He''s not just afraid of me. Anyone else whom he foresees as a potential threat is also his


    enemy.


    Harper was thinking about something else. "To prevent his sons from usurping the throne, he wouldn''t


    mind resorting to extreme means. But isn''t he afraid that his sons would also resort to some extreme


    means?"


    Matthew was dumbfounded to hear Harper''s question. He seemed to have thought of something, but


    he failed to seize it.


    At the same time, in the Imperial Pce, the emperor was seemingly looking quite good recently.


    Although Felix had annoyed him, he looked radiant. "Andy, fetch my pills."


    "Yes, Your Majesty." Andy fetched the Longevity Pills and aided the emperor in having one. "Your


    Majesty, the Longevity Pills have already begun their magic. You look much more spirited now," he


    said.

 Chapter 598 A Prophecy (Part Two)

    Chapter 598 A Prophecy (Part Two)


    "d to hear that, Andy. I too think the same," the emperor said with an enormous smile. "After taking


    the Longevity Pills, I feel I am loaded with energy. I never feel tired, however hard I stress my body."


    "Your Majesty, although the Longevity Pills are doing their job, you''d better take care of yourself," Andy


    said with a smile. "Your Majesty, are you willing to choose ady as yourpany today?"


    "No. Today I will be going to Sherry''s pce," the emperor said slowly. Sherry was willful at times, but


    she was never aggressive. Over the years, she had been taking care of Francis. Now that Francis was


    getting better, she had more free time.


    "Yes, Your Majesty. As you please! I''m going to inform Lady Sherry right away¡­"


    "That''s unnecessary. I''ll go straight there," the emperor said with a smile. He liked Sherry because she


    had a character. She never struggled against otherdies, neither for his favor nor for power. Also,


    Francis'' performance gave him a sense of satisfaction. Moreover, due to the effect of the Longevity


    Pills, he felt like he was at least ten years younger and was full of vigor. Thus, he felt very happy.


    In the Spring Pce, Sherry frowned tightly, reading the message she had just received. Francis had


    been caught in the rain over two hours in Matthew''s mansion and even fainted. She felt enraged and


    confused. Even though Matthew was powerful and Harper had sessfully treated Francis and thus


    saved him, the chances of them trying to harm Francis were grim. After all, Francis had not recovered


    yet. Sherry was afraid that some lingering effects would be left, and that might cause severe


    consequences.


    "How is Francis now? Is he okay?" Sherry asked worriedly. "Is there anything serious?"


    "Lady Sherry, Prince Francis went to sleep as soon as he returned to his mansion, but he didn''t look


    that good. Owen said that Prince Francis had a cold, but refused to take any medicine. Owen couldn''t


    do anything about it."


    While Sherry was angry and worried, a maid came in to report to her, "Lady Sherry, His Majesty is


    here."


    "His Majesty¡­" Sherry mumbled as she was quite surprised. She quickly stood up and went outside to


    wee the emperor. As the emperor approached the Spring Pce, she greeted, "Your Majesty."


    "Arise please. Don''t be too polite, my darling," the emperor said, while supporting Sherry up by himself.


    "I''ve justpleted the review of all reports. I came here to have a taste of the cakes you make."


    "Certainly, Your Majesty. Please wait for a while, as I''m going to make¡­"


    "I can''t bear seeing you making them by yourself," the emperor said, as he kissed on the palm of hers


    that he was holding. "In fact, I don''t miss the cakes, but you."


    Although Sherry was nearly forty years old, she looked much younger. The emperor''s words made her


    blush immediately. She walked along with the emperor into the Spring Pce. They looked like a loving


    couple still in their twenties, and would have made anyone envious.


    "Humph! The tail is wagging the dog!" Cheryl snorted coldly as she passed by the gate of the Spring


    Pce. "She is an elderly woman of fading charms, but is still shameless enough to upy His


    Majesty."


    "Cheryl, you know what? His Majesty has been doting on Lady Sherry so much recently, while all other


    ladies have been neglected," another young maid said in a low voice. "People who don''t know the


    situation in the Imperial Pce would think that Lady Sherry is the one in charge of the imperial


    harem."


    "She doesn''t deserve it!" Cheryl eximed. She was just a first-ss maid working for the empress.


    When Felix was ced under house arrest, the empress too was left out in the cold by the emperor.


    Earlier, the Sleek Pce had been bustling with people, but no more. On the contrary, Sherry''s Spring


    Pce had be the center of attention for everyone.


    The young maid led Cheryl to a remote path and said, "Cheryl, there is something you don''t know. His


    Majesty is not attracted by Lady Sherry herself, but by those pretty personal maids working for her."


    A tinge of surprise shed across Cheryl''s eyes. "Are you implying that Lady Sherry uses her beautiful


    maids to win over His Majesty? How could it work?"


    Getting closer to Cheryl, the young maid whispered in her ears, "Of course it works. His Majesty is very


    much fond of a maid named Minna, who works by Lady Sherry''s side. You''re even more beautiful than


    Minna. It was only because His Majesty was angry with Her Majesty that she had the chance to show


    up in front of His Majesty."


    The young maid''spliments made Cheryl feel thrilled. But Cheryl''s anger was not without reason.


    The empress was really in a bad mood recently. So, her personal maids were having a hard time,


    especially Cheryl, who had been criticized and punished by the emperor for multiple times.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    "Well, I guess it''s not a good time to mention it now¡­"


    "Isn''t that Minna, the maid I just mentioned to you about?" the young maid said in a surprised tone.


    "What is she doing there secretly?"


    Cheryl felt confused and curious. Right at that moment, the young maid was called away by another


    maid. The young maid hastily said goodbye to Cheryl and left with the maid who called her.


    Since Cheryl had just heard about Minna from the young maid, she was curious. Wondering what


    Minna was doing there, she walked towards there quietly. However, she was shocked as she reached


    closer.


    She saw Minna using a voodoo doll in the Cold Pce.


    Inside the Imperial Pce or outside, anything rted to voodoo was a taboo for everyone. If anybody


    was caught while using a voodoo doll, the person would surely be doomed to death. A glimmer of


    cruelty shed across Cheryl''s eyes. She rushed inside the Cold Pce and grabbed Minna. "You


    bitch, how dare you use such a filthy thing in the Imperial Pce? I will report it to Her Majesty right


    away. You will be punished!"

 Chapter 599 Each Had Their Own Plans (Part One)

    Chapter 599 Each Had Their Own ns (Part One)


    When Minna saw that someone had spotted her doll, her face instantly turned deathly pale. In a


    second, she knelt down and held onto Cheryl''s legs for dear life.


    Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    "Cheryl, I''m begging you. Please don''t! I didn''t hurt anyone! This is just my little secret as a young girl,"


    Minna hysterically stated.


    But Minna''s petition fell to deaf ears as Cheryl eximed, "Liar!" She then casually grabbed what


    Minna was hiding in her arms. She said, "The voodoo curse has always been used to hurt people. But


    you said that you didn''t hurt anyone. Then, you must tell me what you were doing or what you n to


    do with it. Is it possible that you''re going to use it to put a spell on His Majesty?"


    As a matter of fact, the real purpose behind Cheryl''s words was to simply stop Minna from talking. After


    all, Minna was a maid of fame and prestige in the Spring Pce. It was said that she had served the


    emperor several times, and he even wanted to give her a ce in the pce. However, as soon as


    Cheryl started to question her, it seemed like Minna became a little stressed out. Naturally, it made


    Cheryl even more suspicious of her.


    "Did you really use it to seduce His Majesty?" Cheryl asked again.


    Minna was about to respond to her, but she stopped herself from doing so. After all, it was a very


    sensitive topic. As much as possible, she didn''t want to talk about it. If she had not been caught by


    Cheryl, perhaps no one would have known about it.


    "Tell me right now. If you don''t, I''ll take you to Her Majesty in a second. Do you know that your whole


    family and all of your rtives will be killed for using the voodoo curse?" Cheryl aggressively stated.


    "Okay fine, I''ll tell you." Minna did not stutter on her words but she suddenly became anxious. While


    looking at the thing that Cheryl took from her, she exined, "That is not a voodoo doll. It''s used for a


    kind of spell called the Infatuation Spell. You only need to take the hair of the person you love, tie it in


    the doll, and pray devoutly every day. With these simple steps, the person you love will eventually love


    you back."


    Hearing that, Cheryl rolled her eyes. She didn''t believe everything that Minna said. But still, she asked,


    "Is it because of this that His Majesty is very affectionate to you?"


    "Yes. Cheryl, I''m begging you. Please don''t tell Her Majesty. If you do, she''ll definitely have me killed,"


    Minna pleaded while her face turned even more ashen.


    Instead of answering her, Cheryl frowned at her and asked, "Is this thing really effective?"


    "Of course it works. Every time His Majesty came to Lady Sherry''s residence, he would instantly


    shower me with affection whenever I attended by his side. Fortunately, Lady Sherry is such a


    kindhearted woman. When she noticed that His Majesty likes me, she said she would give me to him.


    But I don''t want to because I just want to stay with her. If Her Majesty finds out, she would have me


    killed without mercy. It''s fine if I die, but I''m afraid that Lady Sherry would be in trouble as well." Minna


    was crying so much while she spoke that she was almost out of breath.


    With a snort, Cheryl eximed, "What a hypocrite! You''ve already betrayed yourdy by cing His


    Majesty under your spell. But still, you pretend to be a loyal servant. You''re disgusting! Anyways, I''m


    confiscating this. Today, I''ll pretend that I didn''t see anything, but you are not allowed to do anything


    like this again. Otherwise, I will report you to Her Majesty and you already know what she will do to


    you."


    When she heard that Cheryl was willing to let her go, Minna was so grateful to her. "Thank you so


    much, Cheryl. I owe you for this. The only thing that truly matters for that thing to work is your sincerity.


    You only have to hold it in your hands and pray three times before seeing His Majesty. And just like


    that, it will make your wishe true."


    Cheryl snorted once again before responding, "What are you talking about? I''m not going to use it


    myself. I''m only taking it from you so you can stop from doing something wrong. Well, go back now and


    serve Lady Sherry. If she can''t find you, you''ll be in trouble."


    "Cheryl, you really won''t tell anyone?"


    Cheryl firmly responded, "Of course I won''t. That''s all for this matter. I''ll burn this spell doll right now. So


    go on and leave."


    "Thank you, Cheryl. No words can express my gratitude for your immense kindness. From now on, if


    you ever need my help, you have my word that I definitely won''t refuse you." After showing Cheryl with


    gratitude, again and again, Minna turned around and left.


    When she was finally out of sight, Cheryl looked at the spell doll in her hand. Minna might have been


    praying every day from the bottom of her heart. The doll had a faint fragrance on its body, and it smelt


    very good.


    ''Is it true that she can put a spell on His Majesty and win his favor with this?'' Cheryl asked herself even


    though she already doubted that it was true. However, she thought about her current circumstances.


    She was serving the empress at that moment, and was honestly having a hard time. Because of Felix,


    the empress was in trouble, so to release some stress, she would always find a way to scold and beat


    whoever was attending to her. Cheryl thought that it would be good for her if she could have the


    emperor''s favors. With that, she could finally leave the Sleek House. However, Cheryl knew that she


    couldn''t tell anyone about it. If she did, she would definitely be sentenced to death.


    With a n on her mind, Cheryl put the spell doll which she had taken from Minna into her pocket.


    Then, she made her way back to the Sleek House to report. The emperor was staying once more with


    Sherry that night. If Cheryl went back with that news, the empress would scold or beat them again.


    When Cheryl reached the Sleek House, the empress was dressed in her home clothes. Sitting idly, she


    hadn''t even touched her chopsticks despite a table full of dishes in front of her. As soon as she saw


    Cheryl, a ray of light shed in her eyes. "Cheryl, were you able to see His Majesty?"


    "Your Majesty, His Majesty is going to stay at the Spring Pce tonight," Cheryl hesitantly replied.


    In a brief second, porcin crashing on the floor was heard throughout the room. The empress had


    stroked the bowl and chopsticks in front of her. She thought, ''I am the firstdy of the Imperial Pce.


    But now that Sherry is enjoying a little affection from His Majesty, she dares to look down on me. Does


    she really think that I don''t have the ability to turn over the situation?'' As long as she was still the


    empress and her son was the crown prince, Sherry and Francis wouldn''t surpass her.

 Chapter 600 Each Had Their Own Plans (Part Two)

    Chapter 600 Each Had Their Own ns (Part Two)


    When Nancy noticed that the empress had identally wounded her hand, she walked up to her and


    held her hand. She then said, "Please calm down, Your Majesty. It''s not that His Majesty doesn''t care


    about you anymore. He might just still be holding a grudge because of the Longevity Pills. Just give him


    some time. I''m sure it won''t be long before he forgets about it and immediately forgives you."


    "Nancy, His Majesty hasn''te to my residence since his birthday banquet. He is obviously mad at


    me. I don''t know why he couldn''t understand that Felix looked for the Longevity Pill just for him. How


    could he still be upset with Felix?" The empress was furious. She felt even more enraged at the


    thought that Felix was still under house arrest.


    In an attempt tofort the empress, Nancy responded slowly, "Your Majesty, Crown Prince Felix is


    grounded right now. Please do not panic. You and His Majesty have been a couple for many years.


    There is no doubt that he loves you. But he still has to give the officials an exnation. When the


    appropriate timees, Crown Prince Felix will be pardoned. Please don''t worry, Your Majesty."


    "I''m just afraid that His Majesty will take this chance to severely act out because of his rage. I wanted to


    ask him to release Felix for the sake of our long-term marriage. Felix had just been implicated by


    Walden. Since I''m certain that Felix didn''t do it, His Majesty doesn''t need to treat him like this." The


    empress was so mad. Recently, she had been more irritable than usual. Whenever she would lose her


    temper, it was really hard for her to control it.


    Nancy wrapped the empress''s wounded hand. "Don''t worry, Your Majesty. You are still the firstdy of


    the Imperial Pce. That doesn''t change at all. It''s still easy for you to see His Majesty."


    The empress''s eyes rolled a little. When she looked at Nancy, however, she instantly calmed down. Too


    many things had happened recently so she was distracted for a moment. She even forgot her position


    in the pce and what it entailed. She was still the head of the women''s residence in the Imperial


    Pce. The emperor might not want to see her because he was upset with her. But she could force


    him toe and see her.


    "All of you may leave now," the empress stated while she made a gesture with her hand. At that point,


    only Nancy was left by her side. Nancy had been with her since childhood, so she believed in her. The


    empress ordered, "Bring me the medicine."


    "You want to take the medicine, Your Majesty?"


    "Today, I must see His Majesty. If I can keep him away from Sherry''s pce, I would be able to teach


    her a lesson. No matter how much His Majesty dotes on her, she is still just a lowly concubine, and as


    the empress, I am still above her," the empress said with gritted teeth.


    "But the medicine is extremely harmful to your body¡ª"


    Nancy tried to warn her but the empress cut her off and nonchntly said, "It''s not a big deal. I''m not


    young anymore and Felix has grown up. I don''t need another son. It doesn''t matter. Just go and get it."


    "Yes, Your Majesty." Soon enough, Nancy brought the medicine that the empress had asked for. She


    then took out a pill and handed it to her. The empress swallowed it without hesitation. In just a


    heartbeat, her face turned pale. She was then about to fall down, as if she couldn''t sit still anymore.


    With a worried look on her face, Nancy helped the empress to lie down on the bed. "Your Majesty,


    please have a rest. I''ll send someone to invite His Majestyter."


    The empress clenched her teeth. The medicine was very strong, causing severe pain all over her body.


    After ten minutes, the person who took it would show a state of weakness. Even any imperial physician


    with superb medical skills could not find out what caused such symptoms.


    After ten minutes, the empress looked as if she had just been rescued from a pond as she was


    sweating so much. To make matters worse, she was in an awkward position. Nancy clenched her fists,


    trying to calm herself down. She then ran out and eximed, "Oh no! Her Majesty fainted."


    "Nancy, why did Her Majesty faint?" Cheryl was surprised. The empress was doing fine just then. How


    could she have fainted in less than fifteen minutes?


    "Her Majesty has not slept well these days. On top of that, she has been very worried about Crown


    Prince Felix. It was because of these two reasons that she fainted. Go and immediately look for the


    imperial physician on duty so she can be treated. I''m going to see His Majesty. Hurry up!" Nancy


    ordered.


    "Yes, Nancy." After responding, Cheryl headed for the Imperial Academy of Medicine. She thought, ''If


    His Majestyes to the Sleek Pce today, I would give it a try to see if Minna was telling the truth.


    She said that as long as I sincerely pray, His Majesty would love and dote on me.''


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    After Cheryl left, she didn''t go directly to the Imperial Academy of Medicine. Instead, she took out the


    spell doll and sincerely prayed three times. Then, she hid it in the Sleek Pce before looking for the


    imperial physician. It was a crucial time for her n. If she were to seed, she would be able to


    be a nobledy in the future. She would never have to serve anyone again. If the spell were to


    fail, she would never let go of that bitch, Minna.


    Nancy did deserve to be the empress''s right hand because of herpetence. She didn''t go to see the


    emperor directly. Instead, she went to visit Sherry first. A maid who was responsible for guarding the


    gates noticed that Nancy was in such a mess. Her eyes were even reddish while she asked to see


    Sherry. She thought that Nancy had suffered abuse from the empress, so she wasing to ask


    Sherry for help. For a short while, the maid didn''t know what to do.


    "Has Lady Sherry gone to bed?" Nancy''s voice was not too loud or too soft. It was just enough for the


    people in the hall to hear her.


    At that time, Sherry was having dinner with the emperor. When she heard the noise outside, she


    immediately frowned deeply. Out of concern, she ordered, "Minna, go outside and have a look. Find out


    what''s happening and why it is so noisy."


    "Yes, My Lady." Minna set out in a hurry, but she came back very soon. "Your Majesty, My Lady, it is the


    chief maid of Her Majesty''s household, Nancy, who is at our gate. She said that Her Majesty fainted all


    of a sudden and she has no idea what to do, so she''s begging to see you, My Lady. Pleasee and


    help her."

 Chapter 601 A Record-breaking Affair (Part One)

    Chapter 601 A Record-breaking Affair (Part One)


    On hearing this, Sherry immediately put down her chopsticks and asked her maid, "Did anyone call the


    imperial physician when Her Majesty fainted?"


    "My Lady, I don''t know. Nancy is disheveled, her eyes red and swollen, and she looks extremely upset.


    The Sleek Pce may be in a mess now," Minna said gingerly.


    Sherry looked at the emperor who had already put down the chopsticks and said, "Your Majesty, Her


    Majesty fainted. I''m afraid the situation is rather serious. Why don''t youe along with me and see


    her?"


    When he saw Sherry pleading like that, the emperor couldn''t refuse her. What was more, the empress


    had fainted and he didn''t know if she was well now. The empress was his only wife, and she had


    responsibility for all the concubines in the pce. He couldn''t brush her aside. So he ordered at once,


    "Well, guards, get ready to the Sleek Pce."


    Sherry followed the emperor and looked at her maid, Minna. Minna nodded modestly at her mistress.


    There was a glint in Sherry''s eyes, but her expression showed great concern, as if she was worrying


    about the empress.


    It was a total mess in the Sleek Pce. The empress was unconscious, and the chief maid Nancy


    came to Sherry''s pce. The Sleek Pce was in a total mess with no authoritative leaders, but now


    that Nancy hade back with Sherry and the emperor, everyone was relieved.


    The emperor had doubted that the empress was pretending to be sick. But when he saw the pale and


    weak empress lying on the bed, he believed that she was really sick, and even suffering from a serious


    illness.


    "Where is the imperial physician?"


    With red-rimmed eyes, Nancy said anxiously, "Your Majesty, I have sent for the imperial physician, but


    he hasn''t arrived yet. Her Majesty has been in poor health in recent days. I suggested calling for an


    imperial physician to check on her health, but she didn''t want me to do so. She regretted that she


    hadn''t taught her child well. Prince Walden was raised by her, but he dared tomit such a crime.


    Her Majesty had been meditating and reflecting on her mistakes in the small prayer room every day,


    but she refused to let me call for an imperial physician even if she got sick. Your Majesty, Her


    Majesty..."


    "Well, that''s enough," the emperor sighed. "Andy, go and check to see where the imperial physician is."


    "Yes, Your Majesty." Andy took the order to leave at once. But as soon as he reached the door, he saw


    that the imperial physician followed hard on the heels of a young maid.


    "Your Majesty, Lady Sherry, greetings."


    "Well, there''s no need to be ceremonious. Come here and check the empress''s condition," the emperor


    said with steady calmness.


    "Yes, Your Majesty." The imperial physician quickly got up, knelt down by the bed, took out a


    handkerchief, and covered the empress''s wrist. Then he began to feel her pulse. But after feeling her


    pulse, he looked thoughtful, and opened his mouth to say something, but kept quiet after a second


    thought.


    "How is the empress now?" the old emperor inquired, frowning when he saw the imperial physician''s


    grim face.


    The imperial physician was somewhat uncertain about his first judgment. He felt the empress''s pulse


    by checking her other hand. After a long while, he looked at the emperor and replied, "Your Majesty,


    Her Majesty has had a cold for many days. Also, she has had much mental stress and suffered from


    loss of both vital energy and blood, which is why she passed out."


    "Is her condition serious?"


    "Her Majesty is very weak. She needs good treatment, or else..." The imperial physician looked at the


    emperor, and then at Lady Sherry. "It''s likely to be a chronic illness."


    "Take good care of the empress."


    "Yes, Your Majesty." The physician went to write a prescription, and dispatched a servant to get the


    medicine and decoct it. Sherry stood nearby the empress.


    As the emperor was present, everyone attended to their tasks more briskly. When the physician''s


    assistant arrived with the medicine, Nancy fed it to the empress. After a short while, the empress woke


    up. When she saw the emperor sitting by the bed, her eyes rolled slightly. She quickly struggled to sit


    up, and saluted him, "Your..."


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    "All right, just stay in bed and don''t move," the emperor told the empress. "Why can''t you take care of


    yourself? If your maid hadn''te to tell me that you passed out, I wouldn''t have known that you were


    torturing yourself like this."


    The empress smiled bitterly and said, "Your Majesty, it''s all my fault. I''m the one who brought Walden


    up from childhood. I med myself for not educating him well. The result of my neglectfulness was that


    hemitted such a terrible crime. Your Majesty, even if you don''t me me for it, I''m still remorseful."


    "It''s over. Don''t mention it anymore." Although the emperor was dissatisfied with Walden''s behaviors


    and even punished Felix, the empress knew that his main motivation for punishing Felix was that he


    suspected Felix of forming a faction.


    "Yes, Your Majesty. I won''t mention it anymore." The empress closed her eyes and her tears fell. She


    looked like she was in a totally dejected and helpless condition, and the emperor was clueless about


    how to respond to her.


    "Your Majesty, Her Majesty is in poor condition, and she needs someone to keep herpany. Your


    Majesty, you should spend more time with her," Sherry proposed. "Your Majesty, please don''t worry so


    much. You should take good care of yourself too, lest it harm your health. If Walden knew that you are


    so worried and even ill, he would be very remorseful. What''s more, you also have Felix."


    "Felix..." The empress became sadder at this mention of Felix, but she said nothing about him. "Sherry,


    I''m really sorry that you apanied His Majesty to visit me sote at night. Please go back and rest."


    Then, she turned to the emperor and said, "Your majesty, please return to the Spring Pce with


    Sherry. I''m fine now."


    "You are so ill now. How can you say you are all right?" the emperor said reproachfully. "I''ll stay here


    with you tonight."


    "But Your Majesty, I''m too weak and unattractive now. It may ruin your mood."


    "Nonsense. Set your mind at rest. I''ll stay here with you tonight," the emperor said quickly. Then,


    turning to Sherry, he added, "Sherry, you go back to the Spring Pce and sleep well."

 Chapter 602 A Record-breaking Affair (Part Two)

    Chapter 602 A Record-breaking Affair (Part Two)


    "Yes, Your Majesty. Please excuse me." There was no dissatisfaction or jealousy on Sherry''s face. As


    she walked away gracefully, a touch of praise shed across the emperor''s eyes. Noticing the subtle


    interaction that had just taken ce in front of her, the empress was a little embarrassed and her eyes


    shed sharply. Sherry was an expert at making concessions in order to gain advantages. In the


    pce, Sherry had an obedient manner, but she knew exactly what the emperor had in mind.


    "Your Majesty, I''m afraid that I''m of no use to you in my current condition."


    "Don''t stress your brain. There is no important business at hand. I''ll keep youpany tonight. Sleep


    well now. I''ll sleep outside." The emperor sped the empress''s hand, then went out to wash and went


    to bed.


    "Nancy, take good care of His Majesty," the empressmanded.


    "Yes, Your Majesty."


    "No need for that. Take good care of the empress, okay? If her health declines, I''ll hold you


    responsible." The emperor red at Nancy. "Did you hear me?"


    "Yes, Your Majesty."


    After that, the emperor went directly to the outer room and sat down. Cheryl quickly went to him with


    water and started to wash him. Somehow, the emperor''s eyes fell on Cheryl as she served him.


    "What''s your name?" the emperor asked.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    "Your Majesty, my name is Cheryl. Her Majesty gave me this name," Cheryl said submissively with her


    head lowered. She helped the emperor freshen up and take off his outer robes before going to bed.


    The emperor suddenly stretched out his hand and grabbed Cheryl''s arm, pulling her closer to him.


    Cheryl was shocked and flushed instantly.


    "Your scent is very good." The emperor smelled the maid. Then, he asked softly, "How old are you?"


    "Your Majesty, I''m 17 years old," Cheryl answered carefully. At the time of the emperor''s other visits to


    the Sleek Pce before, he had never talked to her like this. She was obviously very happy to receive


    this attention from the emperor. A thought came to her mind immediately. ''Is the spell doll really


    working?''


    The emperor somehow liked Cheryl. With the empress so ill, he had not been in the mood to have sex


    with anyone. Yet now he felt an overwhelming desire for this attractive girl, and as an emperor, he


    would make nopromises.


    "The empress is ill, so she can''t serve me tonight. You will serve me instead," the emperor said in a low


    but full voice, enough to be heard by the two people in the inner room. A moment previously, the


    empress had been so ted to snatch the emperor from Sherry. But when she heard the emperor


    order her maid to sleep with him, a quiet fury surged through her and her face turned even paler.


    With an indignant face, Nancy was about to go out and find out who the shameless bitch was. How


    dare she take the opportunity to seduce the emperor at a time like this?! But the empress stopped her


    immediately.


    "Your Majesty!" Nancy was nonplussed.


    "I''m recovering from my illness, so it''s good that someone can serve His Majesty now. Tomorrow, take


    a look at the person who serves the emperor and don''t forget to give her the award." The empress


    emphasized the word ''award'', but whatever the award was, it was left unstated.


    Cheryl was so ecstatic that she couldn''t believe the emperor had chosen her to sleep with him. Even if


    she was in the empress''s pce now, and serving the emperor in the outside room, she was still very


    happy. The emperor was vigorous and strong, and stopped having sex with her until the middle of the


    night. As it was her first time to have sex with a man, his vigorous movements were almost too much


    for her to bear. In the Sleek Pce that night, Cheryl''s weak voice begging for mercy together blended


    with the emperor''s teasingsted untilte into the night.


    Inside the inner room, the empress pinched her palm so hard that blood oozed out of it. She didn''t get


    a wink of sleep that night. In the outer room, her husband and her personal maid were enjoying


    themselves with no inhibition. The empress had never hated herself so much before that night. She


    had induced the emperor toe to her pce at the cost of her own health, but her efforts were now


    in vain, and had actually benefited only her own maid!


    Looking at the empress squeezing her palm so hard that it was bleeding, Nancy felt so infuriated at the


    maid who was having sex with the emperor. Were they shouting so loudly just to make sure everyone


    in the pce could hear what they were doing? Didn''t they know that the empress was in poor health


    and needed a good rest?


    "Your Majesty." Hearing the sound outside finally die down, Nancy looked at the empress. Thetter


    closed her eyes for a long time in silence, and then said slowly, "I''m fine. You stayed up all night. Just


    go and have some rest." Her voice was hoarse. Although her face remained expressionless, she hated


    Cheryl to the core of her heart. She knew the emperor had just surrendered to a whim and was d to


    have sex with a young girl. But as long as she was in her pce, the empress would find a way to


    punish that shameless minx!


    The emperor''s encounter in the Sleek Pce was not a secret. The emperor had made a night-time


    visit to the empress, but in the empress''s bedroom, he had sex with the empress''s personal maid. The


    news spread throughout the whole imperial pce like a wildfire. When the emperor was absent from


    the imperial court session in the morning, everyone was curious about what extraordinary abilities the


    empress''s maid had. She must have been quite extraordinary that the emperor missed an imperial


    court session because of her.


    Hearing this news, Sherry made no response, but the look in her eyes revealed her feelings.


    Everything was out of her expectation but suited her just fine. The emperor favored a maid to such an


    extent that he missed an imperial court session. This was unprecedented in the country''s history. No


    matter where the fault reallyy, historians would me the whole thing on the empress. After all, the


    empress had authority over the imperial harem.

 Chapter 603 A Repeat Tragedy (Part One)

    Chapter 603 A Repeat Tragedy (Part One)


    The empress was hoping that the emperor would ask for her opinion on how to deal with the girl he had


    spent the night with, but he never did. Instead, he took Cheryl away, making her his attendant.


    Noticing how distorted the empress''s face was due to so much anger, Nancy couldn''t help feeling


    uneasy, so she said, "Your Highness, please calm yourself down. She is nothing but a bitch without an


    ounce of self-respect. For as long as she is in the Imperial Pce, you''d be able to get a chance to


    take care of her."


    Hearing this, the empress took a deep breath and replied, "Have you received any news from


    Matthew''s mansion?"


    "No, I''m afraid not. We haven''t heard from the fake Harper ever since she returned to Prince Matthew''s


    mansion."


    "I want you to pass a message to her. Tell her that even though she has managed to deceive everyone


    and masquerade as Harper, she still has to do whatever I tell her to do. Otherwise, she''ll have to pay


    for it in the future."


    "Yes, Your Majesty."


    "Oh, and send Cheryl some gifts," said the empress in a cold tone. Despite the fact that the empress


    despised Cheryl from the bottom of her heart, she wouldn''t let it show. There was no way she could


    ever let any evidence against Cheryl fall into the hands of the enemy. "Tell her to serve the emperor


    well."


    "As you wish, Your Majesty." Seeing that the empress had finally pulled herself together, Nancy let out


    a sigh of relief. The angrier the empress was, the more she would need to calm down, because people


    tended to do unreasonable things when they were angry. In the Imperial Pce, even the tiniest slip-up


    could lead to irreversible consequences. For that reason, she had to remind the empress at all times.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    As soon as Nancy had left, the empress closed her eyes in frustration. It wasn''t after some time had


    passed that she opened her eyes again, and they were filled with coldness. "Well, well, well, Cheryl,


    aren''t you such a good girl?"


    Back at Matthew''s mansion, the fake Harper wanted to go out. However, she was told that everyone in


    the Phoenix House wasn''t allowed to go out unless they had the prince''s permission!


    "Steward, what did you just say to me?" the fake Harper asked in a cold voice. "Matthew has grounded


    me?"


    "Your Highness, His Highness didn''t mean to have you grounded. It''s just that now isn''t the right time to


    go out. His Highness simply wants you to keep staying in the Phoenix House for your own safety,"


    Noah calmly answered. The smile he had on his face wasparable to the sun in March. Yet, the


    imposter only felt his smile was full of mockery.


    "Is Matthew home? I want to see him."


    "His Highness has his hands full at the moment and doesn''t have the time to meet you," Noah tly


    replied.


    His response made the imposter feel a bit worried. She knew that Matthew loved Harper. Thest time


    she was at Matthew''s mansion, she witnessed firsthand how much he loved her. Knowing that, the fake


    Harper wondered why Matthew would insist on making her stay in the Phoenix House. On top of that,


    he hadn''t even bothered toe to see her from the time they came back from the royal banquet.


    "I have to see Matthew right now. I don''t think you''re in a position to stop me!" The fake Harper was


    feeling so anxious. Everything that had been happening was beyond her expectation. She had to see


    Matthew right away. It was very hard for her to deal with the situation all by herself in the mansion.


    Because of that, she had to see him as soon as possible.


    "Forgive me, Your Highness, but His Highness is very busy right now!"


    "I am his wife. What''s so important that he can''t even make some time to see me?" the fake Harper


    asked. Then, she pushed Noah away and headed toward the Pine House in spite of him telling her not


    to bother Matthew. She needed to find out what it was that Matthew was so busy with.


    The guards wanted to stop her at once, but they never expected her being capable of acting so fast.


    She targeted their acupuncture points to keep them from moving. After that, she went straight toward


    the Pine House. The fake Harper happened to know Matthew quite well. Knowing how much he loved


    Harper, he wouldn''t say anything if she were to kill all of these guards.


    She hurriedly ran toward the Pine House, only to see Fred outside guarding the door by himself. To her


    surprise, Fred blinked when he saw her, but he didn''t try to stop her. In fact, he was even acting as


    though he didn''t see her at all.


    The fake Harper assumed that Fred would try to stop her, but he didn''t. Seeing that, she realized that


    Harper held quite a high position at Matthew''s mansion. No one else dared to try to stop her if she


    insisted on going to the Pine House.


    "Is Matthew inside?" the fake Harper asked in a rather cold tone.


    Taking a nce at the door, Fred didn''t say a word. Of course, he knew that Matthew was inside.


    Thanks to his trained senses, he could easily tell what was going on inside the room, but there was no


    way he could tell the fake Harper about it. So he opted to just keep his mouth shut.


    Since Fred wouldn''t give her any response, the imposter walked up toward the door and decided to


    enter the room herself to find out. But just as she was about to push the door open, Fred quickly stood


    in her way and stopped her in her tracks. "I think it would be better for you not to go inside the room


    right now," he said.


    "Get out of my way! How dare you stop me?" Those words made the fake Harper so furious. Clearly,


    she was about to lose her patience. She stretched out her hands and tried to shove Fred away, but the


    latter didn''t even move an inch. Because of this, she finally flew off the handle and just seized the


    opportunity to kick the door open.


    Fred was taken aback, but he still didn''t turn around. After looking inside the room, the fake Harper


    stood by the door utterly dumbfounded, and her eyes were wide open as though she had seen a ghost.


    She turned frigid and was rendered speechless.


    She could hardly believe her eyes. In front of her, Matthew was lovingly holding a man in his arms, and


    they were kissing. The man''s clothes were in total disarray. And one of his shoulders was even


    exposed.


    "Matthew, someone wants to see you now," said the man. The imposter was startled when she heard


    the man''s voice. She had her finger pointed at the man without saying anything for a long while.


    Fred still didn''t try to stop her and simply continued standing by the entrance while holding his sword in


    his hand. The fake Harper then entered the room. She was so eager to know who the man in


    Matthew''s arms was. The imposter''s actions left Matthew feeling so displeased. Then, he pulled the


    man''s coat up and straightened it, seeming as if he didn''t want anyone else to see him naked.


    "Matthew... What are you doing?" asked the imposter. Witnessing this firsthand sent chills down her


    spine. She never truly thought that Harper was good enough for Matthew and he shouldn''t be spoiling


    her. Now that she had finally admitted the fact that Matthew indeed loved Harper, she never could''ve


    expected that it might not actually be true. As it turned out, the reason why Matthew hadn''t been


    visiting her for several days wasn''t because he had his hands full with work. It was actually because he


    was busy fooling around with another man.

 Chapter 604 A Repeat Tragedy (Part Two)

    Chapter 604 A Repeat Tragedy (Part Two)


    She had trouble epting the fact that Matthew was gay. At that moment, she didn''t even know


    whether she shouldugh or cry. Deep inside, she wanted tough because it seemed that Matthew


    didn''t truly love Harper after all. Harper was probably nothing but a pawn who had to pretend that she


    was in love with Matthew. Due to what she just saw, the fake Harper began to think that the stories of


    romance between Matthew and Harper weren''t even true, and Harper only needed to act like a prince''s


    wife in front of everyone. But other than that, she also wanted to cry because she just found out that


    Matthew was gay.


    "Matthew, you..." the imposter mumbled, clearly at a loss for words.


    "Matthew, your wife seems to be very upset. Could it be that she has actually fallen in love with you?"


    said the man in Matthew''s arms. The man then turned his head to look at the fake Harper, and it was


    only at this point that she finally saw his face. She resented the man who had gained Matthew''s


    affection. That being said, as much as she hated to admit it, the man had a rather pretty face. As a


    man, he looked very charming and pretty. Even though she had only seen his face for a few seconds,


    she thought that he was so attractive that she had difficulty getting a hold of herself.


    "You are the only one I love. You should know that," Matthew tly replied, kissing him on the lips.


    "I know that, but I''d prefer not to have people watching us like this," said the man.


    Hearing their conversation, the imposter felt a tinge of bitterness in her throat. "Shame on you!" she


    yelled out.


    This made Matthew''s eyes darken. At that moment, he was shooting the imposter quite an intense


    re, which frightened her so much that she had to take a step back. However, she managed to force


    herself to be strong after taking a few steps backward.


    "Matthew, are you really going to do this to me?" the fake Harper asked, looking so appointed. Even for


    her, Matthew having no feelings for Harper was very hard to believe. "Was the love you had for me


    nothing but a lie?"


    This question caused Matthew''s face to turn livid, as though he could actually kill someone at any time.


    In spite of that, the imposter seemed to bepletely oblivious of the fact that she had already pissed


    Matthew off. Taking a step forward, she added, "Matthew, I love you so much. Are you really going to


    leave me for this filthy... Ah!"


    Before she could even finish what she was trying to say, a punch sent her flying out of the door. She fell


    to the ground outside the room and spat out a mouthful of blood. "Who the hell do you think you are?


    How dare you insult the one I love?" Matthew asked in a cold voice.


    The fake Harper had been leftpletely stunned when she heard him say that. She immediately got


    up and said, "Am I not someone you love as well? I''m your wife after all. Why? Why would you rather


    be with a man than me?"


    The real Harper, lying in the arms of Matthew, held her chin and had her gaze fixated on the woman


    who was fuming with anger. Suddenly, she realized who the imposter truly was.


    "You? My wife?" Matthew said, sounding so furious. As he stared nkly at the imposter, he continued,


    "How dare you call yourself my wife! You do not even qualify to hold my wife''s shoes. I am only


    allowing you to stay in my mansion because you''re still useful for me for a certain reason."


    The imposter was taken aback. She stumbled over her words, "You... What did you say?"


    "Matthew said that you are merely a pawn we are using to show the others what we want them to see.


    If you''re willing to continue acting as a pawn quietly, you''ll be safe here. But if you be greedy and


    want to gain his love, the time you''re spending here wille to an end. You don''t expect him to love


    you, do you?"


    The fake Harper couldn''t help shaking her head, having trouble believing what she just heard. She had


    heard that Matthew loved Harper so deeply, so much so that he never left the Phoenix House every


    time she was there. But not once had he ever set foot inside the Phoenix House since they came back


    from the birthday banquet.


    "Matthew, are you really that cruel?" the imposter asked, feeling so dejected. "Are you really going to


    treat me like this? Did you forget that I was the one who cured the poison in your body? I saved your


    life!"


    "Tsk-tsk," the real Harper in Matthew''s arms helplessly sighed.


    Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    "What do you want?" Matthew tly asked as he ran his fingers through the real Harper''s hair.


    "I want you, Matthew! I want you to make love to me!" the fake Harper eximed.


    Even Fred who was just standing at the door felt so disgusted upon hearing her say that, let alone


    Matthew and the real Harper. Fred began to wonder where Felix found a woman who would pretend to


    be Harper. Why was she so loose? She seemed to be too crazy and desperate for men.


    "Oh? So you want someone to have sex with you," Matthew remarked in a deep voice, his voice


    sounding quite menacing.


    Hearing this, the imposter mistakenly thought that she had just discovered something that Matthew


    might want from her. Under that assumption, she took a step forward and resolutely said, "Yes. I want


    to have sex with you."


    "What?" the real Harper chimed in before Matthew could give her a response. Pointing at herself, she


    said, "No way. I don''t even like you."


    Although the fake Harper was very irritated at that moment, she choked up her anger and said, "Well,


    the feeling is mutual. I do not like you either. You''re not really my type." Then she turned to Matthew


    and added, "Matthew, you''re the one I want. Please take me and make me your wife!"


    As soon as Matthew heard this, his eyes were filled with so much killing intent. "You do not deserve to


    be my wife. But since you seem to be raring to have sex right now, I''ll satisfy your desire. Fred, send


    this woman to the military camp and make her a military prostitute!"


    "Please don''t do that. I haven''t had enough fun yet." The real Harper stopped him right away, gently


    rubbing her hands against his chest.


    "I can''t stand the fact that someone who''s pretending to be you is saying something so outrageous in


    front of me. Fred, I want you to tear off her mask and send her to the military camp to serve as a


    prostitute. If she ever gets away this time, I''ll kill the one responsible for it myself!" Matthew


    eximed.

 Chapter 605 She Was Pregnant

    Chapter 605 She Was Pregnant


    The fake Harper waspletely shocked. She couldn''t believe what she had just heard. ''What did


    Matthew say? Who is this man?'' she wondered and looked at the man in Matthew''s arms.


    ''But he is a man! How could I pretend to be him? I am pretending to be Harper!''


    Looking at the woman who was so bewildered, the real Harper smiled and said in her own voice,


    "Rena, I can''t believe that you would dare toe to our mansion again. Do you miss the soldiers of


    the ck g Army in the military camp? Are their skills excellent?"


    When the imposter heard this, the blood drained from her face. She trembled inside, but maintained an


    appearance of calmness. "I don''t know what you are talking about, and I don''t know who Rena is."


    Harper took off the mask and exposed her own face, which made the imposter at the door fall to the


    floor in an instant. "You... How can you be still alive?"


    "Of course I''m alive. I''m not vulnerable to your little tricks." Harper jumped out of Matthew''s arms and


    said, "I thought that Felix took you away from that military camp only because he had an interest in


    you, but I was wrong. It turns out that you enjoy being a military prostitute in the ck g Army''s


    camp."


    "You bitch, I will kill you!" The imposter of Harper turned out to be Rena. She was enraged, prepared to


    risk her life to fight Harper. Fred kicked a stone and hit at certain acupuncture point of her chest. As a


    result, she couldn''t move. Gnashing her teeth, she red at Harper.


    Harper looked at Rena and said coldly, "If I were you, I would have stayed away from the imperial


    capital after being rescued. I woulde back only when I have the ability to avenge myself properly. I


    would never havee back in such a pitiful condition as you are in now. What a fool you are! You


    came back so soon and now I have you at my mercy."


    "You killed my father and Denny. I will avenge them with your death!" Rena''s face was twisted with


    rage. Harper tore off Rena''s mask, feeling bored by the sight of this woman''s distorted face.


    "Tell me, what do the empress and Felix intend to aplish by sending you to our mansion?" Harper


    slowly asked. "Consider your answer carefully. Now that Felix is under house arrest, the empress is


    having a hard time in the Imperial Pce. If you make me happy, you won''t have to be a military


    prostitute anymore."


    Rena was worried, but she was not a coward. "Stop daydreaming. I will never tell you," she replied with


    a frown.


    "It''s fine if you don''t want to tell me. It means that you indeed miss the soldiers in the ck g Army,


    and I won''t stop you if you want to have fun with them again. After all, those boys are young and


    strong, and most of them haven''t been married. They have so much energy and they can''t release it


    other than practicing martial skills every day. Well, you''re going to divert them from boredom," Harper


    said with slow mockery. "Fred,e to think of it, you don''t have a girlfriend till now..."


    "I don''t like her," Fred interrupted Harper at once. He didn''t like where her words were leading.


    Harper smiled. "Oh well, since you''re not interested, just send her back to the ck g Army''s camp


    and reward the soldiers. Be careful not to let her die too fast, so she can serve the public for as long as


    possible. When the soldiers in the army get tired of her, sell her to a brothel and make some money.


    She has lived in our mansion for many days already, so she needs to work hard to repay us for all


    those meals."


    "Yes, Your Highness," said Fred with a grimace.


    "You can''t do this to me, Harper Chu. Your Highness, how can you let that woman torture me like this?"


    "He''s delighted to see it." Holding Matthew''s chin, Harper took a bite on his lips. "Because he''s mine.


    He hates those whom I hate, and he likes to torture those whom I want to torture."


    "Your Highness, do you actually want a woman to control you like this?" Rena asked in disbelief. "If you


    are willing to take me as your concubine, I would tell you all that Her Majesty and Crown Prince Felix


    are nning to do."


    "There''s no need."


    Matthew held Harper and kissed her more deeply as quick kisses were not enough to satisfy his


    passion. He concentrated on kissing her and forgot everything. Fred gagged Rena and then quietly


    took her away. He even considerately closed the door for the couple.


    "Harp, suddenly I don''t want a baby anymore." Matthew put his forehead against Harper''s, seeing that


    she was softening in his arms.


    Overwhelmed by his kiss, Harper asked, "Why? I thought you always wanted a baby."


    "The thought of someone else showing up and sharing your love with me makes me feel


    ufortable, so I don''t want a child anymore," Matthew said, feeling aggrieved.


    Hearing this, Harper had a smile in her eyes and burst outughing. "I didn''t know that you could be so


    jealous. You are even jealous of your own kid."


    "Yes. I want you to belong to me only." Matthew embraced Harper passionately and inhaled the faint


    fragrance of medicine from her. At that moment, he was overwhelmed with happiness. The feeling she


    inspired in him was irresistible.


    "You wanted a baby before and now you said you don''t. I don''t know what to do with you." Harper


    pinched her husband''s cheek. "Darling, why didn''t I ever notice that you are such a cute man?"


    "Cute?" Hearing that, Matthew raised his eyebrows. "Are you praising me?"


    "Well, yes, of course that''s apliment." Harper nodded without hesitation. "So cute that I can''t even


    bear to bite you a little."


    "But I want to crush you, swallow you, and mix you with me, so that I will never be separated from you."


    Matthew''s voice became husky. He looked at the woman, with desire spreading in his eyes. "I know


    that Zack is just one of your good friends, and you just have pity for Francis, and the other two at the


    border are your friends also. But I feel quite uneasy when I know that so many men are coveting you."


    "Matthew Jun." It was rare for Harper to call him by his full name.


    "Yes." Matthew rubbed against Harper''s neck as if he needed constion.


    "Have I ever told you that I love you very much?" asked Harper softly.


    "What did you say just now? Say it again. I didn''t hear you clearly." Matthew was shocked.


    "Matthew Jun?"


    "The next sentence!"


    "Have I ever told you?"


    "The next words!" Matthew was getting annoyed, so he took a big bite of Harper, who gasped in pain.


    "Are you a dog?" Rubbing her sore shoulder, Harper protested.


    "Say it. Say it again," Matthew insisted.


    Holding his shoulder, Harper looked into his eyes and said slowly, "Matthew Jun, I love you, very


    much."


    "How much?" Matthew''s heart almost burst out of his chest. He felt very happy when he heard from


    Harper how much she loved him. This feeling was sweeter than honey. Even though he already knew


    that her heart belonged to him, he still felt over the moon when she expressed her love to him face to


    face. He felt like he was in the clouds, happy and uncertain at the same time.


    "You mean more to me than everyone else in the world. I''d be willing to hurt anyone else for you,"


    Harper said with a smile.


    "Harper Chu, I love you, too. Even if everyone else betrays me, I feel that I have the whole world as


    long as I have you. After having a wife like you, I will have nothing to regret at the time of my death."


    Matthew was holding Harper with so much strength that he wanted to embed her into his flesh and


    blood. But soon he loosened his grip a little bit, for fear of hurting her.


    "At this moment, I really want to knead you and meld your flesh and blood with mine. I am happy only


    when you are happy. Even God can''t separate you from me."


    Leaning against Matthew''s chest, Harper burst intoughter. "If anyone heard what you said today, I''m


    sure many women would envy me. The prince who is as cold as an iceberg which hasn''t melted for


    millennia bes a gentle prince through my love, and I''m the only one he loves throughout his whole


    life. Countless women have fallen in love with you and want to marry you."


    "You are the only woman our mansion can hold. No matter how big my heart is, it can amodate no


    one but you, No matter how small it is, it still can hold you only. A long time ago, I was poisoned, and a


    kind of counter-poison called Harper Chu was injected into my bone, but it took me no effort to bear it."


    Matthewughed.


    "Yes, I was poisoned too," Harper said mysteriously. "I was drugged by a poison named Matthew Jun.


    Even though I knew the poison was irresistible to all the other women in the world, I still couldn''t resist


    taking the poison. I couldn''t control my heart because this man filled it."


    The couple smiled at each other. Since their marriage, they had never before been so clingy with each


    other, so eager to talk and express their feelings in such a clear way. One of them always worried that


    Harper would leave him, and the other one was afraid that Matthew would be displeased by her


    behaviors. However, they couldn''t help but love each other, and they were entangled with each other


    until death.


    Harper raised her head, looked at him and asked curiously, "Matthew Jun, then do you want a baby or


    not?"


    "I want no one but you. Now, I only want you, just you," said Matthewzily, rubbing himself against


    Harper''s neck.


    Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    "No way!" Harper took his hand and put it on her belly. She smiled and said, "Congrattions. You''re


    going to be a father. I''m pregnant."


    Matthew froze in shock. He was at aplete loss for what to do. He didn''t know how to react. Even


    his tongue went stiff. He opened his mouth but couldn''t form aplete sentence for a long while.


    "You... You..."


    "What do you want to say? Has your happiness turned you into a fool?" As Harper looked at Matthew,


    who was still uneasy, the smile in her eyes spread. The whole room was filled with her smile, warm and


    sweet.


    "I... You... are really pregnant?" Matthew''s hand on Harper''s belly seemed to be burning. He withdrew it


    and said, "It sounds unreal."


    "Yes, Matthew Jun, I''m pregnant now. You''re going to be a father." Harper held his face in her hands


    and asked, "What? Do you feel unhappy about the news?"

 Chapter 606 News From The Phoenix House (Part One)

    Chapter 606 News From The Phoenix House (Part One)


    Matthew was dumbstruck hearing the news. After a while, he rushed out of the room like a gust of


    wind. He ran so fast that even Harper failed to stop him. In the blink of an eye, he was nowhere to be


    seen.


    Harper was almost frozen on the spot, as she didn''t know whether tough or to cry. She did not


    understand what her husband meant. Was he so scared by this news that he fled away?


    When Fred returned, what he saw was Matthew stumbling out as if he had bumped into a ghost. Fred


    looked at Harper, whose face twisted. Then, he looked back at the direction of Matthew, but he had


    already disappeared from his sight. He asked, "Your Highness, what''s wrong with His Highness?"


    "Nothing serious. He is crazy!" Harper uttered every word between her teeth. She could not help but


    curse Matthew in her heart. It was he who had yearned for a child from her. Now, when she finally got


    pregnant, he said he no longer wanted a child. ''Is he kidding me?'' she thought.


    In a rage, Harper walked out forcibly, as if she would leave her three-dimensional footprints on the


    ground. She was heading straight for the Phoenix House. Seeing all this, Fred was very confused. The


    couple was in a harmonious atmosphere a while ago, but in the blink of an eye, they had fallen out.


    "Your Highness, do you need me to call His Highness back?" Fred asked cautiously.


    Hearing that, Harper halted and turned around, and this scared Fred to stop in his tracks too. At the


    sight of her fiery re, he swallowed and mumbled, "Your Highness¡­"


    "Tell him to go die and never show up again in front of me!" Harper roared loudly, boiling with anger.


    She then turned back and walked swiftly towards the Phoenix House.


    Since the fake Harper hadn''t been back after a long while, Nina was afraid that she would make trouble


    for Harper. Thus, Nina went out to look for the imposter. Coincidentally, she met Harper, who was


    walking towards the Phoenix House with a long face.


    "Your Highness, you¡­ You''re back?"


    "Close the door and unchain the dog. If Matthewes here, let the dog bite him dead!" Harper said


    relentlessly. "From now on, Matthew will be barred from entering my house. If someone lets him in, that


    person would be thrown out along with him!"


    When Forsythia caught up with Harper, she heard her raging roar. She couldn''t help butment, "His


    Highness is doomed and in big trouble. I''ve never seen Her Highness this angry."


    Fred nodded his head to echo with Forsythia. He couldn''t agree more, as this was the first instance


    when the gate of the Phoenix House was closed right in front of him, preventing him from entering


    inside. Even Forsythia was locked outside. It seemed that they too were implicated.


    "What on earth had happened?" Forsythia asked.


    "I don''t know. When I came back, I saw His Highness running out as if he had seen a ghost. And Her


    Highness was raging in anger. I think His Highness might have done something to Her Highness''


    extreme displeasure," Fred said. After thinking for a while, he added, "But I just can''t imagine what on


    earth would make Her Highness so angry."


    "Does His Highness have another woman?" Forsythia asked tentatively.


    "That''s impossible!" Fred refuted immediately, shaking his head. Matthew''s eyes were always fixed on


    Harper. Though they were married, he was still afraid that some other man would try to woo her away


    from him. He envied every man who got closer to his wife.


    "Then why is Her Highness so angry?" Forsythia was confused. Though she had served Harper for a


    long time, she had never seen her so angry.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    At the same time, Matthew, who was still unaware that he had enraged his wife so much, was sitting in


    the Imperial Academy of Medicine like a Yama with a poker face. Dozens of imperial physicians knelt


    on the ground, holding their breath. They couldn''t understand why Matthew, who seldom paid any visit


    to the Imperial Academy of Medicine, suddenly came today and called all its members, including the


    chief imperial physician and interns who filled prescriptions, here.


    "Your Highness, what could be the reason for calling all of us together here? What can we do for you?"


    the chief imperial physician asked cautiously. At that moment, he even wished if he were not the head


    of the Imperial Academy of Medicine, as that would have warded off him from meeting Matthew face to


    face.


    "Every ten of you will form a group. Write down what I want in groups ording to my requirement!" As


    soon as he finished his words, some people marched in and set up folding screens, dividing the room


    for tenpartments. Eachpartment was equipped with a desk and a chair as well as an ink


    brush, an ink stick, paper and an ink stone.


    The imperial physicians were a little relieved. Their hearts were no longer in their throats. Fortunately


    for them, Matthew wasn''t here to make trouble. Now that he wanted the imperial physicians to write


    down something ording to his requirements, they guessed it had to be certainly connected with


    medicine, which was their strong point. The chief imperial physician took the lead and walked into a


    compartment, while others followed him. They sat down in differentpartments and then waited for


    further instructions from Matthew.


    "Every one of you, write what a pregnantdy can eat and cannot eat, what she can do and cannot do.


    Before you give back the paper, make sure you have signed your name at the bottom," Matthew


    ordered in an apathetic tone. It was hard for one to tell his emotion from his voice. But he was sitting


    down and was constantly knocking on the desk rhythmically, indicating that he was excited.


    Hearing Matthew''s order, the chief imperial physician squinted his eyes and nced at him. He


    wondered if Matthew''s wife was pregnant.


    "Your Highness, pardon me for my interruption, but is Her Highness pregnant?" the chief imperial


    physician asked tentatively.


    "Cut the crap! Do what I asked you to do," Matthew said, as he frowned slightly and cast him a re.


    The chief imperial physician was so frightened that his hand holding the ink brush trembled, ruining the


    piece of paper in front of him. He had no choice but to rewrite on a new piece of paper.


    All the imperial physicians breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing that the reason Matthew was here


    was only because he wanted them to write matters needing attention for a pregnant woman. It was


    rumored that he had been injured and couldn''t have a child. Now if his wife was pregnant, he must be


    crazy with joy, but the emperor would be crazy with anger.


    Soon, each of the first group of ten imperial physicianspleted their list of do''s and don''ts.


    Immediately someone approached to pick their paper up and then handed it over to Matthew for


    review.

 Chapter 607 News From The Phoenix House (Part Two)

    Chapter 607 News From The Phoenix House (Part Two)


    The second group of ten imperial physicians was already on their chairs and writing in a hurry. Matthew


    reviewed the dos and don''ts written by the first group of imperial physicians. It was his first step into


    parenthood, and he was not sure about the things to be done. Thus, he was left with no other option


    but to seek advice from the experts.


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    It took almost two hours for all the physicians to finish their assignment. Looking at all the physicians in


    the room, Matthew drew out a few pieces of paper and asked, "Who is Ian Wang?"


    "Your Highness, I''m Ian Wang," one of the imperial physicians answered in a trembling voice and stood


    up in a hurry. His body was visibly shaking.


    "ording to your prescription, a pregnantdy should be wary of eating haws. But all other physicians


    have written that pregnantdies prefer eating sweet and sour food, and they have listed haws as a


    food that can be consumed during pregnancy. Why do you say that a pregnantdy cannot eat haws?"


    With sweat all over his forehead, Ian exined, "Your Highness, since haw tastes sweet and sour,


    pregnant women prefer eating it. But, if a pregnant woman eats too many haws, chances of her


    miscarriage would be high. So, it is advisable to restrict pregnant women from eating haws at will."


    Hearing his exnation, Matthew squinted slightly and shifted his eyes to the other imperial physicians.


    All the other imperial physicians were so scared that they felt their legs were getting weak and they


    knelt down. "Your Highness, we don''t share the opinion that pregnant women shouldn''t eat haws. The


    ladies in the Imperial Pce usually eat haws, but none of them has ever miscarried because of that.


    Ian Wang might have remembered it wrong."


    "Really?" Matthew looked further at the dos and don''ts Ian had written. It was evident to him that Ian


    had not only written clearly but also given more detailed information than all his colleagues. He hadn''t


    just written what could be eaten and what couldn''t be eaten, but also exined why. Simrly, he also


    exined what could be or couldn''t be done with the consequences. All other physicianspleted


    their prescriptions in a single piece of paper, but to cover all his information, Ian took over ten pieces of


    paper.


    "Your Highness, I don''t," Ian Wang asserted, while his face was deathly pale in fear. It made little sense


    to him why none of the other imperial physicians wrote that a pregnant woman couldn''t eat haws. How


    could it be possible? Although he was just a neer there, he was well aware of this simple


    knowledge. How could all the other imperial physicians be unaware of suchmon sense? If they


    knew that a pregnant woman shouldn''t eat too many haws, why hadn''t they written it? If they didn''t


    know such a simple fact, then how could they work as imperial physicians?


    "Get up, Ian Wang!" Matthew ordered. Hepared the dos and don''ts on the list Ian Wang had


    written and found that he had put forward many examples of miscarriage because of mutual restraint


    between different foods. He even mentioned some spices and nts that had the potential to cause a


    miscarriage of a pregnant woman. The information he provided was veryprehensive. Matthew


    concluded that Ian was a special person.


    When Barry came looking for Matthew, what he saw was Matthew consulting with Ian Wang modestly.


    All other imperial physicians were kneeling on the ground. Barry had no idea how long they had been


    kneeling. He only saw a few aged imperial physicians swaying slightly, as if they were about to faint.


    "Your Highness."


    Matthew didn''t hear Barry''s call. Instead, he concentrated on Ian Wang''s words about pregnancy.


    Something came to Barry''s mind suddenly. He guessed that this abnormal behavior of Matthew might


    be because Harper was pregnant.


    Thinking of the fact that Harper was raging with anger at the moment, and that she almost wanted to


    kill Matthew, Barry could not help but feel pity for the prince. Then, Ian Wang told Matthew, "Your


    Highness, pregnant women shouldn''t endure emotional fluctuations. They must keep a sound state of


    mind. They shouldn''t be angry, worried, or anxious. It''s very necessary to keep a pregnant woman


    always happy."


    Matthew nodded his head, as if he had learned a lot. Seeing that, Barry grinned like a Cheshire cat and


    felt even more pity for him.


    "This is a prescription prepared by me for miscarriage prevention. Her Highness is blessed with


    exceptional medicinal skills. Your Highness, you may take it back and let Her Highness have a look. If


    Her Highness agrees with my prescription, then she may take the medicines ording to my


    prescription," Ian Wang said. He had thought Matthew was terrifying. It was not until today, when he


    saw Matthew face to face, that he found out that the rumors weren''t true. Matthew wasn''t terrifying, but


    he was just a man who didn''t know what was to be done when he would be a father.


    "Okay, I understand." It was not until Matthew put the prescription in his pocket that he noticed Barry,


    who had been waiting aside.


    "Barry, what brought you here instead of guarding Harper?" Matthew immediately became unhappy.


    Now that Harper was pregnant, she needed more people to take care of her. He couldn''t understand


    why Barry came to look for him.


    "Your Highness, pardon me for saying this, but you are in big trouble," Barry said in a very peaceful


    voice while looking at Matthew. "It''s about Her Highness. She is furious at the moment."


    "Did you say furious? No way! The imperial physician has just told me that a pregnantdy must


    maintain a pleasant mood, or it will do harm to the baby in her belly!" Matthew eximed. He couldn''t


    sit any longer. "Go back home."


    Barry looked at Matthew, who still had no idea that it was he himself who made his wife angry. Barry


    felt helpless. He had always thought Matthew was wise and powerful, but now, for a moment, he


    thought he was just a fool. Matthew made his wife angry, but he didn''t know that he had made a


    mistake. Now that he made his way back, there would be nothing short of another battle awaiting him in


    his mansion.


    As soon as Matthew left, all the imperial physicians in the Imperial Academy of Medicine fell to the


    ground and kept wiping the sweat from their foreheads with their sleeves. The Yama had finally left, but


    thinking about the prescriptions they had written, they were trembling with fear. If Matthew hadn''t left


    because of Harper being angry, they would have been severely punished by him today.


    "Hurry up! Report to His Majesty and Her Majesty that Lady Harper is pregnant!" the chief imperial


    physician ordered someone as he finally came into his senses. After all, Harper''s pregnancy was big


    news.

 Chapter 608 The Estrangement Between Husband And Wife

    Chapter 608 The Estrangement Between Husband And Wife


    The emperor received the news straightaway. When he heard it, he was not displeased at all. Instead,


    he smiled in delight.


    Andy was unsure about the news. ''His Majesty is overjoyed that Lady Harper is pregnant. The sun


    rises in the east today. But why I felt something is really wrong?''


    "What good news!" The emperorughed loudly. ''A few days after the fake Harper was sent to


    Matthew''s mansion, the news that his wife was pregnant spread around quickly. It seemed that Felix


    and the empress had yed the imposter trick sessfully. Most likely, Matthew was mad with joy and


    had no idea that the baby was not his.''


    "Someone."


    "Your Majesty, I am here."


    "Go to Matthew''s mansion to deliver an imperial edict, and reward them with a pair of high-quality jade,


    ten pieces of brocade and one thousand taels of gold. Tell them that I hope that Harper can deliver a


    baby for Matthew soon." The emperor''s words were spoken with the utmost sarcasm.


    "Yes, Your Majesty."


    The empress hadn''t received the news yet. The Sleek Pce was deadly silent. The empress was


    brooding over the devastating blow to her pride that she had recently received: her own maidservant


    had seduced the emperor, and the emperor had given the maid the title of Attendant Cheryl. She hadn''t


    punished her yet. However, Cheryl secretly went back to the empress''s pce and was caught.


    "Attendant Cheryl."


    "Greetings, Your Majesty." Cheryl trembled in fear. She had been taken away from the Sleek Pce by


    the emperor, so she had to sneak back to get a special possession of hers at the risk of her life. She


    had hidden it in the empress''s pce. If she didn''t recover it, she would lose the emperor''s love.


    "You''ve done an excellent job of seducing His Majesty. He not only ignored my illness, but also gave


    you the title of Attendant Cheryl without asking for my opinion. You impressed me!" When the empress


    said this, her tone was calm, and her expression was gentle, but her anger was obvious to Cheryl.


    When the empress saw the clothes that Cheryl was wearing by virtue of her new rank as the attendant,


    the sight was very offensive to her eye.


    "Forgive me, Your Majesty. Please don''t be angry at me! I..."


    "You truly deserve to die!" the empress interrupted her. "Tell me. You have sneaked into my pce and


    want to steal something. What is it? You stole His Majestyst time. Do you want to steal my seal this


    time?"


    "I dare not!" Cheryl was so frightened that she fell to the ground, shivering. Stealing the empress''s seal


    was a capital felony. If the empress framed her for stealing her seal, even the emperor wouldn''t be able


    to save her.


    "Oh, really?" The empress snorted in contempt. "There''s nothing you dare not do. Nancy, search this


    bitch and find out what she has stolen."


    "Yes, Your Majesty." Nancy went to Cheryl immediately, but thetter was so scared that she wanted to


    get up and run away. Two nannies rushed over and held her down. "You little hussy, how dare you run


    away from me?"


    Nancy stared at Cheryl with an icy cold smile on her face. In front of everyone, she stripped Cheryl of


    all her clothes. Cheryl felt extremely ashamed, but now there was something much more terrible than


    that, because the voodoo doll hidden inside her clothes dropped out when her clothes came off.


    "What''s this?" Nancy picked up the voodoo doll and was utterly shocked. "You shameless wench! How


    dare you use such a filthy thing in this pce? You''re courting death!"


    As soon as the two nannies let go of Cheryl''s hands, she fell to the ground. In spite of her nakedness,


    she crawled to the empress''s feet and caught the corner of her clothes. "Your Majesty, please forgive


    me. It''s not a voodoo curse for hurting anyone. I intend no harm to anyone. It''s just a spell doll for


    gaining His Majesty''s favor."


    The empress narrowed her eyes. "You say you used this doll to win His Majesty''s affection?"


    "Yes. I didn''t believe in its power at first. But after I prayed sincerely to the spell doll that day, His


    Majesty stayed with me that night. I originally wanted to take the spell doll away with me, but His


    Majesty took me away directly at dawn, so I couldn''t. This is the reason why I sneaked back into the


    Sleek Pce to take it. Please spare my life, Your Majesty. I wouldn''t do this again."


    The empress looked at the spell doll in her hand, and then looked at Cheryl who was crying. Then she


    asked, "Is this really as effective as you imed?"


    "Your Majesty, what I said is true. His Majesty pampered me in every way possible..." After saying that,


    Cheryl lifted her eyes up to the empress. Seeing the terrible re on the empress''s face, she changed


    her words immediately. "Your Majesty, if you don''t believe it, you can have a try."


    "Your Majesty, His Majesty is visiting the Sleek Pce. He has already arrived at the gate." The


    empress wanted to take that opportunity to kill Cheryl, but as the emperor was already at the gate, she


    had no choice but to have her servants knock her out and hide her away. As for the spell doll, she


    couldn''t find a good ce to hide it right away, so she threw it under the bed.


    The emperor was in a jolly mood. He thought the pregnancy of Matthew''s wife was owing to the


    empress. When he thought back upon the time when he raped Harper and that the imposter of Harper


    whom Matthew loved deeply was pregnant, he was brimming with joy. Under the assumption that the


    empress had contributed to that, he wanted to express his gratitude.


    "Greetings, Your Majesty." The empress made a show of trying to arise from bed.


    "Don''t move. Lie down." The emperor waved his hand to stop the empress from getting up to salute


    him. "Don''t force yourself. You are in poor health."


    "I''m feeling much better now. Don''t worry," the empress said with a smile. "Your Majesty seems to be in


    a good mood now."


    The emperor smiled heartily. "I''m in an excellent mood, because Matthew''s wife is pregnant."


    The empress''s eyes glimmered. Then she realized how well Felix had performed the task of changing


    Matthew''s wife. He not only took Harper away, but even sent a pregnant imposter to Matthew''s


    mansion. Matthew always regarded himself as a wise man. But now his wife had disappeared and he


    had to raise someone else''s son. Every time this came to the emperor''s mind, he would break into


    laughter.


    "It''s a truly delightful event."


    "I agree with you." The emperor gave a loud bellyugh. Then he suddenly smelled a soothing aroma


    from the empress, which was very alluring to him. Looking at the empress''s middle-aged face, he still


    found it appealing. He swallowed, and his voice became slightly hoarse. "How long haven''t we been


    close to each other?"


    The empress was a little surprised and looked at the emperor. There was an interest in the emperor''s


    eyes which she had not seen for a long time. Then she replied, "I can''t remember. It has been a long


    time since Your Majesty stayed in my pcest time."


    "May I stay here with you tonight?" The emperor touched the face of his empress. His voice was low


    and husky, full of lust. If he weren''t concerned for her health, he would have leaned forward to kiss her.


    The empress thought for a moment and nodded. A satisfied smile appeared on the emperor''s wrinkled


    face. He climbed into the empress''s bed. Nancy, who guarded outside, felt relieved to see that the


    empress had finally regained the emperor''s favor and that the emperor still cared about the empress.


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Nanny Nancy, how should we deal with Cheryl?" the old nanny asked in a low voice. Cheryl had been


    knocked out and hidden in the closet like a useless rag-doll for the moment. If the emperor and the


    empress restored their rtionship, Cheryl would be history!


    "Wait for Her Majesty''s decision," Nancy said lightly. "Her Majesty is so angry with her. We have to let


    her vent her anger as she pleases."


    "Got it."


    Nancy asked the others to leave, and she stayed outside the empress''s pce. Listening to the sounds


    inside the pce, she smiled contentedly. Then she remembered the one in the Spring Pce and the


    weak Prince Francis, and she couldn''t help but sigh.


    ''This is an opportunity. If Their Majesties restore their close rtionship, then the crown prince will be


    released before long, '' Nancy thought to herself.


    The crown prince had beenmanded by the emperor to stay confined to his mansion and reflect on


    what happened. Felix was not allowed to go out. In addition, Matthew had prevented the news of his


    wife''s pregnancy from spreading everywhere, so the news hadn''t spread to the crown prince''s mansion


    yet. If Felix knew Lady Harper was pregnant, he would realize that their n had already failed.


    In the crown prince''s mansion, Felix was quite calm and absorbed in his study of statecraft. Since she


    came back from the emperor''s birthday banquet, Fiona said she was ufortable and didn''t want to


    share the same bed with Felix. Thetter noticed nothing unusual about her. After all, there were many


    concubines in his mansion, and he had never been very interested in his wife.


    Fiona locked herself up in the room. Even though she behaved normally, she woke up from her


    nightmares every night, dreaming of being pressed under the emperor and brutally tortured. What


    happened that day was a nightmare that she couldn''t shake off. It haunted her relentlessly.


    "Are you okay, Your Highness?" her maid asked gingerly. "Did you have a nightmare again?"


    Fiona was still in trepidation. She felt a little relieved as she found herself sleeping on her own bed in


    the crown prince''s mansion. Then she said hoarsely, "I''m fine. You don''t have to stay up with me at


    night. Go and sleep."


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    Fiona got dressed, poured a cup of cold tea and drank it all. The cold tea was the only thing that could


    calm her nerves. During these days, she was unwilling to see Felix, because his face resembled that of


    his father, and would remind her of the brutal treatment she had endured. As a royal daughter-inw,


    Felix''s wife, the wife of the future emperor, she should be a motherly role model for the whole country.


    However, the emperor, who was her father-inw, had raped her. If such a scandal were to spread, she


    would die without a burial ce. She didn''t dare to reveal the news to anyone. After all, this was the


    biggest scandal of the royal family for centuries!


    The royal family would need to cover up this scandal, so they wouldn''t uphold justice for her. To be


    more specific, no one was able to uphold justice for her. Even Felix certainly wouldn''t do it, either. If he


    knew what the emperor had done, he might simply wrap her up and send her to the emperor''s bed


    again. At the thought of this, Fiona felt extremely painful and her face turned pale. Was it possible that


    it was, in fact, Felix who had sent her to the emperor''s bed?


    This idea lingered in her mind and she was haunted by it. It was a usible idea, given the way Felix


    had always treated her indifferently!


    "Felix, you''re such a heartless man!" Fiona gnashed her teeth. "Since you''re heartless, you won''t be


    able to me me if I''m cruel to you. You and your father forced me to do it!"

 Chapter 609 The Hard Pregnancy (Part One)

    Chapter 609 The Hard Pregnancy (Part One)


    Inside his mansion, Matthew was looking at the secret guards of the Chu n who were then guarding


    the Phoenix House. It was at this moment that Matthew unintentionally caught a glimpse of Fred and


    Forsythia who had also been kicked out.


    "What happened to Harper?"


    Matthew asked. Forsythia turned to him and thought, ''Prince Matthew, you really are a hopeless case.


    To an extent, you made Lady Harper upset. And still, you''re asking what happened?!''


    With so much hesitation, Fred stated, "Your Highness, I heard that it was you who made Her Highness


    upset. More importantly, she asked me to pass on two words to you."


    "What are they?"


    Fred responded in a calm tone, "Go die."


    The expression on Matthew''s face instantly twisted. It didn''t make any sense until his mind wandered to


    what he had discussed with Harper when he left. In an instant, he understood what had happened.


    Harper must have thought that he didn''t like children. She must''ve thought that he was so frightened by


    the news of her pregnancy so he fled. There was no other exnation of why she was so furious with


    him.


    "Someone, make some medicine for miscarriage prevention and prepare a te of sweet-sour plums,"


    Matthew ordered at once.


    "Yes, Your Highness." After that, Matthew didn''t rush toe inside. Instead, he just stood outside the


    door and turned to Fred, making the man a bit worried about his stare. Somehow, Fred had a hunch


    that something unpleasant would happen to him.


    At that time, Jack had juste back. He put his hand on Barry''s shoulder while looking at the closed


    gate of the Phoenix House. With a smile, he said, "Did something happen to Her Highness? Why does


    it seem like you''ve all been kicked out?"


    Naturally, Fred''s eyes fell on Jack. The expression on his face didn''t change. It was uncaring as usual,


    but in his eyes was something different. As Matthew inadvertently noticed the strange look in Fred''s


    eyes, he followed where he was looking and found out that it was Jack. At that moment, Jack had his


    arms roped around Barry''s neck and asked, "Forsythia, why have you also been kicked out?"


    With that, Forsythia quickly walked over to Jack who still had a broad smile on his face. When she was


    right in front of him, he looked down at her and asked, "Do you want me to plead for you¡ª" Before he


    could finish speaking, a loud and pitiful scream was heard.


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    Without a word or a warning, Forsythia had given him a punch on the stomach. She then snorted loudly


    in front of him and went back to where she had been standing. ''Lady Harper was really upset this time.


    And this guy had the audacity to mess around here and took pleasure in other people''s misfortunes. He


    needed to be taught a lesson!''


    "Your Highness, here''s the medicine and plums," one of the servants told Matthew.


    He looked at the medicine and plums before taking them in his hands. Then, he went straight towards


    the Phoenix House. However, the moment he got a little close to the door, the two guards stationed in


    there tried to stop him. With some quick movements of his hands, the guards were suddenly unable to


    move. Matthew had paralyzed them by pressing on their acupuncture points. Now, with much ease,


    Matthew continued on his way inside the house.


    Looking at Matthew''s receding figure, Jack shook his head. "How pitiful it is to see His Highness like


    this. Can you imagine? He was kicked out of his own mansion! When you get married in the future,


    don''t choose such a horrible woman. Otherwise, be careful because you might even sleep outside of


    your mansion on your own wedding night."


    Fred turned to look at Jack, but he didn''t pay much attention to what he was saying. Instead, he


    continued to stand in silence. After a few short moments, Jack was already feeling bored, so he said,


    "Barry, let''s get out of here and drink."


    "Do you really want His Highness to throw you back into training again?" Barry asked calmly, albeit a


    little irritated. He finally reached out to remove Jack''s arm around his neck. After doing so, he said,


    "You''re bing more and more impudent as the days go by. Don''t forget that the people who can do


    whatever she wants in front of His Highness is inside the Phoenix House, and you''re excluded."


    Get more training is fine for me. In this way, I can improve my fighting skills, and I won''t get beaten up


    by Fred every single time." Jack threw a nce at Fred. Every time they met, the two men would


    always have their swords at each other''s throat. And every single time, Jack would take the first swing


    by provoking Fred. Unfortunately, Fred was not a good-tempered man. As long as Jack provoked him,


    Fred would always draw his sword and try with every means to sh Jack with it.


    "If you don''t provoke Fred, will he beat you up?" Barry asked with a snort. Barry didn''t know why but for


    some reason, Jack had not been in good terms with Fred ever since they were young. Every time Jack


    saw Fred, he would provoke him. Naturally, he would get some severe beating while screaming his


    heart out. But the next day, he would still stay very close to Fred as if nothing had happened.


    With his lips curled up, Jack didn''t say anything more. He looked at the Phoenix House with its closed


    door and started to wonder what was going on inside.


    Holding the medicine in his hands, Matthew went into Harper''s room without any more troubles. But the


    moment Harper saw him, she immediately became furious. "Who let you in? Go away!"


    "Fine. But before I leave, take the medicine." Matthew put down the medicine on the table. Even


    though he climbed over the wall and got inside, he did not spill the medicine even by just a little.


    Harper red at him before turning around and eximing, "No, I''m not drinking that."


    Matthew took out a pile of paper from his arms, turned two pages, and then seriously said, "The


    imperial physician said that pregnant women must be happy and calm at all times. They cannot be


    upset, anxious or worried. They shouldn''t exercise vigorously, or¡ª"


    It was at that moment when Harper thought that there was something wrong with what he just said. So


    she asked, "What? I can''t even speak?"


    Turning over the thick stack of paper, Matthew shook his head and sincerely said, "Of course you can


    talk!"


    "Well then, go away! I don''t want to see you!" Harper was beyond furious at that point. She had so


    many things she wanted to tell him but she only kept it in her mind. ''What kind of person are you? After


    finding out that I''m pregnant, you run away like you just saw a terrifying ghost. And when you came


    back, instead of hearing some exnation, all I got from you are rules after rules that I should follow. I


    can''t do anything except eating and drinking. Besides, I even have to watch my food intake! I have to


    eat this and that, but I can''t eat too much. What kind of life are you making out for me?''


    Matthew rolled up the paper and put it back in his pocket. "Here, have the medicine so you can keep


    our baby safe. Please, it''s good for you, both of you."


    "No!" Harper decisively refused once again.


    "Harp,e on, let me help you," Matthew calmly said with every fiber of patience that he had.


    "You don''t like kids, right? So why should I even drink it? I think you should give me a bowl of abortion


    medicine instead." Harper was so mad at him that she spoke harshly without thinking much about her


    words. Matthew was trying to be very patient but when he heard that, the expression on his face


    quickly changed. It even took him a long time to react.

 Chapter 610 The Hard Pregnancy (Part Two)

    Chapter 610 The Hard Pregnancy (Part Two)


    "When did I say that I don''t like kids?" Matthew asked, still as patient as he could be.


    "Didn''t you run away when you found out that I was pregnant? Didn''t you say that you don''t want a


    baby?"


    At once, it seemed like there was a visible dark cloud on Matthew''s face. The truth was that he didn''t


    know what to do when he heard about her pregnancy. So he rushed to the Imperial Academy of


    Medicine to call out all of the imperial physicians. He then forced them to write down every precaution


    for pregnant women. His mistake was that he didn''t take into ount the possibility that Harper would


    have misunderstood his actions. She even thought that he didn''t like children so the idea of having a


    child scared him to death and fled.


    Matthew put down the bowl and calmly said, "I did not run away. Also, it didn''t mean that I don''t like


    kids! It''s the first time that I''m going to be a father. I don''t know what to do, so I went to the Imperial


    Academy of Medicine to ask the imperial physicians about what I should do during your pregnancy."


    It was Harper''s time to not know what to do or feel or say. She was frozen for a few moments. She had


    been furious for quite some time, but it turned out all of her anger was useless. It was not that Matthew


    didn''t like children. He liked children too much. He just didn''t know what to do so he went to seek help


    from the imperial physicians!


    Harper reached out and pinched his ear before saying, "Are you saying that the imperial physicians of


    the Imperial Academy of Medicine have better medical skills than me?"


    Matthew looked at her in the eyes and sincerely said, "You know very well that''s not what I meant. It''s


    also your first time being pregnant. So, you may not know every single thing that should be known. Just


    in case, I gathered all the imperial physicians of the academy and ordered them to write down all


    reminders, precautions, and suggestions without missing a single one. I''m just worried about you. After


    all, you were hurt before because of me. I''m afraid that your body wouldn''t be able to bear the pain and


    it''ll affect your pregnancy."


    "Well, I forgive you." Harper had never been a stubborn person. Moreover, she was not a person who


    liked to hold grudges against people. She had been so mad when she saw Matthew run away as if he


    had seen a ghost. But now that she knew the truth, her anger simply vanished into thin air.


    "It''s good that you''re not mad anymore. Here, take this. It''s medicine for the prevention of miscarriage."


    Matthew quickly handed the medicine to Harper. She smelled it and immediately knew that it would


    have a bitter taste. It smelt so bad that it almost made her throw up. Immediately, she turned her face


    away.


    "Every medicine has its side effects, right? I don''t want to drink it!"


    "Harp, please be good. The imperial physician said that you need to take the medicine for the first three


    months. When you''re in a stable condition already, you don''t need to drink it anymore. So, you only


    need to take it for a few weeks."


    Harper pushed the bowl away and eximed, "No, it''s bitter and stinky!" It puts me in a bad mood just


    looking at the medicine. And if I''m in a bad mood, it will affect the baby in my womb. It''s up to you!"


    Matthew took the bowl, as confused as ever if he should put it down or not. The imperial physician told


    him that a pregnant woman needed to take the medicine to prevent the miscarriage. He knew the


    medicine was bitter, but he also knew that it would be helpful to her. The only problem was that she


    refused to take it. Therefore, he had no other choice. He took a swig of the medicine and fed it directly


    into Harper''s mouth.


    "Hmm!" Caught off guard, Harper was forced to drink a lot. She even choked and coughed in the


    process. The smell of the medicine was rather disgusting. Thus, as soon as she drank it, she couldn''t


    help but vomit. She threw up everything that she had for dinner the day before. On the other hand,


    Matthew was understandably scared out of his mind, so it took him quite a while to react.


    "Call the imperial physician! Call the imperial physician!" Matthew eximed, as stunned as ever. They


    did tell him that she should take the medicine to prevent miscarriage, so he only forced her to drink it


    for her sake and the baby''s sake. He wanted to drag those physicians out and punish them with sticks.


    Why did they advise to drink the medicine? Right after she did, she was in an even worse situation. It


    turned out that taking the medicine was such a bad idea!


    In fact, it was just the smell of the medicine that made her sick. When she saw the sweet-sour plums,


    she picked up one and put it into her mouth to ease the sick feeling in her stomach. If she kept on


    vomiting like this, she wouldn''t be able to bear it anymore.


    "Harp, how are you feeling now?" Matthew carefully asked while he took her hand. He then noticed that


    her face turned really pale because of vomiting too much.


    Leaning weakly against the chair, Harper said, "I don''t feel very well."


    "What do you need me to do? Is there something you would like to eat? I can ask someone to cook for


    you." Matthew felt deep regret for forcing her to drink the medicine. "Is there something wrong with the


    medicine?" he eventually asked.


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    "No, I don''t think it''s the medicine. I just can''t stand the smell," Harper said with great difficulty.


    However, there was even a hint of doubt in her eyes. The taste in her mouth was still making her


    ufortable. Therefore, she picked another plum and ced it into her mouth right away. Only when


    the sour plum filled her mouth did she feel better.


    After watching all of that unfolded right in front of him, Matthew immediately picked up Harper and


    gently ced her on the bed. He then said, "It''s just the beginning of your pregnancy and you''re


    suffering so much already. I heard that it will take ten months before you give birth. If this goes on, how


    can you be able to bear it until then?"


    When the truth had settled in, Matthew sincerely and deeply regretted a lot of things. If he had known


    how bad it could be, he wouldn''t have talked Harper into having a baby. He felt extremely sorry for her


    when he saw how pale her face had be. Yet, he didn''t dare to say "I don''t want the child" in front


    of her, because he didn''t want to upset her anymore.


    "I''m fine. Don''t worry. My reaction is just normal. I''ll be back to normal; just give me some time."


    "What do you want to eat? I''ll ask someone to cook it for you." Matthew knew he could do nothing but


    try his best to give her whatever she needed and wanted.


    "Hot pot!" Harper eximed, finally having some life into her voice.


    "But the imperial physicians said you can''t eat any spicy food." When Matthew heard the words "hot


    pot", he immediately remembered the instructions of the imperial physicians. So without a bit of


    hesitation, he refused her request. "I''ll ask someone to cook a pot of chicken soup for you. No, I''ll cook


    it myself!"


    Watching Matthew rush out of the room, Harper thought of what he had just said. Did he just decide to


    prepare the soup himself? If he were the one to cook, would it even be edible?

 Chapter 611 I Could Eat Less (Part One)

    Chapter 611 I Could Eat Less (Part One)


    That night with the emperor felt more affectionate than what the empress had experienced even in the


    first few months of their marriage. Now in her middle age, it was a rare chance for her to have such a


    romantic night. Thus, she was both delighted and satisfied.


    After the emperor left, the empress took out the spell doll from under the bed and stared at it. She felt


    quite amazed. Was it really powerful enough to help her win the emperor''s undivided love?


    She put down the spell doll and asked, "Where is Cheryl?"


    "She is still locked inside, Your Majesty." Nancy pressed her lips together and gestured in that direction.


    "Bring her here." The empress picked up the tea and took a sip. "After all, she was my maidservant for


    such a long time. She must have something to say to me."


    "Yes, Your Majesty."


    Cheryl had spent the whole night locked up in the Sleek Pce. At first, she was scared that the


    empress would not let her go. She waited but nothing happened. As the hours passed, it seemed to her


    that the empress had no intention of punishing her. When dawn broke, she was no longer scared.


    Indeed, she felt rather safe and confident. After all, she was the emperor''s favorite now. If she suddenly


    disappeared or died, the emperor would demand to know what happened to her. With that constion,


    she was felt immensely relieved and the clouds seemed to vanish.


    "Your Majesty." Cheryl had spent so many years serving the empress and seen plenty of evidence of


    the empress''s ruthlessness. Now she was at the empress''s mercy, so even now that Cheryl had been


    promoted to the attendant, she dared not to show any sign of disrespect and had to address the


    empress exactly the same way when she had been a servant girl.


    "Tell me what it is. If I find the slightest hint of dishonesty in you, you will pay for it. I believe you must


    already know that you will die if I hand this thing over to His Majesty." The empress''s voice was gentle


    but dignified.


    Cheryl knelt on the floor and shivered with fear. She dared not look up, nor did she dare to answer the


    question. After all, she had used the voodoo doll to seduce the emperor. If she told the empress about


    it, the empress would hate her guts for stealing the emperor''s love. In her jealousy and hatred, the


    empress would definitely have her killed as soon as possible. Furthermore, anything rted to voodoo


    was a taboo and was banned in the Bright Dynasty, so she was doomed to die anyway after she had


    been caught red-handed in possession of a voodoo doll. So she was in a dead end, and at aplete


    loss for words.


    "What? It''s a simple question. What makes it so hard for you to answer it? You know, with what we


    found on you, I could have you and your family put to death without dy, and no one would me me


    for that." The empress snorted in disgust. "So think it over and answer my question."


    Cheryl''s mind was racing for an answer. She had to plead guilty, but then how could she persuade the


    empress to spare her life? Then she remembered that Felix was still confined to his mansion and her


    eyes lit up. It seemed like fate had given her onest chance to survive.


    "Your Majesty, it is a spell doll, called Infatuation Spell. If the possessor prays sincerely every day while


    thinking about the one she desires, she will obtain that person''s infatuation." Cheryl took a deep breath


    and went on, "That''s how I made His Majesty desire me."


    "And having already won His Majesty''s heart, why did you sneak into the Sleek Pce to find it?" The


    empress was obviously skeptical about what Cheryl said. She thought that the spell doll must have


    some other functions.


    Cheryl gritted her teeth and said, "This spell doll must be kept near the possessor. Distance will


    weaken its power. Over time the effect might even wear off."


    "How often do you have to pray?" the empress asked slowly.


    "At least once every three days. That''s why I came back to the Sleek Pce to take it." The truth was


    that the emperor didn''t seem to have much interest in her after the first night. Cheryl had guessed it


    was because the spell doll wasn''t kept near her, so she had decided to sneak back to the Sleek


    Pce.


    "So, as long as you have this spell doll, His Majesty will never grow weary of you?" the empress asked


    slowly. Her tone was unchanged, but there was murder in her eyes.


    "I dare not."


    "Drop the act. We both know you are not a timid person, as your actions prove very well." The empress


    snorted. "Who else knows about this spell doll?"


    "Nobody. Only I know it. After all, the spell could cost me my life if anyone found out about it. How could


    I dare tell anyone else about it?" Cheryl said carefully. In fact, Minna also knew about the spell doll, but


    Cheryl decided to keep that a secret. Now that she certainly couldn''t take the spell doll back, she would


    have to ask Minna for a new one after she got out of there.


    "How did you get your hands on this spell doll?"


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "I went home a few days ago and came across a strange person. After I told him about my troubles, he


    gave me this. I didn''t believe him at first, but I thought it wouldn''t hurt to give it a try. I didn''t expect that


    it would actually make me win His Majesty''s favor," Cheryl answered after a brief hesitation.


    "So, to seduce an emperor, just a little spell doll will do the trick." The empress picked up the spell doll


    on the table and toyed with it. After a while, she looked over at Nancy and hinted to her with her eyes.


    Nancy nodded, then took out her handkerchief and covered Cheryl''s mouth. It all happened so fast that


    Cheryl cked out instantly. Then Nancy took her out of the room and threw her into a deserted well in


    the deserted Cold Pce.

 Chapter 612 I Could Eat Less (Part Two)

    Chapter 612 I Could Eat Less (Part Two)


    When Nancy returned, she saw that the spell doll was still on the table. Nancy was a little worried.


    "Your Majesty, we need to be careful with this spell doll. We don''t know where it came from but it''s


    obviously a voodoo doll. It could get us in big trouble if someone else finds us with it. You know how


    His Majesty detests the use of voodoo curses."


    The empress nodded and put the spell doll away quickly. "Take care of all the other people who saw


    the spell doll. I can''t afford the risk of being used of practicing voodoo curses."


    "Yes, Your Majesty."


    Nancy knew exactly what the empress meant. Anyone who knew about the spell doll must be silenced.


    And nobody kept a secret better than the dead. There were so many people in the pce, and if any of


    them leaked the information, the empress would be imperiled. Felix was still held in confinement and


    the emperor was trying to support Francis. So they had to take extra care at this critical juncture.


    "Nanny Nancy." As soon as Nancy emerged from the Sleek Pce, she met Francis. Her face


    hardened a little and she greeted him promptly and formally.


    "Your Highness."


    "I wish to visit Mother. Is she inside?"


    "Her Majesty is not feeling well, and she went to bed after breakfast. I''m afraid she is unavable at this


    moment."


    "Mother is not feeling well? Have you summoned the imperial physician yet?"


    "Yes. The imperial physician said Her Majesty needed more rest," Nancy answered meekly. "If Her


    Majesty knew that you came here to visit her, she would be delighted. But she needs some more rest


    to get better."


    "Well, I wille to see Mother some other day."


    After that, Francis turned his heels and went away. His movements were slow and graceful. He had


    been an invalid for many years, so even now he had a long way to go until full recovery. His face was


    still pale, as if he hadn''t been in the sun for years.


    Nancy''s eyes followed Francis'' retreating back. She always felt that despite the seeming gentleness


    and harmlessness of the prince, he had a natural elegance about him. Besides, Francis had


    demonstrated his keen intellect since he was a child, and gained a reputation as a prodigy at the age of


    five. But since then, he had spent most of his time lying in his sickbed in a long struggle with his illness.


    "Your Highness, will you pay a visit to Lady Sherry today?" Owen asked.


    "No, let''s get out of the Imperial Pce now." Francis frowned and covered his mouth with a


    handkerchief as he coughed.


    Seeing this, Owen wrapped a cloak around his master''s shoulders and tied it for him. "It''s getting


    warmer now, but it''s still a little cold. Your Highness, you''re still recovering and you should be more


    careful to avoid a cold."


    "Do you think I am so weak?" Francis asked, with an ironic smile.


    "Your Highness, you are weak and reckless. You got yourself drenched in the rain not long ago,


    remember? Finally, you''ve begun to recover, but now you''re walking around and tiring yourself out. If


    you don''t take care of yourself and get well soon, Lady Sherry will be fretting over you." Pressing his


    lips tightly, Owen tried to make a stern face. "And Lady Harper..."


    The smile on Francis'' face faded at the mention of Harper. Seeing this, Owen broke off immediately.


    The word had already spread through the whole pce that Matthew had broken into the Imperial


    Academy of Medicine in the evening for his wife. Everyone had heard the news that Harper was


    pregnant. Even the emperor had sent some gifts to her as a reward, though nobody knew his real


    feelings.


    "Now that Aunt Harper is pregnant, I should prepare her a gift," Francis said abruptly. "Can you give me


    some suggestions for the present?"


    "I have no idea, Your Highness." Owen was caught off guard by this question.


    "What does she like?"


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    "I have no idea, Your Highness."


    "What sort of gifts do pregnant women want to receive?"


    "I really have no idea, Your Highness." Owen felt quite useless. He had never served Harper or any


    pregnant woman before, so he didn''t have a clue about their likes and dislikes.


    "You know nothing at all! Tell me, why should I keep you if you can''t be of any use to me?" Francis


    tapped Owen''s forehead and teased him. "What a waste of food!"


    "Your Highness, I don''t eat much..." Owen muttered, feeling aggrieved. "As long as you don''t drive me


    away, I could eat less in the future."


    Francis smiled, "Are you suggesting that I don''t have enough money to keep an idler? Don''t worry, eat


    as much as you like. I can afford it."


    Hearing this, Owen breathed a sigh of relief. He looked at Francis mournfully and said, "Your Highness,


    you always like to tease me."


    "Teasing you is the only entertainment I have left. Can you imagine how boring and dreadful my life


    would be, if you deprived me of that little joy?" Francis said slowly. "Speaking of which, I haven''t really


    enjoyed viewing the Imperial Pce before. Even though I lived here for twenty years, I haven''t been


    able to take a walk since my illness began at the age of five."


    "Do you want me to apany you as you walk around the Imperial Pce?" Owen asked


    thoughtfully.


    Francis shook his head. Come to think of it, he didn''t care about the Imperial Pce now. Its views


    didn''t interest him anymore. The ces he truly wanted to visit were the temples, the shops, the


    streets. He wanted to be apanied and to feel that he was not alone in this world. He remembered


    how she took him out and bought him snacks. Those memories seemed like a luxury for him now, and


    he feared that he would never have such experiences again.


    "Let''s get out of here. Felix''s confinement will end in just a few days," Francis said with his eternally


    gentle voice and his characteristically sunny smile. But the light in his eyes was as sharp as a cold


    sword waiting to strike at any moment.

 Chapter 613 The Confrontation Between Father And Son (Part One)

    Chapter 613 The Confrontation Between Father And Son (Part One)


    When Francis and Owen reached the gate of the Imperial Pce, Andy stopped them.


    With a big smile blooming like a flower, Andy greeted Francis, "Your Highness."


    "Lord Andy, are you going out of the pce now, or are you waiting for someone here?" Francis asked


    gently.


    After Andy heard that, his smile grew even brighter. "I''ve been waiting for you here, Your Highness. I


    wanted to look around for you, but I was afraid our paths would not cross, so I decided to wait for you


    at this gate," he answered.


    "Does Father want to see me?" Francis asked, his voice still mild and gentle.


    "Yes, His Majesty is waiting for you in the Imperial Study," Andy said, gesturing with his arm to invite


    Francis to the Imperial Study.


    "Okay, I''lle with you."


    In the Imperial Study, the emperor was reviewing some official reports from his ministers, and his poker


    face revealed no hint of what he was thinking. When Andy led Francis in, the emperor didn''t even put


    down the ink brush in his hand.


    "Father, greetings."


    "I heard that you exposed yourself in the rain for two hours at Matthew''s mansion," the emperor said,


    but without any trace of emotion in his voice.


    After a few moments of silence, Francis replied, "Yes, that''s true."


    "Don''t you care about your own health?" the emperor asked calmly, raising his head and looking at his


    son.


    Francis smiled bitterly and said, "Father, I have already been in poor health for a long time. Although I


    have been feeling better recently, the foundations of my health are irreparably harmed. My slight


    convalescence will only give me a few more years of life at the most. I don''t want to die with any


    regret."


    "Regret?"


    "Yes, regret," Francis said, raising his head. "Father, my illness has been unrelenting. The reason why I


    went to Uncle Matthew''s mansion that day was only because I wanted to request that he let me visit


    the military camp of the ck g Army. After all, I have never been to a military camp before, and I''m


    curious about what an army is like. However, he refused me in the end."


    After the emperor heard that, his eyes twinkled with interest. Besides his son, he himself was curious


    about Matthew''s ck g Army. However, no one could approach near to the ck g Army


    except Matthew himself. It would have been an excellent day''s work to gain entrance to the military


    camp of the ck g Army merely in exchange for a good soak in the rain.


    "You just wanted to visit the military camp of the ck g Army?"


    "Yes," Francis answered, nodding his head. "I have been badly ill and I will die soon..."


    "Don''t talk nonsense. You''ll be fine," the emperor interrupted Francis. "You''ll make a full recovery


    someday. Don''t think about such nonsense. The ck g Army belongs to your uncle Matthew


    himself, and even I can do nothing about it. If you want to see a military camp, you can go to the


    barracks of the pce guards."


    "Thank you, Father. I have always been so weak, but all the men in the army are strong. That''s why I


    want to visit their camp. I am only curious to see what they do every day. But I''m not really that


    interested in going there," Francis said, with his always gentle and innocent look. "Father, you seem


    quite happy. There must be some good news, right?"


    "Yes, good fortune gives us high spirits, after all. There has been some excellent news, and I feel it has


    given me renewed health and strength," the emperor said with a smile while stroking his beard. "The


    Longevity Pills have a great effect. Since I began to take them, I have been feeling remarkably healthy."


    "Of course the Longevity Pills must have some wonderful potency," Francis said tentatively. "Father, I


    have been in poor health and I often fall ill. As a result, I have a lot of unfinished business and I cannot


    share your burdens. I always feel ill at ease when I think of that. Felix has had plenty of time to ponder


    over his misdeeds. How about forgiving him, Father?"


    The emperor''s eyes twinkled. "I have my own idea about that. You don''t need to worry about it. Just


    take good care of yourself and focus on your health. That''s the only way can you share my burden."


    "Yes, Father."


    "You must care about your own health," the emperor stressed. Looking at Francis, a fragile boy who


    seemed so weak that he would topple down from a gust of wind, he felt sorry. But the tenderness in his


    eyes was short-lived. "In your spare time, you can have a talk with your brother Lucas and advise him


    to change. He is getting more and more unruly these days. He often goes whoring."


    "Father, you know what kind of person Lucas is. He has always been like that. How can I persuade


    him? He won''t pay attention to me." Francis had no idea what to do with Lucas. Thetter had been


    notorious as a yboy in the imperial capital for a long time. Even the emperor, their father, could do


    nothing about him, let alone Francis, his elder brother.


    "You''re right. That boy wouldn''t be himself if he concentrated on more serious things," the emperor said


    with a calm smile. "Now, Lilian has also reached a marriageable age. Which n do you think has a


    son that would be suitable for her?"


    Francis smiled at the question. He said, "Father, Lilian is always on good terms with Lucas, and she is


    just as unruly as Lucas is. Everyone knows that she is madly in love with Master Chodak. If you marry


    her to any other man at the moment, she would probably overturn the roof of her pce."


    "But Chodak is a monk."


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    "Father, I think you might have forgotten who Chodak was before he became a monk," Francis said


    with a glimmer in his eyes. "He was Rndo, once the crown prince of the Great Jade Kingdom."


    The emperor''s pupils shrank slightly when he heard that. Of course, he knew about Chodak''s previous


    identity. His reason for appointing Chodak as the imperial monk was because it was a convenient way


    to keep a watch on him in the imperial capital. However, Chodak did nothing but chant sutras every


    day. He seemed to be a very dedicated monk.


    "He has already be a monk," the emperor sighed. "Before he became a monk, he was on


    Matthew''s level of power and poprity. The emperor of the Great Jade Kingdom was stupid to expel


    such an outstanding son."


    Hearing that, Francis lowered his head to conceal the ridicule in his eyes. He didn''t think his father, the


    emperor of the Bright Dynasty was any more clever than the emperor of the Great Jade Kingdom. After


    all, none of his sons couldpare with Chodak. By fault of the emperor himself, his sons were mostly


    dead, injured, or disabled. As a result, the Bright Dynasty was on the brink of downfall, vulnerable at


    any moment to a catalyst that would send the regime crumbling down. Francis was just waiting to see


    that happen. He wanted to witness how Matthew would usurp the emperor''s throne when he could no


    longer tolerate the emperor''s hubris.

 Chapter 614 The Confrontation Between Father And Son (Part Two)

    Chapter 614 The Confrontation Between Father And Son (Part Two)


    "Father, monks can still resume a secr life," Francis reminded his father in a low voice. "Besides, like


    the sun up in the air, Master Chodak has the love and support of the people. If he resumes a secr


    life, he could be a formidable enemy. But if he bes secr and marries a princess of the Bright


    Dynasty, he would be a powerful source of support."


    The emperor''s eyes lit up upon the advice. This idea had also urred to him before, and he had even


    encouraged Lilian to get along with Chodak. However, to his disappointment, Lilian had totally failed,


    even though she was eager and willing. She had been unable to get into bed with Chodak to ensnare


    him into marriage. She wasn''t even able to get close to him.


    "Lilian can''t get close to him."


    "Father, sometimes you don''t understand Lilian," Francis said, coughing from his illness.


    "Bring a chair for Francis," the emperor ordered.


    Andy hurried to bring a chair and invited Francis to sit down. He knew that Francis was in fragile health,


    so he had to take good care of him.


    "I don''t understand what you mean."


    "Even though Lilian can''t get close to Master Chodak, there is another person who can do that,"


    Francis said, with his eyes shining in his pale face. "When Lilian wants to enter the imperial monk''s


    mansion, she is sensible enough to bring that person with her. Father, how could you miss that fact?"


    The emperor''s eyes brightened as he understood Francis directly. Harper was in Chodak''s good


    graces. Previously when the emperor had sent assassins against Harper, Chodak had rescued her,


    nearly at the cost of his own life. Being a shrewd man, the emperor understood in a sh why those


    events had unrolled in the way they did.


    "Was that the real reason why you visited Matthew''s mansion?"


    "Father, I was only thinking about you, and about Lilian''s marriage." Francis covered his mouth to


    muffle his cough, and his voice sounded weak. The emperor cast a thoughtful nce at him. Francis''


    health had improved a lot, but his father knew clearly how his health had suffered after being poisoned


    by him for so many years. Although the emperor didn''t know why Francis was recently able to improve


    his health, he believed that Francis had only gained one or two more years.


    "You are not in good health. Don''t worry too much. I know you care about me and the rest of our big


    family," the emperor said softly. "Go back to your mansion and have a good rest. I''ll think it over


    carefully."


    "I heard that Aunt Harper is pregnant now, so I want to have someone send a present to her."


    "Go ahead; it''s appropriate to send her a gift to congratte her. I''ve already sent them some


    presents," the emperor said, narrowing his eyes and smiling happily. He was overjoyed whenever he


    thought of that woman in Matthew''s mansion being pregnant. ''Matthew, you have always been so wily


    and cautious, but have you ever foreseen the possibility that the woman sleeping on the same bed with


    you is not your wife?'' he thought to himself in delight.


    "Yes, Father. Please allow me to take my leave."


    As soon as Francis emerged from the Imperial Study, Owen strode over to him and supported him.


    Francis pressed his full weight on Owen. They walked towards the gate of the Imperial Pce. Not


    long after, Andy and a few other people caught up with them.


    "Your Highness, please stop."


    Francis stood still in his tracks, turned around and looked at Andy. "Lord Andy, does Father have some


    orders for me?"


    "His Majesty knows that Your Highness is not feeling well, so he told me to bring you a sedan chair to


    bear you out of the Imperial Pce," Andy said with a kindly face. Then he told the others to bring the


    sedan chair near Francis and let him sit inside.


    "Say thanks to Father for me. And thank you, Lord Andy."


    "You''re wee, Your Highness. It''s only my duty." Andymanded the bearers to walk at a steady


    pace, so as not to jolt Francis ufortably. Then he turned his heels and went back to the Imperial


    Pce.


    In the sedan chair, Francis looked solemn for a moment, but then his face changed in the blink of an


    eye. He took out his handkerchief and coughed. Suddenly, he heard a ringing voice from outside the


    sedan.


    "Is Francis inside?"


    Francis lifted open the curtain and saw Lilian, who had a radiant smile on her face. "It''s you, Lilian. Are


    youing back from the outside, or are you leaving the Imperial Pce?"


    "I just came out of the Imperial Pce," Lilian answered quickly. "I''ve been in the Imperial Pce for


    many days in a row, and I feel very bored. I just wanted to get out of there and pay a visit to Lucas.


    Then I saw Owen. I thought he must have been inside the pce with you, so I came here to say hi to


    you. Are you going back to your mansion now?"


    "Yeah. I''m not strong enough. Even this trip to the Imperial Pce has exhausted me."


    "Francis, you''re indeed too weak to go traveling around. You need to recuperate and take better care of


    yourself. If you don''t mind, can I go out of the Imperial Pce together with you?"


    Francis looked at Lilian for a moment, and since he didn''t care much, he said "Okay."


    Lilian cheered and rushed directly into the sedan chair, huddling up to Francis. "Thank you very much,


    Francis. I haven''t slept well nowadays. Let me take a nap first. When we arrive, please wake me up."


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "That''s fine. Get some sleep now," Francis said, looking at Lilian, who put her head on his shoulder


    innocently, without the least bit of apprehension. The expression on his face didn''t change. He tried his


    best to keep his raspy breathing and coughing down, so as not to disturb the sleeping Lilian.


    Holding Francis'' arm in hers, with her head on his shoulder, Lilian slept soundly, as if she was


    exhausted. For the past several days, Monica had kept locking her up in the pce and forced her to


    embroider her wedding dress, for fear that she would make some trouble outside if she were allowed to


    roam freely. Lillian knew she would be in troubleter, but she didn''t care, and now she slept as


    soundly as a baby.

 Chapter 615 Showing His Identity (Part One)

    Chapter 615 Showing His Identity (Part One)


    When Lilian heard that Francis wanted to send someone with a congrattion present to Matthew''s


    mansion, she immediately volunteered to be the bearer. Francis epted her offer. He gave the gift


    directly to her and asked her to send it to Matthew''s mansion.


    In just a few days, the news of Harper''s pregnancy had spread throughout the imperial capital. Some


    people were happy, some worried, and some disdainful. No matter what happened outside, it was


    harmonious inside Matthew''s mansion.


    "Your Highnesses, a visitor hase to see you," Noah reported when he came in. "He says that he is


    an old friend of yours. He wants to express his gratitude to you for the carriage that you once gave


    him."


    "The carriage?" Matthew repeated. He was puzzled by this, at first. But after a brief moment of


    consideration, he realized who was outside demanding to see him. Without raising his head or making


    any hesitation, he answered, "I won''t see him. Send him away."


    "He said he would like to meet Lady Harper if you don''t want to see him. He said that fate has brought


    him here to meet her, and that Lady Harper might need his help." Noah delivered the message


    carefully. It seemed to him that the man outside might be difficult to get along with, despite a kind


    demeanor.


    Upon hearing this news, Matthew frowned a bit and seemed a bit displeased to hear Harper mentioned


    like that. At that moment, Matthew was forcing Harper to eat some health food. As she was not


    enjoying it, she was wondering how to get out of there. Noah''s report came at just the right time. She


    made an excuse and said at once, "We should be happy to wee an old friend who travels to us


    from afar. Noah, please show him to the front hall."


    "Yes, Your Highness,"


    Noah replied at once. Seeing that Harper was about to wee the guest, Noah left at once to


    prepare. Since Harper was pregnant, he knew that he had better obey her orders no matter what she


    said. Otherwise, she would be as likely to lose her temper with the servants as she would at Matthew.


    "You''ve just met him once and he is still practically a stranger to you. I don''t think there is any need for


    you to meet him!" Matthew talked back at once, trying to stop his wife from seeing that man. He would


    always grow unhappy whenever he remembered the time Harper gave the carriage to Felton. Now that


    man was bold enough toe to their house. Such cheek!


    "It doesn''t matter. Let''s see what he''s up to," Harper said in a spoiled way as she took her husband''s


    arm. "Come on. Let''s go. The imperial physician has advised us that pregnant women should take


    walks. I should exercise for a bit. Don''t you agree?"


    "All right," Matthew said helplessly, finally surrendering. Although he didn''t want Harper to meet Felton,


    he knew he was powerless to stop it. Matthew was well aware that Felton was a shrewd man. Even if


    he could stop them from meeting this time, it was very likely that Felton would try some other means to


    see Harper. Thinking of this, he thought it would be better to let them meet with each other


    straightforwardly today.


    When Felton looked at the calligraphy hanging in the front hall, a touch of appreciation shed through


    his eyes. Every character and every stroke of the calligraphy were sharp and powerful as iron. It made


    people feel encouraged. With just a nce at it, people could feel a strong and deadly aura rushing to


    their face from the calligraphy. It gave people the same feeling when they were face to face with


    Matthew. With that thought, Felton guessed that this calligraphy was written by Matthew. He had to


    admit that Matthew was indeed an impressive man in every respect.


    "Felton, I didn''t expect to see you again so soon," Harper said as she and Matthew walked in arm in


    arm. Obviously, they were a happy couple. Harper had a radiant smile, while Matthew''s facial


    expression was cool. The two different auras, rather than conflicting, were actually in perfect harmony.


    As Felton let his eyes settle upon Harper, he sighed, "We separated that day in such a hurry. As you


    seemed to be a proud and self-respecting person, I was amazed that you would stay with Prince


    Matthew, who is a married man. I did not imagine that you were actually his wife until this moment."


    Harper smiled gently and answered, "When I travel around, it can be inconvenient to wear women''s


    clothes. Since I and my husband are always travelling together, for our convenience, I have to wear


    men''s clothes."


    Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    "Prince Matthew, I think you two love each other very much," Felton said. Truth be told, his mellifluous


    voice was quite pleasant to the ear.


    Matthew and Harper sat down on the main seats, and they told the maid to prepare a seat for Felton.


    He did not refuse. He then said, "I''m here to thank you for your kindness that day. Your gift of the


    carriage helped me very much, and I couldn''t be more grateful for that. It is a pleasant surprise to


    discover your true identity. Ha ha."


    "Would Felton be your real name, if I may ask?" Harper inquired.


    "Yes, of course. I never use any false name," Felton replied honestly. The smile on his face was as


    pure as the white snow of the mountains, an amiable quality which many people found soothing.


    "Then, do you have any family in the imperial capital?" Harper asked again slowly, in a meaningful


    tone.


    "Yes, I did." The smile on Felton''s face didn''t change. He was telling the truth: he had family here once.


    But it was all over. The fact was, all his family had been ughtered. Properly speaking, there was only


    one rtive of his in the imperial capital now.


    Harper blinked her eyes, which were welling up with emotion. "Do you mean the Qin n which was


    exterminated sixteen years ago?"


    Felton had not anticipated such a forward question. Stunned for a moment, he then looked to Matthew.


    ''The ones who murdered the Qin n were the secret guards of the royal family, and he is a member


    of the royal family. Isn''t he afraid of her finding out the truth?'' he pondered inwardly, unsure of what was


    on Matthew''s mind.


    Shortly, he drew himself together and then looked straight at Harper.


    "Yes," he answered. This single affirmation, sincere and unambiguous, made Harper know without a


    doubt that Felton was from the Qin n. This fact made him her family.


    Taken aback by Harper''s frankness, he had never intended to dere his identity so straightforwardly.


    At this point, Harper had no idea what to say next.


    Seeing that Harper said nothing more, Matthew asked on her behalf, "There are still some people from


    the Qin n surviving, right?" He knew this was the thing she cared about most, for the time being.


    "Not really. Actually, there is only one rtive who still lives in the imperial capital," Felton replied slowly


    as he shifted his eyes to Harper. "The rest of them are just side branches of the Qin n, and Harper


    is the only one left on the direct branch."


    That was to say, the Qin n in the imperial capital had all been eliminated except for her. "What''s the


    real connection between the Heavenly Books and the Qin n?" Harper asked abruptly.


    "Well, if you want to know, I''m afraid you may need to study the Qin n more deeply and find it at the


    n''s library. I have no idea about it, either." Although Felton did not look strong, no one who knew him


    would regard him as a weak man. At that moment, Harper felt the forces inside her body fluctuating


    more and more violently, as if with some strange resonance.

 Chapter 616 Showing His Identity (Part Two)

    Chapter 616 Showing His Identity (Part Two)


    Felton, of course, had felt the same feeling as well. Actually, he always felt the spiritual energy inside


    his body stir up each time he saw Harper. That was how he recognized Harper at first sight. His energy


    would only have this reaction when he met a member of the Qin n.


    "Why have youe to the imperial capital?" Matthew asked slowly, with his eyes fixed on Felton, not


    wanting to miss any change on his face.


    "I have two purposes. One is toe for treatment, and the other is to meet you," Felton replied as he


    stared at Harper with a touch ofplexity in his eyes. "Your Highness, I guess your spiritual energy in


    your body has already fluctuated. There are some things you have to deal with. You will need to go to


    the ancestral temple of the Qin n."


    "Yes, I will find an opportunity to pay a visit to that ce," Harper replied.


    Hearing her promise, Felton nodded his head a few times. He then looked to Matthew and said, "May I


    have a private talk with you?"


    "Well, you can talk here. I''ll go back to my ce first," Harper proposed gently. She then stood up and


    walked outside. Although she was curious about what they would discuss, she decided to leave them


    alone if Felton wanted to talk with Matthew privately. She was sure that Matthew would do nothing


    wrong.


    "If you have something to say, you may say it now," Matthew said after Harper left. For some reason,


    he sensed that what Felton was going to say would not be nice.


    "Before this, I have a question to ask," Felton said. After a pause, he looked at him and asked, "Who is


    more important, Harper or the baby in her belly?"


    "They are both of the highest importance to me!" replied Matthew at once, without thinking twice. He


    had no idea why Felton would ask such a strange question.


    "What if only one of them can be saved?" Felton posed another strange question.


    "Tell me who has the ability to hurt either of them!" When Matthew said those words, a sh of


    murderous energy gushed out from him. This made Felton''s face grow paler and paler. There was even


    a trace of blood at the corner of his mouth.


    "Master..." Felton''s servant, Mathias, said in concern.


    "I''m fine. Don''t worry about me," Felton said, and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. He


    then stood up and bowed slightly in farewell. "Your Highness, I guess that you have already discovered


    a lot of information about the Qin n. And you must have figured out that you can''t afford to have this


    baby born by her."


    Hearing that, Matthew narrowed his eyes and looked at Felton coldly, "What do you mean by that?"


    "Most people in the Qin n have magic power. The women of the Qin n are especially well-


    endowed in this respect. Do you have any idea why?" Felton asked calmly as he looked at Matthew''s


    face, which was turning more sullen with every passing second.


    "No, I don''t know," replied Matthew.


    "In the past, I did not think Harper had inherited the magic power from the Qin n. When I met her by


    chance that day, I thought that there might be some other people of the Qin n who survived in the


    imperial capital. But seeing her today, I realize that I was being too greedy to imagine that," Felton said.


    His eyes were full of trouble and concern. "If I told you that the baby in her belly will kill her, would you


    still keep this baby?"


    The darkness spread from Matthew''s eyes as if it would devour the whole world. With a quick


    movement of his figure, he grabbed Felton by the neck and warned him in a chilling voice, "Do you


    think you can hurt the baby in her womb?"


    Matthew''s pinch brought a warm flush to Felton''s pale face. Even though he was slightly scared, he still


    stopped Mathias from fighting back at Matthew. He just looked at the man in front of him calmly and


    continued frankly, "Among the direct descendants of the Qin n, the women would only give birth to


    one daughter or twins. Do you have any idea why?" He knew that Matthew wasn''t willing to ept the


    truth, but he had to warn him that if he still cared about his wife and wanted her to live, he would have


    to sacrifice the baby in order to save her life.


    "Does it have something to do with the peril of giving birth?" Matthew asked. He was not a fool. When


    Felton revealed his identity as a member of the Qin n directly, Matthew knew that he had something


    more to reveal. And now, here came the hard truth.


    Felton closed his eyes for a long moment. Finally, he opened his eyes and replied, "Yes, because the


    children were born with a kind of special ability, the mother would die when she gave birth." The


    darkness seemed to haunt him.


    "Her own mother passed away when Harper was only six months old," Matthew mentioned. He was


    looking for any usible fact to deny the cruel truth that Felton just uttered.


    "Well, you are right. When her mother gave birth to her that year, she was weak after the delivery. But


    the real cause of her weakness was not poison. The truth was that she became weak because of the


    delivery. It could be said that the poison ironically saved her to some degree, and because of that


    poison, she was able to give birth to Harper sessfully, though it was a tough process. But it only


    gave her another half year. She had a tough time during that period. The pain almost engulfed her,"


    Felton exined as he looked into the distance as if he was looking at a picture of how Harper''s


    mother had lived during that dark time.


    "Isn''t there any way to save her?" Matthew asked desperately, after loosening his grip on Felton''s neck.


    "In the past, when we heard that Harper''s mother had given birth to a baby and survived, we were all


    very excited. We thought that the Qin n had finally broken its ancient curse. But we didn''t know that


    she still died half a yearter. In order to find out the truth, we took away her coffin and searched for the


    reason why she had remained alive for those six months. We discovered that it was the poison in her


    body that helped her to sustain thebor, but it only helped her for half a year, and she passed away at


    last."


    Upon hearing these cruel words, Matthew could not help but clench his fists until he suffered from the


    pain. He was well aware of how Harper loved the baby in her belly. If she was informed that she


    couldn''t keep the baby, she would never agree to lose it. What was more, it was impossible to imagine


    giving her a secret abortion, given that Harper herself was such a talented doctor. Matthew felt himself


    trapped.


    "Do you really have no idea how to solve this problem?" he asked again, desperate for a ray of hope.


    "I''m afraid I must tell you that I don''t," Felton replied as he shook his head with sullen eyes. "If there


    was a way, the direct descendants of the Qin n wouldn''t have declined like this. I''ve been worried


    since you two got married, but I didn''t hear any news about the pregnancy from you. I was hoping that


    she hadn''t inherited the magic power from the Qin n. If she really didn''t have such power, she


    wouldn''t have to endure the pain and the curse. However,st month, I noticed that the ancestral


    temple of the Qin n was emitting an abnormal signal. At that time, I knew that she had not escaped


    the ancient curse. So I took my chance toe to the imperial capital now and pay her a visit. And I


    want to tell you about this." He gazed at Matthew, hoping he could persuade Harper not to give birth to


    this baby which might kill her. The Qin n had fought against this curse for generations, yet no onePublished by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    had seeded in beating it. Although he would be saddened to see that baby lost as well, Felton still


    preferred to see Harper stay alive.


    "Don''t tell her about it," Matthew then said after drawing a deep breath. "As for how to save the baby, I''ll


    find a way."


    "Okay." Felton nodded, though he didn''t believe any happy solution was possible.

 Chapter 617 The Pillow Talk (Part One)

    Chapter 617 The Pillow Talk (Part One)


    After Felton left, Matthew sat in the front hall, staring into its nothingness. His expression remained


    impassive, even when Harper approached him after Felton''s egress.


    "What''s wrong, Matthew?" Harper asked in a soft voice. Harper''s soothing voice felt like music to his


    ears.


    Matthew shackled his arms around her waist and buried his head in thefort of her arms. His


    actions and expressions said a thousand words about his state of mind, but yet he didn''t say a word.


    Harper had never seen her husband like this before. "What did Felton say?" she asked, her voice


    riddled with anxiety.


    "Nothing special. I''m just being a little sentimental; that''s all." Matthew regained hisposure and


    continued, "We¡­"


    But before he could say another word, Noah reported abruptly outside the door, "Your Highness, Prince


    Lilian is here. She said she is here to present a gift from Prince Francis."


    "Send her in," Harper ordered as she sat down next to Matthew. Lilian ran in and looked quite happier


    than usual.


    "Uncle Matthew, Aunt Harper, I came to see both of you. I heard that Aunt is pregnant. Congrattions


    both of you! I am so happy for you," Lilian said with a wide grin, making her joy apparent in everyone''s


    eyes. "When Francis heard that I aming to your mansion, he asked me to bring you a gift. He


    wanted toe in person, but unfortunately, he was not feeling well, so he could only ask me to bring


    this gift."


    "That''s so kind of you!" Harper said delightedly. Her gentle countenance was even more angelic with a


    smile painted on her face.


    "It''s a delightful day. Father has issued an order to let Felixe out today. Presumably, he has


    already forgiven him. Father stayed in Mother''s pcest night and he has a deep sense of love and


    connection for Mother. It seems that Father also loves and cares for Felix," said Lilian. Her yfulness


    was noticeable from the way she talked.


    "They are father and son, so His Majesty cannot stay angry with Felix for a long time. As soon as his


    anger diminished, His Majesty would let him go. As for you, you should really constrain your yful


    manner." An impable smile was written all over Harper''s face. ''The emperor had decided to release


    Felix so soon. It seems that the empress is quite good at pillow talk.''


    "Aunt Harper, as soon as I was set free and got out of the Imperial Pce, I rushed here to visit you.


    Yet, you said that to me. I''m so sad. I''m going to look for Lucas and leave you alone," said Lilian.


    "Oh, you know what I think? I think you got out of the pce only to have fun with Lucas. You''re just


    using me as an excuse to see Lucas!" Harper giggled. Lilian didn''t feel embarrassed, although Harper


    exposed her true intent.


    "I have no choice. After all, Lucas and I havemon interests," Lilian said with a grin. "For the past


    few days, my mother restrained me at the pce and asked me to embroider the wedding dress. I


    have been so bored. I''m going to find Lucas and stay at his mansion for a while. I don''t want to go back


    to the pce anytime soon. I rather hate needlework."


    "They are outstanding embroiderers in Lucas'' mansion, and maybe you get to learn a thing or two from


    them," Matthew said.


    "Uncle, I thought you would console me a bit. Look at my fingers. They are covered with wounds. Don''t


    you care about me?" Lilian raised her hand and showed Harper and Matthew her fingers. Her eyes


    were oozing helplessness and sadness was written all over her face.


    "Whatever Lady Monica did is all for your own good."


    "I know she intended no harm to me. She was just worried that I might harass Chodak again. If I


    displeased Chodak once again, I would get into serious trouble." Lilian curled her lips. "I don''t get it.


    Which of my parts isn''t good enough to match him? Why are so many people trying to stop me?"


    "If you do want to understand why, I may have an idea," said Harper. Her eyes shone with a hint of


    shrewdness.


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    "Which part? Tell me!" Lilian insisted. "Please tell me, Aunt, and I''ll just change it right away."


    "Chodak is a monk. The perfect match for him would be a nun. But unfortunately, you are not a nun, so


    you are not a match for him." Harper was just teasing her niece, and it was very clear from the look on


    her face. Lilian showed visible signs of irritation, her expression akin to a child''s.


    "Uncle, can you please constrain your wife from teasing me?" Lilian red up. Her face was red and


    she was crossing her arms in frustration.


    "Harper is right. Monks only marry nuns. I''m afraid you are indeed no match for him."


    "You two¡­ I don''t want to continue this conversation anymore. I want to find Lucas now!" Lilian


    shouted and stormed off the hall.


    Looking at Lilian jumping out of their mansion like a rabbit, Harper couldn''t help butugh. Seeing


    Harper''s smiling face, Matthew could do nothing but swallow what he wanted to say. He was certain


    she wouldn''t give up her child, and if he tried to ask her, she would only doubt him and be wary of his


    actions.


    "The emperor released Felix rather quickly. I am quite surprised," said Matthew. "What did the empress


    do to dispel the emperor''s suspicion in such a short time?" Matthew''s tone was full of suspicion.


    "Don''t underestimate the power of pillow talk. The empress may no longer be young, but even at her


    current age, she is quite charming and knows the emperor''s mind well. With her incredible persuasion


    skills, I don''t think it would have been that difficult for her." Harper smiled at her husband wilfully. The


    emperor was already in his fifties, but the empress knew quite well about his weaknesses. He was a


    man still obsessed with "bed exercise". Sooner orter, this weakness wouldnd him in greater


    troubles.


    "Then would you also like to have a pillow talk with me?" Matthew smirked at his wife. "If you talk to


    me, I promise that I''ll pluck all the stars from the night sky if you want them."


    A flicker of light appeared in Harper''s eyes, as if she was seriously considering his suggestion. "Not


    bad! Sounds quite exciting," she said as she winked at Matthew.


    "Really? You like that? I''m extremely looking forward to it," Matthew replied.


    "Unfortunately, I''m pregnant. So, I may not be able to talk with you like the empress does with the


    emperor. Otherwise, I''ll run you sleepless for nights and I''m afraid you wouldn''t bear it," Harper


    bantered. "If sleepless nights aren''t a big deal for you, I''m most willing to give it a try," she added.

 Chapter 618 The Pillow Talk (Part Two)

    Chapter 618 The Pillow Talk (Part Two)


    Then she sat on his legs and blew a warm breath in his ear. She said in a gentle and lovable voice,


    "What do you think about it, honey?"


    Matthew''s body became hot in an instant. The look in his eye was intense and it seemed like he was


    nning something. Yet, after a while, his eyes became calm and then his voice was a little hoarse and


    helpless. He said, "If you weren''t pregnant, then I would be obliged to let you know the consequences


    of flirting with me!"


    Harper chuckled silently. Her expression was gentle, looking like a mother-to-be. She always used to


    be gentle, but there was also shrewdness and coldness hidden within. Now, she was in and gentle,


    and the anger that resided in her heart had all but dissuaded.


    Matthew ced his hands on Harper''s belly and said, "The thought that a little boy wille to rob you


    of me in the near future makes my heart ache. I was looking forward to having a baby for all these


    days, but now that you do have one, I worry that the baby will divide your love for me. What should I


    do, Harp? I feel sorry for myself for saying this, but I''m already jealous of our baby."


    Harper couldn''t help but burst outughing. "You''re being such a baby. How could you be jealous of an


    unborn child? Tell me, what did Felton say to you earlier?"


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    "He said that both thete and the current emperors have killed members of the Qin n in the


    imperial capital," Matthew whispered. "Although we already knew about this, Felton''s intentions were


    different. He tried to sow dissent between us."


    "There is no amount of lies in this world that would make me believe him more than you," Harper


    emphasized. "What thete emperor did has nothing to do with you. You were just a child when the Qin


    n was destroyed. You shouldn''t burden yourself with that guilt."


    "But, I''m not happy about being threatened," Matthew said in a grim tone.


    "Who would dare to threaten you?" Harper stretched out her hand and poked Matthew''s face. But quite


    weirdly, she found out that it was funny to poke his face, and soon, she was addicted to it. Matthew


    grabbed her finger to stop her.


    "Don''t be so skittish, honey," he said.


    "If you really ought to call someone skittish, then Lilian is." Harperughed. "I just found out today that


    Lilian is actually quite smart."


    "Well, there isn''t any doubt that she is indeed very special."


    Lilian seized the opportunity of bringing a present from Francis, to tell them what happened in Felix''s


    mansion and the pce in a joking way. She even reminded Harper of her promise. Monica kept her in


    the pce to embroider for her wedding. It seemed that the emperor was going to grant her a


    marriage.


    Matthew noticed that Harper maintained her silence. "What are you thinking, Harp?" Matthew asked,


    breaking the silence.


    "I''m wondering who would be the person that could please the emperor, so that he would offer him


    Lilian." Harper thought of all the young men in the imperial capital who were still unmarried, but she


    couldn''t find a right candidate.


    "The emperor will not grant her a marriage for the time being," Matthew rified. "Their target is


    Chodak, but he is not someone who would get tricked easily. However, if someone takes action and


    pushes him to give up being a monk, the oue might be different."


    "Lady Monica¡­?" Harper presumed.


    "I dare say, Lady Sherry would be the one who would take action." A trace of slyness shed in


    Matthew''s eyes. Francis had recovered, and the emperor seemed too eager to cultivate him. Even


    though Sherry had said that she only hoped for Francis to be safe in his lifetime, she would never give


    up if she found out that she and her son had the chance to seize the power.


    Harper turned her attention towards the window. She wrapped her arms around Matthew''s neck and


    said, "The third Heavenly Book is still hiding in our mansion. It''s a hidden danger for us, and the news


    has already been leaked out. We should somehow find a way to transfer the book."


    After being silent for a moment, Matthew answered, "I''ll find a way to deal with it. Now there are three


    Heavenly Books, one in the royal family, one in the Great Jade Kingdom and thest one in your


    hands. Many people want the one with you. It''s a hot potato if you keep it in your hands. I am thinking


    about offering it to the emperor when the timees; what do you think?"


    "I would rather see it destroyed than give it to him." Harper was so furious. "All these years, he devised


    so many vicious plots against us. First, he had sent people to assassinate you and when that didn''t


    work out, he tried to poison you. He had also tried to kill me by sending his people several times to


    assassinate me. I will never give him the Heavenly Book!"


    "Okay, it''s up to you. You are free to give it to whomsoever you trust," Matthew said inly.


    "Tell me, what would happen if I were to destroy the book?" Harper asked with a strange smile. Her


    expression was curious, yful and sly altogether. It was hard for Matthew not to answer her.


    "I''m afraid it''s a bit difficult. It can''t be burned by fire, chopped by knife or doused by water. I''ve made


    my attempts to destroy it, but unfortunately, I couldn''t make it," Matthew replied with regret. From the


    look of his eyes, it was clear that he was telling the truth.


    "Really?" Harper found it hard to believe. "Give it to me, so that I can make a try."


    Matthew was a little hesitant. The only person who was treating the Heavenly Book as a ything was


    his wife. Since he had immense love for her, he wouldn''t hesitate to give it to her so that she could


    make a try.


    "It''s not here with me. I hid it somewhere safe."


    "Shall we go and retrieve it then?" Harper smirked.


    "Okay, I''ll get it, and give it to you. You can crush it like a walnut, or feel free to do whatever you want to


    do with it," Matthew replied. He then led Harper out of the hall. But unknown to them, a figure was


    following them silently as they left the hall.

 Chapter 619 The Empress Was Specially Favored (Part One)

    Chapter 619 The Empress Was Specially Favored (Part One)


    As soon as Felix was released from house arrest, the officials who had been worried about him were


    relieved. Felix was the crown prince and the future emperor after all. Even though the emperor was


    angry, he wouldn''t give him a serious punishment but only scolded him and kept him secluded for a few


    days at most.


    In contrast, Hoffman and Walden had been given miserable punishments to match their miserable


    characters. One was imprisoned in the Repenting Tower, where he was doomed to spend the rest of


    his life, and the other was relegated to civilian status, being exiled to the southeast, with a dark and


    uncertain future. Only Felix could keep his royal position during punishment. After all, the emperor had


    brought him up as his heir, and had taught him since childhood in person, so it was hard for him to deal


    with Felix ruthlessly.


    The emperor had also given up on his habit of indulging in newdies. He stayed at the Sleek Pce


    every night. He used to visit Sherry, but he wasn''t seeing her recently. Instead, he spent every night


    with the empress.


    Felix grinned as he heard the news that Harper was pregnant. He didn''t take it to heart. He went to see


    the empress these days and she was asleep every time. It would seem that his parents loved each


    other so much, as if they were on a second honeymoon.


    The empress woke up at noon. She moved her body and felt quite sore. After being married for so


    many years and even having grandchildren, she was surprised to find the emperor so crazy in bed, like


    when he was young. Although she was exhausted from the previous night, she was in a very good


    mood.


    "Would you like to take a bath, Your Majesty?" Nancy came in and asked with a smile. When she saw


    that the empress had bruises all over, she couldn''t hide the joy in her eyes. "His Majesty is quite


    obsessed with you nowadays! He just wants you to serve him every day."


    The empress nced at her with a pout. "Go and prepare some water for me. I want to take a bath."


    "Yes, Your Majesty." Nancy had already told the servants to prepare the hot water. They carried the


    water in, and she helped the empress to take a bath. The emperor''s unceasing passion was bing


    a bit tiring, but he came to her every day and she couldn''t refuse him. She had to bear with it and


    satisfy him even though it made her exhausted. It was her honor that the emperor doted on her, after


    all. The greater the emperor''s fondness for her, the better it would be for her and Felix.


    "What has Felix been doing nowadays?"


    "His Majestymanded His Highness to assist him with court affairs. You''re the center of His


    Majesty''s attention now, so he needs to hand over his official business to His Highness."


    "Naughty girl, you like to tease me."


    "I''m sorry!" Nancy gave the empress a massage as she apologized. The empress was not young


    anymore, so these long and energetic lovemaking sessions made her very tired. As for the emperor, he


    was as passionate and spirited every night as a young man in his twenties.


    "His Majesty has stayed in the Sleek Pce for seven nights in a row, and didn''t visit Lady Sherry


    once. I''m afraid that she may feel lonely and envious. So what? No matter how much His Majesty


    favored her in the past, she is still a concubine of inferior dignity. She''s not a patch on you, His


    Majesty''s only wife," Nancy said proudly.


    "Look at you!" As she enjoyed Nancy''s massage, the empress reflected with amazement about the


    power of that spell doll. She had never expected that doll to have such extraordinary results! It not only


    made the emperor dote on her relentlessly, but also refreshed him and gave him the vigor of a young


    man. But was that owing to the Longevity Pills?


    "Your Majesty, the water is going cold. I''ll have the servants add another bucket of hot water. You can


    enjoy a longer bath and it will get rid of your fatigue." Then Nancy turned around, walked out, and


    ordered the maids to bring another bucket of hot water.


    The empress''s eyes fell on the bed not far away. There was a secret drawer beneath the bed, in which


    she kept the spell doll hidden. She prayed every day and it did work. The emperor loved her with an


    obsession. Every time he saw her, there was no one else in his eyes.


    ''The doll''s potency is remarkable. If it were owned by someone else and used to bewitch His Majesty, it


    would be a disaster for me.'' The empress was worried about that. "Maid."


    "Your Majesty."


    "Investigate Cheryl''s family and find out exactly who gave the doll to her. After the source is found, kill


    everyone who knows about it." The empress couldn''t afford to let the spell doll be known by the public.


    After all, it was a sharp weapon in her hands, and it would be also a sharp weapon in the hands of


    anyone who wanted to hurt her. So the doll, and any knowledge of the doll, must be held by her


    exclusively.


    "Yes, Your Majesty."


    "Your Majesty, the hot water is ready for you. I put His Majesty''s favorite peony petals inside." Smiling,


    Nancy helped the empress into the bath tub. "I will give you a massage after your bath."


    "Okay. You are the best masseuse I''ve ever had."


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    The empress had been in a radiant mood for several days, with joy in her eyes. She was middle-aged,


    but she was looking prettier than usual, despite being so exhausted by the emperor. Unfortunately, she


    was keeping the emperor away from his concubines, and they might be cursing her for it.


    "Is there anything special going on in the Imperial Pce recently?"


    "There''s nothing special, Your Majesty. The situation is normal and quiet, except that Lady Monica is


    keeping Princess Lilian locked up. You''ve kept yourself shut in your pce this past week and don''t let


    thediese to greet you. Don''t you want them to see you?" Nancy replied in concern.

 Chapter 620 The Empress Was Specially Favored (Part Two)

    Chapter 620 The Empress Was Specially Favored (Part Two)


    "It''s noon already. There''s no need for that. Just tell all thedies toe and pay respects to me


    tomorrow." The empress yed with the petals as she spoke slowly. "Prepare an outfit with a low cor


    for me tomorrow."


    "Yes, Your Majesty," said Nancy, as her eyes lit up.


    The emperor stayed only with the empress, which made his concubines feel neglected. After all, even


    though the empress was still elegant and graceful, she was not in the bloom of youth. Even though she


    was still well maintained, she could hardly be as delicate and beautiful as the youngdies of the


    pce. It was well known that the emperor had a passion for young beauties. Even if he held the


    empress in high esteem, it was impossible to believe that he wanted to sleep with her in the Sleek


    Pce every night.


    "Lady Sherry, what is going on with His Majesty nowadays?" one of the emperor''s concubines asked


    curiously.


    Sherry kept herself calm, as if she didn''t even care. "He is the emperor. How can we know what His


    Majesty is thinking about? He can do whatever he wants. It''s not for others to pry into his business.


    Don''t start talking like that, Lady. I''m afraid His Majesty will be displeased if he hears that we''re


    gossiping about him."


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    "Yes, Lady Sherry."


    Monica noticed something wrong in the imperial harem in recent days. She had a suspicion that


    something was about to happen. Ever since her daughter Lilian hade of age, Monica had be


    more sensitive and alert to the social atmosphere. After all, she had only one daughter, and she didn''t


    want her to marry someone randomly.


    "Well, Her Majesty doesn''t need our greetings. We should all go back now. What''s the point of staying


    here?" Monica finally spoke.


    "Yes, Lady Monica."


    The concubines all stood up and said goodbye to each other. Soon, only Sherry and Monica were left


    in the hall. Monica looked at Sherry and asked, "Sherry, how''s Francis nowadays?"


    "He''s much better now. He could hardly walk for so many years, but he can walk outside now. It''s just


    that he is still a bit weaker than an average person. I don''t expect much from life. All I want is his safety


    and health. But..." Sherry said in distress.


    "Don''t worry, Sherry. Francis is a good man and he has good fortune. God will bless him." Monica held


    Sherry''s hand. "Do you feel that something is strange in the pce recently and a storm ising?"


    Sherry raised her eyebrows and looked at Monica. "Lady Monica, you just encouraged me not to worry.


    Now you seem even more worried than me. I don''t think there''s anything to be rmed about, but it''s


    incredible how much His Majesty suddenly favors Her Majesty alone. We''ve both been living in the


    Imperial Pce for many years. We know what sort of man His Majesty is. He has a passion for


    beauties. In his advancing years, he has always favored the young and beautiful women more and


    more."


    "I find it very strange, too. His Majesty seems to have changed his habits entirely, as if he lost his


    interest in young girls, and now prefers mature women. It''s rather inconceivable, isn''t it? Sherry, do you


    think Her Majesty has used some sort of witchery on him?" Monica asked in a low voice.


    "Monica, don''t talk nonsense." Sherry looked around, anxious to see that they were the only two there,


    and whispered, "There are no secrets in the Imperial Pce. We should watch our words carefully.


    Both of us have children, and if we get in trouble, so will our children."


    Monica''s face changed slightly. "I wasn''t raising the idea seriously. It''s just incredible that a man who


    used to like young girls suddenly cares only for one particr older woman to the exclusion of


    everyone else."


    "He''s had so many young women that he''s in the mood for something different."


    "When he changes his mood, he looks for another young woman with a different style. I''ve never seen


    him prefer an older one," Monica added.


    "If the woman in the Sleek Pce hears your words, get ready for that she will make trouble for you


    and your daughter. She''s the empress! If she interferes in Lilian''s marriage, there will be nothing you


    can do," Sherry reproached her with a frown. "Besides, seeing that she has kept her position for so


    many years, she must have some tricks up her sleeve."


    "You are right. Now I''m worried about Lilian''s marriage." Monica looked worried. "The girl is so


    stubborn. She just loves Master Chodak, but he''s a monk! Even though she loves him, she can''t even


    get close to him. What can I do? She hates me for confining her to the pce. She didn''te back


    after she ran away yesterday. If I hadn''t sent people to take her back, who knows what she would have


    done."


    Hearing this, Sherry shook her head and said, "Lilian is a tough girl. She''s been pursuing Master


    Chodak for so many years and still hasn''t given up. Maybe she has her own ideas. You are her mother,


    after all, and won''t harm her. If possible, talk to her and try to find out what she has in mind. Not many


    princesses in the royal family have reached adulthood."


    Sherry''s words made Monica nervous. Lilian alone, among the princesses in the Imperial Pce, had


    alreadye of age. Even though that fact wasn''t on the minds of the emperor and empress at


    present, they would remember it sooner orter, so she had to make arrangements for her daughter


    without dy.


    "His Majesty mentioned Lilian''s marriage in an offhand manner the other day. I have a reputation to be


    arrogant and bossy in the Imperial Pce. Everyone says that His Majesty spoils me very much. But


    who is really the arrogant one in this pce?" Monica heaved a sigh.

 Chapter 621 Cheryl Was Found Dead (Part One)

    Chapter 621 Cheryl Was Found Dead (Part One)


    The two stared at each other. There was just one person in the imperial capital whose arrogance was


    really unparalleled. That person was Harper. Due to her outstanding medical skills and her n''s power


    before her marriage, she had been remarkably arrogant. Although she seemed gentle and restrained


    after she got married with Matthew, her nature was unchanged. Even the emperor couldn''t do anything


    to her!


    "In the past, you didn''t like Harper and thought no man would marry her because of her temper. But


    look at her now! She''s married to Prince Matthew, and he''s absolutely devoted to her." Monica put her


    hand on her forehead. She was once hit on the head by Matthew and it left a pink scar. Now, it seemed


    that he had gone easy on her back then.


    "s, we can only envy her excellent good luck."


    "Yes, not everyone can be so lucky as her." Monica smiled bitterly.


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Ladies." After a while, Minna trotted in. She threw a nce at Monica, and then turned to Sherry. She


    wanted to make some remarks, but she hesitated.


    "If you have anything to report, just spit it out. What''s holding your tongue?" Sherry prompted her.


    Minna gritted her teeth and said, "A maid found a female corpse in the Cold Pce''s well. Her body


    was swollen, and her face couldn''t be recognized. I heard that she was Lady Cheryl, the one who was


    promoted as the attendant a few days ago."


    "Cheryl is dead?" Sherry and Monica looked at each other, taken aback. A few days ago, the empress


    pretended to be ill in order to lure the emperor to the Sleek Pce to check on her. Little did she know


    that the emperor, after visiting her, would have slept with her maid! Because he developed a lust for


    that maid, the emperor even didn''t attend the imperial court session the next day, and he brought her


    away from the empress''s pce that day to promote her as to the rank of an attendant. But why was


    she found dead today?


    Monica''s mind was racing. The empress was a harsh and intolerant woman towards those around her.


    She would never tolerate any sort of betrayal. Cheryl had been working for the empress, but she dared


    to seduce the emperor. Even after bing an attendant, she couldn''t escape the deadly retribution of


    the empress.


    "Cheryl used to belong to the Sleek Pce, and the empress is in charge of all the affairs of the


    imperial harem. It''s none of our business," Sherry whispered. "Minna, don''t look into it any further. Just


    drop it."


    "My Lady, I didn''t mean to. But I heard that Lady Cheryl was drowned, and when her body was pulled


    out of the well, they also found a voodoo doll on her."


    "They found WHAT?!" Monica was shocked. The practice of voodoo was strictly forbidden In the Bright


    Dynasty, and it was especially forbidden in the imperial pce. Cheryl had been killed. Why was a


    voodoo doll found on her? Was anyone using voodoo curse in the pce?


    "Sherry, I''m afraid it''s a big deal. Using voodoo stuff is a serious felony!" Monica''s face turned pale. As


    the emperor''s concubines, they didn''t dare to get involved in anything rted to voodoo. It was like


    ying with fire.


    Equally shocked, Sherry asked at once, "Has the thing been reported to His Majesty?"


    "His Majesty went to the Sleek Pce after the court session ended. A eunuch reported Cheryl''s death


    to His Majesty, but His Majesty just ordered her to be buried."


    "How about the voodoo doll?"


    "Before the eunuch could say anything more, the empress sent him away. The eunuch had no other


    choice but only to bury Lady Cheryl together with the voodoo material." Minna looked terrified. "I can''t


    believe Cheryl would be so bold as to use that voodoo doll in the pce."


    "Well, don''t talk about it anymore. Since His Majesty doesn''t want to have it investigated, just let it go.


    You can leave now." Sherry waved her hand to indicate that Minna could leave.


    Monica''s mind was full of doubts. The newly-promoted attendant was dead, in circumstances that


    involved a voodoo doll. It was strange that the emperor didn''t want to look into it. It was well known that


    the emperor detested any form of voodoo curse vehemently. If he knew that there was one in the


    pce, he should certainly want to have it investigated thoroughly. When the Chu n mansion had


    been reported to have a voodoo doll hidden in it, the emperor immediately sent people to seal up the


    mansion. Why didn''t he show any concern this time?


    "Sherry..."


    "Monica, not another word. Just go back to your pce. There is indeed something amiss in the


    imperial harem. We have the highest rank except for the empress, but we must watch very carefully


    what we say."


    "Well then, I''ll go back. Don''t worry too much about Francis. He will be fine." Monica stood up and took


    her leave, feeling more and more worried and suspicious. She felt as if the whole incident were


    covered by a veil which made it impossible to see the truth behind it.


    The news soon spread through the whole pce, and Harper was also informed of it. She burned the


    note after reading it. A minuteter, she saw a man enter the gate of the Phoenix House. The figure


    was impressively elegant and upright.


    "Zack," Harper called.


    "Harper." Zack, smiling, walked towards Harper at a steady pace. "I heard you''re pregnant. So I came


    to see you after the court session. Congrattions."


    Harper asked him to sit down. "You''ve lost a lot of weight recently. Have your father and mother starved


    and malnourished you?" she jibed at him.


    "Yes, they did. So I came here to have lunch with you. But I wonder if His Highness will drive me away."


    Zack burst intoughter. "I heard that being pregnant is quite a challenging time. Are you holding up


    well?"


    Eyes fluttering, Harper kept smiling and replied, "I am very well. I don''t feel the least bit tired."


    Being a very sensitive man, Zack detected something wrong despite Harper''s undiminished smile and


    normal tone. He tapped the table with his fingers and said, "His Highness broke into the Imperial


    Academy of Medicine in the middle of the night, took all the imperial physicians to the academy and


    ordered them to write the taboos rting to pregnant women. He caused a sensation through the


    whole court. His Majesty''s table is piled up with reports to impeach him."

 Chapter 622 Cheryl Was Found Dead (Part Two)

    Chapter 622 Cheryl Was Found Dead (Part Two)


    Harper tapped the table and burst out inughter. "I didn''t expect him to overreact so madly. I''m very


    restrained at home now. He doesn''t allow me to do anything, and puts me on a strict diet. Pregnancy


    itself isn''t hard for me, but his restrictive orders are hard to take..."


    A glint of something arose in Zack''s eyes, but his face became gentler. "Caroline is also pregnant now.


    She has had terrible morning sickness. She quickly vomits whatever she eats. George is so worried


    about her."


    "Wow, it''s great to hear that Caroline is pregnant!" Delighted, Harper stopped tapping on the table. "I''ll


    prepare some pills for her morning sickness and have them delivered to herter. It may help relieve


    her pain."


    "I thank you on her behalf."


    Harper gave him a reproachful nce and said, "Don''t be so formal with me. I wonder how Hansen has


    been since he was in the north domain."


    "Don''t worry about him. Shawn is also in the north domain to help him. Where is Gigi? Has she been


    taken away by Lady Casey again?"


    "s. After she stayed at our mansion for just two days, Lady Casey came and brought her back to her


    mansion. She said that she couldn''t fall asleep if she couldn''t see Gigi. Now it''s difficult for me to even


    see her."


    "Lady Casey''s daughter-inw hasn''t been pregnant yet. Thus, she has to spend all her time taking


    care of Gigi. I''m sure it''s easier for you to have them take care of her." Zack smiled. "The weather has


    been warm. I heard that the peach blossoms in the Holy Chant Temple have bloomed. Let''s find a good


    day and see the peach blossoms there."


    "No, thank you. Rather than watch them, I prefer to cut them." Matthew''s voice rang out abruptly. As he


    strode in, he fixed his eyes on Zack and asked him, "Grand Secretary Franklin is about to retire. Have


    you been free recently?"


    "Your Highness, as long as you don''t get me in trouble, I can spare some time to enjoy the peach


    blossoms."


    "My Harper has no time to enjoy the peach blossoms. She needs to take care of herself and the baby,"


    Matthew said coldly as he sat down next to Harper. "If you want to enjoy the peach blossoms, I''ll ask


    my men to dig up all the peach trees in the Holy Chant Temple and nt them in your yard."


    Hearing his words, Harper nced at him and said in a ming tone, "If you do that, the abbot of the


    Holy Chant Temple will have a quarrel with you."


    "Chodak dug up one already; why can''t I?" Matthew questioned innocently. Harper had no idea how to


    respond. Eventually, she said, "I don''t care about peach blossoms."


    "Well, I don''t like them either. Otherwise, I have to cut them off one by one." Matthew''s voice was


    emotionless, but Zack got his point.


    "Your Highness, it''s said that your mansion can''t sustain any flowers even if they are nted in your


    garden. Harper is afraid that the peach blossoms will be ruined."


    Harper''s mouth twitched into an awkward smile. "It''s not like that."


    "I can''t grow peach flowers, chrysanthemums or begonias in my yard. I can only grow one kind of


    flower," Matthew said.


    "Apricot blossoms(*)?" (*Teasing that the prince may have affairs with a lot of women.) Zack asked


    slowly. "The same one as the red apricot blossom in the poem, ''With so much spring in the garden,


    how can it be contained? A spray of red apricot blossom has already reached over the wall''?"


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    Hearing what he said, Harper was at her wit''s end. How could the two men fight each other every


    single time they met? In an oral fight, Matthew could be beaten by Zack. But in a real martial arts fight,


    even ten Zacks would be no match for Matthew.


    "I''ve heard that the matchmakers have trampled the threshold of your mansion. Is it true?" Matthew


    narrowed his eyes with an intimidating air.


    "Thosedies introduced by the matchmakers are not as beautiful as thedies waiting outside your


    mansion. They look forward to your love with watery eyes." Zack took a sip of his tea. "After all, His


    Majesty still wants you to marry more concubines."


    Blue veins stood out on Matthew''s forehead, and he said, "If His Majesty wants to offer me any


    beautiful concubines in the future, I''ll deliver them all to you since you are so tender to women and


    don''t want them to suffer."


    "What does the suffering of others have to do with me?" Zack asked in a mild voice. "Your Highness, I


    heard that you have a childhood sweetheart, and His Majesty has already summoned her to the


    imperial capital. Moreover, Harper is pregnant and can''t serve you well nowadays. I''m sure your


    childhood sweetheart will be very appealing to you, and the two of you will take to each other at once


    when you meet."


    "My..." Matthew asked.


    "Childhood sweetheart?" Harper cut in abruptly. The two bickering men looked at her at the same time,


    as she sneered, "What sort of childhood sweetheart?"


    "Hiss!" Zack covered his face with one hand.


    "What? Do your teeth hurt? Do you need my help to take them out?" Harper asked aggressively.


    Zack covered his face with his hand and wasn''t sure if he should put it down. He then said, "Harper,


    this childhood sweetheart is a serious matter. She was not only His Highness''s ymate in childhood,


    but she also had an intimate rtionship with him."


    "Don''t talk nonsense, Zack." Matthew was also perturbed by what he heard.


    "I''m just telling the truth! Your childhood sweetheart is your cousin. I didn''t say anything wrong. Back in


    the old days, Lady Cecilia had a twin sister who married Nate Nie, the provincialmander-in-chief.


    Now your aunt and her family are on their way back to the imperial capital."

 Chapter 623 Being Poisoned Again (Part One)

    Chapter 623 Being Poisoned Again (Part One)


    In the end, Zack was thrown out of the mansion by Matthew.


    Seeing that Zack was thrown over the wall of Matthew''s mansion, his manservant leaped forward


    immediately to catch him, to prevent him from falling directly to the ground.


    "Young master, are you all right?" he asked worriedly after putting his young master down.


    Zack got up, flicked his wrinkled robe and then walked into the carriage. "I''m fine. Let''s go back now,"


    he said.


    "Yes." Then they headed back to the Bu n mansion. In the carriage, Zack''s gentle face appeared


    terrifyingly gloomy. The information Harper had told him made him feel infuriated. He had given


    Matthew tit for tat, only for hiding his fury.


    After throwing Zack out of his mansion, Matthew felt no remorse. "Don''t listen to him. I didn''t have any


    childhood sweetheart. I''m telling you, it''s all nonsense," he said to Harper.


    "But, you''re angry. If what he said wasn''t true, then why are you angry?" Harper asked teasingly.


    "I... I¡­" Matthew couldn''t say anything. He was left with no choice but to admit defeat. "My mother


    used to be on very good terms with my aunt. Gradually, I paid more attention to my aunt''s daughter


    than to others, but I swear she was not my childhood sweetheart."


    "I trust you, Matthew."


    "But, I think you trust him more, right?" Matthew asked sarcastically.


    Laughing with her hand covering her mouth, Harper said, "Matthew, I haven''t seen you this angry for a


    long time. You''ve been repressing yourself too muchtely."


    Matthew''s face changed color slightly. Holding Harper into his arms, he said, "My dear, always


    remember that there is no one more important for me than you. For me, even the totality of all the


    people in the world cannot bepared with you."


    Leaning against his chest, Harper asked, "So, what about our child?"


    "Even our child will not be as important as you!" Matthew expressed his will clearly. If it turned out that


    this child would be a threat to Harper''s life, he wouldn''t mind giving up it to save her.


    "I have something to tell you. In fact, I''m not¡­"


    "Your Highnesses, Prince Francis¡­" Noah suddenly appeared and interrupted before Harper could


    complete.


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    "Your Highness, Prince Francis is dying!" Owen said anxiously as he ran in behind Noah. "Please save


    him!"


    Hearing that, Harper was quite surprised. She had cleansed the poison in Francis'' body. That day when


    he was caught in the rain, he just had a cold. She wondered how his condition would have worsened


    so suddenly.


    "Make it clear. What happened to him?" Harper asked confusedly. ''How could this happen? How could


    he suddenly be dying?'' she thought.


    "Since His Highness returned from the Imperial Pce yesterday, he has been feeling distressed. Your


    Highness, he intended to give a gift to you in person to celebrate your pregnancy, but he felt too


    ufortable toe here, so he went straight back to his mansion and slept for the night. This


    morning, when I went to wake up His Highness, he said that he was too tired and wanted to sleep a


    little longer. At that moment, I felt nothing odd because he did that many times earlier. But when I went


    to his room again at noon, he didn''t reply to me. I approached closer, only to find that he... he was


    dying! Your Highness, I beg you. Pleasee to his mansion immediately and save him!"


    Harper turned to look at Matthew and found he didn''t turn a hair. "Let''s have a look at him," he said.


    "Fetch my medicine kit, Forsythia," Harper ordered immediately. Matthew held Harper''s waist with his


    arm and flew to the roof of the house. In the blink of an eye, both of them disappeared. Seeing that,


    Owen ran out quickly and headed to Francis'' mansion.


    Following Matthew and Harper, Forsythia also hurried to Francis'' mansion by flying on roofs and


    vaulting over walls.


    Noah felt somewhat helpless. He ordered some people to guard the Phoenix House, and instructed not


    to let anyone in without permission. At the same time, he ordered the gatekeeper of the mansion to


    refuse anyone who came to visit Matthew or Harper.


    In Francis'' mansion, Francis was lying t on his bed. He didn''t look like a severe patient at all. Instead,


    he looked like he had fallen asleep. As soon as Harper arrived, she checked Francis'' pulse. She


    observed that his pulse was extremely weak.


    "What''s wrong with him?" Matthew asked.


    "I think he has been poisoned," Harper answered. She quickly took out her needle bag and began


    acupuncture on Francis. Earlier, she was sessful in removing the poison from his body, but now he


    was poisoned again with the same poison. Odds were that now, since the emperor trusted Francis,


    there was no reason for him to continue poisoning him. Besides, this time the dosage of the poison


    differed from before, and this had caused his sudden copse.


    Sitting on a chair aside, Matthew waited patiently for Harper to conduct the acupuncture. When


    Forsythia arrived, Harper was still busy with the process. As soon as she saw Forsythia, she ordered,


    "Open the third cab in the medicinal kit. Take out the red pill from it, dissolve it in wine, and force


    him to swallow it."


    "Right away, Your Highness."


    Forsythia took out the pill. Looking over the room, she saw a teapot on the side table. "Is it okay to use


    tea water instead?" she asked tentatively.


    "No, we need wine. There are bottles of wine on the second shelf of the wardrobe. It''s over there,"


    Harper said, as she pointed her finger to one corner, even without raising her head. However, she had


    no idea that Matthew''s eyes darkened all of a sudden when he heard her words. He only fixed his eyes


    on Harper, who was concentrating on acupuncture. After a while, he stood up and walked out at once.


    While Forsythia was taking out a bottle of wine from the wardrobe, she also observed Matthew walking


    out with an overcast face. But she didn''t give too much of a thought about it. As soon as the bottle was


    opened, the scent of the wine overflowed. Even Harper, who was busy working, couldn''t help but sigh


    in admiration, "Good wine! It smells great."


    Forsythia poured out some wine into a cup and put the pill into it. Soon, the pill dissolved in it, and then


    she handed over the cup to Harper. Harper took a nce at Francis, who was still lying unconscious.


    She then pinched his cheeks to force open his mouth and then emptied the cup into his


    mouth.

 Chapter 624 Being Poisoned Again (Part Two)

    Chapter 624 Being Poisoned Again (Part Two)


    Forsythia couldn''t help but admire Harper''s skills in handling her patient. She thought if she were to do


    it, at least half of the wine in the cup would spill and waste. But Harper was so skilled that not even a


    single drop was spilled outside.


    "Your Highness, how is Prince Francis now?"


    "Not good." Harper began to withdraw the needles one by one. Even after removing thest needle,


    there was no sign of Francis waking up. At the same time, Owen came back.


    "Your Highness, how is my master?"


    "His condition is getting stable now. His life is not in danger, at least for the time being," Harper said


    slowly. "Who has been in charge of his diet recently?"


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    "It''s me. ording to your instructions, His Highness'' diet is carefully managed. I check and ensure


    that there isn''t any problem with the food before His Highness consumes it," Owen answered, ill at


    ease. "Your Highness, is His Highness¡­"


    "Since when did he feel ufortable?"


    "From yesterday, after he left the Imperial Pce."


    "Did he eat or drink anything from the Imperial Pce?" Harper asked in confusion. There were spies


    in Francis'' mansion, but Owen performed thorough checks before Francis would consume any food


    from there. So, the chances of him getting poisoned in his own mansion were unpropitious. The doubts


    were obviously on his visit to the Imperial Pce.


    "I don''t know, Your Highness. His Highness was called to the Imperial Study by His Majesty. He stayed


    there for more than an hour. But, I am not sure if His Highness ate or drank anything while he was in


    the Imperial Study, as I was waiting outside the whole time," Owen answered in an aggrieved tone.


    Harper realized that Francis must have been poisoned in the Imperial Study. She couldn''t understand


    why the emperor was still worried about Francis, despite thetter risking his own life to save the


    emperor. Furthermore, the emperor even increased the dosage of poison this time, as if he had lost his


    patience. Previously, he poisoned Francis at a slow rate, killing him bit by bit, but now, he wanted to


    finish his son as soon as possible.


    "We''ll know about that when Francis wakes up." Harper stood up and then sat down in front of Francis''


    desk. "Rub the ink stick for me. I''ll write a prescription for a decoction. You have someone decoct the


    medicine and feed it to Francis."


    "Yes, Your Highness," Owen said, rubbing the ink stick hastily for Harper. Looking at the ink, Harper


    could not help but praise Owen, "You''re really doing a good job with the ink stick."


    Hearing that, Owen blushed slightly and said, "I have always been on Prince Francis'' side every day.


    Since he enjoys writing very much, I rub ink sticks frequently. Skilles from practice."


    Harper dipped an ink brush into the ink and started writing. Owen couldn''t help but admire her lovely


    handwriting. The handwriting looked stylish with delicate and sharp curves. "Your Highness, you have


    remarkable handwriting," he said.


    "Your master''s handwriting is even better," Harper said with a smile.


    "Your Highness'' handwriting is also beautiful. It is in no way inferior to Prince Francis''," Owen said.


    "Previously, I only heard that Your Highness was so arrogant and domineering and that you even


    looked down upon thedies in the imperial harem. Every time you saw my master, you looked like to


    have been infatuated with him. So I didn''t even dare to ask you to treat him."


    Harper turned and looked at Owen, whose words just confused her. She couldn''t remember any


    instance when she looked like to have been infatuated with Francis. It was even surprising for her to


    hear that she had met him many times earlier.


    "I have met him many times?"


    "Your Highness, you often met my master while you were working in the Imperial Academy of Medicine.


    Every time you met him, you followed him like his crazy fan. I was even afraid that you would do


    something to him, so I always tried to avoid meeting you. If I had known earlier that you could cure him,


    I would have asked you to treat him long ago."


    "Cut the crap, and just go and get the medicine," Harper said, as she handed the prescription to Owen.


    Owen quickly took over the prescription and proceeded to prepare the decoction. Harper turned to look


    at Francis, who was lying on the bed weakly. If she had often met Francis before, why didn''t she have


    any rted memory? She was confused.


    "Kkkkk." Francis suddenly coughed and opened his eyes slowly. "Water."


    After hesitating for a moment, Harper poured a cup of water and ced it by Francis'' mouth. He drank


    it immediately and felt much better. Soon his sight fell on Harper, and he looked quite surprised.


    "Aunt Harper, why are you here?" Francis asked, while struggling to sit up. Harper immediately


    supported him with her hand and ced a pillow behind him to make him morefortable.


    "Your manservant came to our mansion, told me that you were dying, and asked for my help," Harper


    said in a t tone. "First, I thought he was joking. But to my surprise, upon reaching here, I found that


    you were really dying."


    A ray of hurt shed in Francis'' eyes and then disappeared. "You are the same as before. You treat me


    in the same way you treat people you disliked."


    Squinting slightly, Harper looked at Francis. Her eyes were dry, devoid of any emotions. Under the


    gaze of Harper''s emotionless eyes, Francis felt shocked in his heart, but he did his best to hide it from


    his face. Harper looked unfamiliar with him, and she didn''t seem to pretend. On the day of the


    emperor''s birthday banquet, when she was in Matthew''s arms, the way she had looked at him indicated


    that she was not just shocked by his perfect appearance, but she didn''t seem to look at somebody she


    was familiar with. He had felt strange at that time. It was not until now he was sure that Harper did treat


    him indifferently.

 Chapter 625 Caught In A Trap

    Chapter 625 Caught In A Trap


    "Aunt Harper, do you remember the first time we met?" Francis asked casually with a pleasant smile,


    as if the question came innocently to his mind with no ulterior purpose.


    Harper poured a cup of tea, holding it in her hand, touching it with interest, and she nced at Francis


    a few times. When he thought she wouldn''t answer, atst she opened her mouth.


    "No, I don''t remember that. I have a poor memory."


    Francis'' mood fluctuated slightly, and his eyes flickered with emotion. Fortunately, his face was always


    so pale that the change of his emotion could never make him look worse. He never expected that


    Harper would dare to say that she had a poor memory. He knew very well what a sharp memory she


    had. She could remember whatever she read, even when she read very fast. How could she say that!


    "Oh well, it''s good that you don''t remember." Francis toyed with the jade ring on his thumb. "I feel much


    better. I''m sorry to keep you here for so long. Please go back now, Aunt Harper."


    "Well, remember to be careful about what you eat, or you may fall into someone''s trap again. You can''t


    be sure that I will always be able to save you in time." ncing at Francis again, Harper added, "Take


    good care of your master, Owen."


    "Yes, I will, Your Highness."


    Francis hinted to Owen to escort Harper out. He stared at her back, and kept his eyes in her direction


    even after she disappeared from his sight.


    "She''s gone. You''re still in a daze." On the roof, Jason in a coquettish red robe crossed his legs. "Don''t


    forget, she is a poisonous poppy flower from someone else''s mansion. You can only see her from a


    distance, but you can''t touch her."


    "When will you officially return to the imperial capital?" Francis'' voice was vague and abstracted.


    Jason raised his eyebrows and looked askance at Francis with his amorous eyes. "Whether Ie


    back or not, no one cares about me, not even the old man. As for the others, I''m afraid they prefer it


    when I''m not here."


    "Find a good time toe back and help me," Francis said slowly. He had taken a risk to poison


    himself this time, in order to let Matthew and his wife know how much he hated his father. Everything


    he did was for the sake of revenge against the emperor, not to obtain power.


    "When would be the right time? I''ve heard that he indulges in women and alcohol nowadays. Can his


    old body resist such passions?" Jason jibed in a cynical and mischievous manner.


    "I''ve heard that the third Heavenly Book is in Uncle Matthew''s mansion. Is it true?" Francis asked


    Jason, suddenly remembering the news.


    Jason turned over and flew down from the roof and sat on Francis'' bed. Supporting his upper body with


    both hands, he said, "I don''t know if it''s true, but I''ve heard some other interesting news that you''ll be


    happy to hear."


    "What news?"


    "The Qin n has made contact with Uncle Matthew."


    Francis straightened his back and asked, "Why did the Qin ne to the imperial capital at a time


    like this?"


    "Who knows? The whole direct lineage of the Qin n in the imperial capital has been wiped out, and


    there is only one of them left, Harper Chu. Their secrets are passed down to their lineal descendants,


    including the Heavenly Book''s secrets, the Qin n''s secrets and the secrets of longevity. In the whole


    world, the one who is most entitled to inherit those secrets must be Harper." Jason looked at Francis


    with curiosity. "Francis, can you guess why the Qin n wanted to see her?"


    "Does it have something to do with the secrets of their n?"


    "At that time, the whole direct lineage of the Qin n was destroyed, and there was only Harper Chu


    left in her infancy. For many years, the old man sent people to monitor her, but there was nothing to


    raise any rms. Apart from her superb medical skills, she was arrogant, domineering and good for


    nothing, with no redeeming qualities. However, as soon as she married Uncle Matthew, her entire


    personality was turned upside down. What do you think happened?"


    "Of course, she has changed a lot since she found a powerful husband."


    "Don''t y dumb. If this woman has not been scheming and camouging herself every moment since


    her marriage, then she must be apletely different person!" Jason said ironically.


    A flicker of light shed in Francis'' eyes, and a conjecture formed in his mind. Harper''s story was


    indeed rather unlikely.


    "Harper and you were taught by the same teacher. What kind of woman do you think she is?" Jason


    made a wry face in reaction to that.


    "When did I ever learn with that evil woman?" His master had epted only two disciples, a boy and a


    girl. The girl, who was lovely and beautiful, was definitely not the poppy flower in Matthew''s mansion!


    "Did you use your real name at that time?"


    "No, I didn''t."


    "Did you show your real face?"


    "Of course I did."


    "She didn''t change her overall appearance, but she just changed her face a little. You have been with


    her for five years, and you still can''t recognize her. Jason, can''t you think straight? I recognized her at


    first sight. You used to live with her day and night. How could you not recognize her?" Francis said


    slowly.


    Jason''s face went pale in utter shock. "That''s impossible. She had no internal force at all as I checked


    her then. How could that be possible... Unless she made some great effort!"


    "Do you remember when Harper''s personality changed?"


    "It was... after Daniel disappeared."


    "When did he disappear?"


    "Seven years ago!"


    Francis looked at Jason in disappointment and pushed him. "Get out of here. How blind can you be?


    You don''t even recognize someone you spent every day with."


    In Matthew''s mansion, a shadow sneaked into the deserted northern garden. It was the shape of a


    figure who was looking for something. Who would expect that Matthew had hidden such an important


    thing, the Heavenly Book, in such a deserted yard?


    But the shadow couldn''t find what he wanted after an exhaustive search. He looked around the whole


    northern garden and yelled, "Damn it! Where did you put it?"


    "Are you looking for this?" A candle was suddenly lit in a dark room. Matthew was sitting by the table,


    staring coldly at the masked man.


    "Why are you here?" The man was appalled with surprise.


    "Didn''t expect to see me? I should have been in Francis'' mansion, right? Why am I here? I didn''t


    expect you to be the one to betray me." Matthew''s indifferent voice revealed no emotion.


    When the man heard this, he wanted to jump straight out of the window and escape, but Fred was


    standing guard outside it. He wanted to run out the door, but Matthew was sitting at the door. He knew


    he was not a match for Matthew. So he could only flee to the other side, but Barry was guarding there.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    "Jack Jun, do you still want to run away at this point?" Matthew''s voice was as cold as ice. He had


    suspected Rufus, Noah, and even Barry, but never had he doubted Jack. Although Jack''s personality


    was sometimes unsteady, he believed he would have been absolutely loyal and devoted to him. But to


    his disappointment, the person he had trusted most actually betrayed him!


    The masked man was shocked and panicked. Being trapped in the room, he knew that he couldn''t


    escape. Even if Matthew was the only one there, he couldn''t escape, not to mention Barry and Fred


    standing guard.


    "When did you discover it was me, Your Highness?" asked Jack, removing the ck cloth from his


    face.


    Matthew looked at Jack''s familiar face and said, "It wasn''t me. It was my wife who discovered


    something wrong with you."


    "It was Her Highness, no wonder. I''ve tried my best to avoid meeting her, but she still saw through me."


    Jack sighed.


    "Aside from my wife, Fred also noticed something unusual with you. You have taken precautions


    against Harper, but you forgot to be on the alert against others." Matthew''s eyes were totally void of


    warmth. "Speaking of this, I want to know who you work for."


    "I''m working for my master, of course," replied Jack, leaning against the wall.


    "And I am not your master. Don''t you want the Heavenly Book?" Matthew said. The Heavenly Book


    was in his hands, and he yed with it. "Come and take it."


    "Is this the Heavenly Book owned by Her Highness?" questioned Jack, staring at the book in Matthew''s


    hands.


    "Yes, it is."


    "Her Highness is quite capable. Many people suspected that she was part of the Qin n, and had


    even been keeping her under surveince. Despite this, she still lives well. Later, after she married you


    and receives your protection, she doesn''t expose her nature but hides it even better. Your Highness, do


    you really know the woman who shares your bed?" said Jack with a yful smile.


    "Of course I know her better than you do."


    When Jack was about to speak again, he saw a figureing over with a graceful stride. She stopped


    at the door and looked quietly at the people in the room, with a gentle and modest smile on her face.


    "Your Highness, you are back."


    "Of course I came back. After all, you sent me a major gift, and I have to thank you," Harper said in a


    gentle voice as if she were talking with an old friend. Nothing but tenderness could be heard in her


    voice.


    "Well, it seems that you do like my gift, Your Highness."


    "Of course. I am overjoyed by it." Sheid emphasis on the word "overjoyed". "If it wasn''t for the drug


    you gave me, I wouldn''t have been so happy for so long, even though Iter found out the truth."


    "You are quite philosophical, Your Highness." Jack showed a brighter smile. "When did you discover


    something amiss, Your Highness?"


    "I found something amiss with the miscarriage prevention medicine sent by His Highness." Harper


    entered the room and sat down next to Matthew. "Ordinarily, the miscarriage prevention medicine


    should be a safe drug. But an imperial physician from the Imperial Academy of Medicine was so kind


    that he worried about my weak body. Thus, he acted on his own initiative and added an extra herb into


    the medicine, and thus, I found something wrong." Touching her belly, Harper said, "Do you think that I


    would sit still and wait for death when I found something unusual like this?"


    "I''m just curious, Your Highness. How did you confirm that I did all of this?" Jack had no choice but to


    marvel at her capability. It was amazing that Harper was able to detect what was wrong even when she


    was pregnant. No wonder she was able to live a good life under so many watchful eyes, without being


    found out. She was a prodigy indeed!

 Chapter 626 Poisoned By The Terminalia Chebula (Part One)

    Chapter 626 Poisoned By The Terminalia Cheb (Part One)


    Without wasting another breath, Harper took the Heavenly Book from Matthew and opened it. To


    anyone else, the messy writings on the book looked like ghost paintings. But to Harper, they looked


    lovely as if the words were weing her, which was fitting because she could actually read them. She


    was a member of the Qin n, so it was like second nature to her.


    "When I was in the Phoenix House, I was very careful about the food that I eat. Except for the


    designated few people, no one was allowed to enter the kitchen. Unauthorized people weren''t able to


    touch my food because they didn''t have a chance to enter the kitchen in the first ce. No one had the


    opportunity to poison me at all." Harper''s words sounded so sweet like flowers falling from their trees.


    But then, it started to have a different tone. "When I was in the Phoenix House, I knew that I wasn''t


    pregnant. So how could I have been expecting after staying in the Pine House for a few days?"


    Matthew immediately turned to look at Harper with wide eyes and a slightly opened mouth. To say that


    he was shocked was an understatement. He heard her words very clearly. But he didn''t seem to


    understand what she meant. "Harp, what do you mean by that?"


    Harper, on the other hand, ignored his question and didn''t respond to him. Instead, she continued to


    speak while looking at Jack. "On the night of the emperor''s birthday, you realized that it was a rare


    opportunity as soon as you found out that Matthew took me back. So you decided there and then to


    take advantage when the food was served to him. You know well enough that I have excellent medical


    skills. So if you were to poison me, I would discover it at once. So you chose the Terminalia Cheb


    because not only is it colorless, it''s also odorless."


    The admiration in Jack''s eyes grew stronger and stronger while he listened to her assertions. "My


    master had been saying that we shouldn''t underestimate you. I realize now that he''s right.


    Lady Harper, it''s not easy to get ahold of the Terminalia Cheb because it''s not an ordinary poison. If


    it is permitted to stay in your body for half a year, there''s a high possibility that it will kill you. But if you


    choose to detoxify yourself and use every means possible to drive the poison out of your body, there''s


    no doubt that it will cause you harm. Your body has already been damaged, and there''s no possible


    way to fully recover. If you try to cure yourself by chance, I''m afraid that it will be hard for you to get


    pregnant in the future." The smile on Jack''s face was full of vicious intent and it could almost be


    mistaken for a smirk.


    While Matthew was listening to every word that wasing out of Jack''s mouth, a strong desire to


    murder the man ignited in him. It was so intense that it overflew in the room. Jack noticed this so he


    immediately added, "Your Highness, don''t be mad. If you killed me right now, it would be very difficult to


    get the antidote to save your wife."


    Meanwhile, Harper who had been listening to their exchange put a smile on her face. There was no


    trace of anger in her. She then turned to look at Jack and calmly asked, "Do you really think that you


    can force him to give in and hand you the Heavenly Book in exchange for the antidote?"


    Disregarding Matthew and how furious the prince was, Jack looked back at her while wearing a wide


    smile on his face. With so much amusement, he said, "What a cleverdy you are! I must admit that''s


    exactly what I''m thinking. So Your Highness, will you exchange the antidote with the Heavenly Book?


    This is about your future offspring. I suggest you think twice before you make a decision."


    "Jack, have you forgotten that I''m the one who can make the decisions about the Heavenly Book? Why


    aren''t you asking me instead of him?" Harper asked. Her voice grew gentler. Masked in that tender


    voice that even Jack couldn''t detect was the danger that was contained within.


    "Well, you''re right. So let me ask you. Do you want the Heavenly Book or the antidote?" Jack asked.


    His voice was kind, but it was full of evil intentions. "Lady Harper, you have very proficient medical


    skills. You should know how powerful the Terminalia Cheb is. As a woman, especially a prince''s


    wife, you won''t keep your position for long if you don''t produce an heir. Not only that, you''ll also lose the


    prince''s love."


    Harper held the Heavenly Book tightly. While walking towards Jack with confident steps, she said, "Oh?


    Is that so? Thank you for that very educational speech. Do you really want the Heavenly Book?"


    "Of course. The only thing I want is the Heavenly Book. I only did everything that I have done because


    of it. I can assure you that it would be better for everyone else if the book is in my hands," Jack replied


    while looking at Harper with the same smile that he had earlier.


    "Okay, why not?" Harper casually said.


    With those few words, there was a subtle twinkle in Jack''s eyes. He was a bit surprised to hear that


    Harper would give such a favorable response. Yet, he wasn''tpletely convinced that it would be that


    easy. He knew that he still needed to be vignt. Although Harper could fight a bit, she did not have


    sufficient internal force. So he thought that as long as he was well prepared, he shouldn''t have to worry


    about Harper making things difficult for him.


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    "That''s great. Thank you very much, then, Lady Harper,"


    Jack stated. With so much interest on his face, he watched Harper''s every step as she approached


    him. When she was close enough, he tried to surprise her by stepping forward and grabbing her by the


    arms. But unexpectedly, Harper, who had been three meters away from him, suddenly appeared inches


    from his face. She stretched out her hand and bound him into a choke hold. Before he could even


    react, Harper had already restrained him.


    In great astonishment, Jack tried to muster his internal force to push Harper away. Unfortunately for


    him, no matter how hard he tried, he soon realized that he was limp and had no strength to resist at all.


    Unable to move even by just a little bit, he could only stand there weakly while Harper pinched his


    neck.


    "What... What did you do?" he stammered, incapable of forming coherent sentences.


    "I''m doing you a favor by sending you to theher world. You have been working for Matthew for such


    a long time. And don''t you know that the No. 1 rule in this mansion is to never ever offend me?" Harper


    asked in a voice full of seduction while giving a coquettish and charming smile. Just like a rose, she


    was beautiful, captivating even. With just one look, you would be tempted to touch her but all roses had


    thorns and if you were not careful, you would bleed.


    Jack was extremely surprised. He had not expected that Harper would be able to act in such a way.


    She did not have any internal force, yet she could immobilize him so effectively. What surprised him the


    most was that he didn''t even know what was happening until it happened.


    "Do you really think that the Terminalia Cheb can threaten me? Are you just too naive or too stupid


    to think like that? Jack, I don''t think you know me enough. Well, here''s one thing you should know


    about me. What I hate the most is someone threatening me! I don''t ever allow someone to do that!" As


    soon as she finished speaking, Harper snapped his neck without the slightest bit of hesitation.

 Chapter 627 Poisoned By The Terminalia Chebula (Part Two)

    Chapter 627 Poisoned By The Terminalia Cheb (Part Two)


    Almost at the same time, Fred and Barry turned their heads away from what was now Jack''s corpse.


    They did not have the heart to see such a gruesome scene. Although Jack had betrayed Matthew, they


    didn''t want to see him die like that because they had been friends since they were very little. They


    practically grew up together. Despite their sentiments, they would not save him either. Since he


    committed a very serious crime by betraying Matthew, he deserved to die. The only thing that they


    could do was turning away so they wouldn''t be able to watch him die.


    Then, Harper released her grip on Jack and his dead body mmed onto the ground with a thud. She


    turned around and was about to leave. But suddenly, she noticed that there was something wrong with


    Jack''s face. After his neck was broken and he died within seconds, theplexion of his face did not


    change at all.


    Meanwhile, Matthew''s eyes had only been focused on Harper. At that time, he was still thinking about


    how to deal with the poison that was inside Harper''s body. He asked, "What is the Terminalia


    Cheb?"


    Unintentionally ignoring Matthew''s question, Harper sat on the floor and closely examined Jack''s face.


    After a while, she still couldn''t find anything wrong. She then hesitated for a few seconds before taking


    out a silver needle. With one quick sweep over his face, she finally found something.


    "Matthew, this man is not the real Jack," Harper concluded decisively.


    Upon hearing that, the other three men were stunned. The first one to approach Harper was Fred. After


    checking on Jack''s body, he immediately found something wrong with Jack''s face. He then stretched


    out his hand and tore off ayer of mask that was securely stered atop his face.


    Everyone looked at the strange face in front of them and silence fell on the room. The dead man was


    certainly not Jack, even if he had been by their side for so long. The two most important questions by


    then were what happened to the real Jack and if he was still alive. Everyone was having the same


    doubts.


    At that point in time, the furious state that Matthew was in did not melt away. Instead, it became more


    and more intense. Fred and Barry immediately noticed this. Slowly but consistently, they moved away


    from Matthew in order to spare themselves. Before long, they had already run away, leaving Harper


    and Matthew alone in the remote small yard while they stared at each other in dismay.


    "Well... I''m sorry. Darling, I apologize but I''m not pregnant," Harper finally said. She couldn''t stand the


    silence anymore. Then, she carefully and passively moved to his side and pitifully held on to his sleeve.


    Matthew raised his head to look at her with a ghastly expression on his face. He even looked like he


    wanted to skin people alive. When Harper was in the Phoenix House, she was very cautious. He knew


    how high her defenses were towards other people. She was only able to calm down when he arranged


    the servants to prepare food for her. Now, it was not her fault at all. But she still apologized when she


    noticed that he was mad. The truth, however, was that Matthew was not upset at her for not being


    pregnant. He was angry with himself for giving the fake Jack the opportunity to hurt her. He felt guilty.


    Although a part of him was certainly a bit disappointed about not having a baby yet, another part of him


    actually felt a bit relieved with this news.


    He sighed before reaching out to pull Harper into his arms. "I''m sorry. It''s all my fault," he whispered


    into her ear.


    Harper breathed a sigh of relief when she heard that. As long as he wasn''t mad because she wasn''t


    pregnant, Harper was at ease. She knew how happy he was when he found out that he was going to


    be a father. But now, he had been informed that she had only been poisoned by Terminalia Cheb


    and wasn''t carrying a baby. Harper thought that he would be very disappointed. After all, they just took


    a piece of heaven away from him.


    "I didn''t protect you well. I was so stupid. I didn''t notice that it wasn''t Jack but an impostor!" Matthew


    lamented. He was extremely annoyed by his own foolishness. But, as luck would have it, Harper was


    not pregnant so he didn''t have to fall into a dilemma.


    "To be honest, I''m very curious about who is actually capable of recing your bodyguard without your


    noticing," Harper said. She couldn''t think of a person who would be able to do that. No matter how


    much she tried to search in every corner of her brain for a suspect, she couldn''t think of anyone.


    "I''m curious about it too." Clenching his jaw, Matthew thought about the matter thoroughly. The entire


    situation was a huge p in his face. Someone had been able to rece his bodyguard, poisoned his


    wife, and even delivered news about him to others. The worse thing was that it wasn''t even him who


    found out about the discrepancies. If it weren''t for Harper and Fred, he was afraid that he wouldn''t have


    known that there was an intruder around him.


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    Harper then slowly added, "Speaking of which, there is one thing that''s still very strange to me. Francis


    hadpletely healed from the poison in his body. He also knew that it was the emperor who had


    been poisoning him. Why then did he allow them to continue poisoning him? At this point, he had


    already consumed a lot of poison. The person who was behind this clearly wants to kill him in a short


    period of time."


    "What did he say?" Matthew asked with his eyebrows furrowed.


    "He said that he was just having a cup of tea in the Imperial Study and then ended up like that. I always


    felt like the whole thing was weird. The emperor wanted to make it up to Francis so he had been


    protecting him with the utmost effort. So why did he suddenly drug him heavily? A dosage like that


    would have certainly killed him!"


    "I don''t think it was the emperor behind all of this. For all we know, it might be Francis who did it to


    himself in order to trick everyone," Matthew said before taking Harper in his arms and walking towards


    to door.


    "What? Is he mad? His body has been damaged for so long. He needs so much time and care to


    recuperate. Injecting his own body with poison as lethal as that will definitely end his life!" Harper


    eximed. It was hard for her to believe that Francis would do something like that. Even if he didn''t


    want to live anymore, he didn''t need to torture himself like that.


    ncing at Harper, Matthew had the urge to throw her out when he realized that she still cared about


    Francis so much. But he didn''t do it, because he knew that it would only bring him pain if Harper was


    hurt. Therefore, he lightly pinched Harper around the wrist to make her understand the displeasure that


    he was feeling. Of course, it was only natural for him to feel disappointed when Harper cared for


    another man.


    "Yes, he''s insane!" Matthew agreed.


    "You''re right. The person who would do such a thing to harm himself is indeed insane," Harper said in


    agreement. In fact, she doubted that Francis would be so stupid to do such a cruel thing to himself. And


    for what? She could not figure out any reasonable exnation if Francis really did it to himself.


    "What are you thinking about?" Matthew asked. He could tell just by looking at her that she was in deep


    thought.


    "I''m just thinking about it more thoroughly. The emperor is not young anymore. He has been enjoying


    his sexual life, day and night. Thus, his body is getting weaker. Moreover, his condition has not been


    good recently. I''m wondering when he will be in trouble due to that," Harper remarked with a smile on


    her face. She didn''t want to tell Matthew about her doubts about the possibility that Francis poisoned


    himself.


    "What do you mean by that? What kind of trouble would the emperor run into?" asked Matthew.


    The smile on Harper''s face even reached her eyes. She opened her mouth to say something but


    ultimately chose to do otherwise. Matthew immediately understood what she meant. In an instant, a


    gloomy expression appeared on his face. But it was very brief and he soon returned to normal. Then,


    he said slowly, "Well, you don''t have to worry about anything like that with me. I''m in good health. I will


    never find myself in that kind of trouble!"


    Chocked by his words, Harper coughed to clear her throat. She asked, "What are you talking about?"


    "Well, I think you know exactly what I mean. Anyway, why don''t we test it now? I will show you that my


    body is still very strong," Matthew said with a smirk on his face.


    "Matthew, I''m sorry, but I had never doubted your abilities when ites to that!" Harper tried to plead,


    although it was obviously toote for her to do so. If she was going to spend the night with him, Harper


    could already foresee that she would not be able to get up in the morning the next day.

 Chapter 628 The Emperor Was Ill (Part One)

    Chapter 628 The Emperor Was Ill (Part One)


    Harper was still sleepingte that morning. Nina and Anabel were waiting outside. Harper didn''t like to


    be disturbed when she was sleeping. If there was any noise to awaken her, she would be very irritated


    and might punish everyone in the house.


    When Noah arrived, he saw that the door of Harper''s room was closed and that Nina and Anabel sat at


    the door and did some needlework. "Nina, is Her Highness up yet?"


    "Steward Noah, Her Highness is still asleep. What''s the matter?" Nina quickly stood up and asked.


    "The word from the Imperial Pce is that His Majesty is unwell."


    Harper woke up at that moment, just in time to hear that the emperor was ill. She quickly had the maids


    come in to help her change clothes and freshen up. She was finished and ready in the blink of an eye.


    She remembered what she had said the previous night to Matthew: that the emperor might suddenly


    drop dead from excessive indulgence in sex. It seemed that her prediction might have alreadye


    true. Perhaps his body couldn''t bear it anymore.


    "Come in, Noah," Harper said.


    "Good morning, Your Highness."


    "Skip the courtesies. Do you have any detail about His Majesty''s illness?" asked Harper with curiosity.


    Seeing the undisguised schadenfreude on Harper''s face, Noah couldn''t help but cough to remind her


    that she shouldn''t make her delight in the emperor''s misfortune so obvious. But he quickly remembered


    Harper''s personality, and realized that nothing he said to her could hold her back from taking pleasure


    in a moment like this.


    "Word hase from the Sleek Pce that His Majesty suddenly passed out. The imperial physicians


    were all at their wits'' end and didn''t know what to do. When His Majesty finally woke up, he was so


    weak that he needed to stay in bed to recuperate. His Majesty ordered Crown Prince Felix to take care


    of state business on his behalf, with the assistance of Grand Secretary Franklin and Prince Francis.


    After that, His Majesty fainted again," Noah reported, though he didn''t understand why Matthew had


    ordered him to tell Harper the news by himself. He was sure that Matthew must have some reason to


    make such a request.


    "Anything else?" Harper asked. The news that the emperor had fainted and that the crown prince would


    handle national affairs in his stead was quite interesting. If the emperor really had awoken after fainting,


    he would not only have ordered Felix to handle national affairs, but also have Francis to keep Felix in


    check.


    "General Maxwell''s wife is seriously ill and likely to die soon," Noah continued after a moment''s


    thought, as his mind sorted through the news he had heard recently.


    There was a glimmer in Harper''s eyes. Now that Maxwell had known the reason why none of the


    women in his mansion had borne any children to him and obtained Harper''s help, of course he would


    take action against the women in his mansion. The reason why his wife remained alive was only to


    avoid making the emperor appoint any other woman to fill his wife''s vacancy anytime soon.


    "Anabel, go to the storehouse to choose a suitable gift and forward it to General Maxwell''s mansion, as


    a token of our concern for his wife," Harper said with the subtle trace of a smile. "Some very interesting


    things must have happened in his mansion recently."


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    "Prepare a nice gift and deliver it to the Kong n mansion as well. Caroline is pregnant, but I can''t


    visit her at present. I''ll visit her in person when my own health improves."


    "Your Highness, I will deliver the message to Lady Caroline."


    "And then..."


    "Some news from the River City told us that Your Highness'' ready-made garment shop had enjoyed


    booming business and Mister Rufus had been busy counting money every day. He asked if Your


    Highness wishes to open another branch, and he said that he wanted to take a share in the business."


    Noah was wryly amused by this letter he had received from Rufus. He thought that Rufus'' insistence


    and pushiness in asking him to persuade Harper to agree to the proposal were rather shameless. Noah


    knew perfectly well that Matthew would not let him see the sunrise tomorrow if he said or did anything


    improper to Harper.


    Hearing the news, Harper was absolutely delighted. "Oh, really? Business is booming?"


    "Yes, Mister Rufus said that he has deposited all the profits in the bank, and that Your Highness can


    withdraw the money by using this token," Noah said, handing a jade token to Harper. Harper took it and


    put it in her pocket dly. "Tell him that I''m in no rush to open any new branch. Let''s wait three more


    months first, then I will open two new branches in two different cities in the south. He can take charge


    of the whole operation. I will provide the designs."


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    After Noah left, Harper began to deal with the matters at hand. As she had recently been busy


    detoxifying herself from the Terminalia Cheb, she had quite a few backlogs to attend to. Now that


    the emperor''s health had copsed from excessive sex, he would have to spend some time


    recuperating. She was afraid that Felix and the empress would take advantage of the chance to do


    something in the meantime.


    Today, Matthew came back from the imperial court session very early. When Harper saw he walked in


    with light and carefree steps, her eyes shone with pleasure. "Darling, you seem to be in a good mood."


    "Not bad. His Majesty is in aa," Matthew said, putting down his cloak and handing it to Anabel. He


    sat down and watched Harper deal with the household affairs.


    "If His Majesty was in aa, how could he announce that Felix would take over his duties of state?"


    Harper asked.


    "It was just a phony imperial edict, but the empress summoned one imperial physician after another to


    diagnose him. All the imperial physicians said that His Majesty had suffered a serious decline of health,


    leading to his weakness and fainting. His Majesty''s life is not at risk, but it will not be easy for him to


    break out of thea." Matthew kept his eyes on Harper as he spoke. He wanted to ask about the


    Terminalia Cheb in her body, but didn''t know how to mention it.


    "Is the Terminalia Cheb a kind of poison?"


    "It''s not a poison," Harper answered without even raising her head. "I''m immune to every kind of


    poison. If it were a poison, it would not have harmed me. It''s a rare drug, though, with a powerful effect


    on me."

 Chapter 629 The Emperor Was Ill (Part Two)

    Chapter 629 The Emperor Was Ill (Part Two)


    "Will it damage your body?"


    "No, it won''t. But it is inevitable that my body has been impacted when it was removed from my body.


    Therefore I have to nurse my health with great care for a while. Of course, I can''t get pregnant during


    this period of time," Harper said, shifting her eyes to Matthew. "That''s why I have to take the


    contraceptive."


    "All right," Matthew agreed calmly. He didn''t object to Harper''s taking a contraceptive, even though it


    went against his preferences. Harper wasn''t worried because she believed Matthew ced great


    importance on her health.


    "I guess the Qin n must have attracted a lot of attention when Felton entered the imperial capital.


    What do you think?"


    "Of course. Felton is a member of the Qin n. It''s fortunate that His Majesty is in aa now,


    otherwise he would have made trouble for you," Matthew said, with a cold glitter in his eyes. "Now Felix


    has begun to take charge of national affairs, and Her Majesty is in charge of the imperial harem. None


    of the otherdies are allowed to see His Majesty. Nobody is allowed to approach His Majesty except


    those appointed to watch over him."


    "Well, what a great opportunity for them to get rid of anyone who is in their way! I''m afraid Her Majesty


    and Felix will take this opportunity to attack others," Harper said. Resting her chin on one of her hands,


    she thought for a while and continued, "The timing of Francis'' poisoning again seems to be suspicious.


    Maybe it was Her Majesty who poisoned him this time. She poisoned Francis exactly when she


    predicted that something would happen to His Majesty. Now that Francis is weak and bed-ridden, Felix


    and Her Majesty can take the opportunity to dominate the affairs of state."


    "Maybe."


    "I don''t care what they do to each other. Let''s just close our gate and live our lives peacefully in this


    mansion. We won''t go out until they are done," Harper said, intending to stand aside and be merely an


    onlooker. She didn''t care whether the emperor was alive or dead. Her only worldly concern was to


    establish a sessful, thriving business in her shops.


    "I''m afraid Her Majesty won''t allow you to be merely an onlooker."


    "You think she wants to attack us?" Harper asked though she found it impossible to believe, for it would


    be incredibly foolish if the empress antagonized Matthew and Harper. After all, Matthew had three


    hundred thousand soldiers under his thumb, who could besiege and attack the Imperial Pce


    whenever Matthew gave the order. Attacking Matthew and Harper would be a signal for Matthew to


    launch a rebellion that could overwhelm the empress.


    Shaking his head slightly, Matthew exined, "Today His Majesty is in aa, and Felix has begun to


    take charge of state affairs. The imperial physicians diagnosed him, but the courtiers don''t believe


    them, and think that the imperial physicians were bribed by Her Majesty and Felix. It''s all the more


    suspicious that Her Majesty doesn''t allow anyone to visit His Majesty. As a result, some have


    suggested..."


    Seeing Matthew looking at her with a wry smile, Harper frowned slightly. "They want me to go to the


    Imperial Pce to diagnose HIs Majesty?"


    "Yes, you guessed it right," Matthew said, stroking her head gently. "You weren''t there, so you missed


    an amusing performance today. Those who used to denounce you passionately in front of His Majesty


    praised you to the skies today. They said that your medical skills are second to none in the world and


    that you are also trustworthy. They said they would believe nobody''s diagnosis but yours. They forced


    Felix to allow you into the Imperial Pce to diagnose His Majesty."


    "And you agreed?"


    "Of course not. My wife isn''t an imperial physician, so you can''t be summoned at the drop of a hat. But


    I have no doubt that Her Majesty will have someone to invite you to the Imperial Pce in order to


    satisfy the courtiers who called for you," Matthew said with an amused smile. "If you go, you don''t need


    to diagnose or treat His Majesty carefully. Then we can find an excuse to leave the capital and go on a


    sightseeing tour."


    Hearing this, Harper couldn''t helpughing. "You only want to take the opportunity to rx and enjoy


    yourself; is that right?"


    "I don''t think we need to be involved in this damned fight between Felix and Francis. Let''s just get away


    and travel around. After all, it''s only when we are absent that people in the dark will show up," Matthew


    sneered. "It''s been a long time since Jason was in the imperial capital. I think it''s almost time for him to


    return."


    "Jason is indeed mysterious, isn''t he? I''ve never seen him in person. I wonder what he looks like,"


    Harper said curiously. "Could it possibly be that he''s just too ugly? Is that why he doesn''t have the


    nerve to show up in public?"


    "You''ll see him soon. I''ve learned that Jason is already on his way back to the imperial capital,"


    Matthew said, with his eyes darkening at that thought. Jason was a prince he detested, though he


    didn''t look down upon him either. Technically speaking, he had never looked down upon any son of the


    emperor, even Lucas, who had never been involved in the struggle for power, or the fight for the throne.


    "Oh, that''s interesting. I wonder why he''sing back now," Harper said, feeling curious. "What a fine


    drama it will be! It''s a pity that we won''t have the chance to see it since we''re leaving the imperial


    capital."


    "You want to stay in the imperial capital to watch the drama?"


    "No, I don''t. I''ve heard that the peach trees in the Holy Chant Temple are in full bloom. Darling, how


    about going there to see the peach blossoms with me?" Harper said, shaking her head decisively.


    "There is ake in Chodak''s bamboo grove. I saw many fish in thekest time. Since Chodak is in


    the imperial monk''s mansion now, how about stealing a few of his fish for fun?"


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    "I''m afraid a few fish are not enough," Matthew said after thinking for a while. "I''ve heard that the fish in


    Chodak''ske are quite fresh and tasty. How many do you think you can eat, at the most?"


    "One big or two small," Harper answered after a moment''s pause. Then she asked, "How many can


    you eat, Matthew?"


    "Four."


    "Okay, have as many as you want. Four fish aren''t so many, so he won''t have any reason toin.


    Just catch as many fish as you can eat!"

 Chapter 630 Volunteer To Pray (Part One)

    Chapter 630 Volunteer To Pray (Part One)


    Later that evening, Andy visited Matthew''s mansion to deliver a message from the empress, requesting


    Harper to go to the Imperial Pce to make a diagnosis and give treatment for the emperor. However,


    Matthew refused this request at once without a hint of hesitation.


    Hearing Matthew''s response, Andymented in a concerned tone, "Your Highness, His Majesty''s


    health is of the utmost importance and he is in serious danger right now. The officials only believe in


    Lady Harper''s medical skills. If she doesn''t go there as soon as possible, I''m afraid that..."


    Before he could even finish his sentence, Matthew cut him off and said, "Andy, do you really want my


    wife to go to the Imperial Pce, diagnose and treat His Majesty this time? How can I be sure that the


    empress won''t seize the opportunity to hold her as a hostage in order to threaten me?" His voice


    sounded so cold, and the look on his face sent chills down Andy''s spine. In the face of such a terrible


    person, he couldn''t help trembling in fear deep inside. Even if the emperor were present, he still


    wouldn''t dare to offend Matthew, let alone when the emperor was stuck in aa. While struggling to


    remainposed in front of everyone, Andy steeled his resolve and said, "Well, His Majesty has


    slipped into aa and needs to be treated right away..."


    "Andy, my wife will head to the Imperial Pce with me tomorrow morning to diagnose His Majesty. On


    top of that, I''m going to ask some loyal officials to witness it. That is the best way. Otherwise, do you


    seriously think those officials would believe that my wife would go to treat His Majesty at this point in


    time?" The cold and stern look he had in his eyes was making Andy feel weaker and weaker in the


    knees with each passing second. At that moment, he only wished that he could bury his head into the


    ground just so he would not have to face Matthew under such terrible circumstances. Something was


    telling him that Matthew had be even more frightening than he was before.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    "Your Highness... I understand. I''ll inform Her Majesty right away,"


    Andy responded very quickly, desperate to leave that ce as soon as he could. It should go without


    saying that he did not intend to stay there for even a second longer. It made him feel like he was


    suffering in hell.


    "Andy," Matthew called out all of a sudden.


    "Yes, Your Highness," Andy answered at once. Hearing Matthew calling his name startled him so much


    that he trembled in fear once again, falling to his knees. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"


    "Don''t forget that your master is His Majesty, not Her Majesty," Matthew tly said. Hearing Matthew''s


    insightful warning gave Andy quite a fright.


    "Yes, I''ve always been making sure to keep this in mind. His Majesty is the master I''m supposed to


    serve. Thank you for your kind reminder, Your Highness," Andy firmly replied. Then, he got up on his


    feet right away, leaving in such a hurry. Truth be told, he was aware that Matthew had already been


    suspicious of him. He had been living in the Imperial Pce for a number of years, so he already knew


    which response to give in such a situation would ensure his safety. After Andy left, Matthew simply


    returned to his room, thinking that it would be better to just sleep at this time.


    The next morning, Harper was woken up by Matthew. Although she didn''t really want to leave the


    comfort of her cozy bed, she still got up anyway. After all, she knew full well that there was an important


    job she had to do today. After getting freshened up, she went into the carriage with Matthew, heading to


    the Imperial Pce. Throughout the entire day, she had been feeling so sluggish. In fact, when she got


    inside the carriage, she even used Matthew''sp as a pillow and slept all the way.


    The emperor was currently in a severea, and the officials were suspecting Felix. What was more,


    Matthew said that Harper would be treating the emperor under the watchful eyes of the officials. For


    that reason, all of them were there waiting for Matthew and Harper to arrive.


    Before long, the two finally arrived. Without dy, one of the officials immediately asked, "Your


    Highness, is Lady Harper..."


    "Head straight toward the Tranquil Hall," Matthew ordered in a rather cold tone. When they arrived at


    the gate of the pce, he didn''t get off the carriage and asked the coachman to take them directly into


    the Imperial Pce.


    Seeing this, the officials then frantically followed them to the Imperial Pce. Franklin and Zack


    followed behind, but they didn''t bother trying to catch up to Matthew''s carriage. They knew that there


    was no need to try to chase them because even if Matthew and Harper got there first, she wouldn''t


    start checking the emperor''s condition until all the officials were present.


    "Grand Secretary Franklin," someone called out.


    "General Maxwell," Franklin responded, nodding his head as he nced at Maxwell. Maxwell used to


    be such a ferocious man. Buttely, he had been looking much better, and even had half a smile on his


    face.


    "How''s your wife? Is she feeling any better?" Zack politely asked.


    "Well, it''s still the same as before. I''ve already lost count of how many physicians we''ve asked to check


    her condition, but they just keep getting the same result. Her condition has not improved in the


    slightest," Maxwell replied. There was a hint of indifference in his tone when he said those words.


    However, Zack simply smiled without saying anything else.


    "Grand Secretary Franklin, do you think His Majesty..." asked Maxwell.


    "We''re in the same boat. I have no idea about His Majesty''s current condition as well. Let''s go there


    quickly to find out. We''ll know the result once he gets treated," Franklin replied, wearing a gentle smile


    on his face. No one could possibly notice any superfluous expression on his face, or could ever hope to


    guess what he was thinking.


    ''You old fox!'' Maxwell couldn''t help cursing him deep in his heart. Then, he looked at the tender smile


    on Zack''s face. ''And that right there is the little fox. Everyone in the Bu n is as cunning as a fox.''


    Based on the look on Maxwell''s face, Zack could tell that he wanted to give him a mouthful, but he


    didn''t really care. Now, he was working for the court, and his father was about to retire soon. By then,


    he would be the one to bear the great responsibility.


    Some officials began murmuring amongst themselves. "It is said that Lady Harper has remarkable


    medical skills. I wonder if she will be able to cure His Majesty."


    "Who knows? Although they said that she has remarkable medical skills, don''t forget that they called


    her a quack when she helped deliver the baby of General Maxwell''s concubine. And for that reason,


    His Majesty also stripped off her title as an imperial physician. In my opinion, I don''t think she is really


    that capable."


    "But I''ve heard people say that she is without equal in this respect."


    "Well, we will have to find out whether she is truly as remarkable as they say or not after she makes the


    diagnosis for His Majesty soon," an imperial physician sneered. Although Harper was married to


    Matthew, there were still a handful of people who didn''t like her.


    "You''re right. I guess we''ll have to wait and see if she does have remarkable medical skills."


    Matthew''s carriage pulled over right outside the Tranquil Hall. A few officials were already there waiting


    for his arrival. As he stood there, Felix did not turn his gaze toward Matthew''s carriage until Franklin


    and the others arrived as well.

 Chapter 631 Volunteer To Pray (Part Two)

    Chapter 631 Volunteer To Pray (Part Two)


    "Uncle Matthew, Grand Secretary Franklin and others have arrived," he told him.


    "I see," Matthew replied nonchntly inside the carriage. After that, everyone heard him waking up


    Harper. A few momentster, Harper got off the carriage and seemed to be just half awake.


    "Aunt Harper," Felix said.


    "Your Highness," Harper politely replied, nodding her head. "Your Highness, would you please choose


    several officials to enter with me? Although the officials have the right to know about His Majesty''s


    condition, His Majesty needs a peaceful environment right now. So please select a small number of


    representatives. Otherwise, we may risk irritating him if too many peoplee inside at once."


    "Okay," Felix quickly replied. Then, he proceeded to call out the names of a few officials.


    "Uncle Allen, Grand Secretary Franklin, General Maxwell, and Marquis Travis, pleasee inside with


    us."


    "Yes, Your Highness," all of them replied at once.


    Harper and Matthew were walking in front of everyone. No one made anyment regarding this and


    they all just quietly followed them inside. The empress was sitting at the bedside. Seeing the people


    coming in, she immediately tried to wipe her tears dry. That being said, no one could actually tell


    whether there were any real tears or not.


    "Harper, hurry up and check on His Majesty. He has been unconscious the entire time. I''m worried


    about him," the empress cried out at once as she took the emperor''s hand in hers, seeming like such


    an affectionate wife. If Harper didn''t know that they were never really such a loving couple, she would


    have probably believed that the rtionship they shared was actually this good. ''What a good actress


    she is!'' Harper couldn''t help thinking.


    "Please rest assured, Your Majesty. I will check His Majesty''s pulse and diagnose his condition right


    away," Harper said at once. As it turned out, she could be quite the actress as well.


    Hearing that, someone fetched a stool, and ced it on the bedside for Harper to use. She sat down


    immediately to feel the emperor''s pulse. While doing this, she suddenly furrowed her eyebrows.


    Noticing this, the empress felt so nervous that her eyelids were twitching. "What''s wrong with him,


    Harper?" she asked anxiously, afraid that Harper might have noticed something wrong.


    Without giving her a response, she tried to feel the pulse of the emperor''s other hand. "What did the


    imperial physician say?" she asked.


    "ording to the imperial physician, His Majesty has been physically weak and ill many times before.


    That''s why he has been feeling so weak all the time. But as long as he has some much-needed rest,


    he should be waking up soon," the empress carefully said. Needless to say, the diagnosis of the


    imperial physician was not real. The truth was that the emperor had fallen ill because of having too


    much sex. But this was something that could not be revealed to anyone.


    "Harper, how is His Majesty''s condition?" Allen asked, sounding so worried.


    "Please don''t worry too much. His Majesty''s condition will be all right. It doesn''t seem to be anything


    serious. He has just fallen ill, as ordinary people would. The imperial physician is right. All he needs is


    to get a good amount of rest and he''ll be waking up in a few days," Harper tly replied. She decided


    not to expose the empress''s lie. Hearing that, the empress was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief


    deep inside.


    "His Majesty is always busy with his work day in and day out, and he is often reading over the reports


    from officials every single day. I have been trying so hard to convince him to get some rest, but he just


    wouldn''t listen to me. Now I know that he has be ill due to overexertion," the empress remarked


    as she turned on the waterworks. From what she said, the emperor had be such a good emperor


    who was hardworking and loved his people instead of a person who always spent his time lying in bed


    with other women. Thetter was the truth, however.


    "We all can see how sad you are, Your Majesty. Given the situation, I''m going to head over to the Holy


    Chant Temple to pray for His Majesty and wish for him to wake up as soon as possible," Harper


    offered. "Your Majesty, please allow me to do that."


    When she heard this, the empress was rather surprised and, quite frankly, pleased. So much so that


    shepletely forgot that she was pretending to cry. After a while, she pulled herself together and


    answered, "That is so kind of you, Harper. Since you are willing to pray for His Majesty in the Holy


    Chant Temple, I think it''s definitely a good idea. I will never object to that. Bring more guards along and


    be careful whenever you go out. It''s not safe outside these days."


    "Don''t worry. I will go there with her," Matthew interjected.


    The empress was walking on air when she heard Harper offering to leave the imperial capital. On top of


    that, hearing Matthew volunteer to apany her, she couldn''t possibly be any more thrilled. With the


    two of them out of the imperial capital, she thought she and Felix could take the opportunity to get rid of


    the ones who didn''t support them before the emperor woke up.


    "Well, His Majesty is in aa at the moment. And there are many affairs that need to be taken care


    of. If Prince Matthew leaves the imperial capital during such a time, I''m afraid..." someone chimed in


    and voiced out his concern.


    "Grand Secretary Franklin is still here. He can help out Felix with General Maxwell. I will be worried if


    my wife leaves the imperial capital all by herself. Thest time she went to the Holy Chant Temple, she


    encountered an assassin, which resulted in Chodak getting injured. Now, with her offering to go to the


    Holy Chant Temple to pray for His Majesty, there''s no way I can risk anything bad happening to her. For


    that reason, I will certainly go there with her," Matthew answered.


    "Well, you couple just love each other very much, so I think your request is just reasonable. It is true


    that if Harper were to stay outside by herself without you protecting her, she may end up getting in


    danger. All right. Matthew, you should apany Harper to the Holy Chant Temple. Franklin, Maxwell,


    Allen, and Travis, please help Felix with the state affairs. I appreciate your kindness," the empress said


    right away before Matthew could get the chance to change his mind. Specifically, she did not mention


    Francis when she asked the officials to help with the state affairs.


    "Yes, Your Majesty."


    "Now that everything is settled and no one seems to object, I''ll leave the Imperial Pce and leave for


    the Holy Chant Temple," Harper then said to everyone.


    "What? Are you nning to go to the Holy Chant Temple today?" the empress asked in astonishment.


    "But you haven''t prescribed medicines for His Majesty yet."


    "I''ve read the prescription of the imperial physician and there is no problem with it. Just continue giving


    him the medicine ording to the prescription. I don''t need to prescribe another prescription specially.


    His Majesty has just fallen ill. Your Majesty, you need to take care of him. Felix, on the other hand,


    would have to attend to the state affairs. It must be tiring. So, please take good care of yourselves as


    well," Harper said in a soft voice, as though she was seriously concerned.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    The empress, however, was a bit taken aback upon hearing her give such a reaction. She was well


    aware of the fact that Harper would never really care about their health at all. In spite of that, she just


    couldn''t find anything unusual from her words and the way she spoke. So, she just smiled and said,


    "Matthew, Harper, given that you''re going to the Holy Chant Temple to pray for His Majesty, you should


    also take care of yourselves, please, since it''s going to be a long journey. Matthew, you are very


    important to this nation. You should be careful at all times."


    "Don''t worry, Your Majesty. We''ll make sure to take good care of ourselves," Harper answered at once.


    With that, they left the room, walking out hand in hand. When they saw them walking out, the officials


    couldn''t help asking, "Your Highnesses, how is His Majesty?"


    "His majesty is fine. He just needs to get some rest, and he''ll wake up in a few days. During this period,


    Grand Secretary Franklin, General Maxwell, Prince Allen and others will assist Felix in handling the


    state affairs. We will visit the Holy Chant Temple to pray for His Majesty and wish for him to wake up as


    soon as possible," Harper said in a casual tone, which seemed to have made the crowd feel at ease.


    That being said, all of them were confused about the content of her words. Given the fact that the


    emperor would be recovering soon, why did they have to offer to visit the Holy Chant Temple to pray for


    him? And Harper could go there by herself. So, why would Matthewe with her? These things just


    weren''t making any sense to them.

 Chapter 632 He Is Second To None (Part One)

    Chapter 632 He Is Second To None (Part One)


    It hade to the point where the emperor was seriously ill. Matthew was very worried about the


    emperor''s well-being, so he came to the Holy Chant Temple with Harper. They wanted to pray for the


    emperor and his full recovery as soon as possible.


    Hearing such a report from his secret guard, with a sneer, Chodak said, "It''s impossible for Matthew to


    pray for the emperor. Even if the pigs could fly, Matthew wouldn''t pray."


    The secret guard lowered his head and thought to himself, ''Every time, the master heard the news


    about Prince Matthew, he would gnash his teeth. It''s hard to believe that the two of them don''t have any


    particr rtionship.''


    "Have they already set out?" Chodak asked after a long pause.


    "Yes, they''re already on their way."


    "Since that''s the case, I should also pray for His Majesty as the imperial monk. Make preparations right


    now. We should also go back to the Holy Chant Temple." Before moving, however, Chodak stretched


    out his right hand and stared at it for a while. Although he didn''t see anything unusual with it, that hand


    could no longer wield a sword. Chodak perfectly knew this, so with a solemn expression on his face, he


    brought his right hand closer to his chest and caressed it with his left hand.


    When the secret guard saw what Chodak did, he immediately knew what his master was going


    through. Yet, he could do nothing about it. After all, his master had been fully aware of the risk to save


    Harper. There was no one to me for it.


    After arriving at the Holy Chant Temple, Matthew and Harper directly went to the bamboo forest. Since


    they were familiar with the array that Chodak had deployed there, it wasn''t able to stop them at all.


    Within a short period of time, they reached the Jade Lake inside the bamboo forest with ease.


    "Matthew, go catch some fish. I''m going to collect some firewood," Harper said immediately.


    "Okay," Matthew briefly replied before following her instruction.


    When Harper came back with the firewood, she saw that Matthew was killing the fish. His technique


    could bepared to an expert. He was doing it quickly in a very neat way. It was as if he had been


    killing fish all his life. Harper was stunned for a while. She didn''t know that Matthew could look very


    attractive just by killing fish. He didn''t look like the dignified prince that he was. Instead, he looked like a


    normal person. Harper was actually very impressed.


    "Why are you looking at me like that?"


    "Matthew, you look so handsome when you''re killing fish," Harper said as she put down the firewood


    and the mushroom that she had picked. Then, she took out a crockery jar and added, "I''ll steal a pot


    from Chodak''s bamboo house and use it to cook the soupter."


    After using a knife to carve the ends of several bamboo sticks, Matthew skewered the fish with it. He


    then carefully ced the peach blossom which he had picked earlier into the fish''s stomachs. He took


    out a jar of wine, poured some in the stomach of the fish as well, lit the wood with the fire starter and


    began cooking. In the meantime, Harper washed all of the mushrooms and put them into the crockery


    jar. She then started a fire to cook the mushroom soup.


    "Is this how the two of you pray for the emperor?" A voice of a man was suddenly heard along with the


    clenching of teeth. Harper turned around and saw Chodak in a monk''s robe. He was all in white and


    there was no expression on his face, but she could hear that he was still grinding his teeth.


    With a wave of her hand, Harper asked, "Chodak, you came at the right time! Would you like some


    grilled fish?"


    "A monk is not allowed to eat meat. Darling, you''re putting him into a dilemma!" Matthew responded for


    Chodak.


    With a big smile on her face, Harper said, "Oh, I forgot about that. Chodak, you don''t have the luck and


    privilege to eat something nice. Fortunately, I cooked mushroom soup. You can''t eat meat, but you can


    try my mushroom soup. It''s delicious."


    Beside the fire, Chodak pulled up his robe and sat on the ground. "I know that the two of you did not


    come here to pray. You came here just to catch the fish in the Jade Lake."


    "We came for the fish because people say the fish in theke are always fresh and tasty. I haven''t


    eaten it before. So I want to have a try and see if they were telling the truth. However, our main


    objective is not to eat the grilled fish here, but to pray for the emperor." Harper would never admit that


    they came here only for the fish.


    "I think you''re here to watch the fight between two tigers from a distance! Is this the kind of person that


    you are? You just indulge him in everything that he wants to do, even if he''s avoiding his


    responsibilities?" Chodak asked indifferently.


    Harper touched her nose and calmly said, "Chodak, above everything else, food is the topmost


    necessity for people. His behaviors should not be regarded as ''avoiding responsibilities''. We are


    mortals, not gods. We all need to have food."


    Chodak questioned, "Don''t you think it''s an immoral act to kill any living thing in this holy ce of


    Buddhism?"


    With that, Matthew snorted and responded, "I havemitted a lot of immoral acts. I don''t mind adding


    one or two more. Besides, is your ce really a holy ce of Buddhism? If you want to eat it, then do


    so; if you don''t want to eat it, then forget it. No one''s forcing you!"Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "No, I''ll eat. Why not? After all, they are the fish that I''ve worked hard to feed for so long time. I want to


    have a taste and see if the fish are really as delicious as you said!" Chodak was so mad that he had


    completely forgotten his identity as a monk. His focus at that moment was to have a taste of the fish so


    badly.


    "Humph! You''re a monk! You can''t eat any meat!"


    "I don''t mind. I worship Buddha in my heart and that''s enough!" Chodak raised his hand and stated a


    Buddhist chant, "Amitabha."


    Without hesitation, Matthewmented, "Such a hypocrite. If people were to find out that you, Master


    Chodak, are simply a hypocritical monk, I wonder if you will still have the respect of your people."


    "If they cease to respect me just because I eat one fish, it only means that they''re not loyal to me. It will


    also show who my real followers are. Because the real ones won''t reject me just because I eat some


    fish. For example, your soldiers won''t stop following you even if you''re not a prince anymore." While


    Chodak was speaking, he had a faint reverence in his eyes. Because the truth of the matter was that


    he admired the ck g Army which Matthew had trained.


    "Crown Prince Rndo''s Cyan Garment Guards are very esteemed and distinguished as well. Any one


    of his guards alone can fight against one hundred people at the same time. Although he only has thirty


    thousand of such guards, their military strength is quite high." Matthew turned to look at Chodak.


    Indeed, thetter''s Cyan Garment Guards couldn''t be looked down upon. Even if he wasn''t the crown


    prince anymore, he could stillmand the Cyan Garment Guards. That was why when he became a


    monk in the Holy Chant Temple, the people of the Great Jade Kingdom did not dare to hurt


    him.

 Chapter 633 He Is Second To None (Part Two)

    Chapter 633 He Is Second To None (Part Two)


    "What kind of guards are they? Are they the same with the pce guards?" Harper curiously asked. At


    that exact moment, the crockery jar made a loud noise. The soup was already boiling. Harper picked


    up the seasoning bag beside it and sprinkled some in the jar. In fact, the seasoning bag seemed a little


    familiar to Chodak, as if it was from his own room.


    The corners of Matthew''s mouth curved into a smile as he said, "The pce guards are not as good as


    the Cyan Garment Guards. After all, the Cyan Garment Guards are on a par with my secret guards."


    Harper then eximed, "Really? I didn''t know that they are sopetent! That''s thirty thousand secret


    guards! Whoa! It must be so expensive to sustain such arge group of people. As a monk, do you still


    have the money to support so many people, Chodak?"


    Chodak''s eyes suddenly had a spark while he kindly smiled. "When I was still the crown prince, I own a


    lot of industries. Although I am a monk now, the industries are still mine. The revenues from those


    industries are enough to maintain the army as long as they don''t eat that much."


    Harper nodded her head as an acknowledgment while she washed the white porcin bowl. She then


    stirred the soup in the pot and looked at the grilled fish that Matthew had cooked. "My soup is almost


    ready. How about your fish?"


    "Almost done," Matthew responded with a smile. He turned the fish over to keep on grilling them. Then


    he reached out his hand to Harper, and she gave the seasoning bag to him. Although he almost burned


    the Phoenix House''s kitchen when making the chicken soup for herst time, he actually had strong


    survival skills in the wild. The only problem was that the kind of kitchen at home was not suitable for


    him.


    When the fish were almost done, Harperdled out a bowl of soup and handed it to them. "Eat the fish


    and drink the soup at the same time. With some wine, it will feel more rxing than watching a grand


    show in the imperial capital."Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Chodak took out three cups which Harper and Matthew didn''t know where he got from. Beside


    Matthew, Chodak took the wine jar before saying, "You stole my wine."


    Matthew gave Chodak a look of innocence. "I took it with integrity and honesty. It is inappropriate to use


    the word ''steal''. Besides, you''re a monk but you''re hiding some wine so discretely. Do you have any


    eptable reasons for doing so?"


    Without responding to Matthew''s question, Chodak poured a cup of wine and handed it to Harper. "Try


    the wine. I made it. It''s better than the wine in your mansion. This peach blossom wine tastes mellow


    and sweet. You won''t feel drunk if you drink a little."


    Harper took the cup, had a sip, and immediately nodded. "You''re right; it''s good. I didn''t expect you to


    be someone who can make wine."


    "I only have two hobbies in my life, ying Go and making wine. I seldom made this kind of wine ever


    since I came here. This peach blossom wine is particrly special for me because I made this exactly


    the day before I became a monk. I would have never anticipated that he would take it." Then, Chodak


    opened the jar and closed his eyes while he took a whiff of the wine. It seemed like the sweet smell of


    the wine made him recall something from far away.


    Matthew handed the grilled fish to Harper and said, "Be careful! It''s hot."


    Harper nodded, took the fish and took a bite of it. Without hesitation, Chodak reached out for a fish and


    graciously ate it. There were times when Harper would feel so envious of men like Chodak and that


    moment was one of them. Men like Chodak not only looked quite handsome, but they could also


    remain as noble andposed while eating. In front of her, Chodak looked as if he were not eating


    grilled fish in the wilderness, but eating delicious delicacies in the imperial pce. It seemed natural for


    him, but for Harper, it required so much of her conscious mind and effort.


    "What a masterpiece of God," Harper murmured. Her whisper was so soft but Matthew was still able to


    hear it. He said with a smile, "Back then, Rndo had so many beautiful followers. Everyone would say


    that his appearance and talent were second to none."


    "It''s also said that Prince Matthew is both handsome and talented. You made so many girls fall for you.


    Some of them even chased you to the battlefield. How can Ipete with you?" Chodak argued back,


    not willing to lose to Matthew at all. Both of them were talented and had been born as enemies. Even


    though Chodak was reduced to be a monk at the Holy Chant Temple, no one dared to look down


    upon him.


    Harper didn''t say anything. Listening to the two men waging a tit-for-tat verbal fight against each other,


    she just ate her fish, drank her own soup, and sometimes took a sip of her wine. She used to think that


    a war of words could only happen among women. However, now that she was witnessing Matthew and


    Chodak argue with each other, she had to admit that she was wrong. Men were actually good at


    throwing words at each other. Moreover, listening to the two men''s quarrel made her feel that she didn''t


    know how to argue at all.


    "Harper, I''ve heard that Prince Matthew''s younger cousin ising back. You should be careful. After


    all, the hardest thing to bear is the gift of beauty. Not to mention, they''ve known each other since they


    were children, so they have a really strong, I even dare say, intimate bond," Chodak reminded. After he


    drank some wine, his handsome face flushed with a red glow which made him look like amoner.


    "Be careful, Crown Prince Rndo. Lilian, as the princess of our Bright Dynasty, is a fiery rose with


    thorns. If you''re not cautious, you''ll certainly be pricked," Matthew retorted immediately. After drinking


    the wine in his cup, he finished eating the fish in his hand. Then he took the white porcin bowl and


    quietly drank the warm mushroom soup.


    "Are you leaving the Bright Dynasty?" It took a long time before Harper could ask. Matthew called


    Chodak as Rndo just now. Did it mean that he was leaving his identity as monk Chodak, and would


    return as Crown Prince Rndo?

 Chapter 634 Owe Me An Explanation (Part One)

    Chapter 634 Owe Me An Exnation (Part One)


    Chodak left chicly and resolutely without turning back or hesitating. He was as swift as a breeze


    blowing across theke, raising ayer of ripples, and then in the next moment, peace was resumed


    and he was gone without even a trace.


    Bored to death, Harper leafed through the Buddhist scripture. "Matthew, Chodak¡­" she mumbled.


    "Chodak doesn''t exist anymore. He died by the side of theke. From now on, the person who is alive


    will be Rndo, the crown prince of the Great Jade Kingdom," Matthew said while dealing with the


    letters he had received. "The emperor of the Great Jade Kingdom is terminally ill. Being the crown


    prince, he can''t stay here any longer."


    "Even though his father is terminally ill, he is only a deposed crown prince¡­" Harper paused for a while


    as something came to her mind all of a sudden. "Why on earth was he deprived of the title of the crown


    prince in the first ce?"


    "One reason was that he enjoyed high prestige, making his father view him as a threat; another reason


    was that he wanted to look for the Heavenly Books," Matthew sneered. "He is decisive and always


    maintains a low profile. To avoid suspicion, he even shaved his head and became a monk. Nobody


    would look for a former crown prince among monks."


    "So, you know all the things about him," Harper said casually. "Although I am not sure why you had let


    him stay in the Bright Dynasty, I''m quite sure that you must have struck a deal with him."


    "Yes, you''re right. I was poisoned once, and he was the one who saved my life with a pill. So, I


    provided him with a shelter in return." Matthew exined the reason. For him, it was not a bad deal to


    exchange a shelter for his life.


    Suddenly, someone knocked at the door and called out, "Your Highness."


    Harper went for the door, and when she opened it, there was a young monk waiting outside. "What''s


    the matter?" she asked.


    "Your Highness, our grandmaster ordered me to invite His Highness to y a game of Go," the young


    monk said respectfully, after devoutly putting his palms together.


    Hearing that, Matthew put away the letters he still hadn''t dealt with and said, "All right. I''ve long wanted


    to y a game of Go with Master Thubten. Now that I''m not too busy, I''ll be happy toe. Harp, you


    may have a nap. I''ll be back soon."


    "Okay, go ahead," Harper said, nodding her head. As a matter of fact, Master Thubten was highly


    respected and admired bymon people, and enjoyed a higher status than Chodak. Now that


    Chodak had taken his leave abruptly, Matthew had to exin the whole situation to Master Thubten.


    After he left, Harper stretched herself, intending to rx and have a sleep. All of a sudden, a gust of


    wind blew in and extinguished the candle in the room. Harper was alerted, but she didn''t move an inch.


    She narrowed her eyes slightly and tried to figure out what was happening.


    Suddenly, the candle was ignited once again. Harper saw a man in scarlet red sitting at the table. She


    was quick to recognize him as Marquis Scarlet.


    With her eyes half closed, Harper moved her fingers, intending to strike at him. However, Marquis


    Scarlet addressed her before she could get closer, "Dear junior sister, you turned so heartless that you


    even set me up."


    But hearing his words, Harper was astounded. ''Junior sister? Who is he talking with?'' she thought to


    herself. She looked around to see who else was present in the room other than Marquis Scarlet and


    her. But surprisingly, there was none. So, the man was referring to her as his junior sister?


    Despite the confusion in her heart, Harper sat down, maintaining her calm. "I have no idea what you


    are talking about, Marquis Scarlet," she said.


    "Junior sister, I never thought you would be so ruthless. After you went down the mountain, you even


    didn''t recognize me as your ssmate. If you remember, we were ssmates for five years. During


    those five years, we had spent a lot of time learning together. But you seem to havepletely


    abandoned our friendship." As he looked at Harper''s face, Marquis Scarlet suddenlyughed grimly.


    What Francis had said was true. He had been so stupid that he hadn''t found out that the woman in


    front of him was his junior sister.


    Suddenly, Marquis Scarlet made a quick move and rushed towards Harper. However, she was quick to


    dodge his attack, as if she could foresee what he was about to do. After failing in his first blow, Marquis


    Scarletunched another attack, but Harper dodged it again. Marquis Scarlet didn''t use his internal


    force. The two of them exchanged more than a dozen blows by making use of the catch skills that


    Harper was familiar with.


    "Stop!" Harper called to a halt.


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Your Highness," Fred greeted Harper as he rushed into the room fearing something was wrong. But


    there was no one but Harper in the room. The window was open, and a gust of cold wind was blowing


    in.


    "Is everything alright, Your Highness?" Fred asked.


    "I''m fine. You may leave now," Harper said. She walked to the window and closed it. But she was


    shocked and surprised, wondering what was going on. How could it be possible? How was Marquis


    Scarlet able to use catch skills? Not everyone knew how to use it.


    Harper organized her memories¡ªthe memories she had, the broken memories of the original Harper


    from the Bright Dynasty. No matter how hard she tried, she was unsessful in putting those missing


    memories together. She had her memories intact only from those incidents from the ce of execution.


    "What''s going on? Why?" Harper mumbled to herself, stroking her head. She was so distressed and


    felt a headache. She didn''t know whether the original Harper had something to do with Marquis Scarlet


    or she herself had something to do with him. In her faint memory, she had a father and an elder


    brother. But if she had some connection with Marquis Scarlet, what appeared in her memory wouldn''t


    be true.


    As soon as he left Harper''s room, Marquis Scarlet was stopped by Barry. Without uttering a single


    word, Barry brandished his sword at him. Without any fear, Marquis Scarlet fought back against Barry.


    He was no match for Matthew, but his strength was enough to crush Barry.


    Finally, Barry was knocked down by Marquis Scarlet, and then he made a quick escape. With no dy,


    Barry responded by sending a signal re to notify Matthew. Matthew saw the signal blossoming in the


    sky while he was ying the game of Go with Master Thubten. He looked at the master and asked,


    "Master Thubten, monks never lie. Did you really call me here to y Go with you?"


    Putting his palms together devoutly, Thubten said, "Amitabha. Please forgive me, Your Highness.


    Someone asked me to invite you to y Go with you."


    "Good strategy! You were sessful in luring me away from Harper," Matthewmented in a calm


    and collected manner. "You are someone who has been disillusioned with the mortal world, right?


    Then, why did you still get involved in the worldly affairs?"

 Chapter 635 Owe Me An Explanation (Part Two)

    Chapter 635 Owe Me An Exnation (Part Two)


    "I''m just doing a favor for the disciple of an old friend of mine. Although I am a monk now, I couldn''t


    refuse him so relentlessly," Thubten said with a gentle smile. "Your Highness, you''re too hostile."


    Matthew picked up a stone, yed with it for a while, and then ced it down back on the board. "You


    haven''t seen me when I was more hostile. I won''t hesitate to kill anyone who would dare to take my


    woman from me. If you feel that you cany hands on my people, I don''t mind if the Holy Chant Temple


    disappears from the Bright Dynasty from now on."


    "Amitabha," Thubten chanted. Finally, the color of his face changed. "I''m a monk. I don''t have the


    slightest intention of taking anybody from you, Your Highness. It''s only that since those things belonged


    to her in the first ce, they will return to her sooner orter. All your efforts in preventing that from


    happening would be in vain. Besides, don''t think you''re smarter than her. If she is determined to leave,


    you can''t stop her."


    "Don''t forget that she is my princess, my only wife." Giving a cold look at Thubten, Matthew put down


    one more stone on the board. After that, Thubten found he had no way to go on the board.


    "I lose. Your Highness, your Go skills are getting better."


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    "Thank you, Master Thubten," Matthew said. And he then stood up and walked out.


    "Your Highness," Thubten called him from behind. "There is something in my mind, but I am not sure


    whether or not I should share it with you."


    "Now that you''re hesitant, you are free to maintain your silence. I never believe in fate. I only have


    belief in just two people¡ªone is she; and the other is me, myself," Matthew said without turning


    around. He gazed at the crescent moon in the night sky. "For me, she, and only she is important.


    Nothing or nobody would evene close."


    "I''m afraid the world will be in a state of chaos. I just hope that Your Highness can give some


    consideration to themon people in this world," Thubten said worriedly. Matthew was very hostile,


    and the only person who could repress his hostility was Harper. However, Matthew''s hostility was way


    too strong recently, frightening Thubten very much.


    Matthew left silently without replying to Thubten. Would Matthew give consideration to themon


    people in this world? It was something to be waited for and watched. A war was about to break out and


    cause chaos. In such a situation, there wouldn''t be anyone who could keep out of the issue. Once the


    war broke out, themon people would be the most affected. They would be the ones who would


    lose their homes, and would be forced to drift from ce to ce. Matthew didn''t believe that he could


    prevent the inevitable. Misery and chaos would always follow a war, and no one could stop it.


    After leaving Thubten''s room, Matthew didn''t go back to his own room directly, but disappeared in the


    dark. After getting rid of Barry, Marquis Scarlet didn''t leave immediately. Instead, he just waited around


    for another chance to meet with Harper alone, so he could make things clearer for himself. However,


    before he got the chance, Matthew found him.


    Seeing Matthew appear in front of him, Marquis Scarlet couldn''t help but spit secretly. He couldn''t have


    been more unlucky. Since Fred broke into Harper''s room while he was there, he didn''t have time to talk


    with Harper. When he came out of the room, Barry stopped him. After a tussle, he got rid of Barry, but


    now Matthew was standing in front of him. Scarlet was only but amb in the tiger''s den.


    "Long time no see, Prince Matthew... Hey, you''re going too far. How could you attack me as soon as


    you see me?!" While Marquis Scarlet was hoping for a way to fool Matthew, Matthewunched a fierce


    attack, leaving him with no chance to exin. Every move of Matthew was powerful and harsh,


    intending to kill him. Soon, Marquis Scarlet was in a tight spot.


    "You''ve crossed the limit, Matthew Jun!" Marquis Scarlet shouted, flying into a rage. But he was never


    a match for Matthew. He gotpletely suppressed by Matthew.


    "That''s enough!" Marquis Scarlet eximed after he was hit on the chest and spat a mouthful of blood.


    "Aren''t you afraid of the consequences of killing me? She will me you for a lifetime."


    "She will only p her hands and praise me!" Matthew said with contempt.


    "That''s because she has lost her memory. One day when she regains her memory, which she will, she


    will never forgive you if for doing this," Marquis Scarlet roared, gritting his teeth. He couldn''t help but


    curse Matthew in his heart. In his thought, Matthew had already taken the chance of Harper''s loss of


    memory to marry her in his absence, and now he was going way too far by trying to kill him and silence


    him forever.


    Matthew stopped and red at Marquis Scarlet with murderous eyes. While wiping his blood away,


    Marquis Scarlet said, "I didn''t believe it at first. But now, I am certain that the girl had lost her memory.


    When did this happen? Was it after she went down the mountain?"


    Matthew''s eyes were gleaming at Marquis Scarlet''s words. In fact, Harper hadn''t lost her memory since


    she went down the mountain, but since the time she was in Maxwell''s mansion. Maybe someone


    conspired against her there. The person who would have plotted against her must be someone whom


    she had trusted, as well as a good martial artist. However, despite conducting investigations based on


    his suspect list, Matthew couldn''t find out the person.


    "Matthew Jun, I think you owe me an exnation," Marquis Scarlet said.


    "Exnation? To you?" Matthew snorted coldly. "You don''t deserve it!"


    "But, I''m her senior fellow brother! We learned from the same master for so many years!"


    "Senior fellow brother, you say? I don''t know how she would react when she knows that her senior


    fellow brother almost killed her younger brother," Matthew asked. His eyes were darker than the dark


    night. Hearing this, Marquis Scarlett couldn''t help but grit his teeth.


    "I didn''t do that. Even though Scarlet Devils might have taken part in it, you know very well that they are


    contract killers. They would do it for anyone who would hire them. But Matthew, you must remember


    one thing. She will regain her memory sooner orter. Do you believe she will stay with you once after


    regaining her memory?" Marquis Scarlet''sughter sounded especially harsh in the night. "Well, I am


    looking forward to that day."

 Chapter 636 Disasters Broke Out (Part One)

    Chapter 636 Disasters Broke Out (Part One)


    While Matthew and his wife were offering their prayers at the Holy Chant Temple for the emperor who


    had fallen ill, the situation in the imperial capital was turbulent. Francis had done well to save his father,


    so thetter exalted him and was trying his best to support him. However, after the emperor suddenly


    fell ill, Felix managed the state affairs temporarily, and the empress took charge of the women in the


    Imperial Pce. Before Sherry and Francis could rise, they had been suppressed.


    At the imperial court, Felix became an unchallengeable force. Since he managed the state affairs, he


    ordered Francis not to go out of his mansion, but his words weren''t harsh. Francis was weak and


    needed a good rest, so relieving him of the state affairs would only help him. Now, all he was asked to


    do was just stay at home and take care of his health. In this way, the emperor too wouldn''t worry about


    him.


    "Your Highness, how''s His Majesty now?" Franklin asked Felix calmly. Recently, thetter had be


    way too aggressive. He had been using his power to exterminate his enemies and suppress those


    courtiers who were not favorable to him. All his hidden ambitions were bing more evident, and his


    intention to fight for the throne became no secret.


    "My father is well taken care of by the imperial physicians and he is recovering well. I''m sure he will


    wake up soon. Don''t worry, Grand Secretary Franklin." Felix cast a nce at the grand secretary. If it


    weren''t that the grand secretary had many supporters, he wouldn''t hesitate to deal with him and his Bu


    n, bringing them under his knees. Also, the atmosphere wasn''t favorable for a conflict.


    "Your Highness, since His Majesty is ill, his concubines should serve him. Her Majesty has been


    staying by his bedside for many days now. I believe she must be too tired, and needs to take some


    care of herself. Let the concubines take a turn and help in taking care of His Majesty," suggested one of


    the courtiers.


    "The imperial harem business is charged by my mother. You may leave it aside and concentrate on


    state affairs while talking to me. It''s true that my father just fell ill, but I don''t know why all of you are


    staring at the imperial harem. Do you wish to take over the ce of my father?" Felix cast a cold nce


    at the courtier who spoke. "It would be good if you remember that in the residence of the imperial


    harem, besides my father''s concubines, only the position of eunuchs is avable."


    The courtier was taken aback. He knew that Felix meant to punish him, so he got back to his seat as


    soon as possible. Though what he said was correct logically, since the crown prince said he was


    wrong, he couldn''t be more wrong.


    "Does anybody have anything else to report to me?" Felix had a chilly expression in his eyes, looking


    like an emperor, only that he didn''t wear the robe or sit on the throne. Now that he had tasted the


    power of being the emperor, he wouldn''t restrain any longer for making the throne his own.


    "Your Highness, I have something to report." Zack stood out. "There has been a heavy downpour in the


    south region. The situation has worsened into floods. The rivers are overturned and a lot of stations


    and houses are drowned. Many people have lost their homes and there is an urgent need for disaster


    relief. Moreover, it is the season for spring ploughing now. If the situation remains critical, there may be


    no harvest in the south this year."


    "Urgent report, Your Highness." Just as Zack finished speaking, an anxious sound came from outside


    the hall. Felix frowned and felt a little uneasy.


    "Call the messenger in!"


    "Good day, Your Highness. Stream County had a sudden earthquake. Mountains copsed, and the


    ground was split. Many people were dead or wounded, their houses destroyed. One vige was totally


    buried and ruined beyond recovery."


    Felix stood up from the acting emperor''s chair in shock. He couldn''t believe his ears. "What did you


    say? Earthquake? How could there be an earthquake in Stream County?" he asked.


    "Your Highness, the earthquake did happen in Stream County and many people suffered due to it. The


    government of the county has asked for immediate military help from the imperial court." The


    messenger''s face was covered in blood. It was clear that he too was a victim of the incidents in the


    county and survived grave injuries when the earthquake stroke.


    Felix sat down slowly and looked towards the courtiers. "There is a flood in the south region and an


    earthquake in Stream County. How can we help them? What are your thoughts?"


    "We should send people to help Stream County as soon as possible. Our food supplies are mainly from


    the south region, and now it is time for the cultivation of spring crops. If we turn a blind eye to the flood


    disaster, I''m afraid the imperial government will run out of food supplies in theing year." One


    courtierid out his suggestion.


    "What do you think we should do, Grand Secretary Franklin?" Felix asked, looking at Franklin.


    Thetter thought for a while and said slowly, "The flood disaster in the south region can be controlled


    by the construction of floodways. The rain water can''t be discharged due to incessant rain, and this has


    led to the copse of riverbanks. We have to send people immediately to handle it."


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "What about Stream County?"


    "Stream County had the earthquake and suffered great losses, so it can''t return to normalcy in a short


    time. But there are many people in Stream County, and it is our duty to help them. Your Highness,


    please order the nearest city to go to rescue first. Tell the grain warehouse of the county to give out


    grains generously and help the people in need. Send medicine and physicians there. Since the


    earthquake stroke, the situation should be serious. The people there would urgently need all essential


    supplies like food, fresh water, medicines and physicians."


    Felix looked dreadfully pale. The emperor had just been in aa for six days, and the entire kingdom


    was rocked with disasters one after the other. As the person in charge, these disasters had made him


    feel uneasy. But the thought that these were natural disasters, and not caused by their enemies or


    rogue individuals, calmed him down. He had no choice but to listen to God Almighty''s orders and do


    everything he could to help his people.


    "Who could go to the south region?" Felix looked at his courtiers and asked. "Minister of the Ministry of


    Works, you are in charge of the water power. Do you have any names to rmend?"


    The minister concerned stood out and said, "Your Highness, I would like to go to the south region and


    handle the problems directly."


    "As a minister, you have a lot more responsibilities here, so I don''t think it would be advisable for you to


    leave the imperial capital. Is the vice minister here?"


    "Your Highness," answered the vice minister.

 Chapter 637 Disasters Broke Out (Part Two)

    Chapter 637 Disasters Broke Out (Part Two)


    "I order you to leave for the south region immediately. Handle all the problems rted to the flood


    disaster with urgency and return only after the condition returns to normalcy."


    "I get it, Your Highness."


    "Is the Minister of Revenue here?"


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    "Yes, Your Highness."


    Felix took a look at the minister, his heart aching. It was after some tiresome efforts that he was able to


    secure his people in the Ministry of Revenue, and be sessful in winning them over. But now, in the


    blink of an eye, they were about to go to help the disaster relief. Felix felt heartbroken at the thought of


    this. He ordered, "Immediately arrange some officials to search and purchase medicinal materials, look


    for folk medicine and physicians, and proceed to Stream County. Lucas will also be there to rescue the


    survivors, and he will be in charge of all the relevant matters of Stream County."


    All the officials were slightly surprised. Lucas had never participated in any state affairs, but now Felix


    asked him to leave the imperial capital and provide disaster relief in Stream County. Was he trying to


    keep Lucas away from imperial capital? Was the crown prince nning something big here?


    "Your Highness, I''m afraid Prince Lucas may not be the right choice to bear such huge responsibility,"


    the Minister of Revenue said tentatively.


    "Lucas is a prince, and our father is ill now. As a son of our father, he too must contribute to the state


    affairs. There are frequent disasters around the country. What we can do is to try our best and minimize


    the impact of the natural disaster on themon people. As a prince, how can he stay out of this


    matter? This is settled, and there would be no more discussion on this matter. The Ministry of Revenue


    has to prepare everything in three days, and three dayster, Lucas will go for disaster relief in Stream


    County."


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    "I will order the grain warehouse of Stream County to supply their grains immediately. Lucas will go


    there with the imperial edict." Felix looked around and continued, "The officials of the Cab will stay


    for a meeting. Others can leave now."


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    Felix and the officials of the Cab continued to discuss the specific details of the disaster relief, but


    the other officials had different opinions. Matthew had taken his wife to the Holy Chant Temple to pray


    and hadn''te back yet. Francis was put under house arrest. The empress dominated the imperial


    harem alone, but the emperor was ill. Felix and the empress controlled both the imperial court and the


    imperial harem.


    "Crown Prince Felix decided to send Prince Lucas to the disaster area for relief efforts. Do you think he


    is going to¡­?" one of the courtiers said in a low voice to hispanion.


    "Shh, don''t talk nonsense!" The other courtier looked around in suspicion. "Mind you, this is the


    Imperial Pce. Even the walls have ears here. Do you wish for an early death? Shut up now!"


    "I am just being curious. His Majesty is seriously ill, and Crown Prince Felix manages the state affairs.


    Her Majesty is in charge of the imperial harem. Prince Matthew is not in the imperial capital, and Prince


    Francis is too weak to go out of his mansion. Also, Crown Prince Felix has decided to send Prince


    Lucas out of the imperial capital. So now, the situation will be such that the crown prince would be the


    sole person of authority remaining in the imperial capital. It''s obviously thought-provoking." The first


    courtier shared his worries.


    The other courtier walking with him pulled his sleeve and said, "You''re thinking too much. Don''t talk


    nonsense and invite trouble! If you are free, just go home, have some tea or go for some recreation.


    Don''t think about such nonsense. You would fall sick if you think so much."


    The courtier who was reprimanded scratched his head. Although he did not fully understand the


    underlying meaning of his fellows'' words, he understood more or less that his worry was unreasonable.


    Whatever Felix or the empress intended to do was none of his concern. All he needed to do was


    concentrating on his own job.


    In the imperial harem, the empress was in charge of the emperor''s residence and no one was allowed


    even to get close to him. Sherry and Monica offered their service multiple times for looking after the


    emperor, but the empress refused them. All the other concubines were cowering in their own


    residences and didn''t dare to provoke the empress.


    "Sherry, do you think His Majesty would really wake up?" Monica was uneasy. The empress was


    domineering in the imperial harem, which made her restless. Felix was in charge of the imperial court,


    and the empress controlled the imperial harem. The mother-son duo had an iron hold over the imperial


    capital. Everyone knew what both of them were doing and what they would do. If the emperor didn''t


    wake up soon, he would probably never wake up.


    "I don''t know, either." Sherry frowned. "No one knows about the current condition of His Majesty. It is


    said that there was an urgent message at the imperial court today. Stream County had an earthquake,


    and there are countless dead and wounded people. Besides, there is also a flood disaster in the south


    region, so it is difficult for the peasants to cultivate crops. These are the kinds of disasters that would


    always make people feel uneasy."


    "Sherry, do you think Her Majesty and Felix will¡­" Monica made a gesture of cutting her neck. "And


    then Felix will take the opportunity to ascend to the throne?"


    Sherry''s eyelids twitched. She hastily covered Monica''s mouth and looked around to see if anyone was


    around. Seeing no one, she breathed a sigh of relief. "Monica, don''t talk nonsense! Never forget that in


    the Imperial Pce, even walls have ears. You may even get killed if you are not careful enough."


    Monica covered her mouth with her hand. Everyone had a sense of insecurity in the Imperial Pce.


    She had only one daughter, and never worried too much about anything. At most, her daughter would


    be married off by the empress to some powerful officials. But Sherry was different. She had Francis,


    and the emperor loved him very much, even though he was in poor health. If Felix took the throne, he


    wouldn''t let Francis have an easy life.


    "Sherry, I am just worried."


    "His Majesty is the son of God. He will be out of danger soon. You don''t have to worry about him. He


    will wake up," Sherry said in an elegant and generous manner. The emperor would wake up anytime.


    The empress and Felix could only be arrogant for a few more days. After enjoying a higher position,


    anyone would feel unfair when they went back to the original one. When the emperor recovered, Felix


    would suffer.


    A trace of coldness shed in Sherry''s eyes. Felix and the empress had the paramount power and no


    one could fight back them. So, they would not take care of the emperor wholeheartedly. Their best


    hope was his immediate death, so that Felix would throne officially!

 Chapter 638 The Plight of Francis (Part One)

    Chapter 638 The Plight of Francis (Part One)


    While still in poor health, Francis entered the Imperial Pce and broke into the Golden Hall where


    Felix and the courtiers were having the regr imperial court session. All of the courtiers were


    shocked. They didn''t expect that Francis would be so bold to go against Felix at such a time.


    Felix red at Francis and stated, "Francis, what are you doing here? Since you''re not feeling well, you


    should stay in your mansion. Tell me, why did youe to the Golden Hall?"


    Although Francis looked pale, he walked toward Felix with strong and firm footsteps. "Felix, why didn''t


    you ask your men to deal with the locust gue in the Orchid City? On top of that, there''s also a deadly


    gue in the Golden City right now. Not only did you fail to send someone to cure it, you even closed


    the city off. Don''t you realize that you''re just letting the people in the city die? They''re defenseless and


    left to fend on their own. Is this what the crown prince of this country should do?"


    With those words, Felix pounded the arms of his chair in anger. "How dare you! Francis, Father is


    seriously ill. I''ve tried my best to do everything I can. But now, we''recking in financial support and


    human resources. I literally don''t have the power to do anything more! I''m helpless!"


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Francis sneered, before responding, "You''re helpless? Father is in a critical condition and you won''t


    allow anyone to visit him. We don''t have a single clue about what''s happening to him right now.


    Everything that we knew about him and his condition came from you. Are you cing Father in a house


    arrest in the Tranquil Hall so the other courtiers will obey your everymand? And when the time is


    right, will you rebel and seize power to im the throne?"


    "Nonsense! That''s utter nonsense!" Felix eximed.


    Francis then raised his voice a little and argued with Felix even more, "Am I wrong then? Father''s


    condition is getting very serious. And as princes and his sons, we have the right to visit him! I would


    even go as far as to say that it''s our responsibility to stay by his side and take care of him. But you


    forbid us and the courtiers from visiting Father. The Tranquil Hall is closed and not even a fly could get


    in. So you can see how easy to believe that you don''t have the purest of intentions."


    Understandably, Felix became even more furious at that. Even if he was indeed up to something, he


    wouldn''t want others to reveal it so openly. "Francis! Disasters are happening everywhere right now.


    The people are constantlyining to us. Instead of concerning yourself with the people and the


    country, you''re throwing usations at me. Do you really think I would hesitate in punishing you?"


    At that, Francisughed quite loudly and sarcastically said, "Wow! Felix, you''re so powerful now. First,


    you now control the court. Second, you imprison our father. Who would dare to oppose you, now? Well,


    now that you mentioned my supposed crimes, I''m trembling in fear that you''ll kill me!"


    Felix narrowed his eyes at Francis. He was so annoyed with how Francis'' unreasonable judgment was


    causing so much trouble. "I think you''re the one who is nning all of those heinous things. It''s true,


    Father''s condition is getting worse, but Mother is taking care of him. She stays by his side day and


    night. The imperial physicians said that Father needed to have a good rest, so I refused all visits in


    order to help him recover faster. And you barged in here, distorted the facts and imed that


    everything I did was only to seize the throne and try to make all the courtiers obey me? Francis, do you


    really think that I would take an unfortunate event as an opportunity to im the throne? Have you


    forgotten that I''m the crown prince? Even if I don''t do anything, the throne will still be mine anyways."


    "I didn''t say that!" Francis argued back.


    Felix was even more furious with that. "I think that''s exactly what you mean! Guards,e and arrest


    Francis. Put him in prison at once. When Father wakes up, he''ll judge everything that you did."


    "Felix, are you upset because I just described what exactly you are doing? Do you want to get rid of me


    so your n can continue as you wish? Is that it?" Francis broke free from the guards and eximed,


    "Don''t touch me. I''ll go by myself!"


    "Stubborn!" Felix reproached.


    "Before I go, there''s one thing I wish to remind you, Felix. When you are doing every single thing, even


    in secret, always remember that the higher being is watching. Father may be sick now, but it doesn''t


    mean that he will be ill forever. Once he finds out what you''ve done, can you imagine what he will do to


    you?" After taking onest look at Felix, Francis turned and left the hall in big strides. His body was still


    a little weak but his posture didn''t waver in the strong breeze. Just like how he was no longer afraid of


    people''s words or their power that could suppress him.


    Felix grinned wickedly while he watched the guards take Francis away. While he had been racking his


    brain on how to deal with Francis, the man himself came to him! Now, his troubles had gone away.


    Meanwhile, Harper had been lying on the Golden Hall''s roof with Matthew. Witnessing the farce below,


    she couldn''t help butugh silently. She turned to Matthew and whispered, "Darling, what''s wrong with


    Francis? Why did hee here and argue with Felix just now?"


    "Just watch and you''ll know. Francis hasn''t been involved in the imperial affairs for a long time, but


    there''re a lot of people in the court who support him. If Francis didn''t do this, Felix can''t find any other


    sound reason to take Francis down," Matthew exined slowly in a low voice. "But we can go and add


    fuel to the fire."


    A smile appeared on Harper''s face before she said, "You mean, to spice things up?"


    Matthew said in a mocking tone, "Of course. Lady Sherry has only one son, and she cares about him


    so much. Now that her son is in prison, she must plead for mercy. If she doesn''t, it will ruin her image


    as a loving mother. The grand show in the pce is getting more and more interesting."


    "It''s fascinating indeed. Let''s go to the Tranquil Hall to see how the emperor is doing," Harper


    suggested.


    "Sure, let''s go." Matthew said while he reached out his hand to Harper.


    The Tranquil Hall was heavily guarded. It was said that the empress was taking care of the emperor,


    but in reality, she was indulging in all sorts of entertainment and pleasure. In fact, it was Andy who was


    doing all the chores and serving the emperor.


    "Andy was a loyal and devoted eunuch. During these trying times, he remains by the emperor''s side all


    the time," Harper eximed. "I didn''t expect that this old, cunning eunuch would be so loyal."


    "Well, after all, everyone in the pce must be wise. They must not act too harshly or reveal their ill


    intentions if they do have those. The emperor is in a critical condition, but he is not dead." Matthew and


    Harper sessfully sneaked into the Tranquil Hall. While Andy went out to fetch the emperor''s


    medicine, Harper tried to make a diagnosis and give some treatment for the emperor. Even though they


    didn''t have much time, it was enough.


    When Andy was back, Harper and Matthew were already in their hiding ce. Matthew lifted his


    eyebrow and quietly asked Harper how the emperor was doing.

 Chapter 639 The Plight of Francis (Part Two)

    Chapter 639 The Plight of Francis (Part Two)


    Harper blinked a few times at him. The emperor was still weak, but it looked like he was getting better.


    If Harper''s calctions were right, he might wake up the next day. It was such a coincidence because


    Francis had just been thrown into prison and the emperor''s health became better. Meanwhile, Sherry


    couldn''t wait any longer.


    "Your Majesty, Lady Sherry is here. She is kneeling outside the Tranquil Hall to plead for Prince


    Francis." Nancy''s voice resounded in the room with so much triumph.


    The empress sipped a good amount of tea before she spoke. "Let her kneel. Francis offended my son


    and had wanted to usurp the throne. Felix had shown his mercy by only throwing him in jail. Sherry


    didn''t reflect on her son''s mistakes, bute here to plead for his son recklessly. She is to me. Let


    her kneel for four hours before letting her in."


    "Yes, Your Majesty," Nancy replied with a smile. She then ignored Sherry who was miserably kneeling


    in front of the hall.


    Sherry was extremely furious while she knelt outside of the Tranquil Hall. She had asked Matthew to


    save Francis and get him out of prison. But Matthew had already sent her a message informing her that


    there was nothing he could do about the situation. So she had no other choice but to kneel and plead


    for Francis by herself.


    At that time, Minna was looking at Sherry while she suggested in a low voice, "My Lady, it seems like


    Her Majesty refuses to see you. Let''s go back. It wouldn''t be wise to get on Her Majesty''s bad side.


    What if something bad happens to you as well? If so, Prince Francis would have no one to rely on."


    But Sherry only ignored Minna''s advice. Instead, she screamed at the door, "Your Majesty, I know


    you''re inside. Francis is very weak. Please have mercy on him and forgive him. He might have been


    misunderstood because he didn''t know how to express himself very well. Your Majesty, please spare


    Francis. Please! He has no intention of seizing the throne. He''s just worried about the emperor''s health


    and wanted to take care of him. Your Majesty, I''m begging you, please. Forgive him for his mistake."


    However, the empress onlyughed scornfully when she heard Sherry''s pleads. "He didn''t know how to


    express himself? He used Felix of such viciousness and of his intention to usurp the throne in


    public. And she had the audacity to im that it was just a matter of misunderstanding? His Majesty is


    in aa. If His Majesty is fine, his words are enough to take Felix''s life. He didn''t know how to


    express himself? What a joke! How ridiculous could she get?"


    "Your Majesty, just ignore her," Nancy stated.


    "Ignore her? How can I just ignore her?" the empress stated while she stood up. Nancy quickly


    supported her, and then they made their way to the door.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    With a disdainful expression on her face, the empress looked at Sherry who was kneeling down with


    perfect posture. Someone immediately brought a chair for the empress to sit down and the maid served


    a cup of hot tea. Then the empress looked at Sherry while she said, "Sherry, you are one of the four


    noble consorts. Have you forgotten about this or you just don''t think about the consequences of your


    actions, first? You came in here, screaming outside of the Tranquil Hall. It would disturb His Majesty


    while he''s in recovery. What do you want?"


    "Your Majesty, I admit that I have not taught my son very well. He is upright and outspoken¡ª"


    "Shut up!" The empress cut her off in a very loud voice. "You said that your son was upright and


    outspoken? Do you think that you can fool me? Everyone knows that he''s a hypocritical man! Do you


    want me to list down everything that your son did? First, he''s been taking advantage of the situation


    that His Majesty has been sick. Second, he came out to provoke dissension here, fully intending to


    alienate the rtionship between Felix and the courtiers. Third, he just meddled with the imperial affairs


    of the Bright Dynasty. He is so treacherous and evil!"


    "Your Majesty, Francis didn''t do any of those things," Sherry softly said.


    "He didn''t?" The empress threw the teacup in her hand to Sherry. In a second, the hot tea poured all


    over her, but she didn''t dare to move. "No? At a crucial time like this, he came to this hall and talked so


    much nonsense instead of helping the people who are suffering. Not once did hee to visit His


    Majesty when he was sick. But now that His Majesty has been ill for days, he suddenly came out of


    nowhere, iming that Felix wanted to usurp the throne. Can''t you see how easy it is to recognize that


    he''s guilty?"


    "Your Majesty, please forgive him¡ª"


    "Forgive him?" The empress cut her off again. With a sneer, she continued, "You admitted yourself that


    you haven''t taught your son very well. How dare youe here and beg for my forgiveness? You have


    been a noble consort for so long. So now, you think the imperial harem is under your control?"


    "No! Of course, I wouldn''t dare to think that!"


    The empress eximed furiously, "That''s right! You have no right in this ce! Guards, this woman is


    one of the four consorts, but she is so unscrupulous that she disturbed His Majesty in a critical time like


    this. Moreover, she failed to teach her son so he defamed Felix. She hadmitted a heinous crime.


    From now on, lock her in the Cold Pce!"


    Sherry trembled and fell to the ground. She looked at the empress in disbelief. "Your Majesty, I didn''t do


    anything wrong..."


    "If you didn''t teach your son very well, then you failed as a consort and as a mother. Even if you die a


    hundred times, it won''t be enoughpensation for such a big mistake. Sending you to the Cold


    Pce is still merciful. If you don''t appreciate my kindness, don''t me me for being ruthless and


    cruel. If you are not satisfied with it, you have another option which is to die!" The empress was actually


    in a position to do so. Although she had a very high rank, it didn''t matter to the emperor. Instead, he


    used to be so fond of Sherry, so the empress hated her very much.


    ''Didn''t you say that you wouldn''t fight for anything and would just let things take their course? Very well


    then, I will send you to the Cold Pce. I want to see if you could still maintain your pretentious lofty


    image there!'' the empress thought to herself.


    "Please spare me, Your Majesty," Sherry pleaded once more.


    "I don''t want your life. Just go to the Cold Pce. It will give you time to reflect on your mistakes. When


    you''ve thought it through, tell me and we''ll discuss the appropriate punishment about you." Then, the


    empress asked the servants to take away Sherry.


    Sherry looked at the empress with frightened eyes. She was so shocked that she even forgot how to


    speak. She just let the guards take her away. Meanwhile, Minna was so surprised that she didn''t know


    what to do. At that moment, she could only run after Sherry.


    The empress looked at Sherry, who was being dragged by her servants. With a satisfied smile, she


    said, "That''s what happens when you go against me!"

 Chapter 640 The Schemes Of The Mother And Son (Part One)

    Chapter 640 The Schemes Of The Mother And Son (Part One)


    Sherry was currently being confined in the Cold Pce, which made all the otherdies in the Imperial


    Pce quite worried. After all, what if the same fate befell them? They all shuddered at the thought of


    it.


    As soon as Monica heard the news, she immediately ordered her servants to close her pce gate at


    once, refusing to go out from then on. For as long as she did not try to stir up any trouble, the empress


    probably wouldn''t persecute her.


    Meanwhile, Felix headed straight toward the Tranquil Hall after the imperial court session was over.


    The empress was there painting a picture of the magnificent spring scenery. When she saw her son


    arrive, a faint smile crept onto her face. "Right now, Francis is in prison. And Sherry, on the other hand,


    is in the Cold Pce. Do you have any thoughts about it?"


    "Thoughts?" A strange look shed across Felix''s eyes and he gestured for everyone else present to


    leave. Soon, they had the room to themselves¡ªthe empress, Felix, and the emperor, whoy


    motionless on the bed and was still in aa.


    Seeing this, the empress quickly understood that Felix wanted to say something that couldn''t be said in


    front of others or heard by anyone else.


    "So, have youe up with a n?"


    "When is Father going to regain consciousness? What did the imperial physicians say?" Felix asked


    casually. After he took a seat, his eyes were fixated on the emperor who had yet to wake up from his


    coma.


    "The imperial physicians couldn''t say for certain," the empress replied as she went on painting. "It won''t


    be good for us if he stays unconscious like this. After all, we have closed off the Tranquil Hall for many


    days. I''m pretty sure those officials must be starting to feel suspicious about it, especially after what


    Francis said during today''s court session."


    Felix''s face turned into a slight frown, and he eximed, "Mother, I want to be the emperor!"


    When the emperor heard this, her hand froze in the air and then the smile on her face grew even wider


    and brighter. "Whether your dream cane into fruition depends on how far you''re willing to go to get


    it."


    While Felix was having a conversation with the empress, the old emperor''s eyelids suddenly twitched


    as though he was about to wake up. However, it onlysted for a fleeting moment and the emperor


    didn''t open his eyes in the end. The mother and son didn''t notice that at all.


    "How far?" Felix sneered. "Mother, would you mind borating on that?"


    "Kill your father, the emperor. Do you have the guts to do such a thing?" the empress asked in a grim


    tone. If the emperor had a sudden death, Felix would then be the rightful heir to the throne. It would be


    much better to let the emperor die instead of just letting him stay in bed sick all the time. After the


    emperor''s death, Felix would inherit the throne legally. That way, everything would be donepletely


    above board and out in the open.


    For a brief moment, silence filled the air. Then, Felix turned his gaze toward the emperor who was on


    the bed. "Of course I have the guts!"


    At that time, the empress happened to finish her painting and put down the brush. Holding the canvas


    up for Felix to see, she asked, "What do you think of this?"


    "It is brimming with life. Everything is brought to life by the verdant green. It is quite a vivid painting of


    the spring scenery." Felix smiled as he said. Since the emperor''s death had been set in stone, there


    was no longer any need for them to keep up appearances. However, the emperor couldn''t die right


    away. Otherwise those ministers would, without a doubt, suspect that he killed the emperor. After all,


    Francis had just used him of having malicious intent in front of the public.


    As the empress looked at the picture she painted, a smile crept onto her face. "His Majesty had been


    stuck in aa for quite a while. He grew weaker and weaker, and finally sumbed to his illness


    three dayster. What do you think?"


    "That would probably be the most fitting end for him, Mother. I''ll let Uncle knowter. If anyone dares to


    question it, that person must be executed. I''m the rightful heir to the throne and Uncle holds military


    power. I am sure everything will certainly go ording to our n."


    The two of them became so engrossed in their n, picturing out what was going to happen. So much


    so, that they failed to notice how the emperor''s eyelids twitched as they discussed how they were going


    to kill him.


    Poking Matthew, Harper said in a low voice, "Felix wanted to kill the emperor."


    Matthew simply nodded his head in response, without saying a word. For as long as the emperor was


    alive, Felix would always remain to be the crown prince no matter how powerful he might be. Although


    Felix was the one temporarily in charge of the empire and all of its affairs, it still didn''t belong to him.


    Only when the emperor was gone would the crown prince be able to sit on the throne and be the


    real emperor.


    "Did you hear it yourself that Felix was nning to kill your brother?"


    Hearing this, Matthew nodded his head once more with a nk look on his face. Truth be told, he really


    couldn''t care less about all these things. The empress and Felix already had all the right pieces but


    they just couldn''t piece it all together. If they were nning to do it, they should have done it much


    earlier. If they managed to kill the emperor on the same day he went into aa, then Felix wouldText content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    have taken the throne right away. But now, it was a bit toote to do that. The emperor had regained


    consciousness and they failed to notice this and even discussed their ns to kill him in front of the


    emperor himself. They seemed to have death wishes.


    "Are Matthew and his wife still in the Holy Chant Temple at the moment?" the empress asked all of a


    sudden.


    Felix then nodded his head and replied, "My guard has been keeping me posted. They have been


    staying in the Holy Chant Temple the entire time. It seems that they are serious when they said they


    wanted to pray for Father''s recovery. I find it hard to believe. Setting aside what Harper was thinking, I


    can''t imagine how Uncle Matthew would do anything like that at all."


    "They probably just didn''t want to take sides in this power struggle!" the empress remarked, ncing at


    Felix. "Since Matthew didn''t want to have anything to do with it, he decided to take his wife to the Holy


    Chant Temple. I wonder if the people around Matthew..."


    "Mother," Felix cut the empress off before she could say anything further. Given the fact that this was


    such a crucial moment, they would have to be very careful not to mention anything about it. They had


    swapped the real Harper with a fake one in secret. If Matthew were to find out about it, there was no


    doubt that he would take his people back to the imperial capital at once. If that happened, he would


    never be able to be the emperor even if his father died, because Matthew would definitely send


    him to hell to be reunited with his father.


    "You are being rather discreet, and you should be. That''s perfectly fine. Practicing caution will not do


    you any harm." Upon saying that, the empress got on her feet, wearing a peculiar smile on her face.


    Walking across the room, she stopped by the bed, ced her hand on its edge and lightly pressed it. A


    small drawer suddenly popped out from the edge of the bed, and inside it was a white porcin vial.


    The empress then took it out.

 Chapter 641 The Schemes Of The Mother And Son (Part Two)

    Chapter 641 The Schemes Of The Mother And Son (Part Two)


    "Mother, what is that?" Felix asked, feeling a bit confused.


    "Your father''s poison!" the empress eximed. "He has killed countless people with this poison all his


    life, and now I would like to use his own poison to end his life. It would be a decent way to die even for


    someone like him."


    Hearing this made the emperor''s blood boil. As soon as he woke up, he heard how the empress egged


    on Felix to kill him. And as if that wasn''t bad enough, Felix actually agreed to it. Now, the empress was


    even nning to use his own poison to kill him. If he continued to stay in aa, he would most


    certainly die. But if they were to find out that he was awake right now, that would also mean death for


    him!


    At that moment, all the emperor could do was to pray that someone else woulde here so that he


    could wake up. The empress mentioned that she wouldn''t kill him until three dayster, which meant he


    still had some time. However, his chances of making it out alive would be very slim if the empress were


    to begin poisoning him from here on out!


    "Your Majesty, it''s now time for His Majesty to take his medicine." A maid walked in and brought the


    medicine to the empress. This made the emperor''s heart leap to his throat. After all, taking medicine


    was just about thest thing he wanted to do right now.


    Without dy, the empress took the bowl, beckoning her maid to leave. Seeing this, the maid left the


    room at once. After putting down the bowl, she opened the vial, poured a small amount of poison into it


    and stirred it. "Felix, help your father up. I will feed him myself."


    "Yes, Mother."


    Felix immediately helped the emperor up. At that moment, the emperor was so scared at his wit''s end


    that he didn''t dare to move a muscle. He desperately wanted to grit his teeth as the empress fed him


    the medicine, but he couldn''t risk making the empress suspicious. Feeling so helpless, he had no other


    choice but to drink it. That being said, he tried to spit out as much as he could.


    After a while, the empress finally finished feeding him the entire bowl. Although a lot of the medicine


    had been spilled, the emperor had still drunk a considerable amount. This had put the empress in a


    good mood. If she continued mixing in a little poison in the medicine every day, the emperor would be


    dead in three days. No one would be able to find out that it was her who had poisoned the emperor!


    Watching the emperor lying motionless on the bed, Harper almost couldn''t hold back herughter. The


    emperor had a habit of poisoning people. Now, he finally had a taste of his own medicine. To make


    matters worse, it had been fed to him by his own wife, the empress. Harper was so eager to find out


    how the emperor felt.


    As he looked at Harper who was trying to hold back herughter, Matthew couldn''t help but smile


    silently. Those who had done wrong always got their just deserts. The emperor had just been given a


    dose of his own medicine. However, the empress and Felix would get themselves in trouble this time.


    "That should be enough for now. The show is over. It''s time for us to leave." Wrapping his arm around


    Harper''s waist, Matthew left the Tranquil Hall with her in silence.


    The empress had moved into the Tranquil Hall, but she didn''t take care of the emperor herself all the


    time. Andy was actually the one who looked after the emperor. But for some reason, the empress


    would always ask him to leave whenever she was there.


    "Andy, please take good care of His Majesty."


    "Yes, Your Majesty." After watching the empress and Felix leave, he brought in some hot water to wipe


    the emperor''s body.


    "Your Majesty, please wake up. If you don''t wake up any time soon, I''m afraid that something really bad


    is going to happen," Andy whispered under his breath as he wiped down the emperor''s body. In truth,


    he was well aware of what the empress and Felix were thinking. If the emperor didn''t regain


    consciousness as soon as possible, there was a good chance that they''d do something to harm him.


    After all, Felix was the heir to the throne. If the emperor died, the crown prince would be the one next in


    line to inherit the throne. For that reason, Felix would definitely benefit more from a dead emperor than


    a living one.


    The emperor didn''t dare to move. He had been in aa for many days now. He believed that the


    empress must''ve reced the servants of his pce, meaning he was now surrounded by the


    empress''s people. These people would inform her about his every move. On top of that, if the empress


    and Felix were to find out that he woke up right after they left, they might suspect that he overheard the


    conversation they had in his bedroom and would try to kill him by any means possible.


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Never had the emperor suspected that the one he shared his bed with would actually want to take his


    life using his own poison. The thought of this left him fuming with intense anger deep inside. At that


    moment, he wanted to shout, to curse, to kill them, but he couldn''t. Without much of a choice, he had to


    lie there and act as if he were still in aa.


    It was Andy who looked after the emperor in the evening. The emperor didn''t move until it was already


    in the middle of the night. He managed to move his hand, but Andy had already dozed off so he didn''t


    notice it.


    When the emperor finally opened his eyes, he found out that Andy fell asleep. Gritting his teeth, he


    closed his eyes once more and mumbled, "Water, water..."


    Although there was no strength in his voice, that was enough to wake Andy up. Hearing the emperor


    speaking surprised and excited him. So, Andy quickly poured a cup of water, ran to the emperor''s side


    and helped him up to let him drink it.


    "Your Majesty, you have finally regained consciousness! Your majesty is awake!" Andy yelled out. The


    guards of the Tranquil Hall were rmed when they heard Andy''s scream. This made the emperor so


    furious that he wanted to p Andy so badly. The empress was up to no good and Andy knew that full


    well. How careless and foolish could Andy be to create such amotion? Now, the empress probably


    knew that he was awake.


    At that time, the empress was sound asleep. But the moment she heard that the emperor woke up, she


    was so surprised that her sleepiness had disappearedpletely. Felix, on the other hand, hadn''t


    returned to his own mansion yet. Instead, he decided to sleep in the side hall, which made it more


    convenient for him to read the files and attend the imperial court session. When he heard that the


    emperor woke up, he headed straight toward the main hall. With every step that he took, he could feel


    the butterflies fluttering terribly in his stomach. Now that the emperor had woken up, how was his n


    supposed to work?

 Chapter 642 I Want Felix To Succeed To The Throne (Part One)

    Chapter 642 I Want Felix To Seed To The Throne (Part One)


    When Felix arrived, the empress was already there. She was standing in the hall in white


    undergarments, wearing no coat. With a mixed expression on her face, she looked worried. The mother


    and son were nning to make the emperor sick and unable to recover from his illness. They thought


    this would help the son ascend the throne justifiably. But, shattering all their dreams, the emperor woke


    up unexpectedly.


    Felix frowned slightly and said, "Mother, why did youe here with no coat or shoes? It''s freezing


    outside, and you may catch a cold. I heard that Father has woken up. Is it true?"


    The empress regained herposure and ambled towards the emperor. "Your Majesty, you finally


    woke up. I have been so worried about you."


    The emperor opened his eyes slowly and looked at the empress, uttering in a faint voice, "Gloria, I...


    How long had I been asleep?"


    "Your Majesty, you have been asleep for more than half a month. For all these days, I have been


    waiting here and taking care of you for your speedy recovery. Now that you finally woke up, I..."


    The empress wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes. "Your Majesty, I am so d to see that you


    are awake."


    The emperor looked weak, but his heart was filled with hatred. The empress had set him up by


    poisoning him, and now she was squeezing out tears for earning his sympathy. The emperor realized


    the fact that thedy in front of him was a back-stabbing and double-dealing twister.


    Although the emperor hated the empress in his heart, he didn''t show it on his face. He held the


    empress''s hand, pretended to be weak, and said affectionately, "Gloria, I know you care about me a lot.


    I''m getting weaker and weaker. I''m afraid I''m dying soon."


    "Your Majesty, please don''t use such harsh words. I am certain that you will live a long life as the


    emperor of the Bright Dynasty." The empress held his hand in turn. "Look, now you are awake! I am


    sure you''ll be getting much better in the forting days."


    The emperor shook his head and waved at Felix. "Felix."


    "Father." Felix panicked as he saw the emperor awake. He quickly regained hisposure and knelt in


    front of the emperor. "Father, I''m so happy to see you awake. I feel so relieved right now."


    "I think it''s still early to say that you are relieved!" the emperor said, clearing his throat. "You will have to


    bear the heavy burden of the throne."


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Felix raised his head suddenly and looked at the emperor in disbelief. But suddenly, he got a sense of


    realization that he was a bit overreacting. He quickly lowered his head, and said, "Father, you are the


    emperor of the Bright Dynasty. I merely have to concentrate on my duties."


    The emperor sneered in his heart, but he looked even more gracious. "You don''t have to say anything.


    I''m well aware of my health. When I was in aa, I was fortunate enough to see thete emperor in


    my dream. He said that he woulde soon to pick me up. I was about to meet him, but he said that I


    still have something in my heart to be shared with my inheritor, so I''m awake."


    "Father, please tell me. What would you like to share with me?"


    The emperor stretched his hand to touch Felix''s head and said, "Just summon Franklin, Maxwell,


    Matthew and Allen to the pce. I have decided to make an imperial edict to pass the crown to my


    rightful inheritor."


    Andy was shocked upon hearing the emperor''s words and felt that he missed a heartbeat. He thought,


    ''Has the emperor even lost hismon sense because of his illness? Otherwise, why on earth would


    he decide to pass the crown as soon as he woke up? Although not in good health, he will not die in a


    short time. Then why did he say that?''


    "Well... Father, but I don''t think it''s the right time." Felix was a bit hesitant.


    "What do you know about my health? I have been told by the imperial physicians that I''m in poor


    health. Only when I hand over the throne and pass all my responsibilities to you, I will feel rest assured


    of peace and tranquility as the retired emperor. In such a way, I can recuperate from illness and wait for


    thete emperor to pick me up again." The emperor leaned against the back of the chair, his face


    looking very calm and peaceful as that of a monk.


    The empress was delighted. It was better that the emperor was willing to transfer the throne to her son,


    so they wouldn''t be used of coercion and murder of the emperor. "Felix, just do as your father


    asked. Summon the officials and princes here immediately."


    "Yes, Father."


    Felix immediately summoned the officials to the Imperial Pce. In the meantime, the emperor was


    feeling so weak that it was difficult for him to even open his eyes. The empress had a weird feeling that


    something wasn''t right. Yet, before she had time to figure out what was wrong, the emperor asked her


    to send someone to fetch a nk scroll for the imperial edict.


    Thus, the empress dispelled her doubts at once. She thought about the incidents that were about to


    take ce, ''After getting the nk scroll, the emperor will write an imperial edict about passing the


    crown to my son. Then the imperial seal will be stamped on the edict, and my son will officially be


    the emperor of the Bright Dynasty.''


    The empress was ted. After the nk scroll was brought, the emperor asked people to help him get


    up. But unfortunately, he was too weak to stand up. Helplessly, the empress moved a small table to the


    bed and ced the empty scroll on the table. She eagerly waited for the emperor to write about his


    step down from the throne.


    The empress even grinded the ink for the emperor to write his imperial edict. She was ingratiating


    herself with the emperor, but thetter hated her to the core. He had doted on her so much, thinking


    she was kind. But, never even in his dreams had he expected that she would have yed her trick on


    him by letting him die of his illness, so that Felix could take the throne!

 Chapter 643 I Want Felix To Succeed To The Throne (Part Two)

    Chapter 643 I Want Felix To Seed To The Throne (Part Two)


    At the thought of this, the emperor shivered with anger. However, the empress believed that he was


    shivering and couldn''t even pick up a brush pen only due to his ill health. The empress tried to assist


    the emperor by dipping the brush in the ink and handing it over to him. The emperor looked at the


    empress and nodded, but identally, the scroll was stained by the ink. His hands shook


    uncontrobly.


    "Somebody, go and fetch another empty scroll immediately," the empress ordered quickly, as she didn''t


    want to wait any longer.


    The emperor said with great frustration, "I didn''t expect my body to be so useless... I can''t even hold a


    brush pen."


    "Your Majesty, please don''t worry. You are just sick. Soon, you''ll recover and everything will be fine


    then." The empressforted the emperor with a smile. Thetter was willing to write the edict to give


    up the throne, and this was something she and her son had been hoping for so long. She was more


    than willing to forgive the emperor for behaving so uselessly.


    "Gloria, you are so sweet," the emperor said affectionately. "It''s said that when a man falls sick, he can


    differentiate his foes from the ones who really care about him. Gloria, only you care about me and treat


    me well."


    The empress smiled mildly, but she was overjoyed in her heart. The only reason she took care of the


    emperor in person was to pave the way for her son to ascend to the throne. Fortunately, the emperor


    was very aware of his own health and was willing to hand over the throne to her son. Otherwise, she


    would have already ordered people to kill him.


    "Haven''t Franklin and other officials arrived yet?" the emperor asked weakly as he lifted his eyelids and


    looked around slowly. It seemed he might pass out at any time. The empress was worried about it, so


    she tried to distract him by saying, "Almost! Almost! We have sent people to call them all. Franklin and


    others will be here at any moment. It seems that Matthew and Harper would bete. They went to the


    Holy Chant Temple to pray for you, but haven''t returned yet."


    The emperor was outraged. He had always wanted Matthew to be out of his sight, but now, when he


    needed him the most, he was absent!


    A eunuch fetched a new nk scroll, and expecting that the emperor might stain it again, he even got a


    few more copies with him. ncing at the eunuch who ced the scroll in his front, the emperor


    pretended to beposed, and then he slowly wrote. But just after he finished a few words, the scroll


    was stained by ink once again as his hand shook. The emperor seemed to be a little annoyed at his


    own carelessness and beat himself hard on the back of his hand.


    "Your Majesty, it doesn''t matter. You may change the scroll and rewrite once again." The empress


    reced the scroll with another nk one. She held the pen in his hand and said, "Your Majesty, don''t


    worry. We have enough time."


    The emperor was taken aback. He was worried that his small trick might get exposed, but suddenly he


    heard the eunuch''s announcement. "Grand Secretary Franklin, Prince Allen and General Maxwell are


    here."


    "Let them in," the emperor said coldly without putting down his pen.


    As soon as the three of them came in, they immediately knelt down and kowtowed. "Long live, Your


    Majesties!"


    "Arise," the emperor ordered. He then put down his pen quickly and said, "Maxwell,e here."


    "Yes, Your Majesty." Maxwell stood up, walked to the emperor''s side, and looked at the scroll on the


    small table. Then he looked at the empress standing beside, feeling a bit surprised. Slowly, his


    attention turned to Felix, who looked ted. Maxwell finally looked at the emperor''s face again and


    realized that something was wrong.


    "Maxwell, I order you to arrest the empress and Felix right now!"


    the emperor suddenly roared. It took a while for Maxwell to react before he grabbed the empress. The


    empress was quite shocked and didn''t know what was happening. Seeing the events unfolding, Felix


    was even more confused.


    "Father, what are you doing?"


    "Guards, arrest this unfilial son!" The emperor was furious. Then he shouted at Allen, "Allen, arrest


    Felix!"


    Allen beckoned some guards to arrest Felix, who was paled with shock and fear. "Father, what did I


    do? Why are you treating me like this?"


    The emperor threw away the pen in his hand and got out of bed. He walked forward and kicked Felix


    on his body, who then fell onto the floor. The emperor yelled, "What did you do? Don''t you know what


    you and this bitch have done to me?"


    The empress and Felix denied resolutely, although both their hearts were pounding fast.


    "Your Majesty, I am sorry, but may I ask what wrong did Imit?" the empress asked in a quivering


    voice.


    "Father, I don''t know what you''re talking about. I have done nothing wrong."


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "You don''t know?" The emperorughed so hard that he even choked and couldn''t stop coughing. Andy


    hurried forward to support him. The emperor then said, "You two discussed letting me die of illness in


    front of me and even poisoned my medicine. Have you both forgotten those things?"


    The faces of both the empress and Felix turned deadly pale. They couldn''t believe that the emperor


    had overheard their schemes. "You... You were awake then!"


    "Of course I was awake. If I was still in aa, I would have already been dead by now!" The emperor


    pped the empress hard. "You bitch! How dare you try to murder me! I''ll cut you into pieces and feed


    you to my dogs!"


    "Father, mercy. I''m sorry. Please forgive me." Felix was frightened and begged for mercy. He and his


    mother plotted to murder the emperor, and their plot was overheard by none other than the emperor


    himself. It meant that they would be convicted of an attempt to murder. Moments before, Felix was


    about to be the emperor, but now he was a prisoner. He couldn''t believe such a cruel turn!


    "Take him away and lock him in prison. Also, deprive his title as the crown prince!" the emperor


    dered at once.

 Chapter 644 Felixs Colossal Fall (Part One)

    Chapter 644 Felix''s Colossal Fall (Part One)


    The emperor had been in aa, and Felix made good use of the situation. He had established


    himself as the autarch of the imperial court. But just one nightfall overturned everything for the empress


    and Felix. After the emperor woke up, the empress was put under house arrest and Felix was jailed.


    The proverb, "there''s many a slip twixt the cup and lip", seemed very apt for their situation. Felix dreamt


    of being the emperor, but just in an instant, everything changed for him.


    When Felix was escorted by the guards into the prison, Andy was there to take Francis out of the


    prison. The two princes met face to face. Felix, who had been in high status, was now disheveled and


    frustrated. On the other hand, Francis remained unyielding and decent, even though he was put in


    prison. But now, he was a free man.


    "Felix, I had warned you that you will get yourself into trouble if you do too many nasty things," Francis


    said slowly, without even giving a nce at him. "Now do you agree with me?"


    "Francis, don''t you dare show off in front of me! I may go to prison now, but I''ll leave eventually from


    here. The next time we meet, I won''t let you be so presumptuous about me," Felix groaned as he was


    furious. He hated that he didn''t kill Francis while he had the authority. Now, Francis even dared to be so


    arrogant in front of him! Felix felt humiliated, and was raging in anger.


    As Francis heard his furious response, it was very clear for him that Felix would not change his mind or


    attitude. Shaking his head helplessly, Francismented, "You are so stubborn."


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    "Prince Francis, it''s time to get out of here. His Majesty is waiting for you," Andy said after he took a


    nce at Felix. He was sure that there wasn''t any possibility for Felix to rise again. Attempting to


    murder the emperor would be dealt with harshly, and no one, not even the crown prince, could escape


    from the punishment. Besides, the emperor had already drafted an imperial edict to dethrone Felix as


    the crown prince.


    "Okay, let''s go," Francis answered. He stood straight and walked outwards. Felix turned his head and


    looked at Francis, only to see him walking towards the sunlight. On the contrary, he was going into the


    darkness, farther and farther away from the light. Felix was unwilling to give up and struggled, but was


    controlled by the guards. The guards then dragged him to the depth of the prison. The light became


    dimmer and dimmer as he was taken forward, and finally, the light went out of his sight. Now, it was just


    pitch darkness surrounding him.


    "Get inside the cell," the prison guardmanded and then threw Felix into the cell rudely. There


    wasn''t an iota of leniency for him from anyone since he made an attempt on the emperor''s life. Felix


    had lost all his glory as the crown prince he once enjoyed, and he would bite the dust in the dark


    dungeon. Whether the emperor would spare his life was ater story.


    Because of his identity as a prince, Felix stayed in a separate cell. Although it was simple, it was still


    clean. "Stay here and don''t make trouble. Since the whip doesn''t differentiate between a prince and a


    commoner, it maye after you. Remember that you are now just a prisoner, and not the prominent


    crown prince," the guard scolded.


    Felix red at him with a fierce face. It made the guard feel a bit frightened and he stepped backward


    in reflux. But soon, he remembered that the man in front of him was no longer the crown prince. He


    then whipped Felix and shouted, "You bastard! How dare you re at me like that!"


    "All right, all right. Let''s leave now," another guard soothed as he stopped that angry guard fromshing


    at Felix. Even though Felix was no longer the crown prince and was just a prisoner, he was still the son


    of the emperor. If the emperor didn''t want to execute him and if he allowed him to continue his life as a


    prince, those guards wouldn''t be able to resist him when he got discharged from the prison. Everyone


    knew that Felix was a narrow-minded man and he would take revenge for sure if he was given any


    chance.


    "Let me out! I''m the crown prince! Let me out now!" Felix rushed to the prison door and shouted. The


    prison guard thought of going back in and whipping him once again, but when he thought about his


    companion''s words, he resisted and went straight away, pretending that he heard nothing.


    Felix grabbed the prison door and screamed in horror. He still couldn''t understand how he ended up


    like this. The only thing he could remember was that he was just a heartbeat away from bing the


    emperor, and then there would be thousands of people kowtowing to him and waiting for his


    commands. But, in the blink of an eye, he just ended up as a prisoner. He couldn''t ept this huge


    difference.


    "Let me out! You assholes! Let me out!"


    Hearing Felix''s yell, the prison guard sneered and said, "Prince Felix, consider this as my favor as I am


    telling you this. His Majesty has already issued the imperial edict stating that you have been dismissed


    as the crown prince. You''d better not consider yourself as the crown prince anymore. We still don''t


    know whether you will make it out of this prison alive."


    "Don''t talk nonsense. After all, he is the emperor''s son. Who knows, the emperor may let him out


    someday,"


    another prison guard said as he twitched his mouth. If the guards weren''t worried about the emperor


    letting Felix out someday, they would have thrashed Felix to their entire satisfaction. Back when


    Francis was sent here, he was quiet, cultivated, and treated the guards with modesty. But unlike


    Francis, Felix behaved arrogantly. He even looked down upon the guards and treated them as some


    lowlifes.


    "Murder is a serious crime. Even if His Majesty somehow lets him out, he will just be amoner


    and would never enjoy the privileges of a prince," the prison guard snorted coldly. "He can''t stir up any


    trouble for us."


    "Well, you never know! It would be better not to pay attention to his rants. He is our prince anyway.


    Offending him might cost us seriously," another guard said.


    After Francis reached the Imperial Pce, he went straight to the Tranquil Hall. Although the emperor


    had woken up from thea, he was still weak. That was partly because of his hypersexuality and


    partly due to the effects of poison. Even though the empress poisoned him with a minimal dose, the


    emperor was still anxious when he learned about the truth. Being too concerned, he became weaker


    and weaker. His health was getting worse because of this mental agony.


    "Greetings, Father. I hope you are doing better," Francis said as he knelt down.


    "Get up," the emperor said as he gestured him to arise. He had heard that Francis acted like a lone


    wolf and he even confronted Felix, suspecting of thetter''s involvement in his father''s sickness. But


    Francis was just thrown into prison in return. The emperor hadplicated feelings for him. "I heard


    you suffered a lot these days," he sighed.


    "I''m fine, Father. You are the one who went through all the hardships and you even look much thinner


    now," Francis replied as he raised his head. Worries were written all across his face. "Take good care


    of yourself, Father. We all need you."

 Chapter 645 Felixs Colossal Fall (Part Two)

    Chapter 645 Felix''s Colossal Fall (Part Two)


    "I know and I will. I had sent someone to secure your mother''s immediate release. She might have


    already returned to the Spring Pce. You can pay a visit to herter. I believe she is also frightened


    very much and you should console her a bit," said the emperor. At the thought of the atrocities


    committed by Felix and the empress, the emperor gnashed his teeth in hatred. Felix, who was


    cultivated and trained by him, turned out to be so treacherous that he tried to kill him. The empress too


    turned out to be a viin right out of a mob drama. She was so vicious that she nned to take his life


    while he was lying in aa!


    "Father, I think Mother is worried about you very much. Have you summoned an imperial physician to


    check for your health?" Francis asked in detail. "You were in aa for many days, and you need


    good care."


    "I''ve summoned Matthew and Harper toe here," the emperor sighed with emotions. He believed


    that they could really change Harper with a fake one. But now, it turned out to be nothing but a joke.


    That time, when the empress and Felix were in charge of the entire Imperial Pce, Matthew took


    Harper away, avoiding any chance of getting involved in their plot. That was a clever move.


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    "Aunt Harper''s medical skills are exemry. With her help, I''m sure you will get well soon," Francis said


    with a smile. "I just heard that she is pregnant. I wonder if Uncle Matthew would allow her toe to


    the Imperial Pce."


    When the emperor heard that, he squinted his eyes a bit. The fact that Harper was pregnant was like a


    fishbone in his throat. He still remembered the incident in the Cold Pce. If they were sessful in


    their n, the one he would have raped would have been Harper. But the truth was that the n didn''t


    bear fruit. Who was the woman he actually had raped? The emperor had no clue about this. But


    anyway, he was just d to know that the woman in the Cold Pce wasn''t Harper. He didn''t want to


    get entangled in this topic and immediately changed to another one by saying, "It is Felix''s greatest sin


    to try to kill me. I intend to kill all the people in his mansion except for his children. What do you think?"


    "What about his wife, Father?" Francis asked in a hesitant tone. "Do you also want to¡­?"


    "Well, I''ll give her a clean and swift death," the emperor said.


    "Father, she is pregnant. Have some mercy for her. She is bearing your grandchild in her womb,"


    Francis requested in a gentle tone.


    The emperor fell into silence for a long time, lost in his thoughts. Even though Felix hadmitted a


    felony, his wife was pregnant and the baby in her belly was his grandchild. Somehow, he didn''t have


    the heart to kill the baby. Thinking for a while, he finally broke his silence and said, "Then keep her


    alive. After she gives birth to the baby, send her to the convent outside the imperial capital to reflect on


    herself."


    "Yes, Father."


    "About Felix, what do you think we must do?" the emperor asked abruptly.


    "Father, truth be told, I don''t know," Francis answered as he lowered his head. "It''s true that Felix


    committed an unforgivable crime. But, after all, he is my brother and your son. We have the same


    blood running through our veins. Honestly, I don''t want to see him dead. But he intended to murder


    you, and has proved to be an unfilial son. He doesn''t deserve your mercy in this respect. I hope you will


    understand my helplessness. If I were to beg mercy for him, I would feel guilty for you, and if I didn''t


    beg mercy for him, it would be a cruel act as I am also his brother. Father, I''m really confused about


    what I should do, and have no idea how to deal with him. I''m leaving it to your discretion as you are the


    smarter one."


    The emperor looked at Francis who was trapped in a dilemma. He felt happy to see him react like this.


    He was always someone who believed that true love never existed in the royal family. But now, he


    found that love was essential. Only the kind like Felix would be so vicious and try to kill his own father.


    "Your Majesty, Prince Matthew is here with Lady Harper," the maid reported to the emperor.


    "Let them in. Francis, that would be all for today. You may go and visit your mother now," the emperor


    said.


    "Yes, Father," Francis replied, as he rose and walked towards the door. At that moment, Matthew and


    Harper came in. He nodded at them and left without saying anything.


    As for Harper and Matthew, they just took a nce at Francis and soon, they shifted their eyes away


    from him. Both of them greeted the emperor and said, "Greetings, Your Majesty."


    "Arise, please," the emperor said as his eyes fell on Harper''s beautiful face. Judging from her facial


    expression, he was convinced that she was living a happy life. Predictably, he felt somewhat angry at


    this thought. He clenched his fists and coughed, saying, "I was so d to hear that you both went to


    the Holy Chant Temple to pray for me."


    "Your Majesty, to pray for your health is one of the most minimal things we could do for you," Matthew


    replied. His voice and his face were as cold as ever. Somehow, the emperor couldn''t help but feel


    chilled. He subconsciously shifted his gaze away from him.


    "You must have already learned about what happened to Felix," the emperor asked. At the mention of


    Felix, he gnashed his teeth in fury. The emperor was well aware of how cunning and clever Matthew


    was. If Felix had evil intentions, there was no way he could hide it from Matthew. However, he still


    offered Felix a free hand and allowed him to do whatever he wanted to do. Thus, he ended up with a


    miserable result. The emperor''s heart ached at this thought.


    "Yes, I just heard that you issued an imperial edict deposing Felix from the position of the crown prince.


    And the crime hemitted was that he made an attempt on your life," Matthew replied in a distant


    voice. He just stated the truth without mentioning anything irrelevant.


    The emperor was rendered speechless and didn''t know what to say. He maintained his silence for a


    long time, expecting Matthew to say something more. But, Matthew merely remained silent after those


    words. Finally, the emperor broke his silence. He gritted his teeth and said, "Harper, the empress has


    poisoned me. Check on my body and see if I''m still all right."


    "Yes, Your Majesty," Harper replied obediently. Then she stepped forward, covered the emperor''s hand


    with a handkerchief, and then began her diagnosis by checking his pulse. After a while, she said, "Your


    Majesty, I''m afraid you have lost a lot of vital energy due to excessive sexual activities. You need


    complete rest, and must stay away from women for at least three months."


    "Ahem. Ahem." The emperor was choked by Harper''s direct words. He never expected that she would


    say those words so frankly, especially considering the fact that she was a woman! In his opinion, even


    though she was telling the truth, she shouldn''t have said it so frankly. That really made him feel


    awkward. He then continued, "I heard that you had checked my pulse when I was in aa, and your


    conclusion about my illness was the same as that of the imperial physicians."


    "Your Majesty, do you want me to say in front of your ministers that you fainted because you were


    overindulged in sexual desire?"


    When he heard those words, the emperor''s mouth twitched weirdly. Of course, he was never going to


    let that happen. If Harper were to really speak out that reason in front of everyone, he would end up


    being disgraced for the rest of his life.

 Chapter 646 The Return of Prince Jason (Part One)

    Chapter 646 The Return of Prince Jason (Part One)


    "Bring me the pills, Andy," the emperor ordered. Since he could not get any useful information from


    Harper, he was left with no other choice but to give up trying. After all, he had something much more


    important for her to take care of.


    When Andy handed over a box to the emperor, Harper nced at it and thought that it seemed familiar.


    That was the box for the Longevity Pills which Felix had given the emperor during his birthday banquet.


    "Let Harper have a look at the pills."


    "Yes, Your Majesty." With that, Andy quickly handed the box of Longevity Pills over to Harper. Taking


    out the pill, she ced it on the palm of her hand.


    "Your Majesty, do you want me to examine the pills?"


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    "Yes," the emperor tly replied, nodding his head in response. "Felix and his mother poisoned me with


    the intention of murdering me. These Longevity Pills were given to me by Felix. I''m afraid that these


    pills actually contain poison, so I would like you to check on them for me. After all, I know that you have


    excellent medical skills."


    Hearing this, Harper could not help but sneer at him deep inside. She had never really thought that the


    emperor trusted in her medical skills that much before, nor had he been so amiable toward her.


    Whenever the two of them met in the past, the emperor had a look in his eyes as though he wanted to


    rip her into shreds.


    After carefully examining the pill, Harper reassured him, "Don''t worry, Your Majesty. You can keep


    taking the pills, and they will actually be good for your recovery. But it seems that there are not many


    left. If you don''t mind, is it okay if I take a pill back for research and see if I can reproduce this


    Longevity Pill?"


    "That''s fine. Go ahead and take one with you. Are you one hundred percent certain that there''s nothing


    wrong with the pills?" The emperor couldn''t help feeling worried. Only when people grew older would


    they be more afraid of dying. In particr, the emperor had been at death''s door this time. As a


    result, he was much more afraid of death and came to hate Felix and the empress more.


    "There is nothing wrong with them."


    "That''s good to hear," the emperor remarked, finally able to breathe a sigh of relief. "I''ve made up my


    mind to strip Gloria of her title as the empress. But, considering that she is my wife, in order to help her


    save face, I''ve decided to order her to take her own life."


    "She deserves it," Matthew eximed in a rather cold tone. He hadn''t held the empress ountable


    for her attempt to plot against Harper. Now that the emperor had decided to force her tomit


    suicide, she would finally get her just deserts.


    With a glimmer in his otherwise dull eyes, the emperor said, "I heard that you are expecting. Now..."


    "Your Majesty, that was merely a false positive diagnosis," Harper cut him off before he could continue.


    "I have already checked my own pulse. I''m not pregnant. It might only look that way because I ate


    something weird."


    "You''re not pregnant?" the emperor asked in surprise. Then, he nced at Matthew. For some reason


    or other, he suddenly burst outughing. "Matthew, it seems that you haven''t worked hard enough. You


    have already been married for one year, but you still don''t have a child. People will grow suspicious,


    you know? You aren''t getting any younger. Maybe it''s time for you to get several more women."


    "I appreciate your concern, Your Majesty. But I n to only have one wife in my lifetime, and that is


    Harper. As for children, it doesn''t matter whether or not I will have any," Matthew lightly said, sounding


    as if he really couldn''t care less about having children.


    However, Harper felt that something seemed to be quite amiss. From the moment she was falsely


    diagnosed to be pregnant due to the effect of the Terminalia Cheb, Matthew had been acting weird.


    Later when he found out that she wasn''t really pregnant, he turned out be quite relieved, as if it was a


    good thing that she didn''t get pregnant. With these thoughts running through her head, Harper began


    feeling a little uneasy.


    "Nonsense! You are a prince of the royal family and you are not allowed to give up having


    descendants. Harper, you have to understand that you will be considered as an unqualified wife if you


    can''t bear a son for Matthew. Matthew is almost thirty years old, but he has yet to have a child. You


    should be considerate to him," the emperor slowly said, shifting his gaze toward Harper.


    "I agree with you on that matter, Your Majesty," Harper smiled. ''If His Highness still doesn''t have a son


    when he is thirty years old, I''m going to have to persuade him to take concubines. Please do not worry


    about that, Your Majesty."


    "I know that you are a virtuousdy," the emperor remarked as he nced at Matthew, who looked so


    down in the dumps at that moment. Seeing that, he became a little less depressed. After all, he


    believed that he wouldn''t have gotten in danger this time if it weren''t for Matthew.


    "I will never allow any other woman to enter my mansion." As soon as he said those words, Matthew


    turned around and left straight away. Harper then immediately curtsied to the emperor before leaving to


    catch up to Matthew.


    As he watched the receding figures of the couple, Andy was somewhat confused. "Your Majesty..."


    "Bring the pills and let me take one," the emperor ordered. He wasn''t willing to risk taking it until he was


    sure that there wasn''t anything wrong with it. "Has that bitch been sent to the penitentiary ce?"


    "Yes, Your Majesty, she has been sent there already, but the Huang n..."


    "The Huang n is obviously quite ambitious. I must get rid of them sooner orter!" the emperor


    eximed in intense hatred. After giving it much thought, he ordered, "Guards!"


    "Your Majesty."


    "Gather your men and rummage the Huang n mansion for evidence of their treason. Leave no stone


    unturned. Tell Ken to lead the pce guards and besiege the n''s mansion at once. Once all the


    shreds of evidence are found, arrest every single one of them and throw them into prison!"


    "As you wish, Your Majesty."


    Felix and Gloria had been stripped of their respective titles as crown prince and empress. As a result,


    all of the courtiers were on edge. They werepletely clueless as to why the emperor would abandon


    the empress and the crown prince from the moment he woke up. In particr, the Huang n, the


    empress''s parents'' n, had also been implicated. All the courtiers were worried that they might be the


    next one to get caught up in this mess.


    Fortunately for them, the second imperial edict was issued right away, stating the charges against the


    crown prince and the empress. All the courtiers were astounded upon hearing that. It was only then


    that they came to realize that the crown prince and the empress had been working together to get rid of


    the emperor. It should hardly be surprising that they had been stripped of their titles.


    "Now, the position of the crown prince is vacant. Prince Francis has been in poor health; Prince Lucas


    is interested only in pleasure seeking; Prince Wale is still a child. Which prince can take the great


    responsibility of being the crown prince?" The courtiers gathered together in groups, discussing which


    son of the emperor was worthy of being the new crown prince.

 Chapter 647 The Return of Prince Jason (Part Two)

    Chapter 647 The Return of Prince Jason (Part Two)


    "Prince Francis is smart and virtuous, so he is qualified for the position of the crown prince."


    "But Prince Francis has been weak all year round. He has to spend more than half a year on the bed


    every year. With such poor health, how could he perform the duties as a crown prince well? I don''t think


    he is a good choice." Someone immediately objected to the proposal. After all, Francis had been weak


    for so many years and was often seriously ill. If he was to be chosen as the crown prince, it wouldn''t be


    good for the Bright Dynasty to have a crown prince who might sumb to his illness at any time.


    "Prince Lucas is smart and in good health. Although he is such adies'' man."


    "He enjoys all forms of gambling and likes to go whoring. Aren''t you afraid that he might lose the entire


    Bright Dynasty on the gambling table?" Someone furiously expressed his disapproval. Lucas''


    dishonorable deeds were too numerous to be listed down. When he was only thirteen years old, the


    emperor gave him a beauty, but he immediately lost her in a gambling game. When he was fourteen


    years old, the emperor gave him a mansion as his residence, but he lost the deed of its title in another


    gambling game even though he had only been living in it for a couple of days. Fortunately, Matthew


    had brought the title deed back to him. When he was fifteen years old, the emperor ordered him to


    work at the Ministry of Revenue. Later on, he ended up owing a huge sum of money from gambling and


    told his creditors to collect the money from the Ministry of Revenue with evidence of debt, including the


    debt he owed for going whoring and throwing banquets with his whores.


    "Well... But except those mentioned bad habits, Prince Lucas doesn''t really have any other one."


    "Don''t you think he already has too many bad habits?" a courtier blurted out, flying into a fit of rage.


    "How can such a wicked prince like him handle the great responsibility? No, I absolutely disagree. He


    is even worse than Prince Francis. Prince Francis'' health has been seeing some improvement. Who


    knows? Maybe he would even recoverpletely very soon."


    "Prince Francis has been ill for fifteen years. He should have recovered a long time ago if he could.


    Considering the fact that he still hasn''t recovered yet, it''s safe to say that he is never going to recover


    completely."


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    "You''re talking nonsense. Prince Francis can walk normally just like everyone now, can''t he? Why


    would you think that he can''t recover? He''s a much better option than Prince Lucas, who goes whoring


    every day, without even attending to his proper duties. How could such a man as Prince Lucas take the


    great responsibility of being the crown prince?"


    Divided into two camps, the courtiers kept arguing, foaming at the mouth. For the time being, there


    were only two feasible options presented¡ªFrancis or Lucas as the new crown prince. Francis was


    weak, while Lucas was perverse. The two groups of courtiers went on insisting their own views, neither


    of them showing signs of giving in. Their debate was about to overturn the roof of the Golden Hall.


    In the gathering''s entirety, not once did Franklin take part. He simply watched and listened to the others


    as they argued as an onlooker. Zack, on the other hand, was a bitid-back, as he echoed the opinions


    of both groups of courtiers. Needless to say, he was simply taking pleasure in watching this good y.


    As he looked at the two groups go at each other''s throats, Allen helplessly shook his head in


    disappointment. "I''m old," he eximed.


    "You must be kidding, Father. You are not old at all," rkmented with a smile. Truth be told, he


    wasn''t taking the debate among the courtiers very seriously, but he felt like watching a y. After all,


    the new crown prince was going to be determined by the emperor himself rather than any of the


    courtiers. Now that the emperor hadn''t fully recovered yet, the courtiers'' debate would not be of any


    use, regardless of how fiercely they tried to argue about it.


    "Franklin, do you think there will be any result after their debate?" Allen looked at Franklin and asked,


    in a way making it seem as if this was not a serious question at all.


    "The heir to the throne concerns the whole country. Not only does the new crown prince have to be


    healthy, but he also has to be virtuous. With that in mind, I have no idea if there will be any result,"


    Franklin smiled in a tactful manner. Most of the emperor''s sons were either dead or stripped of their


    titles. At the moment, only two grown-up princes were avable. However, a sudden realization came


    to Franklin''s mind as he remembered that the emperor still had one more grown-up son.


    Due to his own realization, Franklin''s eyes lit up. But just as he was about to say something, a loud


    voice rang out. "What happened in the Golden Hall today? It''s so noisy here. Is it because I haven''t


    been back to the imperial capital for too long a time that I wasn''t made aware that the Golden Hall has


    turned into a vegetable market?"


    Hearing this, the crowd looked toward the door, where the voice wasing from. They saw a young


    man wearing a prince''s robe walking slowly. With a gentle smile on his face, he showed his nobleness


    through his gestures and expressions. His name was Jason Jun, the third son of the emperor, the


    prince Franklin had just remembered. It had been a while since thest time he was in the imperial


    capital.


    "Your Highness!"


    "Long time no see. Why are you looking at me in a way as if you''ve seen a ghost or something? Do I


    have something on my face?" Jason asked with a yful smile, touching his face with his hand.


    "Your Highness."


    "Stand up please. There''s no need for formalities. I came back in great haste after I heard that Father


    was seriously ill. Now that Father is much better, I feel very relieved. I wonder what you are quarreling


    about so fiercely," Jason asked as a great big smile crept onto his face, as though he truly had no idea


    what it was all about.


    The courtiers looked at one another in silence. Their eyes all lit up at the same time as they realized


    that apart from Francis and Lucas, the emperor still had another son¡ªJason. They hadpletely


    forgotten about him because he had been away from the imperial capital all year round and out of their


    sight. Now that Jason had appeared in front of them, they all thought that he would be the best choice


    out of the three. After all, he was both healthy and virtuous.


    "Your Highness, we were just arguing about some trivial things. I guess you won''t be leaving the


    imperial capital again since you''re finally back," a courtier asked hesitantly.


    "No, I won''t be leaving anytime soon. I won''t think about it until Father has fully regained his health,"


    Jason tly answered. Cupping one hand with the other to make an obeisance toward the courtiers, he


    went on and added, "Well, I''m going to visit Father. Everyone, goodbye."


    "Goodbye, Your Highness."

 Chapter 648 Give You Some Dignity

    Chapter 648 Give You Some Dignity


    Jason''s return to the Imperial Pce brought much joy¡ªa refreshing change to its previously glum


    atmosphere. As Andy guarded outside the gates of the Tranquil Hall, he could hear the emperor''s


    heartyugh. Andy couldn''t help but smile. ''Jason makes His Majesty so happy even if he''s not here all


    year round, '' he thought inwardly.


    "Lord Andy, His Majesty seems very happy," Josef, who was standing beside him, said warily.


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    "Well, His Majesty is spending time with Prince Jason. You should go and see the former empress off.


    His Majesty wants to give her some dignity. Prepare everything for her and let her choose one way."


    Andy gnashed his teeth when he recalled how much humiliation the empress had brought to him while


    the emperor was in aa. Now the empress had no way to fight back, so Andy retaliated against her


    for everything that she had done.


    In the Cold Pce, the empress sat on the small bed in silence. The Cold Pce was deserted and


    tattered and its windows had leaks, but at the very least, it was still a ce to live. Upon entrance to the


    Cold Pce, the empress quickly realized that this was a horrible ce as even the lowest servants


    did not respect her at all.


    When Josef arrived with his fellows, the empress curled up in bed. Her eyes were closed and she was


    just pretending to sleep. Her once glowing face was now haggard and gaunt. "Gloria Huang, His


    Majesty was generous enough to spare you your dignity. He instructed me to prepare these things for


    you. You may choose one."


    The former empress narrowed her eyes as her body trembled. She said coldly, "His Majesty is going to


    kill me!"


    "Gloria, you are unpardonably guilty. His Majesty does not want to kill you and is even generous


    enough to give you some dignity. Don''tin anymore. For your own sake, just choose one. It''s


    only going to be too humiliating if we do it for you." Josef snorted. Back in the Imperial Pce, the


    empress had been so lofty and arrogant. She would make a fuss even though the servants made the


    slightest mistake. Now the empress was no better than the lowest servant.


    She came down from her bed and stood up. "After being his wife for more than 20 years, I can''t believe


    he would be so cruel as to kill me!"


    "Humph!" Josef sneered. "Gloria, don''t say that. You know it was you who wanted to murder His


    Majesty first. His Majesty offered to protect your dignity. You should be grateful!"


    "Lady Sherry, greetings." All the servants spoke with one voice.


    "Arise. I''m here to see the former empress."


    Sherry came in, looking elegant in her dress. With a kind smile on her face, she said, "Josef."


    "Lady Sherry, good day. May I ask what you''re doing here? This is no ce for you to be as it may


    bring bad luck. What if something bad happens? If you have anything to do, feel free to tell me and I


    will do it for you," Josef offered.


    Minna, who hade along with Sherry, handed a piece of silver to Josef and said, "Lord Josef, Lady


    Sherry wants to talk with the former empress in private."


    "Got it. Got it. Let''s go out and wait." Josef immediately led all the servants out.


    Gloria, the deposed empress, gazed at Sherry, hatred filling her heart. "What? Did you juste here


    to relish from my misery?"


    "Of course, I love seeing you like this." Sherry stood still as she eyed Gloria. In a cold voice, she said,


    "Once upon a time, you were the empress. As the head of the imperial harem, you looked down on


    everyone and treated us harshly. You acted noble and generous even when you were the exact


    opposite of that. Now that you have been stripped of your position, how does it feel to live in the Cold


    Pce? It''s quiet here, right? I know it. I once stayed here for two days after all."


    "Sherry Duanmu, don''t be so arrogant just yet. Do you think you''ve won already? I''m telling you right


    now, where I am today is where you''re going to be soon." Gloria raised her voice. "His Majesty is cold-


    blooded. He won''t let Francis take the throne. If you intend to fight for the throne on behalf of your son,


    you will only get on his bad side. If that happens, you''re going to end up in the Cold Pce too."


    Sherry covered her mouth with a handkerchief and sneered. "Your Majesty, don''t be so emotional.


    Even though you made my life miserable, I still did you a big favor."


    "A favor?" Gloria was puzzled.


    "Yes, I helped you a lot. If without my help, did you really think that His Majesty would be attracted to


    you even in your old age and even make love to you?" The smile on Sherry''s face was creepy. "After


    all, you had shared the bed with His Majesty for so long before you die. Shouldn''t you be grateful to


    me?"


    "What... It''s you!" Gloria''s eyes widened as she looked at Sherry in disbelief. Finally, she realized that


    sherry was the one who made the spell doll. The reason that the emperor loved anyone who carried


    the doll was because Sherry had done something to it.


    "What do you mean by ''it''s you''?" Sherry''s lips curled up.


    "It''s you! You''re the one who harmed me!"


    "Where''s your conscience? You know, I didn''t ask you to murder His Majesty and cooperate with Felix


    to usurp the throne." Sherry grinned even wider. "Your Majesty, don''t nder me!"


    "Sherry, you are a cunning woman. You set me up on purpose. You''re the one who put His Majesty in a


    coma and aroused my desire. Then you asked Francis to provoke Felix which made us want to be


    disloyal to His Majesty and try to harm him. The other day, you purposely went to the Tranquil Hall,


    right? You didn''t juste to plead for your son, did you?" Gloria now finally understood. She had


    thought that as long as she had power in her hands, no one would be disloyal. She didn''t expect that all


    this time, she had been a pawn in Sherry''s ns.


    "Wow, Sherry, I''m impressed."


    "I''m ttered." Sherry turned around. "I came here today to see you off. After all, we have been friends


    for many years. Have a good journey and take it easy. Your son will follow you soon. Just make sure


    you walk slowly on your way to theherworld so that your son will be able to catch up with you."


    "You bitch! What a vicious woman!" Gloria pounced on Sherry in an attempt to grab her. Luckily, Sherry


    dodged in time. Gloria was awkwardly thrown off to the floor. As she struggled to get up, Sherry


    stepped on her.


    "Bitch? Vicious woman? Were you describing yourself? You were the empress for more than 20 years.


    I know you stained your hands with lots of people''s blood. My first child was killed by you and even


    then, you still didn''t stop. When I gave birth to Francis, you tried to kill him but you just couldn''t find the


    chance. Then you bribed the monk and told His Majesty secretly that my child was born to rebel. You


    instructed him to hurt my son in secret. Do you really think that I''m just going to let you go that easily?"


    Sherry''s dignified face was filled with ferocity and hatred. "My son spent 15 years in the wheelchair,


    bed-ridden. All those years, I suffered day in and day out. This suffering you''re experiencing now is


    nothing. How is that in any way equal to the 15 years of suffering I had to endure?"


    Hearing this, Gloria sneered and said, "Ha-ha! I and my son are leaving now. Soon enough, your son''s


    going to catch up with me."


    p! Sherry had pped Gloria across the face mercilessly. "My son is doing much better now. He still


    has a long life ahead of him!"


    "Haha! His Majesty has been poisoning him for years! He''s so weak that he could drop dead any day


    now. Long life ahead of him? That''s ridiculous. No matter how smart and vicious you are, Sherry, you


    still can''t save your son." Gloriaughed so hard that she could barely breathe. "Sherry, I''ll wait for your


    son to follow me.


    Stop daydreaming! Francis has years'' worth of poison inside his body and you have His Majesty to


    thank for that. Francis can''t possibly hold on any longer."


    "Your Majesty, are you forgetting someone?" Sherryughed scornfully. "Have you forgotten about


    Harper?"


    Gloria narrowed her eyes. "What does any of this have to do with Harper?"


    "When you were in the Imperial Pce, you tried to hurt Harper. Did you really think that you could deal


    with her?" Sherry let out a sneer. "If you could harm her so easily, she wouldn''t have been Prince


    Matthew''s wife."


    "So what?"


    "Well, we have Harper on our side now, all thanks to you. I''m sure you still remember her excellent


    medical skills, right?" Sherry turned around and with a meaningful smile, she said, "She helped us cure


    my son. If she hadn''t treated him herself, my son wouldn''t have been able to walk. How else could he


    have recovered so soon?"


    "No, that''s impossible!" Gloria protested.


    "Nothing is impossible!" Sherry sneered. "My son has been fully detoxified. Harper took care of him. He


    is healthy now and he has a long life ahead of him. But you and your son? You''re both in danger. You


    attempted to murder His Majesty and usurp the throne. His Majesty has already sentenced you to


    death. Do you really think he''s going to let Felix and your family go? Once the Huang n is


    destroyed, Felix will die!"


    "You really are living in dreand! Do you really think that Harper helping you was out of her own good


    will? That woman is even more cunning than you are! I''m sure she had other intentions in detoxifying


    Francis. Did you know that she helped Hoffman before? Do you know where he is now? He''s in the


    Repenting Tower. She also helped Felix. Lo and behold, he is in jail now. How naive of you to think that


    your son would be an exception!" While Gloria hated the emperor and Matthew, if there was anyone


    whom she hated more, it was Harper.


    Harper was sly. She looked meek on the outside but on the inside, she was vengeful and cunning.


    They had tried numerous times to set Harper up but every time, she was able to escape without a


    scratch. She would even be able to turn the tables by harming the one who tried to hurt her in the first


    ce!


    "Well, we have a win-win situation. We both took what we need. That''s all I''ll say about that. It''s time for


    you to go, Your Majesty." Sherry then walked to the door and looked at Josef who was standing in the


    distance. She called, "Josef."


    "Lady Sherry, are you done?" Josef asked as he hurried over to Sherry.


    "I''ve done talking with her. I know you were ordered toe here and I apologize that I dyed you.


    You can do your job now, or else, His Majesty might me you." As soon as Sherry finished speaking,


    she gracefully strode out of the Cold Pce.


    With that, Josef turned around and found Gloria sitting on the floor. "Your Majesty, will you choose one


    yourself or would you want us to do it for you?"


    Gloria nced at the things on the tray before she reached for the poison. Drinking it all in one gulp,


    she thought, ''Your Majesty, Sherry, I will wait for you in the underworld!''

 Chapter 649 The Complicated Situation (Part One)

    Chapter 649 The Complicated Situation (Part One)


    By the time Josef returned to the Tranquil Hall to report to the emperor, Jason had already left.


    "Your Majesty, the former empress has gone," Josef informed the emperor euphemistically. Hearing


    this, the emperor closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. After being married to the emperor all these


    years, the empress met such a cruel fate. Although she deserved it, he couldn''t help feeling a little sad.


    "Your Majesty," Andy carefully called out.


    "I''m okay. How is Francis doing?"


    "Prince Francis is taking a good rest in his mansion. Since his body is frail, I''m afraid it''s going to take


    quite a while for him to recover. Fortunately, Prince Jason is back and can lend his help. Please do not


    worry yourself too much, Your Majesty," Andyforted the emperor with a pleasant smile. "Your


    Majesty, with Prince Jason around, you seem to be in high spiritstely."


    "Is Lucas back?"


    "Prince Lucas has gone to help with the disaster relief. He has yet toe back," Andy cautiously


    replied. "Prince Lucas enjoys roaming around. The former crown prince was the one who sent him to


    help with the disaster relief. I wonder if he..."


    "He is my son; I know he''ll be able to handle this trivial thing well," the emperor interrupted Andy.


    ''Lucas, it''s good for you to leave the imperial capital. Everything''s in a mess here and even the pce


    isn''t at peace. This won''t be a good time for you to return, '' the emperor thought. Then, he ordered,


    "Well, you may now take your leave."


    "Yes, Your Majesty."


    With Andy gone, the emperor was now all by himself in the hall. He kept silent for a long time. The


    entire hall was so quiet that he couldn''t even hear the sound of his breath. It wasn''t until nightfall that a


    voice came out from the hall. "Someone, go to invite Matthew into the pce."


    "Right away, Your Majesty."


    A guest came to a remote yard in the imperial capital. Felton was in the middle of taking his medicine


    when he heard his steward, Mathias, came to report to him, "Young master, a guest is here to pay you


    a visit."


    "Please send the guest in."


    After cing the bowl of medicine down at the table, Felton said to the figure who came in, "It''ste in


    the evening. Aren''t you afraid that he might get jealous if he found out what you''re doing?"


    Hearing this, the figure proceeded to take off its cloak, revealing its elegant and beautiful face. It was


    Harper. "His Majesty has called him into the pce, so I came here to see you. By the way, I want to


    ask what you said to him that day."


    "I only told him what I was supposed to say." Upon saying that, Felton picked up the bowl and


    continued to take the medicine. "Although I''m not in good health, I can still rely on the medicine to


    make sure that I survive. You''re different from me. Or, do you perhaps want to lose your life?"


    With her eyes growing darker, Harper said, "Didn''t you say that we shouldply with the destiny?"


    "But wasn''t it you who said that you have a say in your own fate?!" Felton put the medicine bowl down


    on the table with a loud thud. "Are you trying to say that you gave up in fighting against fate?"


    Harper smiled, "Felton, you don''t have to be mad at me. I only said that casually. I''m the one in charge


    of my life. Anyway, the fate of the Qin n should be broken."


    Letting out a long sigh of relief, Felton said, "Do you know that it almost scared the living daylights out


    of me when I heard that you were pregnant?"


    "Someone was plotting against me. Whenever I was with him, I always made sure to use


    contraceptives. How could I be pregnant? At first, I had thought it was due to a mistake of my


    contraceptive measures. But I found outter that I had actually been poisoned by the Terminalia


    Cheb." Harper sighed. "Getting the medicine like Terminalia Cheb is not an easy task. So, now I


    am also very curious about who is behind all this. At first, I thought it was Francis who did it, but Iter


    found out that it wasn''t him."


    "If it''s not him, then who is it? Jason?"


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Although Jason isn''t that smart, he can''t be so cruel to me. Whoever it is, that person must know


    things about the Qin n, know what Matthew is thinking, and probably even know everything else


    about us quite well. That being said, those who know us well and are capable of working for us are very


    limited. There are only a handful of them." Harper thought that the whole thing was such a big


    headache. "Felton, I asked you toe to the imperial capital this time for two reasons. The first is for


    your health, and the second is to find the person hiding behind the scenes. Once the people of the Qin


    n reveal themselves, both the royal family and the people lurking in the shadows will begin to take


    action."


    "Harper, you and Prince Matthew..."


    "I can find ways to keep myself safe. But it''s going to take quite a while. I wonder if he would be willing


    to wait for me," Harper wondered, feeling a bit helpless. "By the way, what''s going on with the Qin n


    in Joy City?"


    "The emperor''s secret guards are currently searching for the third Heavenly Book. Who''s going to think


    that you''ll actually hide it in the imperial temple?" Felton said, looking Harper in the eye. He couldn''t


    understand why she had to go through lengths just to hide it there. "Has your seal been removed?"


    "Yes, it has," Harper quickly replied as she rubbed her temples. "But I still don''t know who attacked me


    in the general''s house."


    "You were attacked at the general''s house?" Felton asked in surprise.


    "Yes, otherwise, I wouldn''t have been backstabbed by Hailey and the others even if my martial arts


    skills were sealed," Harper replied with a slight frown. "I always think that someone is plotting against


    me. At first, I thought that it was Matthew himself, but I found outter that he was just one of the chess


    pieces. Then, I started suspecting Hoffman and Felix, too. But as it turned out, none of them was the


    culprit. When I was on the way to River City, I also suspected Francis. Then, I found out that my fellow


    brother Jason and the chief of the Scarlet Devils were the same person. Back then, I was pretty sure


    that he was the one. In the end, however, I found out that it wasn''t him as well!"

 Chapter 650 The Complicated Situation (Part Two)

    Chapter 650 The Complicated Situation (Part Two)


    "This man seems to be adept at concealing his identity." Thinking of this, Felton started feeling a little


    uneasy. "You... I think it would be best for you to leave the imperial capital."


    "It won''t be that easy for me to leave," Harper sighed. "Maybe you should change your medicine."


    "I take medicine like this every day. It never works. You don''t need to worry about me."


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    "Felton, if you stop using your spiritual power, you won''t have to suffer the rpse of your disease


    again and again. I don''t think it''s good for your health. From now on, you will not be allowed to use it


    unless it is ast resort!" Harper stressed at once. "Did you hear me?"


    "Okay, I''ll bear that in mind." Felton chuckled. "It''s gettingte. You should leave right away. Matthew


    may get suspicious if hees back and finds that you''re not in the mansion."


    "All right. Take good care of yourself, Felton."


    With that, Harper put on her cloak to hide her identity. And as soon as she went out, a figure tailed her


    silently.


    "Sister, where have you been?" Someone stopped Harper in her tracks before she reached Matthew''s


    mansion. It was Howard. Crossing his arms against his chest, he fixed his attention on Harper who had


    a ck cloak on. "I had no idea you have such a powerful master close by."


    "Howard, have you grown tired of living?" Harper asked in a cold tone, but her voice was as clear and


    charming as usual. Even though she wasn''t showing any signs of it, Howard could sense the strong


    killing intenting from her.


    Howard immediately jumped off the tree and stood beside her. "Tell your secret protector to hide


    himself well. Matthew is back."


    Harper then turned to have eye contact with the man next to her, who then instantly disappeared into


    the darkness. In no time, Howard could no longer find a single trace of the protector''s existence.


    Seeing this, Howard couldn''t help but admire his skill deep inside.


    ncing at Howard, Harper simply went ahead and entered Matthew''s mansion through the back door.


    But when she came in, she was surprised to see that Matthew was already there waiting for her. Taking


    off her cloak, she casually said, "You''re back."


    "I''m the one who''s supposed to say that to you. You''re back!" Then, Matthew walked toward her and


    held her hand. "Why are your hands so cold? You should have put more clothes on."


    "It''s starting to get warm. I thought it wasn''t cold outside, so I didn''t wear too much." The smile on


    Harper''s face didn''t change. Then, the two of them walked toward the Phoenix House hand in hand.


    Since Matthew didn''t ask why she went out or where she went, Harper opted not to talk about it.


    "The empressmitted suicide after receiving the imperial edict." Matthew informed Harper about


    what had happened in the pce. The empress''s deadly fate had been decided, but he never expected


    it to happen so soon.


    Harper simply nodded her head. "His Majesty ordered the empress to die and threw Felix in prison. I


    guess he probably won''t let the Huang n off so easily; Felix won''t be able to find a way out of this.


    But I''m confused."


    "What made you feel confused?"


    "Matthew, you''ve been dealing with His Majesty for many years. What kind of person do you think he


    is?" Harper asked under her breath as she tightened his grip on her husband''s hand.


    "A wicked person!"


    "Haha." Hearing this, Harper couldn''t hold back herughter. "I guess that suits him. But I want to ask


    you, will he kill all his children for the sake of his obsession with power and the throne?"


    "No, I don''t think so. As far as I know, he definitely prepared a backup n. Even in the recent years,


    he has been very wary of me and wanted to get rid of me. It must be because he didn''t want the heir to


    his throne to be threatened by my existence." Matthew didn''t bother mincing his words.


    "So, who do you think is going to be the emperor''s first choice as his inheritor among all the princes?"


    Before she could even reply, Matthew continued, "Felix has been dethroned; Walden has been exiled;


    Hoffman is being confined in the Repenting Tower. Now, the emperor only has the third son, Jason, the


    sixth son, Francis, the eighth son, Lucas, and the youngest seventeenth one, Wale."


    "Whomever his choice is, it''s none of our business," Matthew said indifferently. "No matter who


    ascends the throne, no one can hurt you for as long as you are under my protection. You don''t have to


    worry."


    "I''m not afraid of getting hurt. I''m afraid that someone is plotting against you!" Then, Harper looked at


    Matthew straight in the eyes and said, "You are my man. No one can bully you except me."


    Hearing her response, Matthew tried so hard to hold back hisughter. "Yes, you''re right. I need your


    protection. Please do take good care of me, honey. Otherwise, you''re going to feel sad if I get hurt."


    "Well, you''re right. I will definitely feel sad," Harper said, with a troubled expression on her face. "Shall


    we tie us with one rope to make sure that we''ll never get separated and you won''t get hurt?"


    "Good idea!" Matthew nodded in agreement and picked up Harper. "From this moment, I won''t ever


    leave your side, honey, not even for a second. I''ll be with you all my life."


    As she heard him say such a thing, Harper''s face became flushed. So, she poked Matthew''s chest and


    said, "If you do that, people are going to say that I''m the one who''s leading you to your ruin. They will


    also criticize you for not making any progress and indulging in your happy time with me. As the femme


    fatale, I''m afraid I might end up being killed by the soldiers!"


    "Who would dare to do that?" Matthew raised his eyebrows and asked. "My thirty thousand strong


    ck g Army would not be easy to deal with. I have already given you the ck g Token. Just


    say the word and they''ll do anything for you. If anyone dares to hurt you, don''t ever try to hold back.


    Just take our army and kill all of them! I will take responsibility if anything happens!"


    As a smile crept onto her face, Harper said, "Honey, I went to see Felton today."


    "You don''t have to say anything; I understand," Matthew interrupted. "But we shouldn''t be talking about


    other people now. Let''s talk about us and only us tonight."

 Chapter 651 Add Insult To Injury (Part One)

    Chapter 651 Add Insult To Injury (Part One)


    Felix had been locked up in prison since the emperor woke up. So, Francis went to see the emperor to


    remind him that Felix was still a prince at the end of the day. Even if he had made such an unforgivable


    mistake, he was still a member of the royal family, and that was no way to treat a prince. With that in


    mind, Francis proposed to release Felix, the former crown prince and the current eldest prince, from


    prison.


    "Are you asking me to just let him go? Just release him and act as if nothing ever happened?" The


    emperor had just taken some medicine and was in a good mood. However, the tone of his voice was


    t, so no one could tell whether he was actually happy or angry.


    "Please don''t misunderstand, Father. I''m not asking you to let him go. It''s a fact that the eldest prince


    committed a grave mistake, and I also believe that he should be punished for it. I just think that the


    prison is not the right ce for him to stay in. The former crown prince''s mansion, which is the current


    eldest prince''s mansion, should be a good ce for him to reflect on his mistakes. In my opinion,


    although the eldest prince is unfilial, you are still a kind father. It should be enough to keep him locked


    up in his mansion. After all, his wife is carrying his child. For the sake of the unborn baby, please have


    him transferred to his mansion instead. This way, you can show how merciful you are. Besides, there''s


    not much of a difference between the Cold Pce and the current eldest prince''s mansion anyway.


    Staying there can actually be considered a punishment as well." Francis'' voice was as gentle as his


    character. At that moment, he was dressed in white, as pure as snow, and the smile on his face was


    also very clear and bright.


    After giving it much thought, the emperor finally nodded his head and said, "Okay. Get him out of the


    prison and put him under house arrest in his mansion. He is forbidden to leave that ce for the rest of


    his life."


    "Yes, Father."


    Francis immediately asked someone to take Felix back to the eldest prince''s mansion. Felix had been


    stripped of his titles as the crown prince and prince. Right now, he was just a civilian. To live in his


    mansion under house arrest was indeed no better than to stay in prison for good.


    After the once powerful crown prince''s mansion had been turned into the eldest prince''s mansion, it


    became very neglected. There were no servants at all, and the former crown princess even had to


    prepare meals for herself. The guards outside wouldn''t allow them to step outside, and they also had to


    pay for what they wanted to eat.


    When Felix finally returned to his old home, he stumbled upon the deste yard and all sorts of


    feelings began to well up inside of him. Moreover, seeing his pregnant wife cooking almost broke his


    heart.


    "Fiona... Is everything okay?" Felix asked, his voice cracking up from the tears.


    Hearing this, Fiona stared at him for a long time, but she simply turned back and went into the room,


    completely ignoring him, as though he was nothing but a random stranger!


    In a state of shock, Felix stood frozen in ce. His heart ached when he saw how cold his wife was


    toward him. His former concubines had all disappeared, and his former servants had all escaped and


    were long gone. There were only two of them staying in this spacious mansion, and the yard was now


    all covered with fallen leaves. Needless to say, no one was there to maintain the yard.


    "Felix, you''re finally back," greeted Francis as he came in, slowly walking toward Felix. The brocade he


    was wearing made him look very handsome. Seeing this, Felix took a look at himself. The only thing he


    had on was some coarse linen, and he hadn''t taken a bath for a couple of days, so his body reeked.


    Suddenly, he felt as if he was brought low to the dust.


    "What are you doing here?" Truth be told, Felix was quite wary of Francis. Never would he have


    expected that a guy like Francis, who looked so weak that he might draw hisst breath at any minute,


    would be able to gain the upper hand atst. He had fought fiercely for the power in the past, only to let


    Francis take credit for all the work he had done.


    With a wave of his hand, all of Francis'' followers immediately withdrew. Now, there were only two


    people left in the yard. "Why didn''t you thank me, Felix? If I didn''t act as an intermediary with our father


    for you, you would still be in prison right now."


    "Winner takes all. You don''t have to pretend to be nice to me." Felix snorted. "We all underestimated


    you severely, thinking that you were too weak to withstand a gust of wind and would die at any time. No


    one had their guard up against you, so you were able to seize the opportunity. But more than that, it is


    also your ability to make use of that opportunity."


    "You had been in prison for quite a while, and now you havee to realize a lot of things. Getting you


    out of the prison won''t be in vain." The sound of Francis'' voice was so soft that anyone who heard it


    would probably be addicted. "You are now under house arrest in a ce you used to be familiar with. I


    think you''ll learn to like it here."


    "What''s the difference? At the end of the day, I''m still I''m still being held prisoner." As he looked at the


    calm smile glued to Francis'' smile, it suddenly urred to Felix that Harper actually smiled as gentle


    and clean as him. They looked so charming that no one would be able to take their eyes off them. "Has


    anyone ever told you that you look disgusting when you smile?"


    Even after Francis heard this, the smile on his face didn''t change. "No, none that I know off. In fact,


    Harper had told me once that I look best when I smile. She seems to like my smile."


    Squinting his eyes, Felix echoed in surprise, "Harper? Are you two in good terms? You describe her so


    intimately. Does Uncle Matthew know about that?"Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Why should Uncle Matthew have to know about what happened between me and Harper?" Francis


    replied once more with a gentle smile. "She is just being herself, and Uncle Matthew is another person.


    They have totally different personalities."


    "You..." After a moment of silence, Felix raised his head and looked at Francis in utter disbelief, "You


    have feelings for..."

 Chapter 652 Add Insult To Injury (Part Two)

    Chapter 652 Add Insult To Injury (Part Two)


    "Felix, the empress is no longer with us. I heard she hadmitted suicide," Francis cut him off. "What


    a pity! Father actually wanted to spare her life, but she decided tomit suicide in fear of


    punishment."


    "Commit suicide for fear of punishment? You''re saying it like it''s that easy," Felix sneered. "Francis,


    when did you begin taking action against us?"


    "Felix, please don''t get the wrong idea. I have never taken any action from the beginning to the end,"


    Francis pointed out as a great big smile crept onto his face. "You''re the one who brought about your


    own destruction from the very beginning."


    As his face turned into a frown, Felix carefully thought about it. Their father suddenly fell ill and lost


    consciousness. To keep everyone in the dark regarding the reason for hisa, he locked him up in


    the Tranquil Hall. At first, he wasn''t really intending to hurt his own father. However, Francis sowed


    dissension in the Golden Hall and reminded him that he was the rightful heir to the throne. For as long


    as their father died, he could naturally be the emperor. That was why he came up with such a


    wicked n!


    "You are very discreet and good at scheming, aren''t you?!"


    "Not really. I don''t hold a candle to you. Even your wife had been sent to our father to please him."


    Although there was a gentle smile on his face, his words were rather cruel. "I sincerely admire you."


    "What... What are you trying to say?" Felix asked in disbelief.


    Taking a step forward, Francis nced at the closed door. Then, he smiled, "Didn''t you send your wife


    to Father''s bed at his birthday banquet back then?"


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    Felix shook fiercely and said, "I didn''t!"


    "Really?" Francis clenched his right hand into a fist and put it under his chin as if he was thinking


    carefully. "If you didn''t do it, then who did it? After all, my men saw after His Majesty walked outside of


    his room, your wife was carried out with traces all over her body. If the days are counted, I really don''t


    know whether the baby in your wife''s belly is yours or our father''s."


    Felix''s face turned ghastly pale and he felt dizzy. He carefully thought about it. He did not sleep with his


    wife after he came back from his father''s birthday banquet. After calcting the days of his wife''s


    pregnancy, he realized that the baby in her belly was not his at all, but his father''s!


    "I... I don''t believe it!"


    "If you don''t believe me, there is nothing I can do. After all, I was worried about Harper at that time, so I


    followed to have a look. But I didn''t expect that I could see such a scene. You didn''t see how your wife


    yed happily with our father. At that time, I thought it was you who sent her to Father as that ce


    was so remote and we all knew that he loves beauty. I thought you sent her as a birthday gift to Father.


    But it turns out that it''s not like that. Is it possible that your wife has an affair with our father?" Although


    there was a gentle smile on his face, Francis was actually trying to drive a wedge between Felix and


    his wife.


    Hearing that, Felix felt as if there was a lump in his throat, and suddenly felt a little lightheaded. Then,


    he furiously yelled out, "That bitch!"


    "Felix, is it really true that your wife was having an affair with our father? That would be an act of incest.


    Your wife is carrying the baby who is technically your brother. Once the baby is born, should he call you


    Father or Brother? This is so confusing, and I really don''t know what to do."


    "Fuck off!" Felix roared in anger. "Get out of here! I don''t want to see your face!"


    "Don''t be angry, Felix. She is just a woman. Father made her stay here to keep youpany for the


    sake of the baby in her belly," Francis pointed out in a rather cheerful tone. "After all, you still got so far


    to go with your wife. You were born with a silver spoon in your mouth, so it would be very difficult for


    you to do any rough work. In the future, you are going to have to rely on your wife. When the baby is


    born, you will also have to shoulder the responsibility. Whether the child is really yours or not, you are


    still bound to him by blood. So, you don''t really have to think too much about it."


    "Francis!" Felix yelled out, foaming at the mouth.


    "Felix, why are you so upset?"


    "Francis, do you seriously think I don''t know what you''re trying to do?" Felix was fuming with anger.


    "You may be fond of Harper, but she''s never going to love you. Matthew is the only man in her heart.


    No matter how cunning and insidious you are, how can youpare to Matthew who is even more


    sinister and ruthless than you? All you can do is watch her from afar for the rest of your life. You have


    no chance to get her. I''m still much luckier than you!"


    Only then did the smile on Francis'' face finally disappear. He clenched his fits so tightly that it seemed


    like he was trying to crush all of his bones. Of course, he was well aware of the rtionship Harper and


    Matthew shared. After all, he had tried to destroy it in the past, but it was all in vain!


    "You want to see me suffer? My pain is nothingpared to yours!" Felix suddenly burst intoughter.


    "That woman, Harper seems gentle and soft, but she''s actually ruthless and heartless. Everyone thinks


    that she was lucky to marry Uncle Matthew. Ha-ha, from the very start, it has always been Uncle


    Matthew who nned to keep her trapped inside his mansion. If he finds out what you think of Harper,


    do you think he will ever let you meet her again? And if Harper herself finds out what you''re thinking, do


    you think she''d be willing to see you ever again?"


    The expression on Francis'' face was as cold as ice, and he was about to blow a fuse, but someone


    suddenly put his arm around his shoulder. It was Jason. He leaned against Francis as though he had


    no bones at all.


    "Hey, Francis, what were you talking about with Felix? You seem to be having a good time," Jason


    remarked in a low, charming voice.

 Chapter 653 Harpers Prices For The Treatment (Part One)

    Chapter 653 Harper''s Prices For The Treatment (Part One)


    Felix squinted his eyes as he looked at Jason. He didn''t have many memories about Jason since


    Jason was rarely in the imperial capital. In his memory, he had only seen Jason a few times. Jason''s


    mother was merely a humble concubine of the emperor, which meant that the prince didn''t have that


    much support from his mother''s family. Plus, the emperor did not favor him. Therefore, it came as no


    surprise that Jason was subconsciously forgotten by almost everyone.


    "Jason," Felix called. He couldn''t help but be suspicious about Jason. His gut was telling him that


    Jason wasn''t as innocent as everyone was making him out to be. Jason hadn''t been in the imperial


    capital for years; therefore, no one knew what he had been doing in all that time. It wasn''t difficult to


    believe that Jason hade back with malicious intentions in mind.


    "Felix, looks like you''ve been living the life. You tried to murder Father and yet, here you are in your


    own mansion, safe and sound. Father treats you so well. If it had been anyone else, they wouldn''t have


    gotten away with it scot-free the way you have. I actually have a few examples in mind. Do you still


    remember Hoffman who''s currently in the Repenting Tower and Walden who has been banished from


    the imperial capital?"


    "Well, do you want that to happen to you?" Felix teased as he wiped the blood from the corner of his


    mouth. "Please leave now. You are not wee here!"


    Jason pulled Francis as if to tell him to leave.


    "Francis, let''s go. You''re not in good health, so being in such a filthy ce for an extended period of


    time can''t be good for you," Jason urged as he dragged Francis.


    Francis frowned, rxing his hands. Putting on a smile, he asked, "Jason, what brings you here?"


    "If I hadn''te here, I guess you would have killed him due to outrage, right?" Jason spat back. He


    then pushed Francis into the carriage but didn''t go up with him. It wasmon knowledge that Jason


    wasn''t really friendly with any one of the princes. So he thought he had better not go inside the carriage


    with Francis because if that happened, it would make them look like intimate brothers. That was not


    Jason wanted.


    "Well, I''ll see you soon. Let''s have a feast then," Francis responded.


    "Okay, okay," Jason replied at once. "But I won''t stay in the imperial capital for too long. When Father


    gets better, I''ll go out to continue my traveling. As for your poor health, you should take good care of


    yourself."


    "Thank you for your concern, Jason. I got it. I''ll leave now. Please excuse me," Francis said. Then he


    instructed his groom, "Head back." Once the carriage curtain had been drawn to a close, it was difficult


    to hear anything that was going on inside. The smile on Francis'' face then disappeared.


    "Killing him would make him suffer less. I''m not doing him any favors. I want him to live miserably¡ª


    even worse than if he were to die. I want him to be tormented both physically and mentally with every


    passing day. I want him to suffer!" he murmured in a low voice. Even Owen, who was sitting right


    outside the curtain, couldn''t hear him.


    As soon as Francis came home, he fell ill almost at once. It came out of nowhere. The imperial


    physicians from the Imperial Academy of Medicine were at a loss with what to do with him. The


    emperor was immediately distressed upon learning about this. Sherry was even more anxious as this


    was her own son who was suffering. The emperor then quickly issued an imperial edict to Harper,


    ordering her to cure Francis.


    Andy came to Matthew''s mansion to deliver the imperial edict. Scowling, Matthew wanted to smash


    Andy''s head when he read the imperial edict. However, he could neither do this nor refuse to obey the


    order. It was obvious that Francis was the emperor''s new favorite. Since the emperor had ordered


    Harper to treat Francis, Matthew had no choice but to let her.


    "Darling, Francis is seriously ill. I need to go and check what''s wrong with him," Harper said as she


    looked into his eyes. She had already asked Forsythia to take the medicine box.


    Matthew frowned and eximed in anger, "It seems as if anyone who gets sick nowadays can ask for


    my wife''s help. What? Is she so essible that even someone with just a cough could ask for her


    help? Are all the imperial physicians from the Imperial Academy of Medicine that useless?"


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Please forgive me, Your Highness!" Andy pleaded as he knelt on the ground in fear. "Lady Harper''s


    medical skills are unmatched and Prince Francis'' condition is special. The imperial physicians were


    helpless. That''s why His Majesty sent me here. He was hoping Lady Harper could make a diagnosis for


    Prince Francis."


    "Darling, don''t worry. His Majesty can pay for the treatment," Harper said, consoling him. "Andy, I''d like


    to confirm something with you. The diagnosis fee is going to be 3, 000 taels of gold. As for the


    medicine to be used, we canpute thatter on once I''ve diagnosed him. If I need to stay there to


    take care of him, it''s going to cost 1, 000 taels of gold per day."


    Andy''s jaw dropped in shock when he heard the prices. He couldn''t believe that Harper had the guts to


    talk prices especially when it was the emperor who had ordered her to treat Francis. This was such a


    bold move. Not to mention, the prices were quite expensive.


    "Why are you reacting like this? What? Do you think the prices are not reasonable? Do I need to raise


    the prices?" Harper asked innocently.


    "No, no. I will convey the message to His Majesty," Andy replied at once as he broke out in a cold


    sweat.


    "Well, that''s great. In that case, let''s go to Francis'' mansion," she suggested.


    "I''ll go with you," Matthew proposed at once.


    However, Harper stopped him and shook her head. Now that Felix wasn''t the crown prince anymore,


    his men were left vacant. Matthew''s task was to recruit them to work for him. Harper needed Matthew


    to focus on that. She suspected that Francis had fallen ill at this crucial time on purpose.


    "Your Highnesses, Mister Zack is here," a servant reported.


    Matthew turned to look at the gate and saw a man dressed in blue walking slowly towards them. "Your


    Highness, greetings. Harper, I heard that His Majesty asked you to treat Prince Francis. I intended to


    pay a visit to him so I came here and thought that we could go together," Zack offered.


    "That would be great," Harper answered at once. She then turned to Matthew and said, "Darling, don''t


    worry about me. I''ll be back soon."


    With a long face, Matthew finally conceded. He looked at Zack meaningfully and said, "Keep an eye on


    her and make sure nothing happens to her."


    "Don''t worry, Your Highness. I can guarantee you her safety," Zack promised, smiling.


    Matthew decided to agree with this arrangement. He understood why Harper did not want him to go


    with her. And Zack apanying her was actually a relief. At least, he didn''t need to worry about


    Harper''s safety anymore. As a gentleman, Zack invited Harper to walk in the front and also helped her


    get into the carriage.

 Chapter 654 Harpers Prices For The Treatment (Part Two)

    Chapter 654 Harper''s Prices For The Treatment (Part Two)


    Andy looked at Zack and could not help but sigh in his heart, ''Mister Zack''s definitely going to be the


    future grand secretary. That''s going to make him the most important person in the court. Yet he''s still


    kind enough to help Lady Harper get inside the carriage. It seems that the rumors are indeed right. He


    does treat Lady Harper quite well.''


    In the carriage, Zack was grinning. "I could tell how jealous your husband was. It''s so funny. Did you


    notice that?"


    Harper shot a helpless re at him and said, "Are you actuallyughing? Well, I don''t know why, but


    when ites to Francis, his patience is very slim. The envy just eats him up."


    "It just proves how well you treat Francis," Zack said in a joking tone. "Did you know that Francis has


    garnered a lot of support from the court?"


    "Yes, I heard that. To be honest, he is the most capable out of all the princes. If only his health wasn''t


    so poor, he would be a great choice. However, the future emperor of this country cannot be suffering


    from a serious illness," Harpermented with her chin resting on one hand. After hesitating for a


    while, she continued, "If that happened, the country would be extremely unstable and people might


    grab the opportunity to usurp the throne."


    With a smile, Zack asked, "Then, what do you think?"


    "It doesn''t matter what I think. What matters the most is the thoughts of other people," Harper replied


    lightheartedly. "I would be happier if there were more people who wanted to fight for the throne."


    "Why do I feel as if you''re gloating?" Zack said with a doting smile. He then took out a paper bag from


    his pocket and unfolded it. "I bought some of your favorite cakes on the way."


    Seeing this, Harper raised her eyebrows and smiled happily. "Zack, you''ve always been so sweet. I


    wonder who you''re going to marry in the future. Whoever she is, she''s going to be very lucky to have


    you as her husband."


    Still smiling, Zack responded, "Yes, I''m actually curious too who I''m going to end up marrying. Where''s


    Miss Right? Why haven''t I met her yet? Doesn''t she know how alone I am?"


    "Ha-ha!" In an easy tone, Harper asked, "I have a serious question for you. Are you so desperate to get


    married already?"


    "Not really. I''m not that desperate. I just want to meet the woman I''m going to marry," Zack said


    yfully. Then he looked at her tenderly. "So I''m guessing the news that you''re pregnant is false?"


    "Yes. Someone drugged me when I was being careless," Harper replied as she relished the cakes.


    Being pregnant or not was not the thing she cared the most for the time being anyway. "Yummy. These


    taste so good. I love them."


    Zack then poured a cup of tea and handed it to her. "Eat it slowly or you might choke."


    Leaning forward to him, Harper asked with a smile, "Caroline''s going to be a mother soon, which


    means you''ll be an uncle. Are you excited about that?"


    Zack merely smiled in response. Of course, he was happy that he was going to be an uncle soon. He


    also couldn''t help but wish that Harper would have a child too in the near future. Her life would be much


    easier then.


    "So when do you n to have a baby?" Zack had finally mustered up the courage to ask her this¡ªhe


    had been wanting to ask it for such a long time. It had been more than a year since Harper and


    Matthew had gotten married and they still didn''t have any children. The officials were already starting to


    doubt Harper''s fertility while some were suspecting that it was Matthew who was sterile. Either way,


    they still didn''t have any children and that wasn''t a good thing.


    "So is it true that I can''t be the princess if I don''t have any children?" Harper asked in a serious tone,


    sitting up straight.


    For a while, Zack just stared at her. After this long pause, he finally answered, "Personally, I don''t care


    if you have children or not. You are who you are and whether or not you have children doesn''t change


    that. However, I''m not sure how your husband feels about this. You two are married and you still don''t


    have children. How is that going to affect your rtionship? What will others think? Some people may


    gossip about this and even threaten you."


    The smile on Harper''s face faded a bit. "Well, I do want to have children," she said somewhat glumly.


    "Is it because of your health?" Zack eximed in surprise. If Harper was infertile, then the officials were


    definitely going to do something about this. After all, Matthew''s heir was an important issue for the


    country. Zack just wished that he could help her. "Do you need me to find a physician for you?" he


    offered.


    Harper shook her head. "Are you forgetting that I''m a physician myself? Don''t worry. I''ll have a baby


    when the time is right."


    Upon hearing this, Zack breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Don''t talk like that. It''s scaring me."


    Still smiling casually, Harper said, "I don''t want Matthew to be childless so you don''t have to worry.


    What I''m curious about is Carlson. He''s at the border and I haven''t heard anything about him in a while.


    Also, what about Shawn? How is he doing?"


    "Actually, Shawn sent a letter for you," Zack answered as he took out the letter and handed it over to


    her. "He always sends letters disguised as official documents just in case. But I don''t really understand


    the meaning in his letter."


    Harper took the letter and opened it. A yellow leaf came out of the letter and it was pressed t.


    "What''s the meaning of this leaf?" Harper asked in confusion.


    The corner of Zack''s mouth twitched strangely. "I don''t know. Maybe he put it there randomly."


    Harper didn''t find anything wrong with what was inside the letter until she picked up the yellow leaf and


    examined it closely. She raised it so she could see better through the sunlight. She then noticed that


    the leaf had some scratches in it as if someone had purposely done it. "Look here. On the left, it reads


    that things have changed at the border or something. I can''t tell," Harper murmured, her eyebrows


    furrowed.


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Things have changed at the border!" they suddenly said in unison. They exchanged nces, faces in


    utter shock. "Things have changed at the border!" What could have possibly happened?

 Chapter 655 Francis Is In Critical Condition

    Chapter 655 Francis Is In Critical Condition


    Harper''s eyebrows knitted. She tapped on the table as usual and Zack said nothing. He suspected that


    regr ways ofmunication might expose the news. Whenever some important news came up,


    they always chose this way ofmunication, because no one could decrypt their behaviors.


    Zack tranted Harper''s message and memorized it. The army in the north domain was the most


    important part of their n. If the army in the north domain was in trouble, the ck g Army would


    have a hard time dealing with it on its own. Now the forces in the court, under the leadership of Jason


    and Francis, were divided into two factions. The force that used to support the deposed Felix had


    shrunk and soon, the hidden force of the court would be in the light.


    "Your Highness, Lord Zack, we arrived at Prince Francis'' mansion." Andy''s voice came from outside the


    carriage. Harper and Zack shared a look at each other. Thetter then jumped down from the carriage


    and helped Harper get off.


    "Let''s check on Francis. He''s always ill. It''s rather worrying."


    Harper thought Francis might have been poisoned again. He had been in and out of the pce, and it


    wasn''t difficult for the emperor to poison him there. Harper checked his pulse, but his condition was


    much worse than expected.


    "Harper, how is His Highness?" Zack asked at once upon seeing her frown.


    Harper shook her head and asked, "Where is Owen?"


    "Your Highness, I''m here," Owen answered quickly.


    "Tell me. What did he eat and what did he do recently?" Harper felt the situation rather tricky, and


    reproached Francis wildly in mind. ''You bastard! It is difficult for me to detoxify you. It is also extremely


    hard to treat you and bring you back to normal. You acted so carelessly, ruined all my efforts and


    almost got yourself killed.''


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    "My master didn''t eat much and even had no appetite. He just read books, made some sugar figurines,


    and did nothing else. Your Highness, please save my master''s life," Owen pleaded in an innocent tone.


    Harper was stressed. "Run to the pce at once and request His Majesty for the thousand-year-old


    Ganoderma."


    "Your Highness, I''m afraid Ganoderma is too potent for Prince Francis'' current condition. He is too


    weak now. I don''t think his body would endure its strong effect¡­" one of the imperial physicians said


    hesitantly


    "Fine, then I''ll leave him to you. Maybe you cane with a better idea to treat him." Harper moved


    away and the imperial physician stepped back immediately. Without uttering another word, he sent


    someone to the Imperial Pce to get the Ganoderma.


    "Why do you all gather here? Do you have nothing else to do?" Harper asked in a soft voice, looking at


    the group of imperial physicians standing behind her. "Go back to your respective homes if you have


    nothing else to do or say. Don''t crowd here."


    "Your Highness, we are here to help cure Prince Francis," said another imperial physician.


    "Well, since you are all here to cure Francis, I believe he doesn''t need my help anymore. I''ll go back


    home then." Harper was about to leave, but no one dared to let her leave. The physicians'' survival


    depended on Francis'' recovery. If anything happened to Francis, then they too wouldn''t survive.


    "Your Highness, we will leave right now!" The imperial physician scurried out, afraid that it would be too


    late. They would be in trouble if Francis was not treated properly.


    Looking at the imperial physicians who were scrambling to leave, Harper disdained them. "When


    Francis'' condition was good, they all wanted to boast about their achievements, and when it was bad,


    they all ran faster than rabbits."


    Hearing that, Zackughed and covered his mouth. "They did nothing for Francis, but still were


    unwilling to leave. It just happens that you are here. If anything happens to Francis, they would put the


    me on you. But, if you cure him, they can take advantage of it."


    "Am I really that easy to be bullied?" As she spoke, Harper sat down on the bedside, took out a silver


    needle, and skillfully took off Francis'' clothes. Zack coughed as a reminder to Harper, but soon he


    realized that Francis was only a patient in her eyes, and that there wasn''t any distinction between a


    male and a female. He suddenly felt sympathy for Matthew. No wonder that every time he mentioned


    Francis, Matthew got jealous.


    Harper took out two small porcin bottles from the medicine kit and put the needles in. Then, she


    administered the acupuncture on Francis'' body, while he was still in aa. Halfway through the


    procedure, she felt something wrong suddenly. Francis'' body temperature was rising. She then


    measured the temperature on his forehead.


    "He has a fever. That''s not good." Harper had a serious look on her face. "Owen, quickly prepare some


    wine. I need it to rub his body and relieve his fever."


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    Francis'' condition was unsteady. Unable to continue with the procedure, she quickly pulled out all


    needles. Francis had been the most troublesome patient in her entire career as a physician.


    "Is he alright?" Zack asked worriedly.


    "He was too weak and stressed recently. Thus, he got seriously ill." Seeing that Owen had brought the


    wine, Harper immediately wiped Francis'' body to help control his fever. "I will prescribe a fever-reducing


    decoction. You need to ask someone to prepare the decoction and bring it here quickly."


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    Harper wrote the prescription and sent someone to collect the herbs and prepare it. In the meantime,


    Ganoderma was brought from the Imperial Pce, but Harper didn''t have time to deal with it.


    The decoction was finally done. Harper was so tired with her efforts that she asked Owen to feed the


    decoction to Francis. But Francis'' teeth were tightly clenched and despite Owen''s efforts, Francis didn''t


    open his mouth to drink the decoction. With no way out, Owen turned to Harper for help.


    Harper nced at Francis and took the bowl from Owen''s hand. She had a sip to check the


    temperature. When she was sure that it wouldn''t burn Francis'' throat, she pinched his nose and poured


    it down to his throat without hesitation. Francis coughed, which made Owen''s heart ache.


    Zack touched his nose and realized how gentle Harper was to him. Though earlier he was once forced


    to take the medicine, she was not as rude as she was just now!


    "Is that all?" Zack asked.


    "Just turning the fever down!" Holding the Ganoderma, Harper said viciously, "When he wakes up, tell


    him that he owes me a lot. It''s with a lot of effort that I got the precious saussurea involucrata, and now


    I will force it down his throat!"


    Owen stepped back and hid behind a pir. He seemed to be timid and didn''t dare to offend Harper.


    Harper ignored him. She took out the pills she had prepared from the saussurea involucrata and then


    fed one to Francis. "You owe me a lot now. I won''t hesitate to sell you for money if you don''t wake up


    and pay me back!"


    "Your Highness, please don''t! I''m sure His Highness will pay you back," Owen promised.


    Harper looked at Owen, who was hiding behind the pir. Then she gave up and looked at Zack. "Zack,


    you can go back now. His condition is unpredictable. I have to stay here and monitor his condition.


    Matthew wille to pick me upter."


    Zack maintained his silence. When he came to Francis'' mansion with Harper, he made a promise to


    Matthew that he would send her back safe and sound. He said, "I''ll wait for you. I promised His


    Highness that I''ll send you back safely."


    "Lord Zack." As soon as Zack finished, Andy walked in, which made Zack frown.


    "What''s up, Lord Andy?"


    "There''s a Cab meeting. Prince Jason and all other officials are waiting for you to join," Andy said


    cautiously. Although the emperor had got much better these days, he grew more irritable. Thus, when


    he ordered all the officials of the Cab to have a meeting, Andy dared not to neglect and immediately


    carried out the order.


    "What?" Zack was surprised.


    "Go ahead. I''ll stay in Francis'' mansion. Nothing bad will happen," Harper said.


    "Well, I''ll go to the pce to attend the meeting. After that, I''ll be back to pick you up as soon as


    possible," Zack said, and then went along with Andy.


    Harper continued concentrating on Francis. Suddenly, a figure shed by outside the window. Harper


    looked back, but saw no one. She became suspicious.


    "Fred," Harper called out.


    "Yes, Your Highness.


    "Tell Matthew that I''lle back homete. Ask him to pick me up a littleter."


    After a brief silence, Fred said, "Your Highness, His Highness has gone to the military camp. There is


    some emergency in the camp. Should I go there and inform His Highness?"


    "All right. When Francis'' condition gets stabilized, we can go back by ourselves," Harper said, as she


    dissuaded Fred from sending her message to Matthew. Just at that moment, Francis was having a


    fever again.


    Francis'' condition was abnormal. In normal circumstances, his fever should have already subdued. The


    pills and the physical cooling method should have helped him.


    Harper put her hand on Francis'' forehead and said, "It''s strange. Howe I cannot control his fever?"


    "Mother." Suddenly, Francis grabbed Harper''s hand and held her in his arms. "Mother, I''m afraid.


    Please don''t leave me." Harper tried to pull her hand back.


    But he was gripping her arm. She looked around and found that Owen had disappeared and only she


    and Francis were left in the room.


    "Francis, you''re mistaken. I''m not your mother. Let go of me!"


    However, Francis didn''t let her go. Instead, he pushed her towards him and made her fall on his body.


    Francis held her arm possessively and murmured, "Mother, they are not ying with me."


    Looking at Francis, who was still unconscious, Harper kept her body a little away from him. She was


    immersed in various thoughts about Francis. He had been feeble since he was five years old, and other


    princes and princesses didn''t want to y with him at all. He lived alone in his pce, and no one


    cared about him except his mother, Sherry, who visited him every day. No friends, no childhood. All his


    childhood memories were about medicine, pain and the sickbed.


    "Okay, I am not going. You can go to sleep. I''ll be here with you." Francis was relieved after hearing her


    soft voice. He stretched his brows, but was still grabbing her arms as if he was worried that she would


    disappear once he loosened his grip.

 Chapter 656 The Sleeping Beauty (Part One)

    Chapter 656 The Sleeping Beauty (Part One)


    After looking after Francis for an entire day, Harper started feeling a bit sleepy. She ended up falling


    asleep by the bed. A few minutes after Harper dozed off, Francis woke up and opened his eyes. It


    seemed that he knew Harper by his side all the time, but he gently turned to her and watched her


    sleeping. All of a sudden, he hit her sleeping acupoint.


    "Only when you''re asleep, will you let your guard down," he whispered under his breath. He then sat up


    and looked at Harper''s sleeping face. Even he himself had no idea why he would do something like


    this.


    A gentle smile crept onto Francis'' pale face as he stared at Harper''s pretty face. Unable to resist the


    urge, he gently caressed her face, then moved her into the bed. As he held her in his arms, he felt a


    sense of contentment and fell asleep again.


    Fred had been waiting outside the whole time. Now that it was already gettingte, he thought that it


    was about time for him to escort Harper back to Prince Matthew''s mansion. After all, she could just


    come to visit Francis again tomorrow. However, he never would have expected that he would be


    attacked in Prince Francis'' mansion. Someone released a poisonous gas. It was so sudden that he


    didn''t even have much time to react. At that moment, he wanted to set off a re to send out a


    message asking for help, but someone seemed to have guessed what he was nning to do and


    managed to quickly stop him. In the end, Fred lost consciousness and fell to the ground without being


    able to do anything.


    Checking on Fred who had lost consciousness, Owen wiped off the beads of cold sweat on his


    forehead. If Fred had managed to set off the re sessfully, Francis would definitely punish him for


    screwing up his n. With that, he immediately ordered someone to carry Fred away. He sighed, "I


    can''t allow you to ruin my master''s n."


    Matthew was currently in the army, busy dealing with the military affairs. There were fierce fights taking


    ce in the Great Jade Kingdom. In order to prevent another country from swooping in while they were


    fighting, the Great Jade Kingdom had deployed troops to the border in case of an external enemy


    invasion. But as far as Matthew was concerned, Rndo should have already taken control of the


    whole situation in his country by now, so sending out troops to the border might be for apletely


    different matter.


    "Your Highness, it''s gettingte. Would you like to rest in the military camp?" Barry politely asked.


    "What time is it now?"


    "Your Highness, it''s about one fifteen. It''s alreadyte. Lady Harper must have gone to bed by now."


    Taking a look at the processed military file, Barry thought that Matthew still had a lot of work to do.


    Some of them probably had something to do with the Great Jade Kingdom. Otherwise, Matthew


    wouldn''t have been working so hard.


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    "Must have?"


    "Yes, she should have gone to bed by now."


    "Should have?" Matthew asked, with his eyebrows deeply knit. Looking at Barry, he then went on and


    added, "What do you mean by ''should have''?"


    "We can''t really say for sure because no one sent any messages from the mansion today. However,


    Lord Zack''s manservant has sent a message to us during the daytime. It was said that His Majesty


    summoned him to the pce to discuss something. If he couldn''t make it back in time to pick up Lady


    Harper, Your Highness might have to pick her up yourself. But no one sent any messages after that.


    For that reason, I assumed that Lady Harper might have gone back by herself."


    Matthew''s guts were telling him that something was quite amiss, so he asked, "You mean, you don''t


    know whether Harper has made it back or not?"


    "I''m afraid, I do not know."


    Upon hearing Barry''s response, Matthew immediately stood up and walked out of the camp. Seeing


    this, Barry hurriedly went after him.


    Matthew went straight to the Phoenix House to look for Harper as soon as he got back to the mansion,


    only to find that she wasn''t home yet. Feeling so furious, he sneered, "How dare you, Francis! You''re


    trying to take Harper away like this!"


    Francis awoke from a sound sleep all of a sudden. Then, he opened his eyes and looked at the woman


    lying next to him. Harper seemed to be fast asleep, so he didn''t want to disturb her, but he had to.


    Carrying her in his arms, he put her down by the bed, trying to make it look like she just fell asleep.


    After that, he immediatelyy down on the bed and continued feigning his illness.


    Just then, Matthew broke straight into Francis'' mansion, disturbing Owen along with some other secret


    guards. Seeing the murderous look on Matthew''s face, Owen asked in surprise, "Your Highness, is


    there something wrong?"


    "Where is my wife?" Matthew asked in a cold tone.


    "Prince Francis'' condition is very severe, so Lady Harper hase to take care of him. It''s alreadyte.


    I''m afraid that she might be asleep," Owen politely replied.'' "Shall I go ahead and wake Lady Harper up


    now?" Owen suggested cautiously.


    "No need. I''ll do it myself," Matthew tly said.


    That wasn''t the first time he had been to Francis'' mansion, so he knew where Francis lived. Noticing


    that someone wasing, Francis quickly hit and released Harper''s acupuncture points.


    Bang! The door was swung open. The loud noise was enough to wake Harper up, and her eyes were


    half open. Upon seeing him, she felt so relieved and said, "Matthew, are you here to pick me up?"


    Matthew was fuming with rage when he got there, but as soon as he heard Harper''s gentle voice, he


    tried his best to hold back and simply replied, "Yes, I''m here to pick you up."


    Still half asleep, Harperzily stretched her neck, unwilling to move. Then, she reached out her hands


    and said, "Hug me."


    Seeing this, Matthew couldn''t helpughing. Then, he walked closer toward Harper and carried her into


    his arms. Completely disregarding everyone else, he walked out of the room with his wife quickly. It all


    happened so fast that none of them was able to see how they actually got out of the room.


    They seemed to have vanished without a trace. Looking at Francis who was lying on the bed, Owen


    said, "Your Highness..."


    "You may take your leave."


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    Caressing the spot where Harper hadin down, Francis felt that it was still warm. A lovely scent was


    left on the pillow. It had the smell of lotus. He had always thought that Harper had a sweet smell. Now,


    he finally came to know what she smelled like. The smell of lotus was so fresh and


    elegant.

 Chapter 657 The Sleeping Beauty (Part Two)

    Chapter 657 The Sleeping Beauty (Part Two)


    "So, how does it feel, lying in the bed with the pretty woman?" A voice came from out of the blue.


    Sitting up, Francis asked instead, "How is it going?"


    "Some of Felix''s men have decided not to join us. But the rest are still thinking about it. I''m pretty sure


    that it''s just a matter of time before they join us. On the other hand, I just don''t understand why you


    acted so boldly today. You even got yourself sick just so you could be with that woman for a while,"


    Jason teased. "You even asked me to keep Zack from leaving the pce. Aren''t you worried at all that


    Matthew might get suspicious?"


    "That man has never trusted me anyway," Francis replied slowly. "It won''t make that much of a


    difference. He might just be more careful around me next time."


    "Felix had an argument with his wife and thetter fell to the ground by ident. She ended up losing


    her baby," Jason said indifferently, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. "They are like enemies now.


    They''ll quarrel and fight once seeing each other," he continued.


    "We can''t let them die so easily. Otherwise, we can''t have more fun from their misery," Francis


    remarked. He coughed after saying that. It seemed that he was feeling under the weather.


    "Please take good care of yourself. Stop treating yourself like this; do you understand?" Jason asked,


    his face turning into a frown.


    With a bitter smile on his face, Francis said, "Jason, now that you have met her, what do you think?"


    "Strange." Jason summarized his impression of her in one word. She felt like a total stranger to him


    now, so much so that it was like he never even knew her at all. The feeling was much too different from


    what it was in the past. "She looks like a totally different person to me," he added.


    "What do you mean by that? Are you saying that she isn''t the woman you knew before?"


    "It was said that some people suspected her identity back when she was still living in the Chu n''s


    mansion, but it had already been proven that she was indeed the real Harper. But I just don''t


    understand how a person could change so much." Jason was so confused. "And I have no idea what


    she''s thinking at all. If possible, I think it would be better for you to stay away from her."


    "I can''t do that," Francis eximed at once.


    "You have to try to stay away from her whether you like it or not. Rarely do I think that someone is


    dangerous, but I think she is. She gives me the same kind of feeling that Matthew does. Matthew is


    cold, while she is gentle. But neither of them will be at other''s disposal. I can tell that Matthew loves her


    so much. I don''t think she is just an ordinary woman. We don''t really know her that well."


    "That''s your junior sister apprentice you''re talking about. Aren''t you getting chills from how cold you are


    being?"


    "I''m the one who is actually chilled by her coldness. Okay?" Casting Francis a nce, Jason pointed


    out, "That woman doesn''t seem to know me at all. She even told me that she has left all her past


    memories behind. Her new life began from the unfair execution. I don''t even know what she meant by


    that."


    "The unfair execution?" Francis echoed. Francis understood right away. Harper had almost been


    executed because of the death of Maxwell''s only son. Our father wanted to kill her to quell Maxwell''s


    anger. In fact, they made a deal back then. Murdering Maxwell''s only son was a perfect excuse for


    Harper''s execution.


    Everyone believed that was going to be the end of her. No one would have expected that she would


    ask for Matthew''s help. As the official in charge of the execution, Matthew showed a rare act of


    kindness. But was it true that he helped Harper just out of the goodness of his heart? Or was it some


    kind of plot?


    Francis couldn''t help but frown as these thoughts ran through his mind. For years now, he had closely


    followed and analyzed the political situation. On one hand, their father seemed to want to support Felix,


    while on the other hand, he had been offering opportunities for the princes topete with him. Back


    then, Francis was under the assumption that their father merely wanted to make Felix a better heir to


    the throne through the challenges from the other princes.


    Butter on, he came to realize that their father''s aim wasn''t to mold Felix into a better sessor.


    Instead, he was doing all of those things to suppress him. Their father didn''t even give the military


    power to Felix. Even though he was the legal heir to the throne, it simply put him in a passive position.


    "Jason, do you have any idea what our father is thinking?" Francis asked, feeling quite curious.


    "Who knows what the old man is thinking? All I know is that the situation right now is definitely not


    good!" Although Jason hadn''t been in the imperial capital for years, he knew about their father''s temper


    so well. "He is heartless and cruel. He would even kill a son without batting an eye to keep his throne,"


    Jason blurted out.


    "He will never let the Bright Dynasty fall while it is under his rule," Francis added in a low voice


    momentster. "No matter how heartless and stupid he may be, he will never allow the Bright Dynasty


    to be buried in history. However, I just don''t know who he''s going to choose to be the true heir."


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    "The heir?" Jason burst outughing. "Felix is already screwed. Walden has been relegated to a civilian


    and he has banished to the bordend. Hoffman was relegated to a civilian and is being kept


    imprisoned in the Repenting Tower. As for Lucas, he has never really been taken seriously by our


    father. And Wale is still too young. Taking those things into consideration, who do you think is going to


    inherit this brilliant throne?"


    "Jason, you seem to be forgetting someone." Francis stood up and walked up to the window. Looking


    outside, he said in a cold voice, "Matthew!"


    "Out of everyone, the old bastard hates him the most, doesn''t he? How could it be possible that he


    would hand over the throne to him? He would rather destroy the throne than give it to him!" Jason


    firmly believed. "It''s impossible for the old man to choose him to be the heir."


    "That leaves just one other option. Lucas," Francis said. Although there was a gentle smile on Francis''


    face, he looked sinister and ruthless at that moment. Anyone who saw that smile would feel chills down


    their spines.

 Chapter 658 Develop The New Longevity Pill (Part One)

    Chapter 658 Develop The New Longevity Pill (Part One)


    After giving it much thought, Jason had to agree with Francis that Lucas seemed most likely to be


    chosen by the emperor. However, Lucas was rather notorious, having a bad reputation as a yboy.


    While he very much enjoyed seeking pleasure, gambling and going whoring, he had shown little


    interest in serious matters. If the throne ended up in his hands, there would be a good chance that he


    would give it to someone else in the blink of an eye.


    "If the throne is handed over to Lucas..." Jason whispered under his breath, lost in thought. After a


    while, with his eyebrows raised and a faint smile on his lips, he continued, "Will he choose beauties


    from all over the country to enter his harem every year? Or will he exchange ten cities for a beauty from


    a foreign country?"


    These wild thoughts of his made the corners of Francis'' mouth twitch slightly. Although he didn''t humor


    Jason with a response, the expression on his face shifted.


    "Will he end up losing the national treasurypletely by gambling?"


    The corners of Francis'' eyes began to twitch when he heard that, and the smile on his face


    disappearedpletely.


    "Will he waste manpower and money just so he could taste some delicacies, neglecting themon


    people and letting them live in poverty and misery? For example, he may want to have watermelons or


    the newly picked fresh litchis during winter?"


    At this point, Francis cast Jason a suspicious nce, wondering if Lucas would really go this far.


    Jason couldn''t helpughing at the thought of the terrible things that could happen if Lucas were to


    be the new emperor. "If Lucas bes the emperor, there''s no doubt that the imperial harem of


    the Bright Dynasty will be filled with numerous beauties. Because of that, he will end up indulging


    himself in the pleasure and neglect his duties as the emperor. He probably won''t have time to attend


    imperial court sessions or discuss the national affairs. Instead, he will drown himself in wine and


    surround himself with women. Maybe he''ll even force the courtiers to go gambling with him. The mere


    thought of it is enough to make meugh."


    "Go away," Francis eximed as he could not bear listening to Jason''s ramblings any longer. As far as


    Francis was concerned, if Lucas really was such a yboy, he never would have survived the fight for


    power. Moreover, Francis had investigated him countless times already, and every single time, he got


    the same result just as Jason had imagined. If it was true that Lucas was only keeping a facade all the


    time, that would make him an extremely devious and cunning man.


    "Okay, okay, I get it. I''ll take my leave now," Jason said, walking out of the room. In fact, he thought that


    he was only telling the truth, and nobody would me him imagining Lucas in this way. After all, it was


    Lucas himself who brought all of it onto himself and established his own bad reputation. That being


    said, how could such a good-for-nothing yboy take care of the different forces with such ease


    without getting himself implicated? Was he really a good-for-nothing yboy?


    When Fred finally came to senses and found himself at the back gate of Matthew''s mansion, he broke


    out in a cold sweat out of fear. It wasn''t until he entered the mansion and found out that Harper was


    safe and sound that he was able to breathe a sigh of relief.


    "Your Highness."


    "Where have you been?" Matthew asked, looking at Fred, who seemed quite distraught and


    disheveled. Fred had been working for him for many years, but this was the first time he had ever seen


    him acting like this.


    Resentment shed across Fred''s face. "Forgive me, Your Highness. When I was at Prince Francis''


    mansion, I fell into someone''s trap and lost consciousness because of knockout smoke."


    "Go and get flogged thirty times."


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    While reviewing official documents, Matthew thought about what had happened the night before. He


    wondered what would have happened if he hadn''te backst night. With these thoughts running


    through his head, he concluded that what had happened to Fredst night must be Francis'' doing.


    "What are you thinking about? You look so deep in thought," Harper asked in confusion. As soon as


    she walked into the study, she stumbled upon Matthew staring nkly into space.


    "It''s nothing," Matthew said in a rather serious tone. "I''m just working."


    Grabbing the official document from Matthew''s hand, Harper went ahead and turned it upside down.


    After that, she immediately said, "Darling, you were holding the document upside down. Even though


    you can read ten lines at one nce, I think it would still be very hard to read it upside down. Please


    just read it like a normal person would."


    Despite being red in the earlobes, Matthew tried not to show any sign of embarrassment. Putting down


    the official document as if nothing happened, he asked, "How did you fall asleep at Francis'' mansion


    last night?"


    "It was a bit weird. I just felt drowsy all of a sudden and then fell asleep. Then, you got there as soon as


    I woke up," Harper answered, rubbing her temples. "I was nning to go back home by myself as soon


    as Francis'' condition became stable, but somehow, I dozed off."


    Hearing that, Matthew could more or less guess what had happened. "I don''t want you to go to Francis''


    mansion ever again, even when he is dead," he said in a domineering tone.


    "Okay, okay, it''s up to you," Harper obediently replied. Snugging in his arms, she then continued,


    "There''s something I have to tell you."


    "What is it?"


    Taking out a pill, Harper said, "This is the Longevity Pill His Majesty has been taking. Guess what''s in


    it."


    "Poison?"


    Harper shook her head at first, but then nodded right after. "It''s not really a poison, but it could be


    considered poisonous. It''s poppy. Someone has refined the poppies in the pill."


    "What are the side effects of taking it?"


    "Poppies can be used to treat cough and diarrhea and to relieve pain. But prolonged use should be


    avoided, because it would act as a poison which slowly takes effect and is highly addictive as well.


    Once you be dependent on it, the pain will be like being bitten by tens of thousands of ants when


    you stop taking it," Harper exined, ying with the pill in her hand. "You can tell just how much


    Francis hates his father. He''s dealing with his father in the same way his father has been dealing with


    him."


    "If it is poisonous, shouldn''t the imperial physicians have found out the truth already?"


    "When poppies are mixed in the pills, the tiny amount on a single pill is not lethal. However, they will be


    lethal after long-term use. Given that, how could imperial physicians notice it? Besides, when someone


    starts taking the poppy, they will feel sober and refreshed. I guess by the time the emperor has taken


    all the Longevity Pills in his hand, he would be totally addicted to it." Upon saying that, Harper put


    away the pill. "I''m afraid that Francis is about to take action," she remarked.


    Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    "He is a very patient man," Matthew simply said. In spite of everything, he couldn''t help but admit that


    Francis was indeed patient. Even though the current situation was already quite favorable to him, he


    was still acting humbly. He did his duties and treated everyone sincerely. Right now, he still looked as


    gentle as ever. The gentle and courteous attitude he always showed had won the hearts of many


    courtiers.

 Chapter 659 Develop The New Longevity Pill (Part Two)

    Chapter 659 Develop The New Longevity Pill (Part Two)


    "When will the poison begin to take effect in the emperor''s body?"


    "Its effect is not like those ofmon poisons. But I guess it won''t be long before he finds out that


    there is something wrong with the pills. When he runs out of Longevity Pills, he will probably think that


    he would rather die than live without them," Harper carefully said. "He had slowly poisoned his own son


    to harm his health and get rid of him. And now, the son has also poisoned him and turned him into a


    drug addict in order to let it consume his body and spirit bit by bit. You could say it''s retributive justice."


    In the Tranquil Hall, the emperor had been feeling quite unwell. "Andy, bring me the pill."


    "Yes, Your Majesty." In a hurry, Andy fetched a Longevity Pill for the emperor. Only when the emperor


    took it without dy did he finally feel at ease. He felt so relieved and was no longer on edge.


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    "How many pills have I taken today?" the emperor slowly asked.


    "Your Majesty, you have already taken three pills today," Andy quickly answered. Seeing that there


    were only a few Longevity Pills left inside the box, he was a little worried. These days, the emperor


    wouldn''t feel well unless he took a few pills every day. However, he was now down to thest few pills.


    If the new Longevity Pills couldn''t be replenished in time, the emperor would surely fly into a fit of rage.


    Nodding his head, the emperor then asked, "Is there any news from Harper?"


    "News?" Andy echoed, looking at the emperor in confusion. Suddenly, a thought cropped up in his


    mind. Then, he replied, "Well, Prince Francis'' condition has be stable. It seems that his life is no


    longer in danger."


    "That''s not what I''m asking about!" the emperor sneered, feeling so irritated. He was actually asking


    Andy if Harper was able to reproduce the Longevity Pills sessfully.


    Rubbing the back of his head, Andy helplessly said, "Forgive me, Your Majesty, but would you please


    tell me what is it that you''re asking about?"


    "The Longevity Pills."


    "Your Majesty, we haven''t heard anything from Lady Harper yet. Since Prince Francis is sick, Lady


    Harper had to look after him. I''m afraid she hasn''t found the time to research on and reproduce the


    Longevity Pills yet."


    "Tell her to develop and make the Longevity Pills as soon as possible."


    "Your Majesty..." Andy hesitated for a while. "How about assigning the task of developing the Longevity


    Pills to the Imperial Academy of Medicine? After all, Imperial Physician Hodge Su, who happens to be


    the disciple of Scott, the original developer, is quite knowledgeable when ites to the Longevity


    Pills. Even if Lady Harper sessfully develops it, I''m afraid..."


    ''I''m afraid you won''t dare to take it!'' Andy thought to himself. Of course, he would never dare to say that


    out loud. Matthew was such a cruel man, while Harper was a very domineering woman. It would be


    difficult to keep the emperor safe from the couple if they wanted to do something evil. Even if Harper


    could somehow develop the Longevity Pill sessfully, the imperial physicians probably wouldn''t allow


    the emperor to take it, even if they couldn''t find anything wrong with it. All of them were well aware of


    Harper''s excellent medical skills, and that she could easily kill someone secretly with such ease.


    With Andy jogging his mind, the emperor came to a sudden realization. After all, he had attempted to


    take Harper''s life so many times. Based on his understanding of the woman, there was no way she


    would forgive him so easily. And considering what had happened in his birthday banquet, the emperor


    wasn''t sure about Matthew''s opinion.


    "Tell the Imperial Academy of Medicine to develop the Longevity Pill at once!"


    "Yes, Your Majesty."


    As soon as they received the order from the emperor, the imperial physicians in the Imperial Academy


    of Medicine were left with no other choice but to put aside whatever it was that they were doing and


    focus on the development of the Longevity Pill instead. As Scott''s disciple, Hodge actually knew most


    of the medicinal materials used to make the Longevity Pill. But when he listed down the medicinal


    materials that they would need to make it, all of the other imperial physicians helplessly looked at each


    other in dismay. And the reason for that was because the saussurea involucrata from the Snow


    Mountain, the thousand-year-old Ganoderma, along with ginseng, another ingredient with a history of a


    hundred years were included in the list. Unfortunately for them, only the ginseng was avable at the


    moment. The Ganoderma had been used to treat Francis. The saussurea involucrata, on the other


    hand, had been taken away by Matthew to y up to Harper.


    "Hodge, is there anything else we can use as substitutes for the saussurea involucrata and the


    Ganoderma?" The imperial physicians all felt deeply troubled. It had taken Scott years to develop the


    Longevity Pill. Unexpectedly, the emperor ordered them to develop it in only three days. They believed


    it was an impossible task.


    "Since we don''t have the Ganoderma with a history of a thousand years, all we can use is the one with


    a history of a hundred years. And since we don''t have any saussurea involucrata from the Snow


    Mountain, we can just use themon one. In any case, we have to procure all the necessary


    materials before we can begin to reproduce the Longevity Pills. I''m afraid that we''re all going to be in


    big trouble if we fail to fulfill His Majesty''s request," Hodge tly answered. Needless to say, he was


    worried as well, because making the Longevity Pill was no walk in the park.


    "That being said, there are still several other medicinal materials which are not avable."


    "If they are unavable, we have to find something simr to use as a substitute. We have to make the


    Longevity Pills in three days by all means necessary," Hodge added at once. It had taken his teacher


    half a lifetime to collect all the precious medicinal materials. Although there were rare medicinal


    materials in the Imperial Academy of Medicine, they were notplete. Right now, there was a very


    urgent matter at hand. Given that he didn''t really have much time to think about it, all he could do was


    try his best to find the medicinal materials.


    "Hodge, Lady Harper has remarkable medical skills. We can ask for her advice. Perhaps she''ll be able


    to reproduce the Longevity Pill," someone suggested.


    A bitter smile appeared on Hodge''s face. After all, if Harper could make the Longevity Pill, the task


    wouldn''t have been assigned to them in the first ce. For that reason, he guessed that the emperor


    didn''t want to risk letting Harper develop and make the Longevity Pill. And even if she managed to


    make it, the emperor probably wouldn''t dare to take it.


    After being persecuted by the former crown prince, now the emperor cherished his own life very much.


    He ordered imperial physicians to feel his pulse every day just in case, and all the food for him had to


    be examined strictly only in order to prevent him from being poisoned again. If the imperial physicians


    were unable to develop the Longevity Pill in time, the consequences would be


    unimaginable!

 Chapter 660 Breed Calamity For The Future (Part One)

    Chapter 660 Breed Cmity For The Future (Part One)


    At that time, Zack visited Harper at Matthew''s mansion. He wanted to apologize for failing to keep his


    promise of taking her back home the other day. At the same time, he wanted to gather some


    information from her.


    "Harper, I''m really sorry for what happened the other day. I thought my duties would end early, so I was


    very confident that I could pick you up when I left the pce. Unexpectedly, Prince Jason stopped me


    and I was detained at the pce." Zack made a sincere apology, implying to Harper that Jason had a


    problem.


    "You don''t have to worry about it. Matthew came to pick me up a littleter," Harper inly said. She


    then pushed the washed cherries closer to him and added, "These cherries are fresh and they taste


    really sweet. I like them very much. Take one and try it."


    While still looking at her, Zack picked up a cherry and put it into his mouth. "Indeed, it is very sweet."


    "I heard that the officials had a big argument in the session hall today. Was it troublesome for you since


    you''re the future grand secretary of the Cab?" Harper asked while she gestured for him to eat more


    cherries.


    Zack turned to look at Harper who was obviously taking great pleasure in his misfortune. With a gentle


    smile, he said, "It has nothing to do with me. Why should I be bothered by that? Prime Minister Philip


    reported today that the imperial harem should have a new empress. Some officials immediately


    proposed Lady Sherry for the position. But some officials instantly objected that motion. They thought


    Prince Francis was physically weak and if he was appointed as the heir to the throne, it wouldn''t do any


    good to the entire empire."


    "Well, did the emperor agree to that proposal?"


    Zack shook his head with a smile. "No, he didn''t. The ministers and courtiers actually had different


    opinions about this matter. Some believed that the emperor should marry a new empress, while some


    people thought that Lady Sherry should be appointed as the empress. And others said that Lady


    Monica is suitable for the position. Anyway, the more important matter is who will be the crown prince.


    In this case, the court is divided into two factions. One faction is in support of Prince Francis as the


    crown prince. After all, it''s obvious to everyone that he is talented and almost perfect except for his


    weak physical state. Meanwhile, the other faction is in support of Prince Jason as the crown prince. As


    you know, he doesn''t have much support from the officials of the court. However, if he ascends the


    throne, those who help him get the crown will be very powerful. Thus, his supporters won''t give


    up that easily."


    "The emperor didn''t stop this argument?" Harper slowly asked.


    Zack picked up a round and plump cherry. With a meaningful smile, he stated, "No, he didn''t. His


    Majesty said that he''s still alive and he has his own decision about the heir to the throne. Prince


    Francis had done a terrific job in rescuing His Majesty and he was also the only one who stood against


    Prince Felix at that time. So I thought he would be greatly favored by His Majesty. But as it turns out, I


    was wrong."


    Harper couldn''t help butugh. "The officials who expressed their views at the session today must have


    been severely scolded."


    "That''s right. When His Majesty was in the Golden Hall, he was so furious that he reprimanded Prime


    Minister Philip for meddling in the affairs of the imperial harem. He even asked Philip if he wanted to be


    the chief eunuch." At that, Zack was reminded of Philip''s pale face. He couldn''t help but feel


    entertained about that thought.


    "But His Majesty has always been fond of Philip. Why did he scold him like that today?" Harper was


    confused. Was the emperor''s condition getting worse than she had expected?


    In fact, Zack was a little worried and it showed in his face. "Recently, His Majesty has changed a lot. He


    would strike or swear at the officials for the most minor reasons. Now, all of the officials are as mute as


    a fish, for fear that they will anger His Majesty and lose their life. By the way, I recently heard that most


    of the servants in the Tranquil Hall were changed. Because they were punished to death by His


    Majesty when he lost his temper."


    At that point, Harper was sure that the emperor had increased his dosage of the Longevity Pills. It


    could only lead to the increase of the poison in his system. Now, he would no longer be able to resist


    the poison''s control over his body. As for who had increased the emperor''s dosage, Harper rolled her


    eyes when a thought urred to her. There was only one person who she thought could do that and


    that was the chief eunuch, Andy.


    Harper then said, "Andy is very interesting to me. Zack, do you think Andy is loyal to His Majesty?


    When the empress was controlling His Majesty, Andy was the one who took care of him. He was by the


    emperor''s side, looking after him. Almost every member of staff in the Tranquil Hall had been reced


    except for Andy."


    Zack sneered silently before responding, "Well, after all, Andy has served His Majesty for decades. He


    should understand his temper very well. However, His Majesty''s health is getting worse and worse as


    the days go by. I guess Andy is making preparations for himself.


    "It''s time for Lucas toe back, right?" There seems to be light shing in Harper''s eyes.


    Zackughed and replied, "Yes, he ising back very soon. Prince Lucas did a great job in the


    disaster relief operations. Many civilians actually spoke highly of him. I used to look down on him


    before. But now, he had certainly proved himself."


    Harper threw a cherry into her mouth and spit out the stem. "Anyway, Lucas is still a member of the


    royal family. So I think no matter how young he is, he still inherited some qualities of his father. I have


    never underestimated him."


    "What do you mean?" A confused expression bloomed on Zack''s face.


    Meanwhile, the smile on Harper''s face became even wider. "On the second day of February, the day of


    His Majesty''s birthday banquet, Lucas warned me to be careful of the empress. Everyone says that


    Lucas is so troublesome and carefree that he is only interested in eating and ying. If this was true,


    then he wouldn''t be alive right now. Moreover, although he doesn''t take part in state affairs, no one has


    ever dared to touch him no matter which n or individuals are in conflict."


    "You''re right. It''s impossible for Prince Lucas to simply be the irresponsible man that everyone has


    painted him out to be." Zack nodded in agreement. He wanted to say something more but he quickly


    stopped himself. It seemed like he was second-guessing himself. He didn''t know if he should continue


    speaking.


    Harper noticed this, so she asked, "What''s the matter? Why are you hesitating?"


    Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    "Have you heard that Master Chodak went to heaven?" Although it was a question, Zack''s tone was full


    of doubt. Honestly, he didn''t believe it. It was impossible for the master to have died. Zack would rather


    believe that Chodak was in hiding.

 Chapter 661 Breed Calamity For The Future (Part Two)

    Chapter 661 Breed Cmity For The Future (Part Two)


    Raising her eyebrow, Harper moved the cherry in her mouth to the other cheek. "Do you want to say


    he''s hiding or is it something else?"


    The smile on Zack''s face faded. "It is said that the Great Jade Kingdom''s former crown prince, Prince


    Rndo, suddenly went back to the imperial capital of the kingdom. At this moment, it wouldn''t be too


    wise to expose your rtionship with him."


    "Oh, you guessed that?" Harper asked.


    Zack sighed. "Master Chodak is too well-known. It would be so easy for people to feel suspicious about


    his death and investigate the matter. Moreover, if Master Chodak really went to heaven, why is


    Princess Lilian acting so normally? Plus, Rndo suddenly returned to the imperial capital. After I


    thought about the whole thing a little more, the whole situation became clear to me. There is no doubt


    that he is a tough opponent. If he ascends the throne of the Great Jade Kingdom, it won''t be good for


    our Bright Dynasty if things keep going on like this in our court."


    Meanwhile, Harper seemed indifferent to the whole thing. "Shawn said that there were some changes


    in the north domain which were rted to Rndo. Nevertheless, he saved my life and I owe him a


    huge favor. But Matthew and I agreed that we would not get involved in the internal strife of the Great


    Jade Kingdom."


    In a second, Zack swallowed back the words which were on the tip of his tongue. If possible, he had


    hoped that Matthew could do something about the situation of the Great Jade Kingdom. He was truly


    hoping that Matthew could even prevent Rndo from ascending the throne. But Rndo had saved


    Harper''s life. So it would be impossible that Rndo would not take advantage of this and ask for


    Matthew''s help. Zack was afraid that Matthew wouldn''t even send one soldier to stop Rndo from


    bing the heir to the throne.


    Zack then looked at Harper and firmly said, "So instead, you''re going to let the tiger go back to its


    mountain and cause problems to our country."


    "It''s survival of the fittest. The world is always ruled by a more capable ruler. Zack, our purpose has


    been clear from the beginning. We are not guarding the generations after generations of the Bright


    Dynasty''s royal family. We are here to protect our rtives, friends, and then the mere citizens of this


    world," Harper slowly eximed.


    "Prince Matthew is a member of the royal family!" Zack tried to reason out.


    cing emphasis on her every word, Harper spat out, "So what? The members of the royal family have


    never treated him as one of its members. They selfishly and ruthlessly use him when they need him.


    And when they don''t, they keep on hurting him. We have never and will never protect the royal family


    because those people have never been a family to Matthew."


    When Zack heard this, he didn''t agree or disagree with her. Instead, he remarked, "As long as you


    have a clear conscience, our Bu n will always be behind you."


    "Thank you, Zack."


    "You''re wee. Please always be safe and healthy. It will be the greatest gift that you can give us."


    Soon after that, a desperate feeling emerged in Zack''s heart. Rndo had been very ambitious when


    he used to be the crown prince. But for some reason, he was very willing to be a monk of the Bright


    Dynasty. Five yearster, Zack was confident that Rndo had not changed his mind. In the near


    future, he would definitelyunch a war against the Bright Dynasty and Matthew!


    If they ignored Rndo this time and allowed him to be the emperor, would he also let them go


    once he dered war against them?


    But when Zack looked at Harper who was suddenly quiet, he couldn''t find it in him to say such cruel


    words. The only thing he could do was try his best to protect her and make her happy. After all, the


    Bright Dynasty was about to undergo drastic changes!


    Meanwhile, Rndo was in the Imperial Pce of the Great Jade Kingdom. As per usual, he was


    dressed as a crown prince, looking fondly at the cherry tree in the yard. Without averting his gaze, he


    asked, "How are things going?"


    "Your Highness, the fourth prince, and the fifth prince has been executed. Meanwhile, the eighth prince


    and the tenth prince have surrendered and joined our side. So far, only the second prince is extremely


    opposing us."


    Rndo opened his palm, allowing the cherry blossoms from the air to fall on his hands. He then said,


    "The season of cherry blossoms hase to the Bright Dynasty."


    "Your Highness, do you want to eat cherries?" the chief guard asked in confusion. He hadn''t expected


    that Rndo would be someone who would like to eat cherries. However, he thought that if the prince


    wanted them, he could find some ripe cherries nearby.


    Rndo shook his head with a smile and said, "I was just thinking that a certain woman must be eating


    cherries while speaking ill of me right now."


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    "A certain woman?" The chief guard''s eyes lit up. It was the first time that Rndo had mentioned a


    woman. "Your Highness, would any woman really speak ill of you?"


    In fact, Rndo was thinking of Harper. ''I bet she''s eating cherries while telling others that the Great


    Jade Kingdom would settle down in peace as soon as I go back. But if the kingdom was still in a mess,


    it only proved that I''m a useless person!''


    Rndo blurted out, "She must be ming me for being a useless person who couldn''t resolve the


    matters here for a long time. Anyways,mand our people to surround the second prince''s mansion.


    If he dares to disobey, just kill him without mercy. In addition, prepare the burial ceremony for thete


    emperor right now." His tone was full of murderous intent without a hint ofpassion or care. The


    emperor of the Great Jade Kingdom had been dead for three days. In order to prevent the news from


    spreading, Rndo concealed everything and didn''t hold a burial ceremony. He knew that a piece of


    sudden news like that would only lead to several rebellions of various princes. With the speed of


    lightning, he secretly restrained several princes who might rebel against him. Atst, only the second


    prince was objecting to him. Rndo kept him under control and would decide whether to let him off or


    not after everything had been settled.


    "Yes, Your Highness." The chief guard was curious about the woman who dared to call Rndo


    useless. He was actually interested in the woman''s status in society. If she was a high borndy, she


    could be the crown prince''s partner!


    Rndo tossed away the petals of cherry and started walking outside. He actually hoped that the


    troubles in the Great Jade Kingdom could be settled soon, so he could do what he wanted to do next.


    With utmost confidence, he thought to himself, ''Harper, you wille to me one day! You will find me


    for the sake of the Heavenly Book in my hand.''

 Chapter 662 A Marriage Alliance (Part One)

    Chapter 662 A Marriage Alliance (Part One)


    The emperor of the Great Jade Kingdom passed away, and the crown prince Rndo ascended the


    throne as the rightful heir. The letters were sent to all other countries in the world. Rndo was


    renowned when he was the crown prince, and he and Matthew in the Bright Dynasty were called the


    Heroic Duo. Now that he became the emperor of the Great Jade Kingdom, gifts from various countries


    were sent to make friends with him.


    Lilian stood still in front of Prince Matthew''s mansion, hesitating for a long time. She was doubtful


    whether she should go in or leave. Looking at Lilian, who had almost trampled all the ants to death at


    the gate, the guards couldn''t help but feel helpless. They told her they would report to her arrival, but


    she didn''t allow them to. They asked her to leave, but she was not willing to.


    "Well, do you think Princess Lilian wants toe in or leave? She has been at the gate for quite a


    while and it doesn''t look like she wille in or leave. Who do you think she is torturing?" a guard


    murmured in a low voice.


    "I think she doesn''t know if she should go in," another guard replied.


    "What are you discussing?" Noah coughed, and the guards were quick to straighten up, as if they were


    loyal and responsible about their duties. With arched eyebrows, Noah looked at Lilian, who was


    wandering at the gate, and said, "Your Highness, Her Highness invites you toe in."


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    Lilian''s eyes lit up, and she immediately ran into the mansion with her dress lifted. The guards quickly


    recognized that she was waiting all this time for Harper to invite her in.


    In the Phoenix House, Harper was busy practicing writing. As soon as she saw Lilian running in with


    her dress lifted, she shook her head in disapproval. "Running with your dress in hand? What is it like?


    As a princess of the country, you should always be calm and should not fear at all even if the mountain


    copses."


    "Aunt Harper, stop making fun of me. If I was such a person, I wouldn''t have been pursuing Chodak for


    the past five years," Lilian said with a smile. "I''m here to ask you something."


    "To ask where Chodak is?" Harper was aware of the matters rted to Chodak. She knew that since


    Lilian cared so much about Chodak, she was here to seek information about him.


    Lilian nodded. "The monks in the Holy Chant Temple said that Chodak had gone to heaven, but I am


    sure that it is impossible. Chodak may have left for somewhere, or maybe, he doesn''t need his identity


    as the imperial monk anymore."


    "Since you have already guessed it, why do you ask me?" Harper asked as she raised her head. "Are


    you here to tell me about your decision?"


    "No, I just came to confirm with you. Is it really him?" Lilian was restless, grabbing the corner of her


    dress. She hoped for a positive response from Harper, but she was also prepared to hear a negative


    one. Such ambivalence tormented her.


    Harper put down her pen and sat down with Lilian. She ordered her maid to serve hot tea and then


    said, "The fresh tea tastes great. You must try some."


    Lilian took a sip and said, "Aunt Harper, please don''t keep me in suspense. Tell me, Rndo is


    Chodak, right?"


    Harper smiled, and then asked, "Why do you care so much about the emperor of the Great Jade


    Kingdom? Rndo is ambitious, and he intends to unite the entire world. Are you sure you still care


    about him so much?"


    "Aunt!" Lilian was anxious. She never cared whether Rndo was ambitious. She only cared to know if


    Rndo was the one she had been missing all the time.


    Harper put down her teacup and said, "Well, I don''t intend to make fun of you anymore. It''s him."


    Lilian heaved a sigh of relief, but was also a bit worried at the same time. Currently, the Bright Dynasty


    was suffering from internal and external strife, and her father''s health was not as good as before. He


    became more and more irritable recently. As for the national affairs, Jason and Francis were dealing


    with most of them. The state would be in chaos unless the crown prince was appointed.


    "Aunt Harper, whom do you think the new heir to the throne will be?" Although Lilian had been kept in


    the Imperial Pce by Monica recently, she was aware of the situation in the court. After all, she was a


    princess of the royal family and politics was something in her blood. If she was not sensitive about this,


    how could she have run wild in the pce for so many years?


    "It will be the one most liked by His Majesty. But in the current situation, I''m afraid it would be useless


    even if he likes him." Harper had a gentle look, but Lilian sensed implications of her words. Everyone


    knew that now the real authority in the imperial court was Francis.


    Lilian yed with the teacup and thought for a long while. "Since Rndo has taken the throne,


    wouldn''t our country send envoys to congratte him?"


    "Certainly. But the envoys haven''t been decided yet."


    "When the Bright Dynasty is suffering from both internal problems and external conflicts, we shouldn''t


    have conflicts with the Great Jade Kingdom. If we unite by marriage, wouldn''t it be smart diplomacy to


    keep our country safe for a while?" Lilian gazed at Harper. "I want a marriage alliance."


    Looking at Lilian, Harper thought for a long time. Then she said, "You should think twice, before taking


    any such decisions."


    "I''ve been thinking about it for a long time now. If it''s really him, I am willing to be a pawn for the


    marriage alliance!" Lilian took a deep breath and said, "Aunt, please help me. I want to go to the Great


    Jade Kingdom through marriage as a princess."


    Instead of answering her in a hurry, Harper asked in a serious tone, "Have you really decided? You


    should know that any princess in a marriage alliance cannot have a good ending. Once the truce gets


    broken and the Great Jade Kingdom and the Bright Dynasty have a fight, you will be the first one to be


    pushed out as a sacrifice to worship the g."

 Chapter 663 A Marriage Alliance (Part Two)

    Chapter 663 A Marriage Alliance (Part Two)


    "No, I don''t think he would be that ruthless to me!" Lilian was quick to defend her proposal.


    Looking mercifully at the girl who was now trapped in the dead end, Harper shook her head and said,


    "He never has feelings for you! Did you hear me? Rndo doesn''t love you. Are you sure about doing


    this?"


    "I strongly believe that my sincere love will move him eventually," Lilian said confidently.


    Harper understood that she wouldn''t be able to persuade Lilian, who had been infatuated with Rndo


    even when he was still Chodak. She used to chase him everywhere all over the world, regardless of


    others'' opinions. Now that Chodak had regained his identity and became the new emperor of the Great


    Jade Kingdom, she would never stop loving him.


    "Well, if you really want to do that, just ask Francis. I believe he will help you." Now that Harper couldn''t


    dissuade Lilian, it was her duty as her aunt to give her some advice. Francis didn''t want to have a


    conflict with the Great Jade Kingdom. Since Lilian was willing to marry the emperor, Francis would be


    most happy to see that.


    "Thank you very much, Aunt."


    "I hope you get what you want."


    Looking at Lilian, who left in a hurry, Harper shook her head. Rndo was known to have a


    temperament very simr to Matthew. As long as he didn''t care about someone, he would remain


    unmoved even if that person were to die in front of him. Obviously, Rndo didn''t care about Lilian.


    "Your Highness, Princess Lilian is really going to have a marriage alliance?" asked Nina confusedly. It


    made little sense to her why a princess was voluntarily willing to ept a political marriage. In history,


    all the princesses in the imperial household had cried out to refuse the political marriage, but Lilian


    cried out that she wanted to marry a man through the marriage alliance.


    "If she is going to plead with Francis, he will agree," Harper said slowly. "Nina, I think it''s time to put


    your marriage with Barry on the agenda."


    "Your Highness, I... I¡­" Nina failed to find the right words to express her surprise.


    "I''ll soon discuss this with Matthew and decide your wedding date." After she heard that, Nina''s face


    flushed red with shyness. Harper couldn''t help but want to tease her. "Every day, when Barry sees me,


    he behaves as if he wants to ask when I will allow you to marry him. It seems as if he believes I have


    stolen his wife, and I dare not to keep you with me anymore."


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    "Your Highness!" Nina was anxious. "I do not wish to leave you."


    "So, does it mean that you don''t wish to marry Barry? Well, if that''s the case, I''ll send someone at once


    to reject him, saying that you already have someone you like and you''re not willing to be his wife."


    Harper was about to tell someone to send a message to Barry, but Nina held her back in a hurry.


    "Your Highness!"


    "Hahaha, Nina, Her Highness was just kidding with you." Forsythia burst intoughter, and Nina


    immediately rushed into the room with a blush, so she could hide herself.


    "She even feels shy." Harper shook her head with a smile. "Barry is dull, clumsy in speech and a little


    stupid as well, but he is fine."


    The corners of Forsythia''s mouth twitched. "Your Highness, does Barry really have that many


    shorings?"


    "Not just Barry, but Fred also has a lot of shorings." Harper counted on her fingers. "Fred is too


    cold. He never talks much and often gets angry."


    "What about Steward Noah then?"


    "Noah is talkative and cunning. He always throws his jobs to me! If any woman has a crush on him,


    chances are that she would definitely get exploited by him," Harper said through gritted teeth.


    "Then... What about His Highness?"


    Harper paused for a while, and then said with a smile, "Matthew has many shorings. They are as


    countless as the stars in the sky."


    "Is His Highness that bad? Doesn''t he have a lot of advantages?" Forsythia stuttered.


    "Advantage? Yes. But his advantage is as few as the sun." With a smile in her eyes, Harper rested her


    chin on one hand. "But when the sun rises, you can''t see the stars. So, no matter how many


    shorings he has, I can''t see them."


    Forsythia breathed a sigh of relief. "If His Highness was here now, he would have been thrilled after


    hearing your words."


    Harper nced at Forsythia. "It''s said that beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. You probably can''t


    understand it now. But you''ll understand it when you find a man someday and think he is so perfect that


    no one can bepared to him."


    Forsythia rolled her eyes and asked, "Tell me, Your Highness. Who is better, His Highness or Mister


    Zack?"


    "You wish to be beaten!" Harper pretended to be angry and beat her yfully. "They are not at all of the


    same kind."


    "Why? I think His Highness and Mister Zack both have their own merits. But your likes and dislikes


    should also be taken into consideration. The one you love is always better!" Forsythia said.


    "No. The one I love is the best for me, but it''s not the same for others. But it''s not fair to deny Zack''s


    advantages. His good is slow and gentle with silence, while Matthew''s good is like a storm that can


    totally catch me off guard. Being gentle and silent is good, but before it can go deep into your heart,


    you will get invaded by the storm. So if you really love someone, pursue him in time," Harper stated.


    Forsythia chuckled, and said, "Your Highness, how do you feel after hearing these words?"


    Harper was surprised, and turned around quickly. As expected, she saw Matthew standing at the door,


    looking at her quietly. Although he stood there expressionless, joy spilled over his eyes. Harper pouted,


    ring at Forsythia, and thought, ''How dare you trick me into saying that!''


    "You''re back."


    "Yes, I''m." Matthew stepped inside, and immediately had a silent, blissful feeling of home. Someone


    was waiting and caring for him. Only the words "you''re back" made him extremely happy.

 Chapter 664 Break The Head (Part One)

    Chapter 664 Break The Head (Part One)


    Lucas, who has been sent to coordinate the disaster relief efforts, finally got back to the imperial


    capital.


    He went straight for reporting to the emperor as soon as he entered the Imperial Pce, but was


    stopped by Francis.


    "Francis, it''s been a long time. I''m happy to see you in good health. Congrattions!" Even though his


    performance wasudable during the disaster relief, Lucas was still frivolous. He said with a casual


    smile, "Francis, I met a beautifuldy in Stream County this time. I was so mesmerized by her beauty


    that I almost forgot everything and didn''t even want toe back."


    "Your help in the disaster relief wasmendable. Father has always been thinking about you. If he


    comes to know that you werete because you got mesmerized by a beauty, he''ll teach you a hard


    lesson." Francis spoke in a gentle voice and smiled warmly. Lucas always thought Francis was good-


    looking. Now when he looked at him carefully, he felt his eyes and brows were as elegant as a


    charming woman''s.


    "Francis, you''re the most charming one among our brothers. If you were a woman, I would definitely fall


    in love with you." Lucas couldn''t help but praise him. "I think you have already received many intriguing


    marriage proposals."


    Francis nced at Lucas and said, "Everyone knows that I''m in poor health. I might die at any time.


    Who would risk her life and desire to remain a widow in my mansion?"


    "Pooh, Pooh, Pooh!" Lucas spat symbolically. "Don''t say anything unlucky!"


    Francis was amused by his words and said, "Let''s both go together to see Father. He was badly injured


    when Felix was rebellious. He hasn''t fully recovered from it and now, he even has a bad temper. You''d


    better maintain silence in front of Father, lest you might annoy him and get scolded."


    "As if Father never scolds me. All he does while talking with me is scolding." Lucas cast a nce at


    Francis from time to time, as if he didn''t bother at all. "Ipletely agree with what Aunt Harper said."


    Francis stopped and asked, "Aunt Harper? What did she say to you?"


    "She exalts you and really admires you very much." Lucas kept looking at Francis up and down and


    said, "I always used to think you were in poor health, and you looked even weaker in white. But now,


    you''re the perfect person to wear white clothes."


    "You haven''t said what Aunt Harper told about me," Francis reminded him as he was eager to hear


    Harper''s words about him.


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    "A peerless gentleman as beautiful as a jade." Lucas tut-tutted under his breath. "Aunt Harper seldom


    speaks highly of someone. Thest time she praised someone was about Master Chodak."


    Francis smiled sincerely as his eyes shone. He thought once again about Harper''s words and got even


    more joyful. "You naughty boy, be careful. Jason will teach you a lesson once he sees you."


    "I''ve heard of Jason''s return, but I haven''t seen him. In the past few years, he has been outside the


    imperial capital avoiding shouldering his responsibility as a prince. Now, I''m happy that he finally


    returned. I wonder if Father has scolded him badly. He might be too ashamed to even raise his head as


    I did." Lucas shook his head. "It''s strange. I''ve been in the pce for quite a while, but why didn''t Lilian


    come to see me?"


    "Lilian is preparing for her wedding."


    "What? Is she ready to marry?" Lucas looked at Francis in shock and said, "Oh my God! Lilian finally


    came to her senses. I''m happy that she is no more clinging to that monk Chodak and will get married.


    Well, who is that lucky man who persuaded her to change her mind?"


    Francis gave a stern look at Lucas and said, "Rndo, the emperor of Great Jade Kingdom."


    Lucas went nk for a moment. He then asked, "The emperor of Great Jade Kingdom?


    Lilian has agreed for the marriage alliance?"


    "Well, she herself asked for this marriage alliance," Francis answered and pretended he didn''t see


    Lucas'' shock. "I too was quite surprised when I heard it. You know, our country is suffering from


    domestic as well as external trouble and is restless now. Uniting with Great Jade Kingdom is in our


    interest. I asked for Father''s advice and then he agreed."


    "No way!" Lucas refused without hesitation. Rndo had no love for Lilian. If she married him as part of


    an alliance, she would end up as the first victim when the two countries were to have a fight.


    Francis cast a sidelong nce at Lucas and asked, "Why not? Lilian hase of age and is the only


    unmarried one among the princesses of the royal family. And she herself asked for the marriage


    alliance. Why wouldn''t you agree?"


    "Rndo won''t be a good husband to her!"


    Francisughed and said, "Lucas, Rndo is the new emperor of the Great Jade Kingdom. He is the


    head of a country. After Lilian gets married, the worst thing possible for her would be to serve as his


    concubine. If she gives birth to a boy, her status will be more stable. Moreover, Emperor Rndo just


    ascended the throne, and he has no wife as of now. The Bright Dynasty and Great Jade Kingdom


    would advance shoulder to shoulder. After Lilian marries Rndo, she even deserves to be the


    empress."


    Lucas smiled bitterly. "Do you think Lilian will be an empress with her character?"


    "Lucas, I see that as your fault. Lilian is forthright. Emperor Rndo may like her straightforwardness."


    After saying that, Francis stopped and found that both of them had already reached the gates of the


    Tranquil Hall.


    Lucas raised his head and looked at the que of the Tranquil Hall. Even though he was outside the


    imperial capital during this period, he was familiar with the state affairs. Now that he had returned, he


    was afraid that the situation at the imperial court would be more chaotic.


    "Your Highness, you are back."


    "Yes, I''m. Lord Andy, how is my father now?" Lucas moved close to Andy and nudged him. "Is he going


    to scold me when I''m in?"


    "Well, Your Highness, I have no idea. His Majesty always indulges you, and I think he wouldn''t scold


    you."

 Chapter 665 Break The Head (Part Two)

    Chapter 665 Break The Head (Part Two)


    "I will visit Father now." Then Lucas proceeded straight into the Tranquil Hall without waiting for anyone


    to inform the emperor about his arrival. Francis squinted his eyes, but said nothing. His brother Lucas


    had always been a special person. There was no need for him to ask for their father''s permission, no


    matter whether he went to the Imperial Study or into the Tranquil Hall.


    "Your Highness, you too must be here to visit His Majesty," Andy greeted Francis.


    "Lucas just returned from the disaster relief, so I walked with him. He did a great service during the


    relief efforts, and this has impressed many officials. I''m sure Father will be very happy when hees


    to know about this," Francis said calmly.


    "Bastard!" While both Andy and Francis were talking, they heard an angry yell from the emperor. They


    were still waiting outside, so they didn''t know what was happening inside the Tranquil Hall. Suddenly,


    they saw Lucas rushing out with blood on his face. His head seemed to have been hit.


    "What''s wrong, Lucas?" Francis was quite astonished.


    Covering the wound on his forehead, Lucas said, "I''m fine. I don''t know why, but Father somehow lost


    his temper all of a sudden. Look, he even smashed my head. Lord Andy, you''re too unkind. My father


    was in a terrible mood, but you didn''t tell me. I wasn''t just scolded, but was hit when I went in. My face


    is very important to me. Without this handsome face, how could I flirt with the beautiful girls?"


    ''You deserve it!'' Andy secretly scolded, ''Are you even aware of the current situation we are in? His


    Majesty is getting weaker and weaker, and the empire is facing internal and external challenges. Now


    the imperial court has strongly advised either Prince Jason or Prince Francis to be the heir to the


    throne. But here you are, still worried about your face and flirting with beautiful girls. No one is satisfied


    with you. How dare you be close to His Majesty and talk about beauties? Who else deserves more to


    be hit?''


    "Hurry up. Take Lucas to the Imperial Academy of Medicine and have his wound dressed." Francis


    ordered someone to take Lucas for dressing his wound.


    Lucas pressed his head and weakly leaned against a guard. "I think I will die. My face will be ruined.


    My Yvette will be heartbroken to see me like this. I need to see her."


    "Lucas, you''d better have your wound dressed up first." Francis frowned. "Don''t frighten the beauty with


    blood covered all over your face."


    "Yes, you''re right, Francis. I must get my wound dressed first. I will note back to the Imperial


    Pce any sooner. Father is too bad-tempered. I''ve just spoken a few words and look at my head now.


    It''s ruined," Lucas said. Lucas, supported by the guard, headed straight to the Imperial Academy of


    Medicine. Along the way, he leaned his body against the guard and cried out, "Ouch!"


    Francis watched Lucas walking away, and then he stepped into the Tranquil Hall. The emperor was


    visibly in a rage. Francis stopped at a fair distance away and said, "Good day, Father."


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    "Francis, it''s you." The emperor looked dispirited. The pieces of broken teacups were still on the floor,


    and some of them were visibly stained with blood. Presumably, they were from the cup used to smash


    Lucas.


    "Tell me, Father, why are you so angry?" Francis summoned someone for clearing up the fragments on


    the floor before he went in closer to the emperor. "Father, you don''t look well. Is something wrong?"


    "Those people in the Imperial Academy of Medicine are useless. Days have passed since I asked them


    to make the Longevity Pill. But what did they invent? They are not at all effective in performing their


    job." The emperor was feeling so unwell. He felt as if thousands of ants were biting him all over. He


    kept on scratching his ears and cheeks and didn''t know what to do. He felt that he was living a hell of a


    life and even thought death would be much better.


    "Father, don''t be angry. I trust the Imperial Academy of Medicine. I am sure that they will make the new


    Longevity Pill soon. You may just have to sustain these miseries for a few more days." Francis was


    actually thrilled to see that the trembling emperor huddled himself up on the bed. While suffering in bed


    in the past, Francis too wished to die. But his conscience didn''t allow him to end up as a loser, and he


    wished even harder to stay alive.


    "Go and fetch the pills for me. I want it now." The emperor threw whatever he got in his hands at


    Francis, but luckily thetter could dodge them. Looking at the emperor acting foolishly, he stood


    inly with no superfluous expression on his face.


    "Yes, Father. I will go to the Imperial Academy of Medicine and urge the imperial physicians to speed


    up their work on the Longevity Pill." Then he turned around and walked out. "Lord Andy, take good care


    of my father."


    "Yes, Your Highness." After sending Francis away gingerly, Andy took care of the emperor. Since the


    emperor was addicted to the pill, his yearning for it was irresistible. He had already consumed all the


    pills he had, and only then did they find that the emperor almost broke down. He was not only irritable,


    but also incontinent, which was a great shame to him as the ruler of a kingdom.


    "Your Majesty, let me get you dressed." Andy looked after the emperor withoutint. Because he


    was addicted to the pill, the emperory down on the bed like a pool of mud. He was already in poor


    health, and it was the pill that kept him going. But after Felix''s sabotage, his condition became even


    worse. He found it even hard to move his fingers. The bones and skin all over his body ached so much


    that he felt like killing someone for reducing his frustration or even hurting himself, as if this was the


    only way to reduce the effect of pain.


    "Felix... I want to see Felix immediately. Bring him here. I want to ask him what the hell this Longevity


    Pill is!" the emperormanded.

 Chapter 666 Something In His Hand (Part One)

    Chapter 666 Something In His Hand (Part One)


    As the guards arrived at Felix''s mansion, they found that the mansion waspletely deserted. The


    guards rummaged the entire mansion, but found no one. Both Felix and his wife had disappeared, as if


    they had vanished into thin air.


    "Where are they?" Ken asked in shock. "Where is Prince Felix?"


    "General Ken, we have been guarding the mansion round-the-clock. No one has entered, ore


    out¡­" the head of the guards said. He too was shocked to learn that the mansion was empty. Felix had


    committed serious crimes and was ced under house arrest. Now that Felix had escaped under his


    watch, he would get punished for dereliction of duty.


    "Search for Prince Felix! We have to find him by hook or by crook!" Ken ordered. He felt vexed. The


    emperor had changed a lot in disposition recently. He had increasingly be crazy and bloodthirsty.


    If they were unsessful in finding Felix, Ken was afraid that he too might get implicated and


    punished.


    However, despite searching every nook and corner of the mansion and the surroundings around, they


    still couldn''t find any trace of Felix and his wife.


    In the underground secret path, Howard looked at a disheveled Felix in a way as if he enjoyed great


    pleasure in seeing thetter in such a miserable situation. With a faint smile at the corners of his


    mouth, he said, "If I hadn''te a little earlier, you would have already been decapitated."


    Casting a fierce re at Howard, Felix said, "What is it you want this time? First, you helped Hoffman


    to fight against me, and now you are here to rescue me. What on earth do you want?"


    "Prince Felix, don''t talk nonsense. At the time when I joined Prince Hoffman''s camp, I was just following


    orders. Don''t you remember you were the one who ordered me to do that?" Howard sneered at him.


    "Well, I guess great wits have brief memories."


    "Bullshit!" Felix cursed angrily. "I ordered you to join Hoffman''s camp, but I didn''t tell you to betray me!"


    "When I joined Prince Hoffman''s camp, I had to show my sincerity to him. I didn''t know about a better


    way to show my sincerity other than betraying you. Besides, though I betrayed you, I didn''t cause any


    fatal harm to you. I also helped you to defeat Prince Hoffman, didn''t I?" Howard took the lead in walking


    forward. "Follow me closely, or you will get torn apart by His Majesty."


    "Howard, tell me. Whom do you work for?" Felix realized that Howard had never really worked for him.


    He was a goal-oriented man, and had his own reasons for doing things. He was very clear about his


    target, and wouldn''t hesitate to do anything for achieving his goal.


    "Well, you may guess whom I am working for," Howard said, as he turned around and gave a


    mysterious smile to Felix. Then his sight fell on Felix''s wife, who was also there along with Felix. Felix


    still didn''t believe that the emperor had an affair with his wife.


    After thinking for a moment, Felixughed grimly and said, "You work for Matthew Jun!"


    "You''re wrong. Matthew doesn''t deserve my loyalty!" Howard eximed coldly. "I have worked for only


    one person in my life."


    "That''s impossible. If not Matthew, who else in the imperial capital deserves your loyalty?" Felix didn''t


    believe Howard''s words. If Howard was working for Jason or Francis, he wouldn''t havee to his


    rescue. Instead, he would have killed him without hesitation. So, Felix was sure that Howard didn''t


    work for either Jason or Francis.


    In the imperial capital, beside Matthew, the only one Howard could rely on was Lucas. However, Felix


    knew Lucas better than anyone else. He was sure that Howard will not work for a person like Lucas.


    "Who on earth do you work for?"


    "The person I work for is really good at hiding. That''s why you haven''t figured about her identity,"


    Howard said. He led the way without turning his head back. He never bothered if Felix might use his


    chance to strike him from behind. That was because he was sure that Felix wouldn''t survive without his


    help.


    "Her?" Felix eximed in shock. "I didn''t expect you would work for a woman!"


    In the darkness, Howard''s face couldn''t be seen clearly, but a ghostly smile was on his face. He gave


    him a clue, because he deemed it was no more necessary to hide the person he was working for from


    Felix.


    "Harper Chu!" Felix eximed in shock, though he could not believe what he himself said. "Have you


    forgotten that she attempted to kill you?"


    "So what?" Howard didn''t care about that at all. "Hatred is also a kind of emotion. I''m loving it."


    "You... You''re crazy!" Felix said emotionally. "How could you surrender and serve a woman who made


    many attempts to kill you? How could you lower yourself to such an abomination?"


    "What? Lower myself?" Howard reflected it over. Did he reallyck self-respect? The answer was no.


    What he wanted was to appear in front of Harper, and he didn''t care whether she disliked him or hated


    him. He wanted to make sure that she could never get rid of him in her lifetime. "Maybe, I lower


    myself."


    Looking at Howard''s back, Felix pulled his wife to stagger behind him. "Are you rescuing me because


    Harper told you to do so?"


    "She has her own reasons for rescuing you. Prince Felix, she wants you to give her something in


    return," Howard said, stopping in his tracks all of a sudden. "You''ll get time to think about it before weThis belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    arrive at the exit."


    Hearing that, Felix was stunned and his pupils shrank slightly. The only thing remaining with him that


    was worth coveting was the spies he had trained over the years!


    Felix''s wife had been silent all the way. She had just lost her baby and was very weak at the moment.


    Earlier, Felix didn''t leave her behind and took her out of house arrest. She knew that was not because


    he wanted to save her. Instead, he wanted her to confront the emperor, so he could find out the truth. It


    was not he who had sent her to the emperor, and neither did he believe what she said. He believed that


    she had an affair with the emperor to create a blow to him.

 Chapter 667 Something In His Hand (Part Two)

    Chapter 667 Something In His Hand (Part Two)


    "I won''t¡­"


    "Don''t decide so hastily. Consider it before you get there. Don''t you want to know why you ended up in


    this way?" Howard asked in a meaningful tone. "Since you prepared your birthday gift for His Majesty,


    you had fallen into a trap set by someone."


    Felix''s face turned pale. "I don''t know what you mean," he said.


    "Do you still remember the incident at Scott''s mansion?" Howard said as he walked forward. "I believe


    that you haven''t forgotten that, because since that incident, you fell into a trap set by Prince Francis


    and finally ended up this way."


    "No way!"


    "Why do you think it is impossible?" Howard sneered. "Prince Francis has always been in the imperial


    capital. Because of his poor health, he seldom made any public appearance. Even if he disappeared


    for a period, no one woulde to know. Prince Jason had been outside, building up his force. One of


    them has been always inside the imperial capital, and the other was outside. The two of them worked


    hand in hand to make a vast web of traps for you, and you sneaked in it, just as they had expected."


    Felix was horrified to hear Howard''s disclosure. He couldn''t believe what he heard and was still in


    denial. "Francis is dying. He won''t live a long life." He intensely tried to throw off his doubts.


    "Don''t worry about him. He will live a long life, but I''m afraid it''s His Majesty who wouldn''t live longer."


    Howard was quick to dismiss his doubts.


    "He had been poisoned, and his body has been totally damaged. Then how could he possibly live a


    long life?" Felix said, shaking his head, and still in denial. "It''s impossible for him to live a long life."


    "That''s why I said all of you have neglected her," Howard saidcently, as if he was proud to have


    a young sister like Harper. "Do you know why Prince Francis moved out of the Imperial Pce and


    lived outside alone? He did it so that he could get treated by Harper and improve his health."


    "Harper Chu again!" Felix shouted, raging with anger. But after thinking for a while, he realized that he


    knew nothing about Harper except for her gentle appearance.


    "It had nothing to do with Harper. You can''t me her. You should remember that the person who gave


    the final nail in His Majesty''s coffin was not Harper, but you, Prince Felix," Howard said in a harsh tone.


    "Me? A nail in my father''s coffin?" Felix searched his memory for any such instance when he directly


    harmed his father. "The Longevity Pills!" he eximed in shock.


    "So, you are not that stupid," Howard said calmly. "When Scott and his family were ughtered in their


    mansion, I was there. Guess who rescued the son of Imperial Physician Hodge?"


    "You did that?"


    "No, no, that wasn''t me. Prince Jason did that." Howard paused for a while, as if he was searching for


    the secret mechanism inside the passage underground. "We just stood by and witnessed where things


    were progressing. We were never involved in it. It was Prince Francis who asked Scott to develop the


    Longevity Pills, and it was Prince Walden who snatched the Longevity Pills from Scott. It was you who


    gave the Longevity Pills to His Majesty as the birthday gift."


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    "The Longevity Pills were poisonous?"


    "Yeah, a kind of poison that can be used to control people. I guess His Majesty must have been


    controlled by the drug. In other words, he is in the hand of Francis, and he can do nothing about it.


    Harper said that His Majesty''s health had already been in bad condition, and since he is now addicted


    to the drug, it''s only a matter of time before his death. But she has been curious as to whom His


    Majesty would be selecting as his heir," Howard said, as he exined the gravity of the plot.


    Felix fell silent. The heir his father had selected was not him, nor Francis, nor Jason. Even he didn''t


    know who it was. However, no matter whoever the heir was, it had nothing to do with him. The only


    thing he wanted to know was about Francis, and whether he had plotted all that had happened by


    staying behind the scene.


    "What on earth happened between my father and my wife?" he asked.


    "Perhaps you have to ask Prince Francis this question. I am not sure exactly what happened between


    them, but I know that His Majesty raped her in the Cold Pce," Howard said. Although he wasn''t


    aware of what specifically happened, he guessed that it must have something to do with Harper and


    Francis. Since neither of them could keep themselves out, he chose to let Francis take the me.


    When he heard that, Felix''s eyes reddened instantly. As the crown prince, he had always worked


    conscientiously and had never cked off for fear that he would dissatisfy and annoy the emperor and


    that his position as the crown prince would get impacted. However, it had turned out that the emperor,


    his own father, had raped his wife!


    "Damn it!" Felix sneered.


    "You have sufficient reason to hate him. He just made you a cuckold." Howard spared no effort to sow


    discord. "It seems that Prince Francis is really smart, because he hasn''t been married yet. And, Prince


    Jason is not married either. All the sons of His Majesty, except you, are unmarried."


    Felix''s eyes turned cold. "Inform Harper Chu that I am willing to give her what she wants, but on one


    condition!"


    "Tell me what it is," Howard asked with interest. He guessed that Felix wanted to kill Francis. After all,


    Francis was the one who conspired against him so viciously and precisely. ording to Howard''s


    understanding of Felix, he would certainly want to take revenge.


    "I want to see Francis!" Felix demanded.

 Chapter 668 Lucky Enough To Be His Princess (Part One)

    Chapter 668 Lucky Enough To Be His Princess (Part One)


    With a cold expression on his face, Francis turned to look at Felix. The man had just entered the room


    and Francis greeted him with a sneer.


    "How dare you! You''ve already escaped and yet you still came to me for a quick death. Don''t you know


    that our father hates you so much that he even wants to cut you into pieces?"


    Ignoring his brother''s sneer, Felix asked, "Francis, did you n all of this?" Felix didn''t expect that


    Francis who looked gentle and proper could be so ruthless as to scheme against his brothers and even


    murder their father. Both of them were born in the royal family, so they learned how to hide their


    feelings and cruel intentions since they were children. But since only a selected few were part of the


    family, they all knew each other well, including each of their ws and ulterior motives. So Felix was


    surprised because even though Francis had done a lot of terrible and wicked things, he still looked like


    a good person.


    Francis smiled and said, "Felix, what are you talking about? I don''t understand."


    "Scott had once cured your disease!" Felix eximed.


    "Yes, Scott is an old friend of mine," Francis tantly admitted. At that point in time, Felix was like a


    fish on the chopping block, ready to be butchered.


    Felix sneered in response. He had always thought that he was the smartest among the princes of the


    kingdom. After all, he had been courteous and amodating to the wise and schrs. He had also


    tried his best to win the support of anyone significant. But everything that he had done couldn''t be


    compared with his brother''s natural born quality. Francis was born with a kind face that made him look


    like he wouldn''t do anything wrong. And he actually took advantage of that.


    "Have anyone told you that you have a really kind face?" Felix asked with a scoff.


    Francis gently responded, "As a matter of fact, yes. She even praised me by telling me that I''m a


    peerless gentleman."


    "She must have been blind¡ª" Yet, before Felix could finish his words, he cried out, "Ah!" Felix had


    been brutally pped by Francis. Consequently, he was roughly pulled away for so long, and


    awkwardly fell down in the end. Then, he spat out blood. With wide eyes, he looked at Francis who had


    made everyone believe that he was weak. For a while, Felix couldn''t believe his eyes. "You!"


    Francis ignored his brother''s disbelief, flicked his sleeve, and eximed, "Arrest him now! He''s still


    useful to us. Anyway, I should go to the Imperial Academy of Medicine to take a look. Father''s medicine


    has been out of supply for two days now. If he still can''t get his medication, Father would lose his


    temper."


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    "Francis, what did you add to the Longevity Pill?" Felix snarled while he kept on struggling. He wanted


    to know the answer so badly.


    In a deep and charming voice that made people''s ears a little itchy, Francis responded, "I only add the


    poppy fruit. It''s actually non-toxic and physicians even use it to treat some diseases. However, people


    will be so addicted to it once they take just above the rmended dosage. You know, I have spent


    so much effort and thought about this nt. Felix, stay here and have a good rest for a few days. After


    that, I will let you meet our father."


    As soon as Francis finished speaking, he waved his sleeves and left with ease. His figure was as


    elegant and natural as the clouds in the sky. No one could take his eyes off him. He really had a


    charming and attractive appearance.


    All the imperial physicians in the Imperial Academy of Medicine were suffering from extreme stress. Up


    until now, they hadn''t developed a Longevity Pill that could please the emperor. Some of them who


    tried to present their medicine had been beheaded. So the remaining didn''t dare to present any new


    medications.


    "Dear all physicians, has the new medicine been developed already?"


    "Your Highness, you''re finally here. The medicine is finally developed. But I wonder if it''s exactly what


    the emperor wants," Hodge answered honestly. He had not slept for a few days. His eyes were


    bloodshot and he was obviously worn out. Despite this, he couldn''t take the risk of resting, for fear that


    he wouldn''t wake up for the rest of his life once he did so.


    "Can you show me the prescription?" Francis asked.


    "Of course, Your Highness!" Hodge instantly handed the prescription to Francis. Thetter looked at it


    carefully, then said with a frown, "Hodge, when I searched Felix''s mansion, I found a prescription


    simr to yours. However, that prescription has a few herbs that are not in yours. May I just remind you


    that Father is getting more irritable day by day? If you can''t develop the new prescription to make him


    satisfied, I''m afraid that all the physicians here will suffer even more. Thus, how about trying the


    prescription that had been found in Felix''s mansion?"


    Hodge took the prescription from Francis and cautiously checked it. Yet, he didn''t find any problem with


    it. After all, only a few people knew that the poppy fruit shouldn''t be taken in excess because people


    might get addicted to it. Moreover, the dosage of the poppy fruit in the prescription wouldn''t instantly kill


    the emperor, but was enough to make him addicted to it.


    "Your Highness, thank you very much. If the Imperial Academy of Medicine can develop a pill that will


    satisfy His Majesty, all the members of our academy will be grateful for your kind help," Hodge


    sincerely said. Without much time to think, he immediately asked his subordinates to refine some pills


    ording to the prescription that Francis had brought.


    Meanwhile, Francis didn''t leave when he saw that everyone was busy refining the pill. He knew that it


    wouldn''t take long to refine the medicine from the existing recipes and herbs. Soon, the imperial


    physicians finished making the new pills. However, none of them dared to present them to the emperor.


    Francis smiled gently. "Well, I''m on my way to discuss with my father about Lilian''s marriage. I''ll help


    you send it to him."


    "Your Highness, thank you very much!" The imperial physicians couldn''t be more grateful to Francis. To


    apany the prince to the Tranquil Hall, they sent out a young pharmacy apprentice who was


    holding a medicine box.


    As to be expected, the emperor was in the Tranquil Hall. With tears and mucus flowing down rapidly


    from him, he didn''t look like the intimidating emperor at all. Every time the surge of medicine addiction


    came to him, he felt as if he was going to die. Unfortunately, he could not actually pass away, which


    only made it more painful for him.

 Chapter 669 Lucky Enough To Be His Princess (Part Two)

    Chapter 669 Lucky Enough To Be His Princess (Part Two)


    When Francis arrived, the emperor was suffering from a rpse. The young pharmacy apprentice who


    was delivering medicine for the emperor was so scared. He looked so pale and he didn''t have the


    courage to look up at the emperor. Francis took the box from the apprentice and ordered him to leave.


    The pharmacist ran out of the hall as soon as he received themand.


    "Your Highness, what should we do? The emperor is in great pain. If we don''t get more supplies of the


    medicine, I''m afraid..." Andy said with so much hesitation. He couldn''t even finish his sentence.


    "This is a new type of pill that had been developed by the Imperial Academy of Medicine. Just let


    Father take it." Francis handed the medicine box to Andy. Thetter quickly took out a pill and fed it to


    the emperor. Without wasting a single heartbeat, the emperor almost gobbled it. A whileter, the pain


    of bone erosion inside his body gradually disappeared, and he finally returned to normal.


    "Father, I will be waiting for you outside of the pce. Please freshen up first." Francis, who was


    standing in the outer hall, looked elegant, charming, and dignified. The emperor couldn''t help but burst


    into a rage when he found himself in a total mess. Fortunately, there was a hot spring pool at the


    Tranquil Hall. An hourter, the emperor finished bathing and came out.


    "Father, I have already prepared everything for Lilian''s marriage. However, as for the envoy for the


    marriage alliance, I haven''t decided yet. I have two candidates. Father, please make the decision."


    Francis offered the report with both of his hands.


    Andy took it and handed it to the emperor. Thetter had just taken the medicine so he feltfort and


    ease all over his body. It made him feel much better. Looking at the report that Francis delivered, he


    thought for a few moments while his eyes flickered.


    "As for the envoy for the marriage alliance, just choose Matthew."


    Francis nodded in agreement. The corners of his mouth seemed to curve upwards, but it was hard to


    tell if it was really a smile. "Father, I will obey as youmanded. I''ll send someone to deliver the


    imperial edict. Uncle Matthew, as the envoy for making peace and the marriage alliance, will escort


    Lilian to the Great Jade Kingdom. I hope that the Bright Dynasty and the Great Jade Kingdom will have


    a permanent alliance and will never be in conflict with each other again."


    "Well, have you found Felix and his whereabouts?"


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    "Father, I haven''t found him yet. But when I searched his mansion, I found a prescription for the


    Longevity Pill. I handed it to the Imperial Academy of Medicine to make some new pills for you. Father,


    you just took the newly-made pill earlier. Without a doubt, it seems like the prescription that we found is


    the Longevity Pill indeed."


    The emperor gnashed his teeth. If he still believed that the Longevity Pill could prolong his life, he


    would be foolish. "What the hell is wrong with the medicine?" he snapped.


    "All the imperial physicians have checked it and they said it was not poisonous. I don''t know what''s


    going on," Francis stated.


    "Call Harper into the pce."


    Francis remained unmoved and said, "Father, although Aunt Harper is a good physician, she may not


    know anything about it. After all, she also studied the Longevity Pill, but didn''t find anything wrong with


    it. Father, when I was made aware that you are not feeling well due to the pill, I asked Aunt Harper


    already. With your symptoms in consideration, she thought that the Longevity Pill must be a kind of


    medicine that makes people feel addicted to it. And if they don''t take it, they will experience all kinds of


    side effects."


    The emperor clenched his fist in anger. He couldn''t be more spiteful towards Felix who presented him


    the poison. Thus, he said, "Francis, you must catch Felix and bring him back. I must cut him into


    pieces!"


    "Yes, Father."


    Then, Francis came out of the Tranquil Hall to meet Lilian. As the princess who was chosen for the


    political marriage, she had a flushed face.


    Lilian bowed respectfully before greeting him, "Francis, when will the procession for the peace alliance


    set off?"


    "I am going to Uncle Matthew''s mansion to inform him that our father hadmanded him to be the


    envoy of the procession. Everything is ready for your marriage. You should also go back and make


    preparations. We will leave early tomorrow morning." Francis reached out his hand and put Lilian''s


    disorderly hair behind her ear. "The Great Jade Kingdom is different from our country. When you get


    there, don''t be so stubborn and mischievous like how you are in here. Do you understand?"


    "All right, I will remember all of that."


    Francis was silent for a while, seemingly in deep thoughts. He then took out an exquisite box from his


    pocket and said, "This is a gift for you. It''s a long way from here to the Great Jade Kingdom, and I don''t


    know when we can meet again. I wish you well."


    "Thank you, Francis."


    While looking at Francis'' receding figure, Lilian had an inexplicable emotion in her eyes.


    "Your Highness, Prince Francis is handsome, gentle, and kind to everyone. I can''t help but wonder


    what kind of youngdy will be lucky enough to be his princess." Lilian''s maid looked so infatuated


    while she looked at Francis'' retreating figure.


    Lilian smiled faintly and said, "Well, one thing''s for sure. You won''t have that honor. Francis is so gentle


    that he treats everyone the same. Everyone admires him so much. But that''s why everyone is the


    same to him. He likes the woman who is special. I wonder who else is qualified to attract his attention."


    "She must be as beautiful as a fairy."


    With a smile, Lilian asked, "Fairy? I don''t think he fancies a woman with a good looking appearance.


    The woman he likes doesn''t have to be stunning, but she must be extraordinary and admirable."


    "Speaking of the woman who is extremely extraordinary and admirable, I know one." The maid


    trembled withughter. "It''s Princess Harper. Prince Matthew treats her as precious as a pearl. Your


    Highness, I hope that after you get married to Emperor Rndo of the Great Jade Kingdom, he''ll treat


    you the same way."


    Lilianughed while the smile on her face grew even wider. "Your mouth is just oozing with flowers."


    She then thought to herself, ''Rndo, I''ming for you. This time, you won''t refuse me, will


    you?''

 Chapter 670 The Death Bell Rang (Part One)

    Chapter 670 The Death Bell Rang (Part One)


    In thergest brothel of the imperial capital, Lucas was lying on the soft bed of Yvette, the top


    courtesan in the establishment. The bleeding on his forehead was seeping through the bandage, but it


    seemed that he didn''t really give a damn about it. He simplyy on the soft bed, listening to the music


    from the zither Yvette was ying. The ss in his hand was already empty, but no wine was poured


    into it. At that moment, his mind seemed to have wandered off somewhere else.


    When the piece of music came to an end, Lucas still didn''t say a word. Noticing that, Yvette stopped


    ying the zitherpletely. Standing up, she walked toward Lucas and took a seat beside him. "You


    look so lost in thought even though you''ve juste back to the imperial capital. It seems that there


    must be a beauty in the Stream County that you''re thinking of day in and day out."


    As Lucas heard that, a glimmer of light shed across his eyes. He shook the ss in his hand with a


    straight face, which seemed rather different from his usual yful look. "I''m thinking about Lilian''s


    marriage," he tly told her.


    "Your Highness, the Bright Dynasty is facing both internal and external problems, so it''s a good strategy


    for Princess Lilian to marry the emperor of the Great Jade Kingdom in order to make peace with them.


    Why are you so worried about it?" Yvette asked in confusion.


    As a bitter smile crept onto his face, Lucas replied, "You don''t know anything about Rndo. To give


    you an idea, that man isparable to Uncle Matthew. He is too full of himself. If he actually had a


    crush on Lilian, I wouldn''t have been against her marriage to him. However, he is cruel and ruthless,


    and this would be nothing more than a political marriage for the sake of the peace between the two


    countries."


    "But Princess Lilian was the one who volunteered to marry him herself. Who knows? Maybe they''ll fall


    in love with each other and have a happy ending despite their marriage beginning with political


    interest."


    "What I''m worried about is that Lilian might fall into the living hell when she arrives in the Great Jade


    Kingdom!" Lucas eximed, sitting up with a deep frown on his face. "Earlier today, I went to the


    Imperial Pce and saw Father. I had been absent for a few days, but drastic changes had taken ce


    in him. He was mostly just skin and bones and didn''t even look human anymore. On top of that, his


    temper had be much worse. He got so furious with me simply because we had a disagreement on


    a very trivial matter. It was so bad that he even violently smashed a teacup onto my head. This was the


    first time he had ever done anything of that sort to me,"


    "Now, Prince Francis is the one handling the national affairs and Prince Jason is trying to bribe the


    courtiers. You have been away from the imperial capital for far too long. I''m afraid that His Majesty has


    long been under the control of Prince Francis." Yvette said, showing the information she had gathered


    to Lucas. "Besides, while you were busy with the disaster relief in the affected area, the former


    empress and former Crown Prince Felix poisoned His Majesty in an attempt to usurp the throne. That


    was why His Majesty''s health condition has been getting worse. Unfortunately, as soon as he made it


    through Her Majesty''s murder attempt, he ended up falling into Prince Francis'' hands."


    "Today, I saw Francis and noticed that his health has improved a lot. In the past, he used to be so weak


    that he had to sit in a wheelchair all day long. But now, he looks like a totally different person. What on


    earth could have happened since he moved out of the Imperial Pce?"


    "It probably has something to do with thatdy," Yvette said, curling her lips to give a bit of a hint. "In


    the imperial capital, there are only a handful of people who are capable of curing Prince Francis, whose


    condition had only been getting worse before."


    Upon the words, Lucas'' eyes darkened a little. "I see. So, it was Aunt Harper who cured him. But why


    would she do that?"


    "I''m afraid she might have been bewitched by his good looks," Yvette said in an earnest tone, with


    alluring eyes. "Prince Matthew is already one of the most handsome men in the imperial capital.


    However, he is much too cold. In contrast, Prince Francis is very gentle and amiable. Nowadays, many


    girls in the imperial capital have been admiring Prince Francis. In fact, his portraits are even hung on


    the walls in the rooms of some of the girls here."


    With those words, Lucas'' otherwise gloomy face didn''t seem as cold as before. "So, does that mean


    you also have Francis'' portrait?"


    "I did want to have one, but I gave up, because I''m afraid that someone might get jealous," Yvette said


    in a yful tone, trying to hold back herughter. "The situation in the imperial capital is changing bit by


    bit. Your Highness, are you ready for what''s about to happen?"


    Lucas stood up and looked outside the window. The situation in the imperial capital had changed so


    much in such a short period of time. The power of the imperial court was now in the hands of Jason


    and Francis, while the army was under Matthew, Maxwell, and Shawn. As of the moment, Francis'' only


    weakness was hisck of military power. However, not only did Lucasck military power, but he also


    didn''t have a good reputation.


    "Yvette, Father doesn''t have much time, so I myself won''t have time to prepare for anything either." As


    Lucas exerted his strength to his hand, the ss he was holding shattered into pieces in an instant.


    Some of the shards even cut into his palm, but he didn''t so much as flinch, as if he didn''t feel any pain


    at all. Perhaps the time was ripe for him toy his cards on the table.


    An imperial edict had been sent to Matthew''s mansion. Surprisingly, Matthew silently epted it


    without showing any emotion on his face. ording to the imperial edict, he would have to set out


    early tomorrow morning, which seemed rather hasty. Hearing this, he wondered if it could be because


    Francis could not wait any longer and was finally about to make a move that he decided to take the


    opportunity to drive him away.


    Seeing Matthew so deep in thought, Harper nced at Barry and asked, "What is the imperial edict


    about?"


    "Your Highness, the imperial edict states that His Highness has been appointed as the envoy for


    Princess Lilian''s marriage. Early tomorrow morning, His Highness has to escort Princess Lilian to the


    Great Jade Kingdom to marry their emperor," Barry answered at once. "His Highness has been acting


    this way ever since he received the imperial edict."


    Harper nodded her head to acknowledge what he said. Then, she entered the room and approached


    Matthew. Before she could say anything, he stretched out his arms and wrapped them around her


    waist, pulling her closer to him.


    In surprise, she wrapped her arms around his neck and said, "I thought this imperial edict made your


    blood boil. I was actually wondering how I was supposed tofort you. But, it seems that that won''t


    be necessary anymore."This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

 Chapter 671 The Death Bell Rang (Part Two)

    Chapter 671 The Death Bell Rang (Part Two)


    "There''s no need for you to do anything. I''m just in a bad mood; that''s all."


    Harper couldn''t hold back her chuckle. With her hand covering her mouth, she said, "Such being the


    case, I''ll help you have fun today. Since you''re going to the Great Jade Kingdom, you may end up


    having a hard time along the way. After all, it''s a really long and tiring journey."


    "I won''t take you there," Matthew tly said. He was so annoyed by Francis'' cunning n. But even if


    Francis wasn''t plotting against him, he still wouldn''t take Harper to the Great Jade Kingdom along with


    him. That was because, in his opinion, the threat posed by Rndo was far greater than that posed by


    Francis.


    Harper simply nodded her head in agreement. "His Majesty won''t allow me to go with you anyway.


    They won''t feel at ease unless I stay in the imperial capital."


    "Harp, I don''t want to be separated from you."


    "The worst-case scenario is that it will take a month at the most for you to go to the Great Jade


    Kingdom ande back. Please don''t worry. I''ll be waiting for you in the imperial capital."


    Matthew buried his head on Harper''s neck. After staying silent for some time, he opened his mouth and


    said, "You... You are not allowed to meet Francis no matter what."


    At that moment, Harper seriously wanted to burst outughing, but she tried her best to refrain from


    doing it. "Although Francis is very handsome, I am already your wife. And even if I didn''t have you,


    there''s still no way I would choose him. I wonder what''s making you this jealous."


    "If you didn''t have me, who would you choose?" Matthew asked in a threatening tone. "Zack, Shawn, or


    Carlson?"


    That was thest straw; Harper couldn''t hold back anymore and burst intoughter. "Matthew, your


    jealousy ispletely uncalled-for. I''m faithful, but you always suspect me. Are you seriously forcing


    me to try to consider one of them?"


    "What? How dare you tease me? I''ll make you pay!" Upon saying that, Matthew began to tickle his


    wife. Unable to bear it, Harper kept on begging for mercy. It was only then that he finally let go of her.


    "I''ll leave the twenty-four secret guards to take care of you. While I''m not in the imperial capital, you


    must protect yourself well. Can you promise me that?"


    "Okay, okay, I promise I will protect myself well, take good care of myself and wait for your return,"


    Harper said with a smile. "I''m already starting to miss you even before you leave. Your status as the


    prince is very annoying."


    "I can give up my status. What do you think?"


    After raising her head and giving it much thought, Harper replied, "No way. You have offended so many


    people. If you lose your status, you''ll only be giving those people a chance to get back at you. Although


    your status is very annoying, it is still useful as a means of protecting yourself."


    "Well, it''s all up to you. I''ll let you decide whether I give it up or not. Now, tell me, do you want it or not?"


    Matthew asked, with a trace of banter visible in his eyes.


    "Of course I want it!"


    "Really?"


    "Yes!" Harper answered without a hint of hesitation.


    "Are you sure about that?"


    "Of course I''m sure!" Harper was quite confused. Why did he have to repeat the same question?This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    Matthew burst intoughter. "Since you have asked for it, I would definitely make you feel satisfied


    before I leave. I''m sure you''ll be quite pleased with it," Matthew said, wearing a cunning smile on his


    face.


    The corner of Harper''s mouth twitched slightly. It was not until then that she realized her husband was


    being ambiguous once again. He had been cold and arrogant once, but now he had turned into a


    wicked wolf. At that moment, she felt that she would rather he was arrogant and cold as before.


    After that, Matthew carried Harper with his arms, turned around and walked straight into the bedroom.


    "Let''s get inside so we can have a good talk."


    "You are so naughty!" Harper eximed, her face flushed red. Even though they had been married for


    over a year, Matthew seemed to have be more and more skilled at flirting with her while she


    turned increasingly shyer.


    Matthew thought that Francis wouldn''t make a move until he had left the imperial capital. However, in


    the dead of the night, news came from the Imperial Pce that the emperor was assassinated and


    killed.


    The bells sounded hauntingly clear in the quiet night. Matthew and Harper both sat up immediately. "It''s


    the bell indicating death. It rang nine times. His Majesty died!"


    Realizing this, Matthew immediately got up and put on his clothes. "You can sleep a little longer. I''ll go


    into the Imperial Pce to check what happened."


    "Okay." With that, Harper wrapped herself with the quilt and watched Matthew dress up quickly.


    Although the emperor had been wasting away, he still could manage to hold on for another month.


    However, he just died all of a sudden. Something didn''t seem quite right about his death.


    Meanwhile, Lucas, who was sleeping in the brothel, was awakened by the ringing of the bells. Hearing


    the deafening sound of the bells, he covered his face with his hands and cried silently, "Father."


    "Your Highness." Yvette''s voice came through. "We got word from the Imperial Pce that His Majesty


    has been assassinated by Prince Felix."


    Lucas was left utterly dumbfounded when he heard the news. Then, he sneered, "Felix has been


    stripped of his title as the crown prince and ced under house arrest. How on earth could he possibly


    enter the Imperial Pce to assassinate Father? This was probably Francis'' doing. I wasn''t expecting


    that Felix still wouldn''t be able to escape tragedy in the end. I''m afraid that he must have been killed


    already."


    "Your Highness, what shall we do?" Yvette asked. At that point, she had a serious look on her face, and


    there was no trace of charm left in it. Every fiber of her being was giving off a murderous intent.


    Wiping the tears on his face with his sleeve, Lucas said, "Don''t do anything. I will go on acting as a


    ridiculous prince who goes whoring, gambles, and keeps his hands off of politics."


    "Your Highness, now that His Majesty is gone, you won''t have any more chance if you don''t make a


    move right away. After all, His Majesty has prepared a posthumous edict to appoint you as his heir long


    ago," Yvette reminded him. At that moment, she was so vexed and anxious that she swung the door


    open and walked in. "For as long as we can provide the posthumous edict, you will be able to ascend


    the throne smoothly in just ways."


    "Yvette, Francis is simply waiting for me to make a move. Once I begin to take action, I''m certain that I


    will be doomed beyond redemption." Upon saying that, Lucas stood up and walked toward the window,


    looking at the direction of the Imperial Pce. "We can''t make a move right now. Besides, we can''t let


    anyone find fault with us. Otherwise, we''ll only get ourselves in trouble!"

 Chapter 672 A Time For Mourning (Part One)

    Chapter 672 A Time For Mourning (Part One)


    Amidst the dreadful silence in the Tranquil Hall, the emperor''s body was lying on the bed. At the same


    time, Felix''s body fell to the ground while blood flowed all over him. The eunuchs and maids who were


    on duty to serve were also killed. Francis'' arm was injured and the imperial physician was covering it


    up with a cloth to prevent further infection and bleeding.


    "What happened?" Matthew calmly asked.


    "There were a lot of things which needed to be dealt with tonight. After I finished all of them, it was


    alreadyte at night so I went to the side hall to have a rest. However, in the middle of the night, I heard


    someone screaming for help. Confused, I rushed over and saw Felix killing our father. He was about to


    escape. Out of rage, I identally killed him." Francis could not help the grief from overwhelming his


    handsome face, as if he was too affected by the death of his father and brother.


    It was only then that Matthew''s eyes fell on Francis. He could see that Francis looked very


    disheartened, as if he had lost everything. There was nothing except sorrow on his face. No one would


    ever doubt his innocence. Despite this, Matthew was sure that it was Francis who killed the emperor


    and Felix. That foolish Felix must have been too furious to calm himself down. So he came back to


    question Francis. Francis must have killed him in a battle that he couldn''t have won in the first ce.


    "How are you going to tell the officials about the death of His Majesty?" Matthew abruptly asked.


    Francis looked down on the ground, seemingly in deep thoughts about how to answer that question.


    "Father had been in a critical condition recently. The imperial physician also said that he didn''t have


    much time. Although Felix killed our father andmitted a terrible crime, we are still brothers. Uncle


    Matthew, I want to tell everyone that Father died because of his illness. When Felix heard about this,


    he couldn''t handle it and took his own life. I will suggest that Felix''s funeral ceremony should be as


    grand as the crown prince''s. What do you think?"


    Although Matthew sneered in his heart, he didn''t object to his proposal. "Francis, it''s up to you."


    "Now that Father had suddenly passed away, the marriage for peace alliance will be dyed. Uncle


    Matthew, will you please escort Lilian to the Great Jade Kingdom after Father''s funeral?"


    "Okay, that sounds agreeable," Matthew briefly responded. Now that the emperor was dead, Lilian had


    to mourn for her father. And as the emperor''s younger brother, Matthew couldn''t run away from his duty


    as well. However, he didn''t understand why Francis would think that he could take the throne for


    himself after he killed the emperor at such a time like this.


    Due to the demise of the emperor, the civilians in the imperial capital took down every single object in


    their houses that represented joy. Then, they put on cotton and linen clothes to observe the mourning


    period for thete emperor. Moreover, festive events, music, and entertainment were not allowed within


    three months.


    Inside the pce, Francis was wearing a mourning gown while he arranged the funeral of the emperor


    in an orderly manner. Officials of the Ministry of Rites did not dare to ck in their efforts even by just a


    little bit. Everyone was busy running around, trying to get everything done perfectly. Soon enough, the


    Bureau of Astronomy calcted that the most suitable date for the funeral was seven dayster. As the


    weather grew hotter, the body could not be kept for too long. So the funeral would be held at the


    prescribed date.


    When everything was ready, the officials came to mourn for the emperor. Every woman in the imperial


    pce had been sent to grieve for him as well. But there was someone who was nowhere to be found.


    It was Prince Lucas and soon enough people started asking questions.


    "Do you know where Lucas is?" Francis inquired with so much suspicion in his tone.


    "Your Highness, Prince Lucas hasn''te to the pce so far. He''s not at his own mansion as well. I


    heard, um, I heard that he went to the brothel and hasn''te back yet."


    A frown instantly found itself on Francis'' face. To test his doubts, he decided to find Lucas himself.


    Eventually, he found his younger brother in the room of the brothel''s top courtesan. He didn''t know


    what to feel when he saw Lucas drunk as a skunk.


    The top courtesan, Yvette looked at Francis'' nonchnt face with a smile on her face. "Mister, we''re


    not open yet."


    Francis only ignored her while he grabbed a teapot on the table and threw the water inside it to Lucas.


    The man who had been sound asleep was suddenly drenched and awake. He frowned in annoyance,


    wiped his face, and snapped, "Bastard, who dares to¡ª" But when he saw that it was his brother


    Francis, he immediately changed his tone. "Francis, what brought you here?"


    The frown on Francis'' face couldn''t get any deeper. Instead of answering Lucas'' question, he asked


    back, "Do you know what time is it? Why are you still sleeping here? You are just too¡ª" Francis


    couldn''t finish his sentence because he was just too furious.


    "Francis, did you finally found out how much fun I have in here? Do you want to experience it as well?


    Well, Yvette is excellent. I have a great idea! How about¡ª?" Lucas raised his eyebrow suggestively.


    But Francis'' handsome face was as cold as a stone. "Haven''t you heard the death bell?"


    Lucas was quite surprised. "Death bell? Who died? Why did they ring the death bell?"


    Francis looked at Lucas who looked so confused. In the Imperial Pce, the death bell would only be


    rung when a handful of people passed away. ording to the rules of the Bright Dynasty, the short list


    only included the emperor, the empress, and the empress dowager. The empress dowager had been


    long gone and the empress was just recently dethroned. Only the current emperor was left. How drunk


    was Lucas that he couldn''t remember the meaning of the death bell?This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    "Who do you think is eligible for the death bell?" Francis seriously questioned.


    Sluggishly, Lucas answered, "It only rings on the asion that the emperor, the empress, the empress


    dowager..." His voice faded away. He then abruptly yelled when he finally realized what had happened,


    "What? Did our father pass away?"


    Immediately, the expression on Lucas'' face distorted. He was so surprised that tears streamed down


    his cheeks in an instant. No one would ever doubt how genuine his reaction was, especially when he


    grabbed Francis by his cor. "That''s impossible! You''re lying to me. How could he have died? I just


    visited him yesterday. Our father scolded me with so much enthusiasm. He even hit my head in anger.


    How could he pass away in one day? Francis, you''re lying to me, right? Please tell me this is a joke,


    please!"

 Chapter 673 A Time For Mourning (Part Two)

    Chapter 673 A Time For Mourning (Part Two)


    Francis stared at Lucas who was crying so much and sighed. "Go back to the pce right now. You''re


    the only one missing. Father loved you the most when he was alive. You should go and see him for the


    last time."


    During the entire journey to the pce, Lucas was crying helplessly. Unconcerned about his image and


    composure, he wiped his tears with his clothes. When Francis noticed this, he looked at his younger


    brother with a frown. Lucas had always been profligate. Who would have thought that he would be so


    shattered about the death of the emperor? In fact, he must be the only one who was genuinely


    disheartened about it!


    Lucas blew his nose with a handkerchief and continued crying. He then said, "Francis, how did our


    father pass away? He was fine yesterday. If I had known that this would happen, I wouldn''t have been


    mad at him and run to the brothel. Even if Father wanted to kill me, I would have shamelessly stayed in


    the Tranquil Hall."


    In an ambiguous tone, Francis responded, "Don''t worry; you''re not alone in your sentiments. I''m also


    surprised. Who would have thought that Felix hated our father so much since he was deprived of his


    title as the crown prince? With deep hatred, he sneaked into the pce to assassinate our father.


    When I arrived, our father was already dead and Felix was about to flee so I killed him on the spot. I


    didn''t have a choice."


    Lucas was so stunned so he asked, "How could that be possible? How could Felix do that?"


    "I can''t believe it either. Our father had been so merciful to him. He didn''t even punish Felix with a


    death sentence after he tried to murder him. But still, without an ounce of guilt or shame in his body,


    Felix took our father''s life. If I had known that he would do that, I shouldn''t have interfered and pleaded


    our father''s forgiveness for him." Tears fell from the corner of Francis'' eyes. He wiped them off his face


    and turned away from Lucas. It was like he didn''t want anyone to see him in a sorrowful and regretful


    state.


    Lucas was rendered speechless and silently burst into another set of tears. Inside the pce, the body


    of the emperor was ced in the Immortal Hall. Princes and princesses were kneeling down in a


    respectful manner. Lucas changed into a mourning garment and was silently crying in front of the


    emperor.


    When Lilian saw that Lucas hade back, she looked at him with so much worry. She wanted to say


    something, but in the end, stopped herself from doing so. The entire Immortal Hall was filled with sobs


    and silent cries.


    Meanwhile, Harper was sitting nearby in silence. She was only the sister-inw of the emperor, so she


    wasn''t obliged to kneel down and mourn for him. Wale, the youngest prince, was also present. He was


    in the arms of his nanny. He didn''t cry or make any noise at all. The emperor had a lot of sons, but after


    all sorts of political struggle, there were only a few left. At that moment, the royals looked like a small


    family.


    When Francis came in, he knelt down immediately. Even though he looked steady while on his knees,


    his face was filled with the sorrow of losing a beloved one. Meanwhile, Sherry and Monica were crying


    so hard that they passed out and were sent to their respective residences.


    On one side of the hall, Jason had been kneeling for a long time that there was now extreme pain in his


    knees. So, he moved a little to ease the pain. When he caught a glimpse of Harper, he winked at her


    without any hint of sadness in his face. Harper thought that he looked the same as usual. However,


    when she noticed that he was gritting his teeth, she knew that he was having difficulties because he


    had never knelt for such a long time.


    "Someone,e here," Harper stated, not too loud and not too soft. Jason saw that she uttered


    something so he was wondering what Harper wanted to do.


    "Your Highness," a servant responded.


    "Teach Jason how to kneel properly," Harper said indifferently while she continued to drink her tea. In


    fact, Jason''s body was slightly skewed. Then, the expression on his face froze since everyone was


    watching him. Immediately, he knelt with a perfect posture like Francis. Meanwhile, he sent daggers


    with his eyes at Harper''s direction and thought, ''You ruthless little woman. How could you trick me!''


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    Francis turned to look at Jason. Thetter was almost bursting into tears, but he didn''t dare to offend


    Harper. After all, now that the emperor had gone, it would be quite disadvantageous to the prince if he


    offended Matthew since he had over three hundred thousand soldiers under hismand. The spit of


    those soldiers was enough to drown him.


    The littlemotion which Jason created had attracted a lot of people''s attention. However, Lucas


    didn''t see a bit of what had happened. With a nk expression on his face, he was staring at the


    emperor''s coffin. His back was hunched, like a wounded wolf silently licking his wound.


    When Francis looked away, he paused for a moment once he caught sight of Lucas. But then he


    immediately turned his back. It was very unusual for everyone to see the usual frivolous Lucas kneeling


    there. He wasn''t doing any pranks or causing trouble. The poor prince was just silently mourning.


    Lilian sympathetically looked at Lucas. Among all the princes, Lucas was the apple of the emperor''s


    eye. Now that their father had died, Lucas must be devastated. Moreover, Lilian would soon leave for


    the Great Jade Kingdom because of her marriage. By then, Lucas would be very lonely in the imperial


    capital.


    Lilian thought for a while before kneeling beside him. She tried tofort him. "Lucas, don''t be too


    upset. Father loved you very much. He would be sad if he saw you like this."


    Lucas'' mind was racing very fast while his eyes narrowed. His father might not have been a perfect


    emperor, a perfect husband, or a perfect father. His brothers and sisters could me their father for a


    lot of things, but Lucas just couldn''t. He had been doted on by his father since he was a child. In order


    to protect him, his father deliberately raised him as an idle prince. But he also privately sent someone


    to teach him the emperor''s political techniques and the art of ruling an empire. In front of others, his


    father had been a stern and cruel emperor. But in front of him, his father had always been a kind and


    loving person.


    With these thoughts in mind, Lucas whimpered, "Father, why did you leave like this? If I were to do


    something wrong in the future, no one would take the responsibility for me. I''m sorry. I shouldn''t have


    provoked you. Father, I''m so sorry."

 Chapter 674 He Spat In My Face! (Part One)

    Chapter 674 He Spat In My Face! (Part One)


    As soon as Lucas came back to the Imperial Pce, old memories daunted him. He regretted saying


    hurtful words to his father. If only he had been patient and maintained his closeness to his father,


    perhaps he could see his father onest time and wouldn''t have felt distressed so much!


    The death of the emperor didn''t cause much of an uproar in the imperial capital. After the emperor''s


    burial in the imperial tomb, the officials at the imperial court quarreled and couldn''t decide who would


    be the rightful heir to the throne.


    The emperor''s death was sudden without appointing an heir to the throne or leaving any imperial edict.


    Now there were only four princes left in the royal family. Jason was idle and out of the Imperial Pce


    for years. Francis was gentle and talented, but he was physically weak and might get sick anytime.


    Lucas was a yboy, and he was still ying in some brothel even when his father was dead. He was


    the least expected by the public. Wale was still a baby making every effort to learn to speak, and


    everyone subconsciously ignored him. The final oue was endless quarreling on whether Jason or


    Francis would be the new emperor.


    When the two factions were at a stalemate, Jason suddenly stepped forward and said, "Everyone,


    there''s no need to argue. I''m used to being idle and I can''t do what you ask me to. I think Francis is


    better. Though he had health problems, now he is much better under the treatment of Aunt Harper. If


    you are worried about his health, be rest assured of it."


    One of the officials tried to intervene. "Your Highness¡­"


    "I haven''t even finished reading the national policy, but you have decided to let me manage the national


    affairs? If that happened, aren''t you worried that themon people would live a miserable life? Even


    if you aren''t worried, I am afraid that I will be considered to be a fatuous emperor. So please don''t


    argue anymore. I have decided to quit!" With those words, Jason flipped his robe, turned around and


    walked out of the Golden Hall smartly. He just stated in front of everyone with his words and actions


    that his interest in the throne was nil. He was ready to ept anyone as the new emperor as the


    officials wanted.


    The civil and military officials were all speechless, and then all of them turned to Francis at the same


    time. His status was equivalent to that of the prince regent. He was generous and had never mentioned


    his desire for the throne from beginning to end, which convinced many officials.


    "This year has been a sorrowful one for all of us. My father has bid adieu to this world. Also, there were


    many natural and man-made disasters that happened, and the overall power of our country has been


    greatly undermined. Now that Emperor Rndo of the Great Jade Kingdom has ascended the throne,


    we shall ally with each other and send Lilian to marry him. Anyments?" Francis asked unhurriedly,


    trying to change the subject.


    Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    "We agree. But to show that we attach much importance to it, we should send someone as the envoy


    for peacemaking." Zack picked up the subject. His father had already retired, and now he was alone at


    the imperial court. Although he was young and not experienced, most of the courtiers admired him.


    "Lucas has a good rtionship with Lilian. I''m sure he is willing to see her off." Francis looked at Lucas.


    It was rare for Lucas to stay in the Golden Hall, and now he was here only because Francis had


    insisted.


    "Francis, I object to Lilian''s marriage at this time." Lucas stepped forward and took a deep breath. "It is


    not the best time for us. Father has just died. As his daughter, Lilian wouldn''t be prepared for marriage


    at this time of mourning."


    "Father has passed away. I believe that Lilian should show filial respect. But now, the Bright Dynasty is


    facing both internal and external troubles. Lilian is considerate, and personally brought up this marriage


    alliance for peace-making between the two great countries. She hopes that the Great Jade Kingdom


    and the Bright Dynasty can ally well with each other. I believe that if Father was here, he too would


    have agreed with her." Francis was soft-spoken as always, but it was hard to refute him.


    "I just think¡­"


    "Lucas, I know you are sad about Father''s death, and so are we. But this is a time not to remain in


    sorrow, but to work proactively. If we don''t, then it would be our enemies who would take benefit of the


    situation. Lilian is a woman, but she shoulders the rise and fall of our country and will marry a man for


    the sake of making peace with another country. She is excellent and remarkable, and even more


    assertive than many of us. I''m so proud of her for taking such a bold decision. Lucas, it''s not the time


    for you to go out and have fun, but it''s time to do something for our state." Francis tried his best to


    convince Lucas.


    "What Prince Francis said is true, Your Highness. When the deceased emperor was alive, he spoiled


    your behavior and allowed you to act wildly. Now that he has gone, it''s time for you to restrain yourself


    for your own good as well as for the benefit of our country. You should learn from Prince Francis and


    Prince Jason to work for our country, instead of ying games all day long and indulging yourself with


    women!" Someone from the royal court stepped forward to reprimand Lucas.


    "Your Highness, you are too absurd. Now, are you even inferior to a woman? Princess Lilian is willing


    to sacrifice herself for our country. But you do not even realize your mistakes and are trying to stop her.


    What do you think you are doing?" Another courtier questioned Lucas'' intentions.


    "Do you wish for a fight against the Great Jade Kingdom? Will you go to the battlefield if a war breaks


    out between the two countries? Which of your skills are you nning to use to fight against Emperor


    Rndo then, your gambling skills or flirting skills?"


    The courtiers'' words pierced Lucas'' heart like a knife. Although he was a good man withmendable


    qualities, there were very few people who knew about it. Could he say that he was pretending on


    purpose to be so absurd? He couldn''t! He even had to admit that he was a yboy. Otherwise, his


    long-standing efforts of forbearance and disguise would have ended up in vain.

 Chapter 675 He Spat In My Face! (Part Two)

    Chapter 675 He Spat In My Face! (Part Two)


    Seeing that Lucas was maintaining his silence, the officials didn''t back off. They talked about many


    unreasonable things he had done before, and it was funny for even Francis upon hearing all that. He


    wondered if the officials had nothing else to do in their spare time other than to monitor Lucas. They


    could even remember when he had climbed to somebody''s house wall and had stolen two eggs!


    Lucas was left with a long face. After hearing out the officials, he himself felt that he hadmitted


    some heinous crimes, although the truth was contrary. He was not a murderer, or an arsonist, or a


    rapist. However, anyone hearing out those officials would get tricked to believe that he was a savage


    whomitted some unforgivable sins.


    "Bah!" Lucas could not stand it any longer. He spat on an official who used the most ferocious words to


    demonize him, then turned around and left arrogantly.


    The embarrassed official froze and couldn''t even respond. The rest of the officials had contorted faces.


    Butter, they were d as Lucas didn''t spit in their faces.


    "Your Highness, look! Prince Lucas doesn''t even know how to behave in the imperial court. He spat in


    my face!" the officialined to Francis, without even wiping his face.


    Francis raised his sleeve automatically to cover his face as he looked at the official who kept talking.


    No wonder Lucas couldn''t help but spit at him. The man got so emotional that his saliva was sprayed


    everywhere when he was speaking. Lucas might have been unable to endure his saliva, and that would


    be the reason why he spat at him in return.


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    "Well, Lucas is always naughty and I am sure all of you are quite aware of that. His misdeeds were


    evident from the words you just spoke about him, but now for the time being, let''s keep that aside. The


    marriage for Lilian is decided. I will appoint Uncle Matthew as the envoy for the peacemaking marriage,


    and Lucas will follow the team to the Great Jade Kingdom for the discussion of the marriage."


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    "So, everything about the marriage has been decided. We had already decided about this marriage


    much earlier, but it was just dyed due to my father''s death. They will go ahead as per the decision


    as soon as possible," Francis dered.


    "Your Highness, a country can''t exist without an emperor. Prince Jason has no intention, and Prince


    Lucas can''t bear the relevant responsibility. Prince Wale is too young for this humongous task. So you


    must ascend the throne as soon as possible." Some courtiers brought up the matter again. In the past,


    Jason hadn''t revealed his intention, which led to the conflicts between two factions. Now that Jason


    voluntarily made his withdrawal, and Lucas was never a serious contender, the remaining natural


    choice qualified to ascend the throne was Francis alone.


    Francis didn''t answer immediately. Neither did Zack say anything. They both just remained silent. Right


    from the beginning, Matthew didn''t express his opinion. In other words, he was not in favor of Francis''


    ascension of the throne. Then who on earth was Matthew''s choice?


    "I am badly ill and may die at any time, so I am not a good choice. I request everyone to forget about it.


    Now the Cab supports in managing the state affairs, and the army has themand of Uncle


    Matthew and General Maxwell. There will be no worry for the imperial court in any matters. Let''s take


    up this matter when there is an appropriate person avable," Francis announced.


    "Your Highness, you are the most suitable candidate in the current situation!" The official tried to


    pressurize Francis once again.


    Francis stood up and went straight out. "I said we''ll talk about itter. You don''t need to be worried


    about it."


    "Your Highness¡­ Your Highness..."


    When the courtiers saw that Francis didn''tply with their requests, they looked at one another in


    dismay and didn''t know what to do. "What should we do? The country can''t exist without an emperor.


    Such a country is surely heading for its doom. Prince Francis is in good health now, but how can he


    refuse to be the emperor?"


    "Who knows? Maybe His Highness has his own n for the country." Zack evaded the crucial point


    and threw the question away. Then he too walked out of the hall. A cold light shed across Maxwell''s


    eyes. Since the emperor was dead, it was no more necessary to keep the person in his mansion.


    Aftering out of the Golden Hall, Francis went straight to visit Sherry. She was still a concubine in


    the Imperial Pce. Even though the courtiers had made multiple requests, thete emperor didn''t


    make Sherry the new empress.


    "Good day, Mother."


    "Francis." Sherry was reading a collection of poems. As soon as she saw Francis, she put it down and


    asked, "Now that your father was buried, when will you¡­?"


    "Mother, my father left a will, but I haven''t found it yet." Sherry was shocked to hear it. Thete emperor


    had left a will? Who had he given it to?


    Sherry calmed herself down and asked, "Is it possible that he has handed it over to one of the senior


    officials?"


    "No way!" Francis shook his head. "Every time he received a high ranking official, he was apanied


    by someone. It was impossible for him to give his will to any official. The only possibility is¡­"


    Francis recalled that on the day the emperor passed away, Lucas had entered the Tranquil Hall alone,


    and a momentter, he had been kicked out and the emperor had hit his head. If the emperor were to


    give the will to someone, it would most likely be Lucas!


    "Who is it?"


    "Lucas. He was the only person who visited Father in private. Even though their meetingsted only for


    a few minutes, there was enough time for Father to give him the will." Francis realized that he had been


    too careless, so he nned to send Lucas away to the Great Jade Kingdom. He wanted to know if


    Lucas really had the will!


    "Can we just¡­?" Sherry made a gesture of cutting her throat. If Lucas was killed, no matter if there was


    a will, it would be totally useless.


    "Then I will be ascending the throne illegally!" Francis shook his head. "Don''t worry, Mother. I have a


    n. He will never return from the Great Jade Kingdom."

 Chapter 676 Suffer From Your Own Action (Part One)

    Chapter 676 Suffer From Your Own Action (Part One)


    After leaving the Imperial Pce, Lucas felt very worried. Since Matthew was the one in charge of the


    matters concerning Lilian''s marriage to the emperor of the Great Jade Kingdom, Lucas thought that if


    he could somehow manage to persuade Matthew, Lilian might be able to escape the fate of marrying a


    man from a foreign country solely for the sake of peace between the two countries.


    "Your Highness, Prince Lucas wants to see you."


    "Prince Lucas?" Harper asked in surprise. "Are you sure he wants to see me and not Matthew?"


    "Your Highness, His Highness has yet to return, and Prince Lucas said that he wants to see you


    specifically."


    "All right. Let him in." Harper went on reading the book in her hand, which was about the Great Jade


    Kingdom, including many unknown ces and customs they had.


    When Lucas came in, he saw Harper sitting in the swing in the yard, holding a book in her hand. She


    seemed to bepletely absorbed in the book she was reading. "Aunt Harper," Lucas greeted her.


    "Have a seat," Harper said in a rather t tone. "I heard that you did an excellent job in the disaster


    relief program this time, so much so that the people were singing praises to you. You look like a real


    prince now."


    "You''re probably just teasing me, Aunt Harper," Lucas said with a bitter smile. "I''vee here today to


    ask for your help."


    "Ask for my help?" Harper echoed, feeling so curious. "I''m just a housewife. How can I be of help to


    you?"


    "Please persuade Uncle Matthew to object to Lilian''s marriage to the emperor of the Great Jade


    Kingdom."


    Upon hearing that, Harper understood in an instant the reason for Lucas'' sudden visit. He was afraid


    that Lilian might end up having a miserable life if she married the emperor of the Great Jade Kingdom


    for the sake of the peace between the two countries, so he wanted to stop the marriage from taking


    ce.


    "Do you have any idea why Princess Lilian volunteered to marry the emperor of the Great Jade


    Kingdom?" Harper asked after telling a maid to serve Lucas a cup of tea. Lucas simply said thanks, but


    he just wasn''t in the mood for some tea. The two of them, Lucas and Lilian, had grown up together, and


    he had been fond of her, so he didn''t want to see her fall into such a tragic fate.


    "For the peace between the Bright Dynasty and the Great Jade Kingdom."


    "You''re overthinking things," Harper refuted right away. "She only did that because the emperor of the


    Great Jade Kingdom is Chodak, and that is a matter of fact."


    "What?" When he heard this, Lucas was so astonished that he got up from his seat. However, he


    quickly realized that it was an inappropriate behavior, so he sat back down again slowly. "Aunt Harper,


    are you kidding me? You mean that the emperor of the Great Jade Kingdom is Chodak?"


    "Yes, Chodak is actually Rndo, the former crown prince of the Great Jade Kingdom. Because of the


    turmoil in the Great Jade Kingdom recently, he had to give up his identity as Chodak and resumed his


    identity as Rndo. It wasn''t until she found out that Rndo is Chodak that Lilian volunteered to


    marry the emperor in order to bring peace between the two countries. You should know better than


    anyone just how much she loves Chodak."


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    Upon the words, Lucas'' hands couldn''t stop trembling as he held the teacup. It took him several tries


    before he finally managed to take a sip of the tea. Never could he have imagined that the new emperor


    of the Great Jade Kingdom would be Chodak, the imperial monk who looked pure and clean and had


    beenpletely disillusioned with the mortal world.


    "But...how did you know?"


    "Chodak told me himself," Harper lied with a straight face. Truth be told, Matthew was actually the one


    who told her that, but she would never tell Lucas that Matthew had actually been aware of Chodak''s


    real identity long ago and yet he just let him hide in the Bright Dynasty for five years. After all,


    disclosing this information would put Matthew in quite a disadvantageous situation.


    "Oh, I forgot that Chodak often yed games of Go with you when he was serving as the imperial


    monk."


    "Yeah," Harper nonchntly said. "There''s nothing you can do to stop the marriage, and you don''t


    really even have to think about stopping it. Going to the Great Jade Kingdom to be with Rndo is


    exactly what Lilian wants. If you try to stop her, she will only me you and hate you for it. I think you''d


    better escort her there yourself. That way, you can make it clear to Rndo that Lilian has a deep root


    and background in the Bright Dynasty, and that if she is ever treated unfairly in the Great Jade


    Kingdom, you will not let him off and will make him ountable."


    "Aunt Harper, I..." Lucas stammered, swirling the teacup in his hand. "Rndo is cruel and heartless. I


    won''t object to the marriage if he does like Lilian. But the fact of the matter is that Lilian has been


    courting him for five years. Throughout those long years, she concerned him wholeheartedly regardless


    of her own reputation or gains. However, he has never really cared a scrap about her. I''m afraid her


    one-sided love would not have a happy ending."


    "At that time, he was an imperial monk that didn''t care about worldly affairs. Considering that, there


    was no way he could reciprocate any woman''s feelings, let alone have a rtionship with one. But


    things are different now. He is the emperor of his kingdom. And he will have numerous beauties in his


    harem. Perhaps Lilian simply wants to be by his side," Harper exined, trying to convince Lucas.


    "Lucas, you are not her, so you probably don''t understand how all of this is supposed to make her


    happy."


    Lucas fell silent, confused as to what Lilian was thinking. In his opinion, Rndo would not be a Mr.


    Right for Lilian. That being said, if Rndo was not, then who else was? Born as a princess, Lilian


    never really had a choice but to be married to someone she didn''t love. Considering all these, it would


    certainly be better for her to stay with the man she truly loved. In this way, at least she could see the


    man she loved every day.


    "Aunt Harper, what does it feel to love someone?"


    "Someone once told me that when you love someone, you would want him to live, and that after you


    couldn''t be loved back by him and hated him, you would want him to die. But in my opinion, when you


    love someone, even if you die because of that love, you will still feel content," Harper replied. As she


    spoke, her eyes were brimming with so much tenderness and warmth that Lucas felt very impressed. It


    wasn''t until muchter that he finally came to his senses.


    "You love Uncle Matthew very much, don''t you, Aunt Harper?"


    "Yes, I do love him very much," Harper admitted in all sincerity. "For me, he is more important than


    everybody else in the world."


    "I see. Thank you for clearing up my confusion, Aunt Harper. I will escort Lilian to the Great Jade


    Kingdom and make sure she''s safe and sound so she could be on Rndo''s side. And I will give


    Rndo a piece of my mind and tell him that nobody is allowed to mistreat this sister of


    mine."

 Chapter 677 Suffer From Your Own Action (Part Two)

    Chapter 677 Suffer From Your Own Action (Part Two)


    "Try not to worry yourself too much. Rndo may be a cold man, but he is by no means a vicious


    man," Harper said slowly. "There is a saying that all emperors are unfaithful and fickle, but they are


    also affectionate."


    A wry smile crept onto Lucas'' face. What Harper said sounded contradictory and ironic. Emperors were


    fickle because they would soon abandon a woman they had just doted on; emperors were affectionate


    because they would fall in love with multiple women at the same time but such affections didn''tst


    long.


    "I''ll be taking my leave now, Aunt Harper."


    The receding back of Lucas seemed so lonely. Seeing that, Harper helplessly shook her head and


    blurted out, "He is another hair-splitter."


    "Your Highness, why did you say that?"


    "I guess he must have been irritated by Prince Francis. As a result, he has no clue what he''s supposed


    to do for the time being. And the younger sister who has grown up by his side is going to marry


    someone far away from him for political reasons, so he feels restless and cannot keep his cool." Harper


    had not expected that Lucas could actually be so warm-hearted and that he had been watching over


    the younger sister who had grown up together with him.


    "Prince Lucas is also very affectionate, Your Highness."


    "What do you mean?"


    "He goes whoring almost every day. In fact, his lovers are avable in almost every major brothel in the


    imperial capital. I even heard that when the courtiers go whoring, they would ask first if the prostitute


    they liked is Prince Lucas'' lover, fearing that the prince would make trouble for them if the one they


    chose was really his lover," Nina blurted out. It was clear as day that she didn''t think highly of Lucas.


    Hearing that, Harper burst outughing. "Have you forgotten that thergest brothel of a country is an


    emperor''s harem?!"


    "Please don''t say that, Your Highness!" Nina reminded her at once, looking around quickly to make


    sure that no outsider was there to hear it. Then, keeping a low voice, she said, "Your Highness, if


    anybody else heard what you said just now, you would be used of showing great disrespect to His


    Majesty."


    "Don''t you think so? The Imperial Pce is thergest brothel, and an emperor is like the most popr


    prostitute. Today, he curries favor with the empress; tomorrow, he will curry favor with a noble consort;


    the day after tomorrow, he will curry favor with ady; and so on and so forth. There are so many


    women he can take for himself," Harper added, shaking her head in disappointment. "So, Nina, never


    marry a man who wants to have many concubines. After you marry Barry, if he ever dares to take any


    concubine, I will allow you to castrate him."


    At the same time, Matthew had just returned and was walking toward Harper with Barry. Overhearing


    what Harper had just said, he could not help looking at Barry, only to find that the color of his face had


    been changing bit by bit. In the end, Barry''s face turned red all over.


    Seeing this, Matthew couldn''t hold back hisughter. As a result, Barry''s face grew even darker. He


    nced at Matthew, wondering if Harper would castrate Matthew one day as well if she became


    unhappy, since she could incite Nina to castrate him just like that.


    "What will you do if His Highness takes a concubine, Your Highness?" the maids asked Harper


    simultaneously. "Are you going to castrate His Highness as well?"


    Hearing that, Matthew instantly took back his foot, which was just about to step into the yard. He


    wanted to know what Harper would do.


    "I will give him a divorce agreement and break up with him for good. Then, we won''t ever have anything


    to do with each other anymore," Harper said in a cold voice. Although she made it sound like a joke,


    nobody dared to take it that way.


    Seeing the maids all dumbstruck, Harper couldn''t help butugh. "I''m just kidding. You are all so


    gullible! I have a sense of clear distinction between love and hatred. If I love him, I''ll love him with all


    my heart. If I don''t love him any longer, I''ll break up with him peacefully. There won''t be any looking


    back, which can only hurt both sides."


    Nina desperately winked at Harper, trying to give her a sign that Matthew had returned and was right


    behind her. And he seemed to be fuming with anger.


    Noticing that Nina kept blinking her eyes, Harper asked innocently, "Nina, what''s the matter? Is there


    something in your eye? Listen, you must remember what I said. If Barry dares to take a concubine, you


    have to castrate him, understand? If you can''t do it, just tell me and I''ll have someone do that for you."


    Hearing this loud and clear, Barry cast Harper a cold re. ''You will suffer from your own words. You''re


    sowing discord between me and Nina. Just wait and see. Very soon, His Highness is going to punish


    you!'' he thought to himself.


    Forsythia forced a cough to let Harper know that Matthew was right behind her.


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    However, Harper shifted her gaze toward Forsythia and asked, "Forsythia, do you have a sore throat?


    Have you caught a cold? Let me check your pulse. I''m sure I can cure you with just one set of


    medicines."


    At this point, Forsythia couldn''t take it anymore. She said, "Your Highness, I''m all right. I don''t need to


    take any medicine. But judging from the look on His Highness''s face, I guess he would not be cured by


    only one set of medicines. I wish you luck."


    As soon as she said those words, Forsythia quickly slipped away like a loach. Nina and Anabel ran


    away too, leaving Harper by herself. After blinking her eyes, Harper hastily poured a cup of tea, turned


    around, and handed it over to Matthew with both hands. "Wee back, darling. Are you thirsty? Here,


    have some tea."


    But Matthew didn''t ept the cup of tea. Instead, he asked in a menacing tone, "Are you going to give


    me a divorce agreement?"


    "Your Highness, are you going to take a concubine?" Harper curiously asked.


    "I said I would never take any concubine!"


    "Have you fallen in love with another woman?"


    "I am a devoted husband!"


    "That''s it. You haven''t fallen in love with any other woman, nor are you going to take any concubine.


    With that, how could I give you a divorce agreement? Of course I will live happily with you as always!"


    Harper ced the cup of tea by his mouth. "Have some tea, darling. You must have had a hard time in


    the imperial court session. I have asked the chef to prepare your favorite dishes as a reward for you."


    In just the blink of an eye, the darkness on Matthew''s face disappearedpletely. Seeing that, Barry


    helplessly covered his face with his hands, thinking that there was no cure for what Prince Matthew


    had.

 Chapter 678 Set Off For The Marriage Alliance (Part One)

    Chapter 678 Set Off For The Marriage Alliance (Part One)


    The procession for the political marriage alliance was to set off very early the next morning. The


    decision to leave was made in such a hurry that Matthew and Lucas did not even have enough time to


    prepare. The old emperor had just been buried, so bystanders were quite suspicious why it seemed


    like the bridal procession couldn''t wait to set off for its destination.


    The night before, someone came to Lucas'' mansion. He was in the middle of packing his belongings


    when he heard a noise from the window. Someone had broken in. As soon as he touched the sword on


    his waist, he saw Matthew and Harper. Surprised, he looked out of the window to check whether there


    were other people but he immediately closed it again.


    "Uncle Matthew, it''s the middle of the night. What are you doing here?" Lucas was startled, to say the


    least. He just visited Matthew''s mansion earlier that day, so he did not understand why they came to his


    mansion at midnight.


    Matthew sat down, arm in arm with Harper. "Do you really believe that we''re going to the Great Jade


    Kingdom just for the marriage alliance?"


    "Am I wrong to think that?" Lucas was a little confused. He thought, ''Earlier in the day, your wife asked


    me to do my best in escorting Lilian. But now, you came to me at night and told me not to take it for


    what it is. If we''re not going for the marriage alliance, what are we going there for? Are we going to


    invade the Great Jade Kingdom and take Emperor Rndo''s crown?''


    Matthew sneered before he responded. "Don''t be so naive. Do you really believe that Francis has no


    other purpose for making us escort Lilian for the marriage alliance? I think you might have been in the


    romantic ce for too long. Being in thepany of women might have confused your mind."


    "Uncle Matthew, are you saying that Francis wants to use this chance to kill me?" Although Lucas knew


    Francis wouldn''t let him go so easily, he didn''t expect him to make a move in such a short time. He had


    never even shown any intention ofpeting for power. He couldn''t understand why Francis was in


    such a hurry to kill him.


    Although he was relieved that Lucas was finally on the same page, Matthew snorted. "I''m afraid, it''s not


    just you. I have reasons to believe that he wants to kill me as well."


    When he heard that, Lucas calmed down. He was now certain that Francis wanted to kill him. If one


    were to look into the imperial edicts, he would find that one of them was missing. The missing imperial


    edict was probably the testamentary edict of the former emperor. No matter what was written on it and


    who had hidden it, Francis had been concerned with it in secret. Francis would kill him for security,


    whether he had the imperial edict or not.


    "Uncle Matthew, have you thought of a way to deal with it?" Matthew was someone who would not act


    if he wasn''t a hundred percent sure about it. Now that he came to him, he must have already had a


    n. Francis wanted to kill Matthew, but it would never be that easy.


    Matthew nodded his head and replied, "Yes, and I need your cooperation."


    "Whatever you want me to do, I''ll certainly do it." Lucas was extremely obedient. Now that he had


    be Francis'' target, it would be hard to survive. But if he cooperated with Matthew, he might have a


    great chance of living. If he were left to fend off by himself and his subordinates, he would probably not


    be a match for Francis.


    "Tomorrow, you and I will still escort Lilian to the foreign country as nned. But before we leave, I


    must ensure Harp''s safety in the imperial capital. She can''t go with us." Matthew looked at Harper


    tenderly while she just shrugged in surrender. She had told Matthew that she was capable enough to


    protect herself. But no matter what she said, Matthew was not convinced. She then let him do anything


    he wanted to do.


    "I''m going to ask my men left in the imperial capital to protect Aunt Harper." Lucas immediately thought


    that he understood what Matthew meant.


    But Matthew shook his head and said, "My men will protect her. What you need to do is find a way to


    trouble Francis after we leave. It would be better if he got injured and stayed in bed for some time."


    Lucas was rather surprised. Did Matthew just say that he wanted him to send people to injure Francis?


    But Francis was skilled in martial arts so his men might not be able to hurt him. With honesty, he


    stated, "Our men may not be capable enough to hurt him."


    "It doesn''t matter if he gets hurt or not. I just want you to make trouble for him. Anything that would


    distract him is enough."


    "Okay, I''ll do everything in my power to make that happen."


    "In that case, see you tomorrow. I hope we can be safe on our journey." It was a simple pleasantry but


    Lucas knew that there was some underlying meaning behind Matthew''s words.


    With reluctance, Lucas smiled. Safe? Now that he was made aware of the situation, they both knew it


    would be hard to aplish. How could Francis allow him to be safe and sound? Judging from the


    cruelty he had when he killed Felix, Lucas knew that Francis who seemed to be gentle was actually the


    most vicious one.


    On the morning of the next day, the procession for the marriage alliance finally set off. Francis


    personally bid his goodbyes at the border of the imperial capital. Standing on the wall, Harper quietly


    watched the procession leave. After this departure, she felt a little sad because she didn''t know when


    they woulde back. However, she knew that everything would be okay with Matthew since he could


    protect himself and had very capable men with him. Even so, she couldn''t help but worry about him


    since she loved the man very much.


    After Francis saw the procession off, he noticed that Harper was still standing on the city wall. He


    asked his subordinates to leave, then made his way on the city wall. "This time, they''re going to the


    Great Jade Kingdom for the marriage alliance. I really hope that they can form asting union with


    them."


    Without saying a word, Harper only watched as the procession went farther and farther. It was not until


    the procession finally disappeared from her sight that she said, "I hope so too."


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    "Are you going back to your mansion, Aunt Harper?" Francis was as gentle as ever. He had a very


    handsome face, full of purity and kindness. It was for this exact reason that it became hard for people


    to take precautions against him.

 Chapter 679 Set Off For The Marriage Alliance (Part Two)

    Chapter 679 Set Off For The Marriage Alliance (Part Two)


    Instead of responding to his question, Harper only turned to look at Francis. Then, she suddenly


    reached out her hand and touched his face. Francis was shocked, but he didn''t move away. Rather, he


    looked at Harper with a soft and even doting look.


    While Harper was touching Francis'' face, she slowly said, "How I wish I could have a face like yours."


    "Why?" Francis asked, with a in smile on his face.


    "If I did, I could do wicked things without any pressure. After all, no one will believe that I''m capable of


    doing so because I look so innocent and kind." Taking back her hand, Harper went downstairs. That


    was all she wanted to say. She didn''t say another word or gave Francis the chance to respond. After


    all, she didn''t care whether Francis understood her.


    It took Francis a while before he got a hold of himself and looked at Harper who was slowly walking


    away. Then, the smile on his face faded away while his eyes narrowed at her. He involuntarily put his


    hand on his face and said to himself, "Do wicked things without any pressure? Are you reminding me of


    something, Harper?"


    As quickly as it came, Francis abandoned that thought. He then took the stairs to catch up with Harper.


    "Aunt Harper, would you allow me to send you back home? I actually want to learn some Go skills from


    you while we''re on the way."


    Harper stopped walking but didn''t answer. Francis had already stepped forward, got on the carriage,


    and stretched out a hand to her. "I haven''t yed Go with you for a long time. Would you y with me,


    please?"


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    Harper only stared at him for quite a long time. The smile on his face did not waver. With patience, he


    looked at her expectantly while waiting for her answer.


    After a while, she finally reached out her hand and got on the carriage with him.


    The first thing that Harper noticed was that a board was already ced inside the carriage. She sat


    opposite of Francis. He then pushed the ck stones in front of Harper and said, "You go first."


    Harper immediately took them and put the stones on her side of the board. When Francis saw that, he


    also ced one white stone on the board. They didn''t say anything. Francis raised his eyebrows and


    looked at Harper several times, but he discovered that her eyes were fixed on the board. Not once did


    she look at him. He couldn''t help but feel a little bitterness in his heart.


    "Distraction is a taboo in ying Go." Harper finally spoke. But it was only because Francis made a big


    mistake due to some distractions. It made his side vulnerable so Harper took the chance and began to


    attack aggressively. Soon enough, Francis was about to lose.


    "Aunt Harper," Francis mumbled while looking at the board. At that point, he knew that he had no way


    to win. Harper was going to win that round for sure. He had lost and he knew it. "I have failed... Watch


    out!"


    Francis suddenly dragged Harper to the ground while several arrows were shot into the carriage. The


    seats where they were sitting just then were now full of arrows. Francis held Harper''s waist with one


    hand and pulled out his sword on the side with the other hand. They quickly got out of the carriage and


    immediately found out that they were surrounded. The coachman and the guards had already been


    killed with the rain of arrows earlier.


    Those who were besieging Francis were surprised to see that there was another person inside the


    carriage. But they did not waste any second. They surged forward to viciously attack Francis. Their


    every move was intense, determined to kill him without mercy.


    Francis protected Harper with one hand and fought against the assassins with the other hand. It was


    quite hard for him. Fortunately, the assassins were not attacking Harper, or he would be injured


    inevitably.


    "Let me go. You''re the target. If you take me with you, I''ll just be a burden to you." Harper made a quick


    judgment. They didn''t seem to have any intention of hurting her. It was bing more obvious that it


    was Francis who they wanted.


    Francis also realized that. If he continued to take Harper with him, she might also be their target


    and he would not be able to protect her. So in the first chance that he got, he pushed her away from


    him.


    It so happened that Forsythia was rushing to the scene at that moment. When she saw that Francis


    was under attack and Harper was pushed out, she quickly ran to protect her. The situation became


    strange to everyone. Harper and Forsythia stood there without being attacked, while Francis was under


    siege by every assassin present. It actually looked like Harper was making her people kill Francis.


    Soon enough, Forsythia took in the situation that they were in. She turned to Harper and asked, "Your


    Highness, what''s going on?"


    "Their target is Prince Francis. Find a way to contact the city garrison," Harper calmly stated.


    Forsythia immediately shook her head before saying, "But I can''t leave you alone." After Harper


    boarded Francis'' carriage, it took her some time to catch up to them, only to find out that they were


    being assassinated. So at that point, she could not dare to leave Harper for half a step. If something


    were to happen to her, she would die.


    Meanwhile, the assassination was still going on when a pair of eyes in the dark fell on Harper. The


    person put on a wicked smile and said, "Harper, long time no see. Do you still remember me?"


    The person was none other than Diana, daughter of Emperor Lance from the South Kingdom. "Your


    Highness, let''s take this chance to go to the Imperial Pce and save Prince Hoffman," one of Diana''s


    subordinates suggested.


    For a few moments, Diana didn''t move from where she was standing. She was reminded of an


    anomaly with Harper. When Diana secretly attacked Harper with the Venomous Insect King, it only bit


    her back. In fact, it almost killed her. Soon after that, the Venomous Insect King also died. Ever since


    then, Harper had been a huge threat to the people of the South Kingdom.


    Then, Diana eximed, "Kill that woman! Don''t use the venomous insect poison. It''s useless for her.


    She is the greatest threat to the South Kingdom. Even the Venomous Insect King wasn''t able to defeat


    her!"


    "Is she the one who destroyed the Venomous Insect King?"


    "Yes. We should take this opportunity to kill her in order to prevent more troubles in the future!"

 Chapter 680 Do You Want Him To Die (Part One)

    Chapter 680 Do You Want Him To Die (Part One)


    Harper quietly watched the fight like a random outsider, and even talked with Forsythia from time to


    time,menting on how the fight was going.


    "Francis has been sick for many years. I never would have expected that even when he fights, it would


    be so pleasing to the eye. No wonder everyone keeps saying that he is so handsome." Harper couldn''t


    help but exim. It cropped up in her mind that when Matthew fought, he seemed so cruel that she


    didn''t really have the heart to watch. As the sword shed, the head of the enemy had been cleanly cut


    off and his blood had been spilled all over the ce. In Francis'' case, he seemed as ethereal as the


    wind, winding like a dragon as he fought. At that moment, he was so dashing and handsome.


    When she heard Harper''s remarks, Forsythia carefully observed Francis'' every move. It was indeed


    beautiful to watch, but Forsythia said with such disdain, "It is just pleasing to the eye, but not practical.


    In contrast to this, His Highness is really awesome. His martial arts is unbeatable, and no one can


    possibly hold a candle to him."


    Hearing this, Harper pinched Forsythia''s cheek. Due to the pain, thetter grimaced. However, the


    smile on Harper''s face suddenly disappeared and she loosened her grip on Forsythia''s cheek. "It looks


    like we''re in trouble."


    Another group of assassins appeared out of the blue and went straight toward Harper. Obviously, the


    two groups of assassins were from different parties. One group was trying to kill Francis, while the


    other was trying to get rid of Harper.


    "Stay behind me, Your Highness," Forsythia said, pointing her sword at the assassins as they went all-


    out, thrusting their swords to hit Harper''s vital organs. Although Forsythia was fluent in martial arts,


    protecting Harper from so many assassins was not an easy task.


    "Are the secret guards nearby?" asked Harper slowly.


    With that, four men appeared in an instant, surrounding Harper and preventing any assassins from


    getting close to her. Raising her eyebrows, Harper checked on Francis.


    Seeing that another group of assassins were targeting at Harper, Francis was a bit uneasy. But as soon


    as he saw Harper called out the secret guards, he felt so relieved that he was able to concentrate on


    dealing with the assassinsing after him.


    "Judging from the way they move, they are most likely from the South Kingdom," Harper said as she


    squinted her eyes. "I see. So, Diana is in the imperial capital."


    This left the assassins who wereing for Harper so dumbfounded that they became pale-faced.


    Then, they all began to attack her even more desperately. Harper quickly took out a signal re from


    her arms, pointed it toward the sky, and said, "I think your goal is to take over the Repenting Tower and


    save Hoffman, but you guys won''t seed!"


    Never could''ve Diana expected that Harper would recognize that the assassins were from the South


    Kingdom merely by the way they moved. Because of that, her aim was easily exposed. Now that it was


    clear that she wouldn''t be able to go to the Imperial Pce to save Hoffman, she made up her mind to


    just kill Harper anyway!


    So, Diana pulled out a ck handkerchief to cover her face, and jumped into the fray. Since her identity


    had already been exposed, she had no reason to hold back anymore. Harper might not be afraid of the


    venomous insect poison, but the same thing couldn''t be said for the others. As long as she could


    poison her guards, she was not afraid of failing to capture Harper.


    After Diana joined the battle, she wasted no time and cunningly used the venomous insect poison right


    away. The guards were skilled in martial arts, but they were powerless in the face of the poison.


    Squinting her eyes, Harper suddenly pulled out a dagger and cut her palm. The vibrant crimson blood


    flowed out in an instant. With a wave of her wrist, the blood sshed toward the assassins.


    "Avoid being stained by her blood at all costs!" But it was already toote. Many assassins hade


    into contact with Harper''s blood, and the venomous insect poison had been rendered useless. Despite


    her resentment, Diana wouldn''t give up so easily. Even though she could no longer use the poison, she


    would still put an end to Harper''s life today. There was no way in hell that she would let go of such a


    once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!


    On the other side, the assassinsing after Francis were about to be annihted, so Francis


    immediately came to support Harper. The remaining assassins who were attacking him also seemed to


    be unable to fend for themselves. In the end, the two groups of assassins blended together and


    couldn''t even tell who belonged to which group anymore.


    "Just try to hold on for a little longer; the reinforcements will be here very soon." Francis stopped Diana


    from approaching Harper, as she calmly watched the battle while holding a dagger in her hand.


    Although nobody was able to get close to Harper, everyone on her side was entangled by the enemies.


    In this bloody battlefield, Harper was probably the only one who didn''t have her hands full.


    "Humph! You all tried to torment me while my husband wasn''t around." Harper shook her head in


    disappointment. As soon as Matthew left, someone immediately took advantage of his absence and


    tried to kill her. Given everything that was happening, she started missing Matthew. At the thought of


    him having to leave the imperial capital for a long time, she felt so down in the dumps.


    Although Francis was caught up in a fight with Diana, he still kept an eye on Harper. He thought that


    she would be fine, but it seemed that she knew nothing about martial arts at all. Apart from that, as


    Jason said, she now looked very different from what she used to be in the past!


    Then, something totally unexpected happened. Just as everyone was busy trying to fend off the


    assassins, a hidden weapon appeared out of the blue and came straight toward Harper. In the air, the


    weapon divided into three parts and looked quite dangerous as they directly targeted Harper''s vital


    parts.


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    "Your Highness!"


    "Harper!"


    Harper couldn''t help but frown. Of course, she had already figured out the best way to avoid getting hit.


    Three hidden weapons, vicious as they might seem, were rtively easy to avoid. But, much to her


    surprise, they further split into nine weapons as they got closer and closer to Harper!


    "Nine Consecutive Hidden Weapons!" Harper continued to step back in a hurry. It was nearly


    impossible for her to avoid the nine hidden weapons, let alone avoid getting hit in her vital parts. Seeing


    this, all the secret guards stopped fighting with the assassins and rushed to save Harper as fast as they


    could. By doing so, they exposed their back to the enemy and put their lives at risk, but even then, they


    only managed to ward off the power of four hidden weapons, while the other five were still charging


    straight at Harper.

 Chapter 681 Do You Want Him To Die (Part Two)

    Chapter 681 Do You Want Him To Die (Part Two)


    "Your Highness!" Forsythia quickly rolled her body to stand in front of Harper. A hidden weapon hit her


    and she instantly fell to the ground. After that, all she could do was watch helplessly as the other


    hidden weapons moved toward Harper.


    Gritting her teeth, Harper had to steel her resolve to bear the pain from the hidden weapons hitting her.


    Even if she were to be seriously injured, it would still be much better than being dying here. However, a


    white figure, as fast as lightning, moved in front of Harper to keep her safe. He raised his long sword,


    much like a swimming dragon, only managing to stave off two hidden weapons, with the other two


    piercing into the man''s body.


    The white figure seemed to fall down in slow motion. At that moment, Harper felt as though her mind


    had been blown up in an instant. Those memories she blocked off and the forgotten past came rushing


    into her head all at once, almost knocking her senseless, but she could not let herself pass out. In a


    swift motion, she threw away the dagger in her hand and caught the man who was about to fall.


    "Francis!" There was an ache in Harper''s voice. Both of the two hidden weapons managed to hit his


    vital parts. At that moment, she was too scared to check Francis'' meridians, in fear of finding out


    anything which she might not be able to ept.


    Seeing that Francis had been critically hit by the hidden weapons and that his life was now hanging by


    a thread, the secret guards were caught off guard. Wanting to make the most of this opportunity, Diana


    decided to go straight to Harper to kill her, but the look in Harper''s eyes changed in an instant. With the


    sh of green light, a vine rose from the ground and turned into a sharp sword, dashing towards


    Diana''s vital parts in just the blink of an eye.


    Diana had no choice but to retreat, but the vines continued to grow out as sharp swords, severely


    threatening her life and rendering her incapable of taking even a step closer toward Harper.


    When Jason finally arrived with his men, he stumbled upon such a strange scene. Countless vines rose


    to attack the assassins in ck. Any nt that got close to them would turn into a deadly weapon and


    kill them off.


    "Francis!" Looking at injured Francis in Harper''s arms, Jason was shocked. It was this call that pulled


    Harper back to her senses. The growing vines disappeared in an instant, leaving behind a number of


    lifeless bodies. Thanks to this, Diana found an opportunity to flee.


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    Taking Francis from Harper''s arms, Jason realized that he had been hit by the hidden weapons. His


    breathing was weak, and it was so bad that he might die at any moment. Jason felt so lightheaded all


    of a sudden, while Harper stood there motionless, clueless as how she was supposed to react.


    "Harper Chu, what on earth are you waiting for?" It was the first time Jason had ever spoken to


    someone in such a harsh tone.


    Harper stared nkly at Jason, as if she didn''t understand what he was saying.


    Jason tried his best to keep himself from pping Harper in the face. In order to save her, Francis got


    seriously wounded. Knowing that, how could she still have the nerve to look at him like that? Did she


    want Francis to die?


    "Harper, if Francis dies, I swear you''re going to regret it and feel sorry about it all your life!" Jason was


    fuming with intense anger. "You''re the only one who can save him now. Do you want him to die?"


    The memories flooding through her head threw Harper''s mind into chaos. But when she saw how angry


    Jason was, she finally calmed down. The past was already a part of the past, and what she needed to


    do right now was to cherish the present.


    Taking out a water-drop-shaped jade pendant, she pinched it open and took out a pill, then she fed it


    directly to Francis.


    "Find a ce nearby, I need to take out the hidden weapons to stop his bleeding as soon as possible."


    "Go to the pce!" Jason eximed without hesitation. Right now, only the Imperial Pce under their


    control was the safest. Moreover, Francis had been seriously injured, so there was no way he could let


    him stay in Matthew''s mansion. After all, it was his enemy''s ce.


    Harper didn''t say no Jason''s suggestion. Although Matthew''s mansion was the nearest one, Jason


    would never allow Francis to stay there. And the reason for that was anyone there could try to kill


    Francis. Knowing that, Harper didn''t bother arguing and simply followed Jason into the pce.


    Since Francis got seriously injured, Sherry immediately got the news that Francis was staying in the


    Bright Moon House, which was just nearby from the Tranquil Hall. As soon as Jason put him down,


    Sherry arrived at almost the same time with a group of people. Without so much as a single word,


    Sherry pped Harper in the face, catching herpletely off guard.


    It happened so fast that Jason couldn''t do a thing. Then, Sherry raised her hand and was about to p


    her again. However, Harper caught her wrist and pinned her down to the ground using just a little force.


    "How dare you! Because of you, my son got hurt like this! How dare you stop me!" Sherry was


    extremely furious.


    Sherry quickly got on her feet and was about to p Harper again. Unfortunately for her, Harper didn''t


    have the patience to deal with her right now. So, she pped Sherry on the face, causing her to fall to


    the ground one more time.


    "If you want your son to die as soon as possible, then be my guest and just keep pping me!" Harper


    blurted out in a cold tone with a murderous re. "Or, could it be that you really want him to die as


    soon as possible?"

 Chapter 682 I Will Never Take Your Life (Part One)

    Chapter 682 I Will Never Take Your Life (Part One)


    Sherry was shocked by Harper''s stern look. The former only knew that Francis was hurt, but she had


    no idea how badly he was wounded. The reason why Sherry vexed Harper as soon as she came was


    that she had to humble herselfst time when she begged Harper to help Francis.


    "Somebody, take Lady Sherry back so she can rest," Jason decisively ordered. Since Sherry hadn''t


    had a rival in the Imperial Pce for a long time, she was stupid enough to antagonize Harper. Such a


    reckless act would not only put Francis'' life at risk, but also make Harper suspicious of her.


    Sherry didn''t resist. She only red at Harper before turning away. Meanwhile, Harper looked at Jason


    with aplex expression on her face. However, she didn''t say anything. Instead, she asked the


    people from the Imperial Academy of Medicine to prepare all the medications and tools she needed.


    She knew that Jason didn''t believe her, even though they had studied together and she had just


    recovered her memory.


    Then, Harper checked Francis'' injuries. Both of his wounds were deep and he was seriously injured.


    But still, he was lucky because it was not fatal. However, she had to be extremely careful when pulling


    out the hidden weapons because he could die from massive bleeding.


    "Your Highness, Prince Francis'' wound is even more serious than Mister Zack''sst time. This arrow..."


    All the imperial physicians didn''t dare toe forward for two reasons. One, Harper was extremely


    skilled at treating physical injuries. And two, the one who had been wounded was Francis who was


    most likely to ascend the throne. There was no room for mistakes or carelessness, unless they didn''t


    want to live anymore.


    Harper leisurely asked the servants to boil some medicine, and disinfected a sharp knife with liquor.


    Jason didn''t steer away his eyes from her, not even for a second. He was afraid that she would stab


    Francis in the throat and kill him.


    "You know, it hurts me to see you looking at me like that." Harper nced at Jason when she was


    about to take out the hidden weapon from Francis.


    Even though it wasn''t obvious, Harper was actually a little worried about the procedure. She took out a


    white porcin bottle from her brocade bag and looked at Jason. "It''s up to you whether I can give him


    this medicine or not."


    Jason took the bottle, opened it, and tried to see its contents. He was familiar with the smell. It was the


    Blood-generating Pill that Harper had made using methods she was yet to disclose. The pill could


    quickly replenish the blood which had been lost of an injured person. It would be very useful for Francis


    at that moment.


    "How many are you going to give him?"


    "Three. After that, I might give him more depending on his condition." Harper''s voice was indifferent,


    revealing not a single emotion. The expression on her face was as cold as ice. Her earlier confusion


    had disappeared and the calm and collected Harper hade back.


    Jason immediately took three pills and helped Francis take them. After seeing that, Harper took out the


    hidden weapon from Francis. Her hands were steady, without a trace of quivering. All the imperial


    physicians held their breaths for fear that their heavy breathing might affect Harper. One wrong move


    or one tremble of her hand could easily take Francis'' life.


    Despite the gravity of the situation, the process of taking out the hidden weapons went smoothly.


    Francis, though he had lost a lot of blood, was stable with Harper''s Blood-generating Pills. After she


    closed down the wounds with some fabric, Harper immediately wrote a prescription, then ordered


    someone to get some medicine and decoct it.


    Jason folded his arms across his chest and stared at Harper curiously. "If my brother were not injured


    because of protecting you, would you save him?"


    Harper reached out her hand to Jason and said, "Give me the medicine bottle."


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    Jason raised his eyebrows and threw the bottle to Harper. She took it, opened the cap, checked the


    inside, and carefully put it away. "I will save him. But I won''t be willing to just give out my pills like that.


    After all, there is only one left."


    Her response made Jason quite annoyed. "Is a pill more important than a human''s life? When did you


    be so cruel, woman?"


    Harper turned to face him and apathetically asked, "How about you? When did you be so


    affectionate? You''re by his side all the time. You''re so cautious too. I have to start suspecting that


    someone may be hiding in the closet."


    The expression on Jason''s face became distorted. Then, he furiously grabbed Harper by the cor.


    "Woman, don''t challenge my bottom line. Do you understand? Ah..."


    Jason loosened his grip and violently shook his hand. It was hurting so much that his face turned red.


    He was even trying very hard not to cry out loud. "What did you do to me?"


    "Didn''t our master tell you that the more beautiful a woman is, the more dangerous she is?" Harper


    then turned to a eunuch andmanded, "Serve some tea."


    Amidst his trembling, the young eunuch put the tea onto the table. Then, he quickly kept a distance


    from her for fear that she might hurt him. "I once heard from you that I am a poisonous rose with thorns


    since I was a child. How can you forget about it now?"


    Jason squinted his eyes in confusion. Thest time he had seen Harper, she was obviously confused


    as he imed to be her senior fellow brother when he showed up from nowhere. "You..." Jason tried to


    speak but he couldn''t form more than a word.


    "It''s a blessing that I have unexpectedly recovered some memories when Prince Francis blocked the


    hidden weapons for me." Harper''s voice was very light while she slightly lowered her head. The teacup


    was steaming and her expression couldn''t be seen clearly because of the mist.


    Jason finally understood why he felt that Harper was like apletely different person. It turned out


    that she was the same person but had lost some of her memories. For some reason, those lost


    memories had been rted to him and Francis.

 Chapter 683 I Will Never Take Your Life (Part Two)

    Chapter 683 I Will Never Take Your Life (Part Two)


    "Now that you have regained your memory, would you like to continue as our enemy?" Jason asked


    what Francis couldn''t ask her.


    "When did I ever be your enemy? It was you who always regarded us as your enemies. Matthew


    disdains to fight for the throne. But we are not afraid of any persecution. All the people in our mansion


    are fearless. We are stronger when faced with adversaries. I''m sure you have witnessed it," Harper


    slowly exined.


    "Don''t you think you''re overestimating yourself?"


    "It''s called confidence. If I don''t have it, how can I deserve Matthew?" Harper put down the teacup from


    her hand and continued, "Jason, our master hoped that both of us can live in peace. He even forced


    me to swear that I would never take your life, so you don''t have to worry. Since I have promised him, I


    will always stay true to my words."


    Jason was surprised to hear what his master had forced Harper to do. Why didn''t he know about this?


    "Did our master know who you are from the very beginning?"


    With a wry smile, Harper responded, "He knew who we are. I really don''t understand why he thought


    that a youngdy who was not even favored in the Chu n could threaten your life."


    "Haven''t you threatened enough people?" It was a rhetorical question so Harper didn''t respond. Jason


    turned to look at Francis who was still unconscious. He then asked, "Do you know that he made


    countless sugar figurines with your face in his mansion?"


    "I didn''t know that and even if I do, I''ll pretend that I don''t," Harper absentmindedly said while rubbing


    the edge of the teacup with her fingers.


    Jason smiled sarcastically and asked another question. "Is it true that anyone in the world can''t catch


    your attention except your husband, Matthew?"


    "Sort of. I am his wife so I''ll be happy and worried for him all my life, unless he betrays me," Harper


    candidly answered.


    "What if he dies?" Jason''s murderous intentions burst out instantly. "If Matthew is dead, what would you


    do?"


    Harper raised her eyebrows and looked at Jason with a small smile. However, she didn''t answer him.


    Her mind was racing fast. If it wasn''t a natural death, then she would do everything she could to kill the


    murderer. As for the rest, she couldn''t figure it out at that moment, nor did she want to think about it.


    What would happen to her if Matthew left her? Perhaps, she would live well, or go toherworld with


    him. But she was confident that it was not the time yet. For now, she didn''t know what she would do


    with so many possible scenarios.


    For some reason, Jason felt that there was danger in Harper''s eyes when she looked at him. He was


    suddenly worried about this. Their goal had been to kill Lucas while they were on the way to the


    marriage alliance. But they had also intended to get rid of Matthew.


    Matthew was prestige at the imperial court. He was also of high rank with a strong military force. The


    late emperor had been afraid of him for these reasons. He was a prince with an army of 300 thousand


    soldiers. Moreover, the army was not under the control of the imperial court. It belonged to Matthew


    alone. As long as he was alive, no one could sleep so soundly. Not only the former emperor, but


    Francis was also afraid of him. However, Francis might have had something else in mind.


    Jason started to speak in metaphors. "Few servants will have a good ending if they have excellent


    contributions and can threaten and outshine their master. I just remembered that the ck g Army


    has three hundred thousand soldiers. I always find it too ostentatious."


    "Without the ck g Army, do you think our country is a rival of Rndo?" Harper''s tone was


    indifferent as usual. All she wanted was a stable, safe, and small family. It could be said that she was


    selfish since her care only concerned that of herself, her family, and her friends. As for themon


    people of the world, she could only be sorry that she didn''t have enough space for them in her heart.


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    "I just hope¡ª" Harper tried to speak but she was cut off.


    "Harper! Harper... Are you okay?" Francis was in a semia and he still thought about that moment


    when he blocked the hidden weapons. Jason looked at Harper significantly.


    Harper stepped forward but didn''t approach Francis. Then, she said in a gentle voice, "Don''t worry. I''m


    fine."


    Francis felt relieved when he heard Harper''s voice. His well-wrapped wounds were bleeding because


    he was struggling so much.


    "Water," Francis mumbled. Jason immediately poured a cup of water, and carefully helped Francis get


    up and drink it. Harper thought that Jason was being so considerate. She wanted to mock him, but she


    stopped herself from doing so.


    "Do you want more?" Jason asked softly.


    Francis didn''t reply, so Jason put him down, letting him rest some more. He nced at Francis''


    bleeding wound and said, "Please bind up his wound again."


    Harper nodded her head. As soon as she sat down by the bed, Francis grabbed her hand before she


    could even touch his wound. No matter how much she struggled, he didn''t let her go. Harper gritted her


    teeth and red at Jason. The man rubbed his nose before saying, "Thank you for taking care of him.


    Anyway, I''m too sleepy so I''m going to sleep for a while."


    Then he turned over and fell asleep regardless of Harper''s pain. Soon, his rhythmic breathing could be


    heard. Harper frowned and thought of countless ways to make Francis loosen his grip on her. Yet, after


    a moment of thought, she did nothing but let out a sigh.

 Chapter 684 The Death Of Lucas (Part One)

    Chapter 684 The Death Of Lucas (Part One)


    The bridal procession went on their way to the Great Jade Kingdom in peace. For so long, nothing


    unusual happened in their journey. But all of that changed when they were faced with a group of


    assassins that came out of nowhere.


    Immediately, it became clear that the assassins attacking them weren''t ordinary. All of them were very


    skilled in martial arts and they had one obvious target. Despite everyone in the group, they went


    directly towards Lucas. The entire kingdom knew that the prince was not that good inbat. He rarely


    practiced his martial art skills because he indulged himself in alcohol and sex. It was already something


    to be grateful for that his body did not grow weak, as he did not have much free time to concentrate on


    his physical health or the practice of martial arts.


    So it was no surprise that Lucas was caught off guard. Even with his secret guards'' protection, he was


    slightly injured when one of the assassins grabbed the opportunity to stab him. Seeing this situation,


    Matthew wore a frown on his face. He firmly ordered his men to wipe out all the assassins at all costs.


    The first batch of the killers was defeated soon enough. But in turn, a lot of the procession''s members


    had been killed. Matthew then counted the remaining people. He ordered for the injured to be treated


    and the dead to be buried. Now, the whole procession was overtaken by a gloomy mood. With a heavy


    heart, the members of the procession continued their way.


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    "Uncle Matthew, it has only been two days since we left, yet he is so desperate to attack us. It must be


    because he is not seriously injured. He must have had some spare time to think and n our murder!"


    Lucas said in gritted teeth. He deeply regretted keeping Francis alive, the person who plotted this


    attack. He only wished that his brother was dead by now. But then, he remembered that Francis had


    been hurt in order to save Harper so she wouldn''t just sit idly without attempting to cure him.


    Hearing what he said, Matthew grew drearier. Soon enough, the people around him started to notice


    this grim mood around him. As a result, no one dared to even get closer to him. Lucas was no


    exception. But there came a time when Lucas needed to have a word with him because of the


    dangerous situation that they were in. Out of options, he walked towards Matthew. He tried to convince


    himself that he really needed to discuss how they were going to face the possible attacks that were


    certainlying to them in the days ahead.


    But Matthew beat Lucas to the punch. In a rather cold tone, Matthew spoke to Lucas. "There will be


    assassinsing for us each step of the way ahead. They wouldn''t stop unless one of us gets killed


    and he finally achieves one of his goals. But I havee up with a solution to fix this. Lucas, we need


    to find a good time to pretend that you have been killed."


    "Are we going to do this when the next assassinse?" Lucas asked hesitantly. Although it was a


    good n, he did not think that telling the world he was killed so soon would be a wise idea. There was


    no denying that he was a bad fighter, but dying so soon? It would only show that Matthew who was


    responsible for the safety of the team was a lousy fighter since he could not protect him.


    When Matthew heard this, he immediately red at Lucas. If Lucas died in the second assassination,


    then his reputation as a horrible and dreadful fighter would be set in stone. But Matthew would certainly


    im Lucas'' death after he made Francis pay a heavy price.


    "How about I decide myself when is the right opportunity to be fake dead? Would that be okay with


    you?" Lucas suggested, once he noticed Matthew''s disdainful re at him. What a lot of people did not


    know about Lucas was that he was actually aware of the current affairs. He knew how to hold himself


    together as well. If he wasn''t, he wouldn''t have survived at that age. Although he was a frequent visitor


    of brothels throughout the years, all his time had not been spent on mere leisure and worldly pleasures.


    All those affairs and rumors which imed that he was a good-for-nothing and reckless brat were not


    true. It was only what Lucas would like them to think. This way, he was able to protect himself.


    After that first attempt, they encountered countless assassins along the way. When they reached Pearl


    City, they had decreased in numbers. There had been five hundred guards in theirpany. But now,


    there were only two hundred guards left. Most of them had been killed or were seriously injured. Lucas,


    who had been the target most of the time, was in disarray. He had bandages all over his body to cover


    his wounds that were just starting to heal. He would have literally died numerous times if it were not for


    Matthew''s help.


    Looking at the wounds all over his body, Lucas wanted to cry but he was too exhausted to even do


    that. Because of the endless attacks, he was so worn out that there were times when he wished he


    could just die already. It was too painful to be stabbed every single day. He would rather die at that


    instant than suffer any longer.


    When they entered the official inn, Matthew went over to Lucas. He then whispered, "We are now in


    Pearl City. You must be extremely careful and alert! The Duanmu n dominates this city."


    Hearing that, Lucas narrowed his eyes at once. He became more cautious thanks to Matthew''s


    reminder. Sherry actually came from the Duanmu n. In the past, the n had never involved


    themselves in any political disputes. But now, they had announced out of nowhere that they were a


    partisan to Francis. All these years, Francis must have been keeping a low profile in order to preserve


    his strength and cover up his true abilities. He had just revealed his true colors by sending assassins


    after them along the way. He was determined to kill them at all costs. They could only guess that the


    war had begun now that they had entered Pearl City.


    They didn''t encounter any obstacle when they reached the official inn of Pearl City. The local officers


    carefully served them and the waiters greeted them with a warm smile. In a nutshell, everything was


    normal. Or at least, no one noticed anything.


    Meticulously, Lucas inspected all the people in the inn, from the manager to the waiters. Afterward,


    there was a strange expression on his face. "Uncle Matthew, I''m tired. I''ll go back to my room," he


    suddenly said.


    "Of course," Matthew responded, his voice devoid of any emotion. He didn''t pay that much attention to


    Lucas'' demeanor.


    Lilian, however, called out to stop Lucas in his tracks. "Lucas, don''t act so tough and stubbornly now.


    Let the physician treat you with medicine before you take a rest," she said in a concerned tone.


    "It''s nothing serious. It''s just a minor wound. Don''t worry." Lucas soothed her while he pointed at his


    arm which was hanging through the bandage. Despite what he said, it was actually more than a minor


    wound. All through their journey, assassins attacked him without regard for any lives, including theirs. It


    was like the only thing on their minds was to kill him. If it weren''t for Matthew, he would have died way


    before they reached Pearl City.


    Lilian had wanted to say something more tofort him. But when she noticed that he was bing


    a little impatient, she immediately stopped herself. Then, she looked at Matthew and asked, "Uncle


    Matthew, who on earth would actually want to kill us? That person is sending countless people toe


    after us. Whoever they are, they''re not kidding around."

 Chapter 685 The Death Of Lucas (Part Two)

    Chapter 685 The Death Of Lucas (Part Two)


    "Not us, only him," Matthew responded while he tried to enjoy his meal. Despite the nature of their


    conversation, his tone was still calm and collected.


    "What? Do you mean they wanted to kill Lucas? But why? Lucas has been enjoying life all this time. He


    kept to himself and rarely offended anyone over the years. Why would anyone want to kill him?" Lilian


    asked. She could not be more curious upon hearing Matthew''s reply. She coulde up with tons of


    reasons for those assassins to target her. But Lucas? That was totally way beyond her imagination.


    She could not think of any reason or anyone who would eagerly want to kill Lucas.


    "Who do you think is threatened while Lucas is still alive?" Matthew asked after a sigh instead of


    answering her question. There was no brotherhood in the royal family, but only enemies. When


    someone threatened another one''s position, he would immediately be considered as a target.


    His reply intrigued Lilian right away. Her face turned pale in an instant. She was not a fool. The only


    person that could be threatened while Lucas is still alive was none other than Francis. After all, he was


    the one located in the imperial capital right now who might inherit the throne. But as far as she knew,


    Lucas did not have interests in politics. He was only concerned about his appearance and the finer


    things in life. ''Why did Francis want to get rid of him so badly?'' Lilian asked herself inwardly before


    speaking to Matthew.


    "Why? Lucas has never been interested in the throne, right? And even if he is, he''s not that capable.


    He is not a threat to Francis at all!" Aside from being extremely shocked about the information that she


    was just been supplied, Lilian was very confused.


    Matthew gave a helpless nce at Lilian as if he was looking at a foolish person. He then continued to


    eat. He didn''t want to waste his time exining to her. She had grown up with Lucas since they were


    very young. Did she really think that Lucas was just a yboy with simple desires and aspirations?


    All of a sudden, it seemed like Lilian figured out something. Her face turned paler and paler. She


    suddenly stood up and asked, "I shouldn''t have consented to this marriage, should I? Otherwise, he


    wouldn''t have the chance to get rid of Lucas, right?"


    "Even if we didn''t go on this journey, he would find other ways to kill him anyway. So don''t me


    yourself for anything," Matthew said. After he finished eating, he put down the chopsticks on the bowl.


    Before he went back to his room to finally have some rest, he looked at Lilian and warned her, "Go


    back to your room and rest as much as you can. Don''t walk around even if you have nothing else to


    do."


    "Uncle Matthew, Lucas..." Lilian gritted her teeth and hesitated for a few seconds. "Lucas is going to be


    safe. You''ll make sure of that, right?"


    Matthew didn''t answer her question. He just kept on walking ahead, without even turning around to


    look at her. He went straight to his room because he knew that something terrible must happen to


    Lucas. Otherwise, Francis would attack them while hiding in the shadows until his goal was achieved. If


    this were to happen, Matthew wouldn''t have a chance to expose him. Therefore, Lucas must die, or to


    be more precise, pretend to die to draw the snake out of the hole.


    Matthew pondered, ''Tonight is a good time. Lucas will be killed at the official inn!''


    In the middle of the night, someone started yelling hysterically that there was a fire in the office inn.


    Instantly, everyone woke up. The guards then hastily put out the fire. But Lucas was nowhere to be


    found after the fire had been extinguished.


    Lilian felt a little uneasy, so she ran to Lucas'' room to check how he was doing. The door was wide


    open and Matthew was standing inside. As for Lucas, he was lying so close to them. His body was


    covered in blood, his own presumably.


    "Lucas!" Lilian eximed upon seeing the horrific situation. She then rushed by Lucas'' side but


    Matthew caught her by the arm.


    "Guards, take Lilian back to her room so she can rest!" Matthew firmly ordered.


    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    "No! Lucas! Lucas!" Lilian screamed while she kept struggling out of the guards. But she was too weak


    to be a considerable match for them. As a result, she was helplessly dragged away to her room.


    While he looked at Lucas who was lying in a pool of blood, Matthew''s eyes were dull, concealing all of


    his emotions. He called for someone to help in cleaning up the body. At that time, all the staff in the


    official inn were all under Matthew''s control.


    "Prince Lucas was killed in the official inn. Do you know the gravity of this situation?" Barry asked


    rigidly on behalf of Matthew.


    "Your Highness, we have no idea about what happened as well. I was told that the room caught fire at


    midnight and soon after, he was found lying on the floor! All of us are so scared that we''re all at a loss


    right now. We really don''t know what happened."


    "You have no idea? Look, a prince was killed in the official inn so no one in here can escape until we


    find the culprit!"


    Everyone in the official inn was frightened to hell. They couldn''t say anything because extreme fear and


    shock seized their throats. Lucas died in the official inn and the murderer had not been found yet. Any


    one of them could be the suspect. Even though they were not the killer, they would probably be


    implicated.


    "Your Highness, please spare us! We really don''t know what happened. Please spare us!"


    Matthew watched the crowd with apathetic eyes. Lucas was murdered while they were on the way for a


    political marriage. They hadn''t even reached the Great Jade Kingdom''s territory so this was not a small


    matter. When the crowd had finally settled a little, he said, "Lucas had been murdered. Send a


    messenger to the imperial capital as quickly as possible. The officials need to know this right away."


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    "Your Highness, we are innocent," the person in charge of the official inn cried out. He kept on thinking


    what bad luck had descended upon them. He could not figure out who could be so bold to kill a prince.


    Although Lucas did not have a good reputation, he was still a prince. He still had the royal blood. Now,


    he was murdered and the one who did it was still unknown. Everyone felt like they were doomed since


    they became involved in the situation even though they didn''t want to.


    "Take everyone here into custody. We must find out who really killed Lucas," Matthew said. He made


    the decision for everyone. He would not kill them, but would not let them go either. He resolved to hand


    them over to the local government office of Pearl City. The local government would certainly do


    everything to find out who the murderer was. Even if they could not find the killer, they would find a


    scapegoat.


    "Your Highness, I''m innocent! I''m innocent!" someone shouted, unwilling to give up.


    "Take them away," Matthew firmly ordered.


    "Your Highness, now that Prince Lucas had been killed, are we going to continue our journey to the


    Great Jade Kingdom?" the captain of the procession asked in a cautious tone. He was Ken''s most


    capable deputy general and thus was appointed to the position at that time. They had encountered


    countless assassinations on the way. But he had not expected that Lucas would meet his end in here.


    With determination, Matthew responded, "Yes, we will! Our mission is to send Lilian to the Great Jade


    Kingdom for marriage. How could we give up now?"


    "Then, what about Prince Lucas'' body?" the captain asked carefully. After all, that was the body of a


    prince. They couldn''t just leave his body here. Moreover, if Francis med them for what happened,


    they would be severely punished.


    Matthew responded nonchntly, "Choose fifty guards to escort Lucas'' body back to the imperial


    capital and hand it to Francis. He''s the one who''s supposed to deal with this matter. The weather is hot


    these days so it won''t be good to keep the corpse here. It will take about five or six days from here to


    the imperial capital. And the guards will carry a coffin, so it''s going to take longer than when we came


    here. You will have to find a way to slow down the speed of the body''s decay. You must make sure to


    hand over Lucas'' body to Francis in good condition."


    "What?" the captain murmured in hesitation. In his opinion, Matthew''s request was a bit unreasonable.


    A human''s dead body would reek in two or three days, let alone five or six days. Even if the corpse


    would be treated with special methods, they wouldn''t be able to hand an intact body to Francis. But


    before the captain could say anything to protest, Matthew had already turned around and walked out.


    He ordered the others to prepare for the continuation of their journey to the Great Jade Kingdom.

 Chapter 686 Where Was The Testamentary Edict (Part One)

    Chapter 686 Where Was The Testamentary Edict (Part One)


    The number of guards in the bridal procession had reduced to one hundred, but they continued to head


    for the Great Jade Kingdom. However, there was an emotional dark cloud smothering the entire


    procession. There had been over five hundred guards in the procession before they kicked off their


    odyssey from the imperial capital.


    But now there were just one hundred guards left, and they also lost Lucas. The guards who escorted


    Lucas'' coffin back to the imperial capital had in fact risked their lives. Odds were that they would bear


    the bane of the royal family''s anger, and everyone was worried that they wouldn''t be spared this time.


    Lilian was extremely depressed. She guessed Francis would be the one responsible for Lucas'' death,


    but she didn''t want to believe that. She found it hard to ept that Francis, who was always so gentle


    and neat, would turn so vicious to kill his own brother.


    Matthew didn''t know how tofort people. His only experience prior was inforting his wife.


    Moreover, he was in no mood to soothe others. He was still enraged, knowing about the attempt on


    Harper''s life right after he left the imperial capital. However, she was lucky to escape unhurt.


    "Your Highness." Barry called as he looked at Matthew. Matthew immediately understood what he


    meant. He implied that they should deal with the real Lucas. However, Matthew continued to head


    forward. Then, the procession stopped at an inn to stay for the night. Lilian was engulfed in sadness, so


    she didn''t notice anything unusual.


    When Lucas woke up, he immediately touched his body to check if he was wounded. He was relieved


    to confirm that he was safe and sound. Then he turned over and sat up, only to see that Matthew was


    sitting at a table not far away from him. Seeing that he was awake, Matthew said in an indifferent tone,


    "Finally, you are awake."


    Lucas was still in a state of shock as he responded, "Uncle Matthew, I cannot believe I am alive. What


    happened there was so terrible."


    "If I had arrived there a littleter, you would already be dead. Oh no, I forgot, you are dead now,"


    Matthew replied with a tease. "For your information, the guards have already taken your coffin back to


    the imperial capital."


    Lucas grinned, saying, "I''m actually curious to know how I looked when I was lying dead? Did I look


    pretty?"


    Hearing that, Matthew narrowed his eyes, giving out a dangerous aura. Lucas immediatelyughed


    and said, "It doesn''t matter if I didn''t look pretty. I was just joking. But will he believe that I''m dead?"


    "Yes, he will," Matthew said as he poured a cup of tea for himself gracefully. "Now that he thinks you


    are dead, he will act soon. You''re the only person who can threaten his im to the throne. As soon as


    the news of your death reaches the imperial capital, he will begin his preparation for the ascension of


    the throne."


    "He cannot ascend the throne," Lucas said slowly, after remaining silent for a while. "Because I have


    the imperial jade seal."


    Raising his eyebrows, Matthew said nothing, but just kept listening to Lucas.


    Lucas then tore the cor of his clothes and took out a piece of bright yellow cloth. Matthew was quick


    to recognize the auspicious clouds painted on the cloth. It was the imperial edict wrapped in the yellow


    cloth.


    "Father gave this imperial edict and the imperial jade seal to me before his death. The imperial jade


    seal currently in the Imperial Pce is fake," Lucas said, as he gave the imperial edict to Matthew.


    However, Matthew did not take it in his hand.


    "Uncle Matthew, I didn''t mean it to hide it from you. Father¡­" Lucas hesitated, as he was not sure


    whether or not he should reveal all the truth.


    "Your father had already decided secretly about who should ascend the throne after his death. I''ve


    always known about it, and I also know that the person is you," Matthew stated inly. Lucas was quite


    surprised to hear that, but then heughed sarcastically.


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    "That''s right. Uncle Matthew, you are farsighted and smart as a whip. You know exactly what Father


    intended to do." He gave a wry smile and continued, "Everyone says I''m ridiculous. In their eyes, I am


    a regr guest of the brothels and only know about gambling and enjoying my life. However, they have


    no idea what I''ve been truly going through. I read endless books and garnered ample knowledge to be


    the next emperor of this country. Father arranged all of this. But, since when did you know it''s me?"


    "Since Hoffman came back to the imperial capital," Matthew replied. He then put down his teacup and


    continued, "It was just a great coincidence when Hoffman came back to the imperial capital. Felix was


    reigning strong and was the only one who was powerful in the imperial capital at that time. And you


    were the only one who remained safe among all the princes. Your father knew that Felix was a narrow-


    minded man, and once he became the most powerful one, he would turn to deal with you. That was the


    time when your father ordered Hoffman back to the imperial capital. I discerned that he did this to


    distract Felix''s attention from you. He used Hoffman to distract Felix, and thus you were protected from


    Felix''s possible attacks. As long as Felix stayed alive, no one would think you were actually the one


    your father favored the most."


    Lucas was surprised to hear his words. He didn''t expect that Matthew would know the truth so early.


    But why would he treat him like always and protect him? Puzzled, Lucas asked, "Uncle Matthew,


    despite knowing that I am the real heir to the throne, you didn''t attack me but protected me. Why?"


    "Why would I attack you?" Matthew asked, in aposed manner. "Who the next emperor of the Bright


    Dynasty would be has nothing to do with me and I don''t care about it either. I don''t have any desire for


    the throne, not even in my dreams. All I want is to protect my wife at all costs. As for others, I have no


    interest."


    "You love her so much," Lucas sighed with emotions. "I remember what Aunt Harper told me once, that


    you are the most important person for her in the world. And now, you just said that you will protect her


    at all costs. You guys are really a great couple. I envy you so much."


    Matthew''s eyes became much tenderer when he heard Lucas mentioning Harper. Lucas had always


    thought Matthew to be cold and cruel. He rarely saw him wear such a gentle face. He could not help


    but feel quite jealous. An old saying went that, "even heroes would fall for beauties", and that was true


    with Matthew. However, it also made Lucas upset, as he had no idea how it would feel like if he met


    someone who loved him so much.


    "By the way, Uncle Matthew, you already knew about Francis'' evil intentions. But why didn''t you take


    Aunt Harper along with you? If you had taken her with you, you could have avoided the grief of being


    parted with her and could have kept her protected as well," Lucas asked, as he sprang to his feet and


    gave both the imperial edict and imperial jade seal to Matthew.


    Matthew epted the imperial edict. As for the imperial jade seal, he didn''t take it. He said, "Keep the


    imperial jade seal with you. As for the imperial edict, I''ll send it to Harp. She should know what should


    be done with it."

 Chapter 687 Where Was The Testamentary Edict (Part Two)

    Chapter 687 Where Was The Testamentary Edict (Part Two)


    "Will she show it to the world?" Lucas asked. He was curious about what Harper would do with the


    imperial edict as she was someone who never acted ording tomon principles.


    Ignoring his question, Matthew gave him a cold look and asked, "Do you want to go back to the


    imperial capital? Or are you nning to hide in the procession and go to the Great Jade Kingdom with


    us?"


    "I''d like to hear your opinion first," Lucas replied. He didn''t speak out his n. Under the current


    situation, the best option for him was to listen to Matthew before deciding.


    After a moment''s silence, Matthew proposed, "I think you should go back to the imperial capital and


    cooperate with Harp. She may need your help."


    Lucas always knew how much Matthew valued his wife. But he never expected that Matthew would


    value her this much. This was a critical moment for all of them. Yet, he asked him to go back to the


    imperial capital just to help Harper. To be honest, Lucas was shocked to see Matthew''s devotion to his


    wife. He sighed, "Your trust for her is absolute."


    "If you are not willing to cooperate with her, then don''t go back to the imperial capital as you would only


    create trouble by acting at your own will," Matthewmented.


    "Uncle Matthew, don''t worry. As long as Aunt Harper orders me, I will obey her without any question. I


    will follow her orders no matter what they are," Lucas promised as he raised his hand in an oath.


    "Please be rest assured and don''t worry. I''ll listen to her obediently!"


    The shameless look on Lucas'' face made the corners of Matthew''s mouth twitch. "Harp is right. Your


    father had a good eye to choose you as his sessor."


    Upon hearing that, Lucas was shocked and stunned. Did he mean that Harper would have no objection


    to him being the next emperor?


    "Isn''t Aunt Harper always getting along with Francis? Then howe¡­?" Lucas questioned in


    surprise. He had thought that Harper was a close friend of Francis. Thus, he thought she supported


    him. If it was not for the fact that Matthew had tried so hard to protect him, he would probably have not


    told the truth to Matthew. But now, what Matthew implied was that Harper wasn''t actually supporting


    Francis. Instead, she had a high regard for him! That was quite surprising for him.


    "Well, she and Francis... It''s hard to exin the rtionship between them with a few words. The only


    thing you should keep in mind is that Francis will not be a good emperor," Matthew sighed emotionally.


    "Why don''t you im the throne for yourself, Uncle Matthew? Once you be the emperor of the


    Bright Dynasty, you will be able to protect her from any harm," Lucas asked. The reason he asked such


    a question was purely intentional. He wanted to test if Matthew really didn''t want the throne. If Matthew


    wanted to fight for the throne, then no one else would stand a chance. After all, he had the ck g


    Armyprising three hundred thousand strong warriors. That was enough for him to wipe out all his


    enemies in the Bright Dynasty.


    Matthew just snorted with a disdainful look, "The position of the emperor is bound with too many


    restrictions. I don''t want myself to be trapped in trouble. That might get her hurt, both physically and


    mentally."


    "Don''t you think it''s a bit too narrow-minded to think that way?" Lucas asked. He believed a real man


    would never give up the throne for a woman. He even got a vibe that Matthew was too obsessed with


    Harper that he made the wrong decision. There would be just a few men who would love their beauties


    more than the throne!Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    Matthew, on the other hand, was quick to cast a warning nce at Lucas. Immediately, thetter


    covered his mouth and said, "Uncle Matthew, I''m leaving for the imperial capital right now. If you need


    something, just name it and I''ll do it for you." He knew that his words made Matthew angry and the only


    thing he could do now was to stay away from him.


    "Castrate Francis for me," Matthew said in a cold voice.


    Lucas couldn''t help but drop his jaw when he heard this terrible request. He then hesitated and said,


    "Well... I don''t think it would be possible. How about you raise another one?"


    Matthew then snorted through his nose with contempt and said, "Humph! Then tell me, what is it that


    you can do for me?"


    "I can deliver a message for you!" Lucas replied proudly. "I can serve as a messenger to deliver your


    letter to Aunt Harper. You guys haven''t seen each other for quite a while. Aren''t you worried about her


    situation in the imperial capital? I can also keep an eye on her for you and keep you updated about her


    every day! How do you like this idea?"


    "I have my special secret guards to convey my messages," Matthew said as he nced coldly at


    Lucas. "You are of no use to me, honestly."


    Lucas was deeply frustrated. "I can also create chaos for you, but only if you want me to," he said,


    struggling to make him useful to Matthew.


    "Well, then you''d be courting death by doing that," Matthew responded with no hesitation. "All you need


    to do is disguise yourself and get back to the imperial capital. Just wait for her to get in touch with you.


    Don''t hang out around, or you may end up exposing your identity. After all, you know how cruel he is


    and he would show you no mercy once he spots you. I don''t want my wife to get into trouble because


    of you. So stay obedient and don''t act recklessly.


    Otherwise, I wouldn''t mind teaching you a lesson with my sword." While Matthew said those words, he


    drew out his ring sword.


    Seeing this, Lucas swallowed hard because of fear and said, "No, no! Of course I will stay obedient.


    Don''t do that to me, Uncle Matthew. We are a family!" Lucas felt depressed. Although he was the


    sessor chosen by his father, he did not make it to take the throne. And to add insult to injury,


    Matthew constantly threatened and scolded him. Oh, God! He couldn''t think of any sessor who had


    lived such a miserable life.


    "Uncle Matthew, I heard that your cousin is going to the imperial capital soon. Since you are not there,


    how do you n to deal with her?" Lucas asked again, trying to change the topic of discussion.


    "Harper can deal with her the way she wants to," Matthew said casually. He didn''t care about the


    cousin mentioned by Lucas. As a matter of fact, he even had no idea who that woman was.


    His answer left Lucas speechless. He groaned in his heart, ''You are such a ruthless man. Your cousin


    would be heartbroken when she learns that you have zero interest in her. And you are giving Aunt


    Harper the permission to do whatever she wants to do. What if she lets your cousin live in your


    mansion? What would you do in that situation?''


    "Uncle Matthew, aren''t you worried that Aunt Harper would grant her permission to live in your


    mansion? I mean, maybe taking her as your concubine?" Lucas asked curiously. It would be an


    interesting turn of events if Harper really did that. He even imagined what would happen in Matthew''s


    mansion if he went back to the imperial capital now.


    Matthew clearly discerned Lucas'' look of schadenfreude. He then said in a t tone, "I''ve thought of a


    new identity for you after you reach the imperial capital. How about bing the girl in a brothel? The


    identity of a woman would be a perfect disguise for you. Francis would never go to ces like that;


    neither would Jason. I think that is a perfect idea. What do you think?"


    Hearing that, Lucas immediately wore a long face. He whined at once, "Please no, Uncle Matthew. Can


    I have a better identity than a whore? Please!"

 Chapter 688 You Forget Yourself (Part One)

    Chapter 688 You Forget Yourself (Part One)


    When the news that Lucas had been assassinated and killed reached the imperial capital, it came as a


    great shock to everyone. However, they only sighed slightly rather than feel sad about it. After all,


    Lucas had gained quite a bad reputation when he was alive. Now that he was gone, the courtiers


    merely chatted about him curtly. It didn''t take too long before Lucas had beenpletely forgotten.


    Because of this, Harper couldn''t help but think that it was quite hrious. The image of Lucas as a


    yboy who indulged in gambling and sex was a masterpieceid by thete emperor himself. He had


    shaped Lucas so sessfully that all of the courtiers were fooled into thinking that Lucas was nothing


    but a yboy whose death was not to be regretted. If thete emperor only knew that his effort had all


    been in vain, he would probably furiously jump out of his coffin.


    "What are you pondering about?" Francis asked. After a couple of days of recuperation, he was already


    able to get out of bed and have a walk. Although he had been seriously injured, he managed to recover


    very quickly. Perhaps it was all thanks to the Imperial Academy of Medicine not hesitating to use any


    precious medicine to treat him.


    Looking at the huge Imperial Pce which extended into the distance, Harper slowly said, "I heard that


    Lucas unfortunately died, but the courtiers all said that there was nothing to regret about his death. I


    wonder why they all think this way. Had Lucas done anything so outrageous that was so against reason


    and nature? Had hemitted murder and arson, raped the wife or daughter of any man, or forced a


    girl of good family to be a prostitute? As a noble prince of the Bright Dynasty, his death is


    considered as something not to be regretted. Given all of the things they are saying, I believe that he


    would not be able to rest in peace."


    Clutching his chest with his hand, Francis coughed violently. When Harper turned her head to look at


    him, she couldn''t help but frown slightly. "You haven''t fully recovered yet. You should note out in


    case you may catch a chill. If you get sick because of that, you''ll be the one to suffer."


    Francis stopped coughing and said, "Today during the imperial court session, I reprimanded the


    courtiers for their rudements about Lucas'' death and ordered the appropriate department to


    investigate and find out the murderer. I believe there''s going to be a result real soon. Lucas hadn''t done


    anything outrageous. It just so happened that he was a yboy."


    "Yes, he was a yboy who lost his life through ying," Harper said in a light voice,pletely devoid


    of any emotion. "By now, your wound should have already scabbed and your health is steadily


    improving. So, when will you allow me to leave the Imperial Pce?"


    A glimmer of light shed across Francis'' eyes. "The imperial capital is not peaceful at the moment.


    The situation is so bad that even a prince could be killed. Uncle Matthew has a lot of enemies. I cannot


    allow you to stay in his mansion all by yourself," he replied.


    "Our mansion will be having a guest in a couple of days. As the hostess of the mansion, I have to go


    back to make arrangements in order to receive the guest. It''s the duty I have to fulfil," Harper gently


    said as she looked at Francis. "Besides, the secret guards will be there to protect me. I''ll be fine."


    "If..." Francis looked Harper straight in the eye. "What if I say that I want you to stay?"


    Avoiding eye contact with Francis, Harper turned around and continued to look at the red walls and


    green roofs in the distance. "The courtiers have been asking you to ascend the throne as soon as


    possible. You are not getting any younger, and it''s about time for you to get married. You should have


    someone take care of the household for you. I carefully observed the daughters of the courtiers who


    are at marriageable ages. It''s just not a handful of them who are beautiful, talented, and gentle. Once


    you see them yourself, you''re going to like them for sure."


    "I won''t like them!" Francis roared in anger. Perhaps it was because he was being too emotional that it


    even affected his wound, and he even had to hold onto the railing to keep himself upright. Seeing that,


    a young eunuch rushed to his side to support him, only to be pushed away. Instead, Francis reached


    out to grab Harper''s arms, forcing her to look at him. "Harper, I''ve told you many times before. I don''t


    like those women, and I''ll never like any of them!"


    "Francis, you''re going overboard," Harper said in a rather indifferent tone, looking at Francis calmly.


    Despite her reaction, Francis didn''t loosen his grip on her arms. Instead, he stared at her with a pair of


    eyes filled with such pain and asked, "Harper, why? Why are you so cruel to me?"


    Harper quickly turned her head away to avoid looking at Francis directly. Her heart was much too small


    to amodate any man other than Matthew. In truth, she just couldn''t see, or simply chose not to


    see the merits of any other man.


    "Harper..."


    Before Francis could say anything else, Harper shook off his hands and turned awaypletely. She


    didn''t want to listen to whatever it was that he was going to say. Seeing his empty hands and the


    repulsive back of Harper, Francis could not help clenching his fists. In an instant, his eyes burned red


    with hatred. ''Is it because you only have eyes for Matthew that you''re unwilling to give me a chance?''


    he thought to himself.


    "Francis, you''ve forgotten yourself." Jason''s voice came through from behind. Francis then turned


    around toward the direction the voice came from. The hatred in his eyes had disappeared, reced by


    the usual tenderness.


    "Jason, when did you arrive?"


    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    "I got here the same time you did," Jason replied, looking at Francis, who looked like such a perfect


    actor. "Don''t you ever get tired of pretending even in front of me?"


    "What are you talking about, Jason? I don''t quite get what you''re saying," Francis said with a gentle


    smile on his pale face. "Lucas'' remains will be sent back to the imperial capital in a couple of days. By


    then, I will have to bother you with his funeral."


    "Francis!" Jason eximed, reaching out his hand to grab Francis'' robe. "Why are you still deceiving


    yourself?"


    Francis calmly tugged his robe from Jason''s grip, straightening it without leaving so much as a wrinkle.


    "Jason, aren''t you deceiving yourself as well?"


    "You can''t keep her in this ce forever. Let her leave, Francis." Jason didn''t want to let Harper to stay


    in the Imperial Pce any longer, which would only torment Francis. As far as he was concerned,


    Harper''s indifference, her coldness, along with her behaviors and expressions, were only bringing


    Francis great pain, because none of them showed that she cared for him.

 Chapter 689 You Forget Yourself (Part Two)

    Chapter 689 You Forget Yourself (Part Two)


    "No way!" Francis said decidedly. "I lost her once and I don''t want to lose her again. Jason, don''t you


    feel regretful?"


    "No!" Jason eximed in a cold tone, hiding his emotions deep in his eyes.


    Francis coughed, his hands tightly clutching his chest. "When your master epted a junior disciple,


    you couldn''t stop talking about your junior brother. Andter when you found out that the junior brother


    was in fact a junior sister, you came to me in the middle of the night looking so flustered. You were


    beside yourself with happiness that you could not speak coherently. You even carved a jade pendant


    for her with your own hands. I remember she always wore the jade pendant every day."


    When Jason heard that, it felt like something was about to spill from his eyes, but he managed to close


    them in time and said, "Francis, it''s already toote! We have to ept the fact that she''s Uncle


    Matthew''s wife and our Aunt!"


    "So what?" Francis said coldly. "Knowing that I love her, I should strive for her love. I don''t think there''s


    anything wrong with that."


    "You could only strive for her love before she got married. Now, she has already be someone


    else''s wife!" Jason felt so helpless at that moment. This was how Francis was. He was so stubborn that


    no one could convince him to stop once his mind was made up.


    "Jason, even though she is married, she can still get a divorce peacefully. Other than that, she can


    be a widow as well," Francis whispered under his breath, but Jason was able to hear it anyway.


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    "You still want to take action against him?" Hearing him say such a thing, Jason couldn''t help but feel


    uneasy. After all, Matthew was not Lucas. The reason why Lucas could be dealt with so easily was


    mainly because of his limited ability and poor poprity. Inparison, Matthew was far from being


    like that. He was meticulous and had many talented followers. If Francis were to try to kill Matthew, he


    had to consider if he could bear the repercussions of his actions in case he failed to kill him off.


    Turning around, Francis answered, "I won''t take action against him. It will be the emperor of the Great


    Jade Kingdom who''s going to do that. The emperor and Matthew have been sworn enemies. If he


    keeps Matthew detained in the Great Jade Kingdom, it won''t have anything to do with me."


    Looking at the receding back of Francis, Jason shook his head in disappointment. The reason why they


    decided to take action against Lucas was because they were afraid that there was a testamentary edict


    in Lucas'' hands. Now that Lucas was already dead, even if the testamentary edict to appoint him as the


    heir of thete emperor really existed, it would not mean a thing anymore. However, Matthew was an


    entirely different matter. Once Matthew raised his arm in a call for action, countless people would echo


    with and follow him. If Francis really took action but failed to kill Matthew, his attempt to take Harper


    away from Matthew would definitely be a more than enough reason for Matthew to kill him.


    "Chief."


    "What''s the matter?" Jason asked, trying to hold back his emotions. Hope was not yet lost. If he were to


    inform Harper about it in advance, the result might be different.


    "Prince Hoffman in the Repenting Tower wants to have a word with Prince Francis."


    "Hoffman." It had been so long since he heard about Hoffman. This time, the people who had seriously


    injured Francis were a group of assassins from the South Kingdom who hade to save Hoffman


    and to kill Harper as well.


    "I guess it''s time to see him," Jason said, turning around and heading straight toward the Repenting


    Tower. Although Hoffman had been relegated to a civilian''s status and imprisoned at the tower, he was


    still able to stir up trouble. Thus, it was clear as day that he was discontented with his current situation.


    At the thought of that, Jason wondered what kind of close rtionship Hoffman had with the people


    from the South Kingdom that they would go to the trouble ofing to his rescue.


    The tower was simr to the Cold Pce in its nature, but it was significantly more destepared


    to the Cold Pce. The security was so tight that even flies won''t be able to enter. Its name indicated


    that it was a ce to reflect on one''s mistakes, but it was in fact like a prison. The only difference


    between the two was that the imperial prison was in the Imperial Pce, while the tower was located


    outside the Imperial Pce. Other than that, the two of them were actually the same in nature.


    Standing at the door of the Repenting Tower, Jason realized that among the many sons of thete


    emperor, Hoffman was the only one who had actually escaped death only because he had been


    imprisoned in the tower. That being said, if Hoffman harbored malicious intentions, they certainly


    wouldn''t let him go so easily.


    "Open the door."


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    The door of the tower was opened carefully, and a bad smell emanated from the inside all of a sudden.


    It was hard to imagine that someone actually lived here. As soon as he stepped foot inside the tower,


    Jason sensed a moist musty smell. Although he was aware of the fact that the living condition in the


    tower was not good, he never could''ve expected that the environment here would beparable to the


    prison''s, or possibly even worse.


    "Wee," Hoffman''s voice greeted him. It was not until he heard Hoffman''s voice that Jason finally


    found where he was. After being imprisoned in the tower for so long, Hoffman looked so despondent.


    "It seems that you are enjoying your stay here, Hoffman." Jason poked fun at him. "Why do you want to


    meet Francis?"


    Hoffman stood in front of the threshold on the other side, while Jason stood at the entrance of the


    tower. The two of them were staring at each other from afar. Then, Hoffman asked, "Can you make a


    decision for him?"


    "It depends. I can''t tell whether I can make the decision or not unless you tell me what it is about,"


    Jason said, walking forward and moving toward the yard. Even the midday sunshine couldn''t dispel the


    coldness of the tower.


    "I want to make a deal with you two." Hoffman cleared his throat. The environment in the tower was just


    too harsh. Had he not been living in the south domain in the past, he wouldn''t have been able to hold


    on for so long. "I''m sure that Francis would also like to know the secret of the Heavenly


    Book."

 Chapter 690 Cynthia Came To The Imperial Capital (Part One)

    Chapter 690 Cynthia Came To The Imperial Capital (Part One)


    Arrangements had been made by Francis for Harper to stay in the Sleek Pce. It was a well-known


    fact to everyone that the Sleek Pce was the ce where the future empress was supposed to live.


    Meaning to say, Francis did this deliberately and his purpose could not be more obvious. Harper was


    someone who held a special ce in his heart. Knowing this, Sherry had beening over to the


    Sleek Pce to find fault with Harper. But each time, Francis woulde and quickly solve whatever


    the trouble was. In order to make sure Sherry wouldn''t be able to make any trouble for Harper, he


    decided to ce his mother under house arrest.


    It should go without saying that Sherry was so angry at his decision¡ªso much so that she smashed


    everything in her pce as a way to vent her anger. How she wished she could rip Harper into shreds.


    "That bitch! Bitch!" she cursed spitefully.


    "Please don''t be angry, My Lady." A maid tried to calm her down.


    "Don''t be angry? How can I not be angry? She is Matthew''s wife! But she is now living in the Sleek


    Pce! Why on earth would Francis make such arrangements?" Sherry furiously screamed as her face


    became contorted. Although Francis was her son, she waspletely clueless as to what was going


    on inside that mind of his and what he was intending to do.


    The maids in waiting didn''t dare to speak another word upon seeing the anger in Sherry''s eyes. They


    simply lowered their heads and backed away. After serving her for quite a while, they hade to


    realize that anyone who tried to soothe her whenever she was like that would only end up being


    severely punished instead. For that reason, they opted to just keep their mouths shut.


    After letting off some steam, Sherry finally calmed down little by little. At the same time, she started


    thinking about the current situation. Harper posed a great threat to her as well as Francis. After all, the


    world knew that she was Matthew''s wife. Sherry was well aware of the fact that Francis had a thing forProperty belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    Harper. But she would never let him do whatever he pleased. If he were to express his feelings for


    Harper in front of others, he would be deemed unqualified to serve as the next emperor.


    "No. I can''t just sit back and let her continue to stay here," Sherry eximed as she gritted her teeth.


    "Go and invite Harper here.


    I would like to have a word with her."


    "My Lady, Prince Francis wouldn''t allow you..." the maid said, trying to remind her, albeit hesitantly.


    "He only forbids me from leaving the pce. It doesn''t mean that you can''t leave here. It is true that he


    doesn''t want me to meet Harper, but he never said anything about Harper not being allowed toe


    here to meet me instead. Just go and ask her toe here right now!" Sherry snorted with such


    disdain. One way or another, she was determined to get rid of Harper so that she wouldn''t pose a


    threat to Francis. Now that they hade this far after so many hardships, she could not allow Harper


    to get in their way.


    At the gate of Matthew''s mansion, a low-key and ordinary carriage pulled over. A maid then walked


    toward the mansion and knocked on the door. "We are from the Xiao n. We''vee here to visit


    Lady Harper," she said.


    Hearing this, the guard nced at the maid and hesitated for a bit, saying "Miss, I regret to inform you


    that Lady Harper hasn''t been back to the mansion for quite a while. She is staying in the Imperial


    Pce at the moment. If you want to see her, you would have to send the information to the Imperial


    Pce."


    Cynthia Xiao, Matthew''s cousin, was surprised to hear that. "Harper is Matthew''s wife. Why is she living


    in the Imperial Pce now? Isn''t she supposed to be staying in Matthew''s mansion?" she asked in


    confusion.


    "Prince Francis has been seriously injured. For that reason, Lady Harper was ordered to stay in the


    pce to treat him," the guard answered politely. "She hasn''te back ever since she left. So, I''m


    afraid we cannot let you in and receive you as guests. Please go back for now."


    "Hey, how could you talk to us like that?" the maid yelled out. When the guard closed the door, her


    finger almost got caught, so she was so furious and jumped to her feet out of anger.


    "Amy, just forget it," Cynthia Xiao ordered. "Let''s make a detour to an inn for now. Matthew is currently


    on the way, escorting Princess Lilian to the Great Jade Kingdom. Harper is in charge of all the affairs in


    the mansion. Given that she isn''t home at the moment, no one would dare to allow us toe inside


    without her permission. That is perfectly understandable. We should just leave."


    Amy got inside the carriage, anger still brewing inside of her. "Humph! I''ve heard that Lady Harper is a


    jealous woman. The way I see it, what that guard said isn''t making any sense. She is a married


    woman! How could she stay in the Imperial Pce for so long? That is just impossible. It''s clear to see


    that she is doing this to turn us down on purpose in order to drive us away!"


    Despite hearing that, Cynthia Xiao didn''t give her any response. The Xiao n hadn''t been a part of


    the court for many years. Thus, they had little to no influence in the imperial capital. But they were


    aware of the situation here. Cynthia Xiao knew that Harper was indeed staying in the Imperial Pce.


    However, the reason why she was there wasn''t the same as what the guard had said. As far as Cynthia


    Xiao was concerned, Harper was deliberately being kept in the Imperial Pce by Francis in order to


    threaten Matthew. Harper was probably being held as a hostage.


    "My Lady, aren''t you the least bit mad at her?" Amy asked, her face burning red with anger. Cynthia


    Xiao was quite an important and influential figure in the Xiao n. If it weren''t for her, the Xiao n


    might not have been willing to allow them toe here. That being said, the result remained the same,


    and they were still turned down.


    Calmly flipping through the book in her hand, Cynthia Xiao answered, "Why would I be angry? He


    was only telling the truth, anyway. She is indeed in the Imperial Pce right now. As for the real reason


    why she is being kept there, it is not that important anymore."


    "That means we can''t get into Prince Matthew''s mansion, am I right?" Amy asked, sounding so


    concerned.


    A faint smile crept onto Cynthia Xiao''s face. "I''ve heard that my brother, Rufus, is currently in the


    imperial capital. I want you to ask someone to get in touch with him. He and Matthew always get along


    well. Maybe he can help us get inside Matthew''s mansion."


    "Yes, My Lady." Hearing that, Amy felt so relieved. Without dy, she intended to ask someone to


    contact Rufus at once. But the second she opened the curtain to give out the order, their carriage was


    stopped by someone.


    "Is Lady Cynthia from the Xiao n in the carriage?" Ken asked, leading a group of guards and


    stopping them in their tracks.


    When she heard this, Cynthia Xiao immediately pulled the curtain aside and nced at the well-armed


    guards outside. Feeling a bit confused, she replied, "Yes, I am here. Sirs, why are you stopping us?"


    Ken made a bow and answered politely, "It''s nice to meet you, Lady Cynthia. Prince Francis heard that


    someone paid a visit to Prince Matthew''s mansion. So, he was worried that no one would entertain you


    there. For that reason, he ordered me toe here to invite you to the Imperial Pce so you can


    meet Lady Harper."

 Chapter 691 Cynthia Came To The Imperial Capital (Part Two)

    Chapter 691 Cynthia Came To The Imperial Capital (Part Two)


    Cynthia Xiao couldn''t help but frown upon hearing his words. First of all, it was kind of weird for Francis


    to find out about the situation in Matthew''s mansion so soon. Was he actually having his men spy on


    Matthew''s mansion? Besides, if it were true that he was worried that no one would entertain her in


    Matthew''s mansion, he should have just let Harper leave the Imperial Pce ande back. But now,


    this man was inviting her into the Imperial Pce instead. Was this an order from Harper or from


    Francis?


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    "Who is the one inviting into the Imperial Pce? Lady Harper or Prince Francis?" she asked.


    "It doesn''t matter anyway," Ken tly replied, his voice calm and sensible. "Lady Cynthia, this way


    please."


    "Lady Cynthia..." Amy was about to rejected Ken.


    "Amy, don''t be rude," Cynthia Xiao stopped Amy from saying anything else. Then, she turned to Ken


    and said, "Very well. Please lead the way."


    "Yes. Forgive me, Lady Cynthia. I''m only following orders," Ken apologized. With that, he asked the


    guards to surround the carriage from the front to the back. It might appear that he was protecting the


    carriage, but he was actually just escorting them into the Imperial Pce.


    Standing by the window and looking at the person being taken away, Rufus squinted his eyes. "Mister


    Rufus, Lady Cynthia is being taken into the Imperial Pce. Is she going to be all right?" asked Rufus''


    manservant.


    "What could possibly happen to her?" Rufus answered in a rather indifferent tone. "What? Do you think


    Francis would be so lecherous that he''d actually do something to her? I''m afraid the people in the


    Swan Castle only wish that Francis would actually make a move on her."


    Hearing his response, the attendant smiled awkwardly. He had been noticing that his young master


    was bing more and more displeased with the people in the Swan Castle. Rufus had only been


    back to the imperial capital for a few days, and now Cynthia had arrived afterwards. Now, she even


    went directly to Matthew''s mansion to pay a visit, only to be turned down and even forcibly escorted


    into the Imperial Pce. These developments were very strange. However, it seemed that Rufus was


    not worried at all.


    "So we''re just going to leave Lady Cynthia like this?" asked the attendant.


    "I will pay a visit to the Imperial Pce tonight," Rufus said in a cold tone. Thinking of the thing he was


    holding in his hand, he would naturally find a way to give it to Harper. Cynthia Xiao being brought into


    the Imperial Pce had just given him a perfect excuse to visit the Imperial Pce at night.


    "You''re going to the Imperial Pce? Then, I will apany you," Howard suddenly chimed in. At that


    time, he was sitting nearby, carefully wiping his sword with a handkerchief.


    "I will be visiting the Imperial Pce at night!" Rufus stressed out.


    "Whatever. I''ll being with you," Howard tly replied. Howard took Felix away, but Felix managed


    to escape. Then, Felix chased after Francis and eventually got himself killed in the process. This left


    Harper very displeased with Howard, so Howard was determined to make amends for it.


    "My sister has been taken into the Imperial Pce. So, I, at least, have an excuse to go there. But what


    about you? Do you have any excuse?" Rufus asked angrily as he stood with arms akimbo. As soon as


    he came back to the imperial capital, Howard had been following him wherever he went. If it were not


    for the fact that he worked for Harper, Rufus would''ve taught him a lesson a long time ago.


    Giving him a cold stare, Howard answered, "My sister is in the Imperial Pce as well."


    "Your sister is in the Imperial Pce?" he echoed. "Come on! Don''t try to fool me! Bah! Do you actually


    consider Harper to be your sister? Are you kidding me?" Rufus chided. But after a while, he realized


    that Harper was indeed Howard''s sister, to some degree, although not rted by blood. But would


    Harper ever admit that he was actually her brother? No one knew.


    Howard''s sword was now glistening with cold light. As he waved his sword, he pointed it straight toward


    Rufus. And then, his sword stopped in front of Rufus'' face. "Of course, I do."


    "Are there really such brother and sister in the world who would scheme and hurt each other?" Rufus


    argued, and his stomach even ached because of anger. ''What? Is he trying to threaten me with that


    damned sword?'' he cursed deep inside.


    Howard sneered, "Isn''t that what your n is like? Your family is no different from mine when ites


    to this respect."


    This rendered Rufuspletely speechless. After giving it much thought, he realized that Howard was


    merely telling the truth. If brothers and sisters were not from the same mother, the fights among them


    would probably be even fiercer. Although he rarely came back to the Swan Castle, he knew that the


    overt and covert struggles were constantly happening one after another. At the thought of that, he was


    afraid that the fights in his family were even worse than those in the Chu n.


    "I''m not involved in scheming against them." Rufus made it clear.


    "Can you say for certain that they never thought of ying tricks on you?" Howard posed the question


    as he sheathed his sword. "You may not scheme against others, but that doesn''t necessarily mean


    they won''t do this to you. As the eldest legitimate son of the Xiao n, you are the one whom


    everyone is keeping a close eye on. They all want to pull you down from your current status. If you


    hadn''t been with Matthew all these years, do you seriously think you could''ve stayed safe and sound


    for so long?"


    As Rufus heard that, his eyebrows became deeply knitted and he wore a long face at once, but he


    couldn''t argue with what Howard said. Nowadays, Francis was so powerful, and Matthew was ced


    at a disadvantage. The Xiao n at the Swan Castle was ready to make a move. Knowing that, he


    thought that the purpose of Cynthia Xiaoing here this time was to persuade Matthew topete


    for the throne. If Matthew seeded in bing the next emperor, the Xiao n would be able to


    return to the court and be powerful in the Imperial Pce once again. However, Matthew was not


    someone who would be easily manipted by others. There was no way in hell that he would allow the


    Xiao n to make a decision for him.


    "You can''te with me. Otherwise, Francis will be suspicious," Rufus insisted. He was not really


    just being naive. It just so happened that he did not want to think too much about those nasty things. In


    the past, he disliked Harper because he mistakenly thought that she seemed like such a kind woman,


    yet she was cruel and heartless deep inside. Later, he got to know what kind of life Harper had been


    through in the Chu n before she married Matthew. He began to feel pity for her and even hated


    Howard and others who had mistreated her in the past. In his eyes, he thought that they were the ones


    responsible for turning an innocent and gentle girl into such a cruel and spiteful woman.


    After hesitating for a while, Howard went on and said, "Prince Francis has now kept her grounded in


    the pce to prevent Matthew''s men from getting in touch with her. Are you sure you''ll be able to see


    her after you go there tonight?"


    Rufus had a second thought and didn''t say anything for a while. If Francis had taken precautions


    against Matthew and his men, the Sleek Pce where Harper was now staying in would probably be


    heavily guarded. If that was really the case, he was worried that he might get caught as soon as he


    appeared, and thus he wouldn''t be able to see her in the end.


    "How about this? We''ll just go there together. You will attract the guards'' attention and I will take that


    opportunity toe and meet her. If you have something to say or anything you want to deliver to her, I


    will help you out. So, are you sure you don''t want me to go inside with you?" Howard said, not feeling


    worried whatsoever. Now, Lucas was killed and Francis had yet to take any action. It only went to show


    that he was afraid of something. Considering that, Francis wouldn''t be able to make a move until his


    problem was solved.


    "Why don''t you attract the guards'' attention instead?" Rufus asked. After thinking it through, he realized


    that if the guards were focused on Howard, he could sneak in to see Harper instead. Personally, he


    preferred this idea much more.


    "Because I''m not Matthew''s man," Howard helplessly replied, looking so shocked at Rufus'' stupidity.

 Chapter 692 The Gift (Part One)

    Chapter 692 The Gift (Part One)


    Then Cynthia was directly taken to the Sleek Pce. There, Harper was sitting on the swing in the


    yard, making a kite leisurely and waiting for her maid to feed her. She never got a feeling of being


    under house arrest.


    Cynthia froze for a moment and didn''t know what to say. The Sleek Pce was where the empress


    lived. The former empress was forced tomit suicide, and the pce remained unupied. But


    unexpectedly, Harper stayed in this pce even though she was just a prince''s wife.


    "Your Highness, it feels so nice to meet you," Cynthia greeted her with a pleasant smile, and then


    bowed at once.


    Harper looked up at her and then continued her work with the kite. "It seems Francis has invited you as


    well to the Imperial Pce."


    Cynthia immediately understood the underlying meaning of her words. It was not Harper who asked her


    toe to the Imperial Pce, but it was Francis. She had no clue why he kept Harper in the pce


    and also brought her here.


    "General Ken of the pce guards brought us here. He said you are here." Cynthia''s voice was gentle


    and pleasant. Harper smiled, hearing her words.


    "Yes, I just said that I would leave the Imperial Pce as a guest wasing to visit me. But now, the


    guest has been invited in. Give Lady Cynthia a stool. It''s been so boring in the pce and I''m not


    allowed to go out. So I decided to fly a kite to kill time." Harper waved her hand at a maid.


    "Thank you very much, Your Highness," Cynthia thanked and sat down. She quietly watched Harper


    making the kite for some time with Forsythia''s assistance. Anabel fed a piece of cake to her from time


    to time, and she enjoyed it very much.Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    "Your Highness, you have been enjoying yourself."


    "I am not someone who treats oneself badly. As long as I can make myself happy and pleasant, I won''t


    lead a bad life. Now that I have fallen into someone''s custody, I think it''s better to adapt to the situation


    and keep myself pleasant than to suffer from hardship and endure agony." Harper looked at Cynthia


    and found that the kite was almost ready. She only needed to tie the kite line.


    Cynthia didn''t observe the painting on Harper''s kite at first, but as Harper picked it up, her sight fell on


    it. She was so embarrassed the moment she saw it, and Amy''s face too turned red. It was a portrait of


    a beautiful nakeddy!


    "I''ll try it first and check if it flies." Harper shook the kite. As the kite spread wide, the nakeddy on the


    painting looked more vivid. Cynthia couldn''t bear looking at the picture directly, so she looked away


    immediately.


    "Wow, Little Harper, your kite is beautiful." Jason came over slowly and then quickly went to Harper,


    taking the kite from her. The moment he saw the portrait of a nakeddy on the kite, he clicked his


    tongue and said, "I didn''t expect that you would like this, Little Harper."


    "Little Harper? You Little Jason." Harper quickly snatched her kite from Jason and handed it over to


    Forsythia. "Fly it high over the sky."


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    Forsythia took the kite and flew it to the sky. Then she passed the kite line to Harper, who then had a


    very good time with it. The portrait of the nakeddy looked even more beautiful when the kite flew


    high. Jason sat next to a stone table, crossed his legs and rested his chin on one hand, looking at the


    portrait in the sky.


    "What will the courtiers think if theye to know that Princess Harper is flying a kite with the portrait


    of a nakeddy?" Jason said as his eyes lit up.


    Harper looked back. "I have always been arrogant and domineering. Before my marriage, I dared to


    beat the emperor''s concubines in the Imperial Pce, and after getting married, I didn''t hesitate to hit


    the courtiers. What is it that I can''t do? Also, I am just flying my kite and what they would think of me


    has minimal effects on me. I''m neither the emperor nor the empress. It isn''t a big deal to fly a kite."


    A light suddenly glinted in Jason''s eyes. "Do you wish to be the empress, Little Harper?"


    "No, I don''t." Harper dismissed him abruptly. "What''s good to be an empress? There are endless rules


    in the Imperial Pce and I can''t even recite all of them. So I''d better be a free princess. If I am in a


    good mood, I can fly a kite with the portrait of a nakeddy, go to the gambling house, y dice, or


    drink a little wine. If I am in a bad mood, I can quarrel with my husband and drive him to the study. Can


    the empress do all this?"


    The corners of Jason''s mouth twitched. "Maybe, I guess."


    "The empress has to be generous and dignified, but I am a jealous and vicious woman. Have you


    forgotten the oath my husband swore when he married me? That he would only marry me in his life,


    and that if he breaks the promise... Then what? I don''t remember it fully." Harper paused for a moment.


    "He will get struck by lightning and die miserably?" Jason added as a reminder to Harper.


    "Am I such a naive person? If someone could really be struck by lightning, thete emperor would have


    got killed many times by thunder and lightning. Yet, even after breaking his oath several times, he still


    lived for many years." Harper snorted. "I can''t control others, but I can control myself. By the way, what


    kind of person do you prefer, Jason?"


    Harper was purposeful in asking what kind of person, rather than what kind of woman. She suspected


    that Jason preferred Francis, and even visualized about who would be on top if they had sex. Since


    Francis was charming and gentle, he was likely to be the one below. However, if Jason was below, it


    would just add to the wilderness.

 Chapter 693 The Gift (Part Two)

    Chapter 693 The Gift (Part Two)


    "What do you mean?" Jason always felt that there was something hidden in Harper''s expression, as if


    something else was ying in her head. He suddenly remembered that she had mentioned the gay


    trend the other day.


    Harper gave the kite to Forsythia and whispered in Jason''s ear, "I have a collection of the thirty-six


    peaches-sharing(*) skills. Would you like to see them? I promise it will blow your mind." (*Peach-


    sharing is an ancient jargon in China which refers to gay activities)


    "Peaches-sharing? What is it?" Jason asked with curiosity. It was not his fault that he was cut off from


    the world. He had never visited any brothel or gay ce. There was no chance for him to know all


    about such gay stuff.


    "You cane to me some other day. I''ll give it to you as a gift, and I promise you''ll be satisfied," said


    Harper, revealing that she knew everything quite well.


    "A gift?" Jason remembered nothing except for the word "gift". Thinking curiously what gift it would be,


    he nodded quickly.


    "Okay, I''ll be waiting eagerly for your gift," he said inly.


    Harper thought, ''I know you two are gay. But I pity Francis for being a gay, despite being so handsome.


    After all, he could seduce any woman with his charm. Jason is not too bad as well. Nowadays, it seems


    that women''s rivals in love are not just women, but also men!''


    Being immersed in the joy of receiving a gift from Harper, Jason failed to notice the expression in her


    eyes. "Draw a kite for me too," he said.


    "Okay, no problem. Let''s have apetition to see who can fly the kite higher." Harper quickly drew a


    picture for Jason. The picture she drew this time was not a nakeddy, but two handsome men!


    Jason got stunned to see the picture. He demanded, "I want yours!"


    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    "Okay, no problem. I''ll give you mine, and this one belongs to me." Harper handed the picture to Anabel


    and said, "Make a kite so that I canpete with Jason."


    Without dy, Anabel put down the te in her hand and left to make a kite. Jason was curious and


    sat next to her to see what she was doing. But the more he looked at the handsome men in the picture,


    the more he felt they were familiar. But after a closer look, he got a feeling that they were not familiar at


    all.


    Compared with Harper, Anabel was an expert in kite making andpleted the process soon. She tied


    the kite line and Jason just snatched it from her. "Forget it. I''ll fly this one."


    Harper didn''t bother about it at all. "Fine, just fly it."


    When Francis walked in, what he saw was Harper and Jasonpeting against each other, and


    Cynthia sitting quietly and watching over.


    Francis wore a nd smile. With sharp eyes, he soon saw Harper''s kite with the portrait of a naked


    lady and his smile became helpless. When his eyes fell on Jason''s kite, the corner of his mouth


    twitched strangely. The kite flown by Jason had a picture of two handsome men, who were leaning


    close to each other, but they both just showed a side face. He was familiar with one of the side faces,


    and it was Jason''s.


    "Jason, who drew the picture on your kite?" Francis was sure that Jason wouldn''t picture himself in


    such an improper manner. This was something that could even damage his dignity.


    Jason was still busypeting with Harper. "Leave me alone. This is a tightpetition. If I win, she


    will cook for me today, and if I lose, a turtle will be painted on me."


    Francis kneaded his temples. Since his kite was flying high in the sky, Jason didn''t want to get


    distracted and lose thepetition. Francis then looked at Harper, who was flying her kite with a smile


    on her face. It didn''t look like her usual gentle smile, but it seemed as if her schemes had seeded.


    "All right. I''ll talk to you after you win," Francis said to Jason, and then immediately walked to Harper


    and watched her flying the kite. The picture of the nakeddy on Harper''s kite was looking sultry, but


    the one on Jason''s kite was even more obscene. Even though the people in the Bright Dynasty were


    open-minded, there wasn''t much support for the gay trend. However, Jason paraded himself as an


    example.


    Francis thought of every man around Jason for a pair. He began to suspect that Jason might not be


    straight. The reason that Jason was willing to give up his crush on his junior fellow Harper so easily


    was because he found out that the one he loved was not her, but a man. But who was that man he


    loved?


    "Harper, the group left for peacemaking would reach the Great Jade Kingdom soon." Regardless of


    other thoughts, the sole purpose of Francis'' visit today was to observe Harper''s reaction.


    "Really? That''s great! I''m sure Matthew would be back as soon as they seed." Harper controlled the


    kite line in her hand while speaking.


    "If Emperor Rndo agrees to the marriage alliance, it will be good for us. I just fear that he might use


    this opportunity to attack Uncle Matthew. After all, everyone knows that he is the sharp sword of the


    Bright Dynasty. Without him, our country will be like a tiger whose teeth are pulled out. I am very


    worried about that."


    Harper didn''t change her expression. "If he gets easily killed by Emperor Rndo, then he doesn''t


    deserve to be called Matthew. Don''t worry, Francis, he will be fine. By the way, Lady Sherry''s maid has


    asked me to her pce."


    "You just ignore her. Leave it to me," Francis responded, his eyes lighting up.

 Chapter 694 Breaking His Head (Part One)

    Chapter 694 Breaking His Head (Part One)


    Cynthia was retained in the Sleek Pce. Since Harper stayed in the side hall, there was just the main


    hall that remained vacant. Looking at the luxurious and spacious main hall, Cynthia frowned tightly and


    asked the young maid who had guided her there, "Excuse me, but why do I stay in the main hall for the


    night?"


    "Lady Cynthia, since Her Highness is staying in the side hall, only the main hall is avable now. So,


    Her Highness herself ordered me to arrange your stay in the main hall," the young maid answered


    respectfully.


    "I''m just a civilian girl. It''s not appropriate for me to stay in the main hall of the Sleek Pce. Can you


    pass a message to Her Highness for me asking her if she will stay in the main hall and let me stay in


    the side hall?" Cynthia was somewhat annoyed. She was merely a guest visiting Matthew''s mansion. If


    she stayed in the main hall of the Sleek Pce, obviously she would be the topic of gossip. She


    could imagine what others would think of her. Moreover, with a position higher than hers, Harper was


    staying in the side hall. In that situation, if Cynthia were to stay in the main hall, it would be an act of


    adding fuel to the fire, making it easy for others to attack her verbally.


    "Lady Cynthia, please try to understand. Her Highness has already gone to bed. Besides, the moment


    she stepped into the Sleek Pce, she had rified that she wouldn''t be staying in the main hall. So


    please stay in the main hall for the time being despite your unwillingness," the young maid said


    helplessly. She thought it was a great honor to stay in the main hall of the Sleek Pce for a night. She


    couldn''t understand why both Harper and Cynthia were refusing such an honor. She wondered, ''Do


    they look down upon the main hall of the Sleek Pce?''


    Looking at the receding back of the young maid, Cynthia frowned tightly. Her maid, Amy, also looked


    quite uneasy. "My Lady, what do you think about Lady Harper''s intention? She stays in the Sleek


    Pce, but she lives the side hall instead of the main hall, and lets you stay the main hall¡­"


    "Stop it," Cynthia said, shaking her head. Surely, she couldn''t stay in the main hall. She had no choice


    but to find another ce to stay for the night. "I remember there is a soft bed in the drawing room. The


    weather isn''t cold now. Bring a quilt and follow me. I will sleep on the soft bed in the drawing room."


    "Yes, My Lady."


    When Rufus sneaked into the Imperial Pce, he found that the pce was heavily guarded and


    fortified. The pce guards patrolled once a quarter, leaving no loophole for him to make use of.


    "What a waste of talent for Francis to pay attention to such trivial things!" Rufus sighed. "Look at the


    layout. If he was on the battlefield, he would be an able general."


    "To the Sleek Pce," Howard reminded Rufus, as he was impatient hearing thetter''s sigh. Of


    course, Francis was talented. If he had been worthless, he could never have brought the whole


    situation under his control.


    Rufus pouted. Following Howard, he headed towards the Sleek Pce. However, before they could get


    closer, they stopped in their tracks. The Sleek Pce was not just protected by ordinary guards, but


    there were also additional secret guards outside the pce. They perceived no less than ten secret


    guards nearby. It was difficult for Rufus to break into the pce, even with Howard''s help. It was also


    impossible for them to enter the pce together.


    "Are you sure about getting in? The pce is so heavily protected," Rufus asked with suspicion.


    "No, I can''t!" Howard answered, gritting his teeth in frustration. He perceived that Francis might have


    regarded Harper as his most valuable asset and would have been extremely worried about her. That


    could be the reason why he provided such a heavy guard to the Sleek Pce. It was almost impossible


    for the two of them to enter the pce under such heavy defenses.


    "Then what should we do?" Rufus asked helplessly.


    "Try to see if you can sneak in. If you are sessful, go to locate your younger sister first. Inform me


    when you find out Harper''s location in the Sleek Pce. I will somehow find a way to get in," Howard


    whispered to Rufus after thinking for a while.


    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    Rufus thought for a while and then deemed Howard''s n to be feasible. "Okay then, I''ll try it first. If I


    cannot defend myself, back me up."


    "Don''t worry. I''ll be there to support you. Go ahead,"


    Howard said and reassured Rufus. Thinking he would have a fight at the worst, Rufus flipped over the


    wall and entered the Sleek Pce. To his surprise, he wasn''t stopped by anyone. None of the secret


    guards moved, while the ordinary guards could not find out about his existence. In this way, he got


    inside the pce smoothly.


    Standing by the enclosing wall of the Sleek Pce, Rufus still felt unreal. But without wasting another


    minute, he entered the main hall of the pce and looked for Harper and Cynthia.


    He was surprised to find that neither Harper nor Cynthia was staying in the main hall. Then he made


    his way to the side hall. Since Harper was staying in the Sleek Pce, and since he didn''t find anyone


    in the main hall, he concluded that both Harper and Cynthia were staying in the side hall.


    When Rufus was trying to open the door secretly, Harper and Forsythia quickly got out of the bed. The


    two stood behind the door, each with a vase in the hands, both ready to smash the intruder. They were


    expecting a rounder who had broken into their room in the middle of the night.


    Rufus was trying hard to pick the lock and when he heard the door pin getting removed, he felt happy.


    He cautiously pushed the door open, intending to slip into the room. However, as soon as he popped


    his head into the room, he found something wrong and retracted his head immediately. At the same


    time, a vase was thrown at him, but he was lucky enough to escape from it. It fell onto the ground and


    shattered into pieces instantaneously. Rufus broke into a cold sweat at the thought of what would have


    happened to his head if he had reacted a little slow.


    "Harper, it''s¡­" The vase in Harper''s hands was already picking up the momentum towards his head.


    Although she tried to reduce her strength as soon as she heard Rufus'' voice, the vase still struck his


    head.


    Rufus froze for a moment and felt like the stars were dancing in front of his eyes. He cried in his mind,


    ''No wonder the secret guards outside didn''t move an inch. It turns out they knew I would suffer here!''


    "Rufus?" Harper wasn''t sure if the intruder was Rufus indeed. She ordered Forsythia to light the oil


    lamp. As themp was lit, she found out that the person who sneaked into the room was really Rufus.


    Due to his poor sense of direction, it was difficult for him to find the side hall. However, he got a


    bleeding wound on his head.

 Chapter 695 Breaking His Head (Part Two)

    Chapter 695 Breaking His Head (Part Two)


    Seeing his wound, Harper touched her nose, feeling guilty for what she had done. She ordered,


    "Forsythia, bring me my medicine kit."


    "Yes, Your Highness." Rufus was a frequent visitor to Matthew''s mansion, and Forsythia also knew him


    well. Ever since Harper had been staying in the Sleek Pce, they had always been on alert. When


    Rufus tried to break in secretly at midnight, they thought it was some random rounder outside, and that


    was the reason why they had waited behind the door to strike him down. They didn''t expect it would be


    Rufus.


    Harper quickly applied some medicine to Rufus'' head to stop his bleeding and then bandaged the


    wound on his head. She said apologetically, "I''m sorry. I didn''t expect you here. I thought it was some


    rounder trying to pick up loose women, so I tried to¡­"


    Rufus rubbed his head angrily. It was an unforeseen disaster for him. Even though he understood


    Harper''s situation, he couldn''t help but snort at her. "But you should have asked who I am before you


    struck," he said.


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    "If it was an enemy outside and if I were to ask, then I would end up exposing myself to danger, right?"


    Harper said, pouring a cup of tea and handing it to Rufus. "Here, have a cup of tea and it will calm you


    down. Don''t worry, your wound isn''t serious, and it will recover soon."


    Rufus drank up the tea in one gulp. He shouldn''t have explored the Sleep Pce this way. He realized


    that Howard must have guessed about this hidden threat as well as the possibility that Harper would be


    on high alert. That would be the reason he dared note first, but encouraged him to do that. Rufus


    wondered if Matthew''s head had ever been smashed when he courted Harper and broke into her room


    at night in the first ce.


    "Have you broken Prince Matthew''s head previously while he was trying to enter the Chu n mansion


    at night?" Rufus asked as he couldn''t suppress his curiosity.


    Waving her hand and shaking her head, Harper said, "That''s impossible. Matthew has excellent martial


    arts skills and quick reflexes. Even though I triedunching a sneak attack, I was no match for his


    talent."


    Rufus'' face darkened when he heard her. Did she mean that he got struck only because he was weak


    in martial arts and was slow to react?


    "Now that you made all the way to the Sleek Pce at night, there must be something urgent. Is it


    because of your younger sister?" Harper believed Rufus must havee for Cynthia. This was


    because Cynthia had juste during the daytime and he had appeared at night of the same day.


    "I came for you!" Rufus said, giving Harper something secretly. "I hope that you wouldn''t be bullying my


    younger sister too much."


    Harper took over the thing Rufus gave her nonchntly. "Why would I bully your younger sister? She''s


    not just your sister, but Matthew''s cousin as well. She has always been a part of my family. I will treat


    her well for your sake, even if not for Matthew''s sake."


    "Come on! I know you''re dark-minded!" Rufus didn''t believe Harper''s words at all. He knew her too


    well. If any woman were to cast her greedy eyes on Matthew, she would not sit idly. It was not her way


    of doing things.


    "Why wouldn''t you trust me? When your younger sister came to see me, I immediately arranged for her


    stay in the main hall for the night. I have really treated her very well!"


    Rufus'' face twisted in shock. "Does my younger sister stay in the main hall of the Sleek Pce?"


    "Yes. The Sleek Pce has only one main hall and one side hall. If I stay in the main hall, she will have


    to stay in the side hall which would have been unkind from my side. So I let her stay in the main hall.


    Haven''t you seen her in the main hall?" Harper asked in surprise.


    "No, there isn''t anyone in the main hall."


    Harper pondered carefully for a while and then said, "Now that there is no one in the main hall, I think


    she must be sleeping in the drawing room, where there is a soft bed. I feel sorry for her. The bed in the


    main hall is big and soft, but she seems to dislike it somehow. Instead, she prefers the small and


    narrow soft bed in the drawing room."


    Rufus thought to himself, ''How shameless you are! You yourself don''t dare to sleep in the main hall, but


    you incited my sister to do that. If my sister were to sleep in the main hall, while you were actually


    sleeping in the side hall, what all consequences would she be facing then?''


    "How long do you intend to stay in the Sleek Pce?" Rufus asked, shifting the topic of conversation.


    That was because he was afraid that if they continued their conversation about his sister and Harper


    said something that really irritated him, he might take her by the throat when he could not endure his


    anger.


    Harper answered, slightly sadly, "Mister Rufus, there is no point in asking me that. You should ask


    Francis when he is nning to let me out of the Imperial Pce."


    "I think he would never let you out of the Imperial Pce," Rufus mumbled. "You always attract the


    attention of too many men. I don''t know why Matthew married a woman like you. Just because of that,


    he always has to guard against the flies around you. He is always fed up with Zack. Now herees


    Prince Francis."


    Harper grounded her teeth and gave Rufus a tight stab on the wound on his head without any


    hesitation. The pain made him grimace. "What the hell do you think you are doing?" heined.


    Harper yawned. "I mean it''s time for you to leave. Goodnight."


    "I almost forgot that I have something else to say," Rufus said, grasping Harper''s sleeve. "There are too


    many guards outside the Sleek Pce. Howard is also outside. He is trying to get in."


    Harper was taken aback. Then she quickly realized that Howard might be worried about her


    displeasure as he had lost Felix, which resulted in Felix''s early death. "Tell him to meet with the master


    of another house and not to take action arbitrarily."


    "Just that?"


    "Should I ask you to pass a long speech to him?" Harper asked back. "Will any woman like such a


    dtory man like you?"


    "That''s pure nder, Harper Chu!"


    "Get out! You are troubling me now!" Harper eximed, pushing Rufus out of the room. Then she


    closed the door, went to bed and told Forsythia to go to sleep too. She didn''t care about Rufus, or what


    would happen to him. If he fell into Francis'' hands, she thought she couldn''t be med for that, and


    that would be purely due to his misfortune.

 Chapter 696 The Chief Culprit (Part One)

    Chapter 696 The Chief Culprit (Part One)


    After driving Rufus away, Harper went to bed straight away. The entire Sleek Pce was extremely


    peaceful, but Rufus got into big trouble once he got out.


    As soon as he stepped foot outside the Sleek Pce, the secret guards hiding in the dark took action


    to capture him. Using his agile flying skills, he tried to fend them all off. After fighting for a long time, he


    was a bit overwhelmed and felt so exhausted. After all, he was fighting against four secret guards all by


    himself. In the end, the guards managed to suppress him.


    "Why don''t you lend me a hand now?" Rufus screamed out into the air, obviously fuming with intense


    rage.


    Thrown off by his words, the secret guards were taken by surprise and thought that Rufus still had an


    aplice behind them. They all turned their heads to check, only to find that no one was there.


    Realizing that they had been fooled, the four guards turned back right away. Unfortunately for them,


    Rufus had already gone far away. Even so, the secret guards couldn''t just let him go, and they decided


    to run after him again, even rming the guards of the imperial capital. Ken happened to be on duty


    that night. When he heard that there was an assassin, he saw Rufus being chased in all directions by


    the secret guards.


    "Rufus, surrender to us now! Otherwise, I''ll be forced to order my men to shoot," Ken demanded in a


    stern voice. As he spoke, Rufus had already beenpletely surrounded by the archers.


    After ncing at the guards who had him surrounded, and the secret guards who might attack him at


    any time, Rufus helplessly shrugged his shoulders and said, "I tried to surrender, but they wouldn''t


    allow me to do so. There''s nothing I can do."


    "Seize him!" Ken said in an indifferent tone.


    Rufus didn''t try to resist. Needless to say, he was able to go in the Sleek Pce easily, mostly because


    Francis didn''t stop him and let him in on purpose. Yet, when he tried to leave now, it wouldn''t be that


    easy. No wonder Howard didn''t follow him when he saw him easily breaking into the Sleek Pce. That


    man was as insidious as Harper. He said he would save him, but as it turned out, he merely watched


    as he got caught. In Rufus'' mind, Howard turned out to be a despicable and shameless man!


    Ken brought the trespasser directly to Francis. Thetter was still browsing through the reports which


    had been delivered by the officials. Recently, many officials had been sending reports to him, asking


    him to take the throne as soon as possible. The embroidery workshop actually began making imperial


    robes as soon as the old emperor passed away. This all meant that Francis could take the throne


    without incident as long as he gave the order.


    "Rufus, the second son of the Xiao n''s head?" With his eyebrows raised, Francis gave Rufus a cold


    stare. Then, he simply continued to focus his attention on the files in front of him. "What are you doing


    in the pce at thiste hour?"


    "I have the right toe to see my sister Cynthia after you''ve taken her into the pce. Am I right?"


    Rufus said with a mischievous look on his face. Everyone knew that he was the second son of the Xiao


    n''s head as well as a yboy. He used to fool around all the time. Right now, he was only interested


    in doing business. For that reason, the Xiao n themselves felt so hopeless because of him.


    A smile crept onto Francis'' face and he asked, "So, were you able to see her?"


    "Didn''t you see it yourself? Before I could see her, I was hit in the head!" Rufus answered, pointing at


    the bandage on his head. "If you didn''t take my sister into the pce, I would not have bothered


    sneaking into the pce in the middle of the night. I sneaked into the wrong room and got hit by that


    woman. Can''t you see that my head is still bleeding?"Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    Hearing this, Francis shifted his gaze toward Rufus. There was some blood on the bandage wrapped


    around his head, which only proved that the attacker didn''t show any mercy. "Did Harper do it?"


    "Who else could it be? If it was her maid who did it, my head would no longer be connected to my


    body," Rufus said as he rubbed his head. "Fortunately, I was able to hide quickly, otherwise, my head


    would have gotten severely injured."


    Francis was in no hurry, so he simply looked at Rufus coldly. Everyone knew that Rufus was a good


    friend of Matthew, but it was said that he and Harper didn''t get along very well. In fact, it was so bad


    that during their first meeting, Harper hit Rufus'' eye so hard.


    "Has Uncle Matthew arrived at the Great Jade Kingdom yet?"


    "I have no idea. I didn''t go there," Rufus replied curtly and unhappily. "That woman is so heartless. I


    thought I had only misunderstood her before. I didn''t expect her to be such a person. She would


    happily burn the bridge after crossing it. On top of that, she was so ruthless this time that she burned


    the bridge before she even crossed it. Isn''t she afraid at all that she may drown in the water herself?"


    "It''s gettingte and I don''t want to waste my time talking to you. Tell me, what information did you pass


    for Uncle Matthew?" Francis tly asked, with his facepletely devoid of any emotion.


    However, Rufus simply gave a snort of contempt and added, "I''ve already told you. I just wanted to see


    Cynthia in the pce."


    "I''ll have tomend your acting, but you can''t fool me. I know full well that you don''t get along well


    with your sister. On the contrary, it''s actually your brother whom she gets along with," Francis


    remarked, fidgeting with the ring around his thumb. "I will give you some time to think about it. No need


    to answer my question rashly now. In the meantime, you should think carefully about whether you can


    bear the torture of the Ministry of Punishments. Ken, general of the imperial guards, is quite skilled in


    extracting information through torture. Up to now, anyone who was tortured by him ended up


    confessing everything they knew."


    When he heard this, Rufus'' face turned cold. "Are you trying to frame me?"


    "Frame you?" Francis chuckled. "Don''t tter yourself."


    "Aren''t you trying to keep Cynthia in the pce? We may not get along well, but as her brother, I have


    to ensure her safety. Moreover, although our Xiao n has withdrawn from the court, we are still


    connected with Prince Matthew. Now, Your Highness, if you can''t even tolerate our n who has retired


    from politics, who else can you possibly tolerate?"

 Chapter 697 The Chief Culprit (Part Two)

    Chapter 697 The Chief Culprit (Part Two)


    Francis red at Rufus and said, "You are so good at argument. Just spit it out now! What information


    did you deliver?"


    "Nothing. I just wanted to know when she''s going to leave the Sleek Pce," Rufus insisted. "If you


    don''t want to believe me, then there''s nothing I can do about it."


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    "Did youe here by yourself?"


    "I did not. I was with that woman''s brother. It was him and not me who was trying to send a message."


    Rufus sold Howard out without thinking twice. "But I have no idea what it was about."


    "The brother of Harper? Who are you talking about?" Francis was taken aback. ''Harper only has one


    younger brother who is studying in the River City at the moment. So, howe she has another


    brother I don''t know of?''


    "Howard Chu."


    Francis squinted his eyes. Howard was a legendary figure in the imperial capital. As one of the three


    major generals of the Bright Dynasty, he fell into the tricks set up by Harper, which almost cost him his


    head. After he escaped, he helped Hoffman to deal with Felix. But he disappeared without a trace


    when Hoffman fell. Was everything he did just a show from the very start?


    "You''re saying that Howard is working for Harper?"


    "Who knows who that freak is working for!" Rufus said, sounding so displeased. "He came to me and


    told me that Harper would kill Cynthia if she was kept inside the Sleek Pce. That was the reason


    why I came to the pce so urgently in the middle of the night. But he pushed me out as soon as I


    entered the pce. Thinking that I would be inevitably discovered, I decided that I should at least make


    sure Cynthia was safe. After that, I went inside the Sleek Pce without incident, but he suddenly


    disappeared. I don''t know why he came looking for me, but I''m sure he went to the pce to find


    Harper!"


    "Howard, I swear I''m going to catch you," Francis stressed. After pausing for a while, he asked, "Have


    you seen Cynthia?"


    "No, I didn''t find her in the main hall, so I went to the side hall. When I opened the door, I was hit on the


    head by Harper with a vase. When I was done dressing my wound and was driven out, your secret


    guards chased me all over the pce," Rufus said without giving it much thought, as though he didn''t


    think his misery was that big of a deal. "I don''t know whom that woman was guarding against. When I


    sneaked into her room at midnight, she didn''t even hesitate and hit me so hard in the head with a vase.


    It felt like she wanted to hit me to death. Thank God that my head is sturdy enough."


    The smile on Francis'' face froze when he realized that he was the one that Harper was trying to catch


    off guard. Although he was keeping her imprisoned in the Imperial Pce, he did not intend to force


    her to love him. However, he also couldn''t let her leave the pce.


    "As for the thing I want to know, you still haven''t told me anything!"


    "I have already told you everything I know!" Rufus looked quite helpless. "If you still don''t believe me,


    you can go ahead and ask Harper. I really didn''t tell her anything. I dide here for Cynthia. I swear


    to God, no woman is going to like me all my life if I tell lies."


    "Guards, take Rufus to the prison."


    "Your Highness, I have already told you everything you want to know. I seriously have no idea about


    the things you are talking about. How about this? If you catch Harper and send her to jail instead, that


    woman will confess everything to you soon enough since her skin is delicate and she certainly won''t be


    able to bear being tortured." Rufus'' protesting voice could be heard from the distance. Without dy,


    Ken winked at his subordinates to drag him away. If Francis was willing to torture Harper, he would not


    have bothered catching Rufus in the first ce!


    ''Princess Harper is fair-skinned and tender. She won''t be able to handle being tortured? No, I don''t


    think so!'' There was a glimmer in Ken''s eyes. Harper might indeed look gentle and fragile, but she was


    far from that. He vividly recalled how calm and fierce she was when she faced the assassins. If this


    woman was a coward, she wouldn''t deserve the heart of Matthew, nor would Zack make ns to


    protect her, let alone Francis, who was suffering a lot because of her!


    "She is almost like the Helen of Troy," someone whispered under his breath.


    "Stop spouting nonsense," Ken reprimanded, giving the deputymander a nce. "Be careful about


    what you say. Disaster emanates from careless talk."


    Hearing this, the deputymander put his arms around Ken''s neck and said, "Commander, don''t be


    so boring. I''m only telling the truth. Princess Harper is really good-looking. That being said, despite her


    beauty, she is incapable of protecting herself. Only being beautiful is not a good thing."


    Upon hearing his remarks, Ken sneered, "Do you have any idea who has the nerve to pick on her while


    she is in the pce? No one can ever get anything from her; do you understand?"


    The deputymander then pondered about it carefully. After Harper became an imperial physician


    and got married to Matthew, most of the people who had offended her had died. Even Charles himself


    who betrayed her became a monk. Now, the Chu n had be decadent, with only a daughter and


    a son remaining. The daughter was raised in Prince Allen''s mansion, and the son was staying in the


    River City.


    "It''s said that the most poisonous thing in the world is a woman''s heart. In my opinion, that''s exactly the


    kind of beautiful woman like Princess Harper. The more beautiful she looks, the more poisonous she


    actually is!"


    "Do you have a grudge against her?" As he nced at the deputymander, Ken patted him on the


    shoulder and said, "I highly suggest that you stay away from her whether you''re holding a grudge


    against her or not. You have a point. This woman is indeed very poisonous. You will end up being killed


    by her if you''re not careful. In any case, although she is being kept under house arrest in the pce,


    Prince Francis will kill you without hesitation if you dare to do anything to her!"


    Thinking of this, the deputymander touched his neck and felt a chill running down his spine. "I was


    only telling the truth. I have no enmity with her. I just think that she''s too popr. Forget about it. It


    doesn''t have anything to do with me anyway. The one that should feel worried is Prince


    Matthew."

 Chapter 698 Make You The Empress (Part One)

    Chapter 698 Make You The Empress (Part One)


    While they were on their way to the prison, Rufus was rescued and taken away by somebody. When he


    was informed of Rufus'' escape, Francis merely smiled and didn''t say a single word, nor did he order


    Ken to chase Rufus at once. Ken assumed that Francis didn''t really care about it, but he couldn''t just


    let something like this slip. So, he issued an order for Rufus'' arrest.


    When Rufus finally realized that the person who had rescued him was actually Howard, he instantly


    flew off the handle. "Howard Chu, you bastard! You said you were going to rescue me when I could not


    fend for myself, but you just let so many people hunt me down without even lending a hand."


    Hearing this, Howard looked at Rufus as though he was looking at an idiot. "If I didn''te to save


    you, you would have been ying with mice and cockroaches inside the prison right now!"


    After thinking about it for a while, Rufus had to agree with Howard deep inside, but he couldn''t easily


    admit that he had done him wrong. "Why didn''t you jump out and rescue me when I was being


    chased?" he asked.


    "If I had jumped out to rescue you back then, both of us would have ended up being put into prison,"


    Howard replied. Howard and Rufus had never seen eye to eye when it came to the way Rufus thought


    about things. In fact, he was wondering why Matthew had such a stupid follower by his side. Obviously,


    Rufus was different from the other people on Matthew''s side. Barry might seem dull and honest, but he


    was in fact quite insidious; Fred was scheming and evil; and Noah, the steward of Matthew''s mansion,


    was as cunning as a smiling tiger.


    Rufus suddenly remembered what had happened moments earlier and decided to hide the fact that he


    had sold him out. After all, Howard probably would never find out what he had told Francis.


    "But you didn''t seem to hesitate when you betrayed me in front of Francis," Howard said at that


    moment.


    Rufus'' face froze. He hastily tried to exin himself, "I just wanted to distract him so that he wouldn''t


    suspect your sister."


    "Who was it that urged Francis to throw my sister into prison and interrogate her through torture,


    insisting that she would confess soon enough because she was so fragile that she couldn''t endure


    being tortured?" Howard asked in a calm and cold tone.


    Beads of cold sweat dripped from Rufus'' forehead. He began to wonder how Howard was able to hear


    their conversation. "You were there when I said those things?" he asked in surprise.


    "You''re probably hoping that I wasn''t," Howard replied. His voice was low but seemed rather menacing,


    which made every fiber of Rufus'' being feel so uneasy. It was a well-known fact that Howard was no


    less sinister and ruthless than Harper. Although Harper was ruthless, she would not attack others for no


    reason, unless they had done her wrong first. Apart from that, she had a line she wouldn''t cross and


    had principles when doing things. But Howard wouldn''t hesitate to cross the line and didn''t have any


    principle. He was free to fight for whatever he wanted by all means.


    "That was merely an expedient. You don''t have to take it seriously, much less care about it. I only said


    that because I knew that Francis would never hurt Harper. I wouldn''t have said such a thing if I was


    unsure whether he would actually harm her or not," Rufus hastily said in a humble tone. "Thank you so


    much for rescuing me today. Without you, I would''ve ended up being tormented in the prison."


    "Humph!"


    "By the way, Harper asked me to pass a message to you."


    "What did she say?"


    "She wants you to meet with the master of another house and not to take action arbitrarily." Rufus


    delivered Harper''s message to Howard word for word. Of course, he had no idea which house Harper


    was referring to or where the house even was. But, he believed that Howard would know what she


    meant by that.


    Howard understood right away what Harper wanted him to do. She wanted him to find Felton. Perhaps


    the members of the Qin n would take action themselves, or it could also be that the members of the


    Qin n would be targeted by someone. Either way, he would have to guard Felton''s house just in


    case.


    "Got it," Howard said. In an instant, he ran away, not caring anymore whether Rufus was going to make


    it through by himself or not.


    Seeing that Howard disappeared in the blink of an eye, Rufus couldn''t help but click his tongue. Then,


    he whispered under his breath, "Did he only rescue me because he knew that Harper asked me to


    deliver a message to him?"


    That night, Harper had a good night''s sleep. Cynthia, however, wasn''t able to sleep well on the soft


    bed. Although she was a petite girl, she still felt very ufortable lying on the narrow soft bed for the


    entire night.


    After the imperial court session in the morning was adjourned, Francis went directly to the Sleek Pce


    to have breakfast with Harper. In the meantime, Harper looked spirited as usual and didn''t show any


    sign of being aware of what had happenedst night. On the other hand, Francis noticed that Cynthia


    had dark circles around her eyes and didn''t seem to have had slept well.


    "Cynthia, weren''t you able to sleep wellst night?" Francis asked slowly. "Was it because Rufus came


    to the Sleek Pce and disturbed you in the middle of the night?"


    Hearing this, Cynthia raised her head, looked at him in surprise and asked, "My brother came to the


    Sleek Pcest night?"


    "Yes, he did. Didn''t you know that?" From the corner of his eyes, Francis was carefully observing


    Harper''s reaction. She had been quietly eating her food from the beginning till the end. The look on her


    face as well as the way she moved were a sight for sore eyes.


    "I had no idea."


    "There was a bit of a racket in the Imperial Pcest night, and it was all thanks to him. It should be


    quite hard for you not to notice that," Francis said as he served the food to Harper. "Eat more. You''ve


    been losing a lot of weighttely."


    With her eyebrows raised, Harper shot Francis a nce. It wasn''t until she was done chewing the food


    in her mouth that she replied in a graceful manner, "Francis, you shouldn''t be talking while eating."


    As a bitter smile crept onto his face, Francis asked, "What did I do to make you angry?"


    "You let people break into my room," Harper blurted out. After saying that, she simply continued to eat


    without saying anything else.


    Cynthia''s eyes constantly shifted between Francis and Harper. The way she saw it, the atmosphere


    between them was quite subtle, so that even she, an outsider and a perfect stranger, could clearly see


    that there was something wrong between the two. Simply put, Francis seemed to be spoiling Harper


    too much.Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.

 Chapter 699 Make You The Empress (Part Two)

    Chapter 699 Make You The Empress (Part Two)


    When Harper put down her bowl and chopsticks, Francis casually put down his bowl and chopsticks as


    well despite not having eaten much. Seeing that, Cynthia also had to put down her bowl and


    chopsticks. And after rinsing her mouth, she stood up and left the table right away.


    "What do you want to ask me? Go ahead," Harper tly said, aware that Francis would definitely ask


    her since Rufus hade to herst night.


    Seeing how cold Harper was being toward him, Francis felt so distressed. "Given the way you''re


    speaking to me, I just don''t know how I''m supposed to ask you anything. I just really wanted to have


    breakfast together with you. That''s all. You don''t have to think of me as an authoritarian."


    Putting down the teacup, Harper said, "Francis, we are both adults. Why don''t we go straight to the


    point? I don''t want to waste my time beating around the bush with you. You live such a scrupulous life


    and you seem to enjoy it. You may not feel tired, but I do. If you want to ask me anything, just go ahead


    and ask it. If you don''t ask me right now, I may not give you an answer if you ask me about it next


    time."


    "Why did Rufuse to you?"


    "He didn''te here for me."


    "What message did Howard deliver to you?" Francis knew that if he let this opportunity slip away, it


    would be impossible for him to get the truth from Harperter on.


    As a faint smile appeared on her face, Harper nced at him and said, "A piece of good news."


    Francis'' eyes dted slightly, and he asked again, "A piece of good news for whom?"


    "For you, of course," Harper immediately answered, casting a nce at Francis, who didn''t seem to


    believe what she just said. In a low voice, Harper then added, "He told me the whereabouts of the


    testamentary edict."


    Francis reflexively stood up in a hurry upon hearing that, but soon realized that he had behaved


    improperly. So, he sat down slowly and remarked, "So, the testamentary edict really exists."


    "It seems that you have already heard about it," Harper said with a gentle smile. "Would you like to


    make a deal with me?"


    "I will never let you out of the Imperial Pce. Earlier today, the courtiers asked me to ascend to the


    throne as soon as possible. I have already approved their request and will ascend the throne and


    be the new emperor on a selected auspicious day," Francis resolutely said, taking a deep breath.


    It would be useless to make the testamentary edict public once he had officially be the new


    emperor.


    "Is that so? Congrattions then!" Harper said in a t tone, her eyes without a hint of joyfulness.


    "After I ascend the throne, I intend to make you the empress." Francis'' statement exploded by Harper''s


    ears like a bomb. She felt so lightheaded and was left at such a loss for words.


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    "What did you say?" she asked just to be sure she didn''t just mishear it.


    Francis stood up and looked down at Harper. Word by word, he said it carefully again, "I intend to make


    you the empress after I ascend the throne."


    "Are you out of your mind?" Harper asked in a cold tone. "Have you forgotten that not only am I a


    married woman, but also the wife of your uncle Matthew!"


    "Matthew''s wife has died of illness. And you are neither Harper Chu nor his wife. You are just an


    unmarried girl who has just been selected for my harem," Francis said in a gentle and rather pleasant


    voice. "I want to share the throne with you. Please don''t push me away, Harper. All these years, you


    have been working so hard for the throne, haven''t you? Uncle Matthew has no interest in the throne.


    Otherwise, he would have usurped the throne long ago. Now, I''m cing the throne in front of you.


    Would you like to stand with me and watch the beautiful scenery of the whole country?"


    Thinking that Francis must have gone crazy, Harper took a deep breath, took out a piece of bright


    yellow brocade from her sleeve, and tossed it to Francis. "Have a look. It''s the testamentary edict left


    by your father."


    Francis caught the edict, his eyes filled with surprise. It seemed that he had not expected the edict to


    actually be in Harper''s possession. What was more, the edict clearly stated that the heir of thete


    emperor was Francis, his sixth son.


    "If my father chose me as his heir, why didn''t I get the edict?" Francis asked in confusion.


    After taking a quick nce at Francis, Harper said, "There are many people who don''t want you to be


    the emperor. It wouldn''t be hard for them to change or rece the contents of the testamentary edict.


    Now, you are the perfectly justifiable heir and will ascend the throne and be the new emperor. As


    for me, I will never be your wife. Besides, the courtiers will never allow Prince Matthew''s wife to be the


    new emperor''s empress."


    With a glimmer of light in his eyes, Francis said, "I have already asked someone to send the divorce


    agreement you have written yourself to the Great Jade Kingdom at once. I believe that it will be in


    Uncle Matthew''s hands very soon. The courtiers won''t object to you, who have already divorced Uncle


    Matthew peacefully."


    "When did I write a divorce agreement myself?"


    "I have written it on your behalf,plete with your handwriting and your seal, so Uncle Matthew won''t


    doubt it. Out of everything, he has always hated betrayal the most. Once he receives the divorce


    agreement, do you think you would still go back to him?" Francis wore a bright and innocent smile, but


    Harper could clearly see the viciousness in his smile.


    "You..." Harper found herself utterly speechless and didn''t know what to say to Francis at that point.


    Obviously, he had reached a dead end and was beyond saving.


    "He''s not going to believe it."


    "He will!" Francis slowly said. "Because I have sent not only the divorce agreement but also the token


    of affection he gave you when you two got married."


    "My ice jade bracelet!" Harper''s face turned into a frown. "I remember that I left my ice jade bracelet at


    home."


    "It''s quite easy for me to get something from Uncle Matthew''s mansion. Harper, you just need to stay at


    the Sleek Pce safely and wait until you be the new empress. Your robe as the empress should


    bepleted in a few days. By then, you can try putting it on. I believe that it will definitely suit you


    perfectly."

 Chapter 700 The Scapegoat (Part One)

    Chapter 700 The Scapegoat (Part One)


    While looking at Francis'' receding figure, Harper gnashed her teeth in anger. If she hadn''t controlled


    herself, she would have eaten him alive. ''How dared he plot against me! Since I became Princess


    Harper, no one had ever dared to do that. He was the first one.''


    Even Forsythia was so surprised that her mind started to wander off. ''If Lady Harper became Prince


    Francis'' wife, how would Prince Matthew react? He would never allow such a horrendous thing to


    happen!''


    "Your Highness, you can''t be Prince Francis'' wife!"


    "Have you lost your mind? Of course, I won''t agree to that!" Harper quickly turned to Forsythia, feeling


    somewhat uneasy. When did Francis start to plot against her? He even made a fake divorce agreement


    and stole her jade bracelets which Matthew gave to her as a token of their love. If it was only the


    divorce agreement, Matthew might not believe it. But the braceletspletely changed everything.


    "Your Highness, what should we do now?" Nina and Anabel became worried as well. When Harper was


    imprisoned in the pce, they too were taken there to restrain her while taking care of her. If Harper did


    anything to try and escape, Francis would threaten her with their lives.


    Harper frowned before saying, "Don''t worry. It doesn''t matter if Matthew received the divorce


    agreement. If Matthew and I kept the matter a secret, who else would know about the divorce, right?"


    The maids looked at each other and felt even more worried. They all thought that Harper was too


    optimistic. Since Francis had made his move, he wouldn''t stop until he got what he wanted.


    "Though, I''m afraid that he still has some tricks up his sleeve," Harper added. Now that she was


    confined in the Sleek Pce, she wasn''t able to be updated with what was happening outside. The


    pce was heavily guarded that even her men couldn''te in to ry information right away. As a


    result, there was nothing she could do since every move would just be too risky. She really hoped that


    someone could tell her any news from outside the pce.


    "Prince Jason is here." A maid''s voice came from outside the room.


    Harper''s eyes lit up and the corners of her mouth raised into a smile. She suddenly remembered that


    yesterday, she had promised Jason she would give him the thirty-six peaches-sharing skills as a gift.


    Jason might be the one she had been hoping for! They were even a little close because they studied


    with the same master for quite some time!


    The moment Jason reached the door, the first thing he saw was Harper waving at him with a bright


    smile. He stepped back and looked at the que on the top of the door. Only after he was certain that


    he didn''t walk to the wrong hall did he walk in and approach her. He said, "Why do you look so happy?


    I feel like something is wrong."


    "Jason, are you here for the gift?" Harper asked while serving a cup of tea for him.


    Affection shed in Jason''s eyes for a moment, but he pretended that he didn''t care at all. "Are you


    saying that the gift is ready?"


    "Not yet, but it''s just a piece of cake. I can prepare it right away. I assure you it won''t take long."


    Harper''s eyes sparkled when she quickly asked her maids to prepare a writing brush, ink stick, paper,


    and inkstone. "Is there anything interesting that happened outside the pce recently?" she casually


    asked.


    Jason furrowed his eyebrows and said, "Is it interesting that the new emperor is going to take the


    throne?"


    "I mean anything that I care about or anything rted to me." Harper picked up the writing brush and


    began to draw pictures. Her method was actually very unique but the characters turned out wonderful.


    "Well, I heard that the new emperor is nning to make you his empress. It''s a good thing..." Jason


    stated but his voice trailed away when he recognized the figure in the picture. "Is that me?" he asked,


    pointing at the pretty man on the paper.


    "Since I want to give you a gift, of course, the protagonist of this picture is you." True to her words,


    Harper finished the picture after a short while. "Jason, I''m giving this to you as a token of our


    fellowship. This is the only copy in the world. I have been skilled at this for a long time but I haven''t


    painted that much until now."


    As soon as the first picture was finished, Harper handed it to Jason. She then continued to draw a


    second one. Jason was holding the picture in his hand when suddenly, his hands started shaking, his


    mouth trembling, and his whole body shivering. He was furious!


    Jason mmed the picture on the table and eximed, "Harper Chu! What did you just paint?"


    Because of that, Harper almost made a mistake in the second picture that she was working on. "I''ve


    told you already. It''s the peach-sharing skills!"


    Jason''s face turned livid. "Does the peach-sharing skill mean gay stuff?"


    "Yes. What else would it mean?" With a few and quick brush strokes, another figure appeared on the


    paper. The protagonist was still Jason and the other figure was the gentle and elegant Francis.


    Jason was enraged. He screamed, "I am not gay! I don''t like men!"


    "I see. You don''t need to be so defensive about it. It''s just a picture. I thought both of you will look really


    good on the picture so I chose to draw you. If you like it, I''m going to give it to you. If you don''t, I''ll just


    send it to Francis then." Harper nced at Jason briefly. Soon enough, the second picture was finished


    and she passed it to Jason as well.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    The prince was fuming with rage at that point, but he had to praise her fine work. She had painted the


    characters with great detail that even their facial expressions were very clear. He could only enjoy and


    find the picture very attractive, if he were to ignore that there were two men in it. ''Bah!'' Jason silently


    sneered to himself.


    "No more picture." Jason grabbed Harper''s wrist.


    "If you ruin my picture today, I will go to the Golden Hall and draw the same pictures tomorrow. That


    way, all of the officials can see them. Trust me. Whenever I want to do something, I''ll definitely do


    everything with my best efforts," Harper said in a threatening tone.


    Jason felt very helpless. He wanted to stop her but was also afraid that she would take it out on him.


    But if he didn''t do anything, he would feel sorry for himself. So he quickly said, "Rece me with


    someone else then."

 Chapter 701 The Scapegoat (Part Two)

    Chapter 701 The Scapegoat (Part Two)


    Harper curiously asked, "Who do you want me to put in your ce? Are you thinking about Owen? He


    looks like a pushover who can be bullied easily. If two weaklings are painted together, my work won''t


    look good. So, you are already the perfect choice!"


    "Are you really my junior fellow?"


    "Nope!" Harper denied decisively without any hesitation. She then thought to herself, ''If you stop me


    from drawing more pictures, I won''t recognize you as my senior fellow!''


    Jason sighed in defeat and thought, ''It''s not true anyway. If Harper wants to draw something fictional,


    then I guess she can do it. I''ll just pretend that I enjoy the vintage erotica art. However, the main


    characters in her sensual works are not a man or a woman, but two men. Moreover, if I ignore the fact


    that the protagonist in the pictures is me, her works actually are quite interesting.''


    Meanwhile, Anabel was too overwhelmed to say a word while she was watching them. What Harper


    and Jason had been discussing actually changed her view of the world. Yet, she didn''t expect that


    Jason would have given up protesting so soon. In the beginning, he had been so furious that he even


    grabbed Harper''s wrist to stop her from drawing. Now, he was discussing with Harper about the details


    of the pictures. ''Prince Jason, what happened to your dignity?'' she thought to herself.


    While Harper continued to paint her pieces one by one, Jason carefully looked at them one after the


    other. When Harper finished thest one, she shook her aching arm and said to Jason, "Massage it for


    me."


    "Okay." Jason put down the picture in his hand at once. He then started to massage her arm while


    looking at thest picture. "Harper, don''t you think that position is a little difficult?"


    "Oh, it''s not a problem at all. You all have practiced martial arts, so your bodies are flexible. You


    wouldn''t have any trouble. If you don''t believe it, you can go and try it with Francis," Harper said with a


    hint of mischief.


    Jason red at Harper and asked, "Are you trying to kill me? Are these pictures really for me?"


    "I especially drew them for you. Keep them well. Maybe one day you will have a chance to use them."


    Although Harper''s tone sounded serious, what she said did not have a thread of seriousness.


    Jason murmured, "You can easily confuse people with that face of yours, you know."


    Harper did not be upset with his words. When she noticed that Jason was still so focused on the


    pictures, she casually asked, "Do you know about the divorce agreement?"


    "You mean the divorce agreement between you and Uncle Matthew?" When he saw that Harper


    nodded, he said, "Francis ordered the servants to write down 10, 000 copies and have them posted all


    over the imperial capital, every city, and county. I guess everyone in the Bright Dynasty knew that you


    got divorced with Uncle Matthew."


    Wham! The lid on Harper''s hand violently dropped on the teacup, making a jarring sound which was


    heard throughout the room. "Do you mean all of the people in the Bright Dynasty know that Francis had


    the intention of taking his uncle''s wife for his own?"


    Jason''s arm became stiff. He turned around, looked at Harper seriously, and said, "From what we all


    know, you have been divorced. You have nothing to do with Uncle Matthew now. So it won''t be a


    problem if Francis is to marry you. People will only gossip and castigate you. They will criticize you for


    getting married twice, but that''s insignificant."


    Harper was so irritated that she burst intoughter. What mistake did she make? Why had she been


    made a scapegoat for Francis'' evil intentions? Francis wanted to rob her of Matthew. It was all the


    robber''s fault. Why was she going to be med for being desired? Francis took the throne for himself


    as well. Should the throne also be med for being too tempting?Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    "What if I don''t want to marry him?" Harper asked slowly and firmly. ''No one can force me to do


    anything if I don''t want to do it, '' she thought.


    Jason sighed. "Harper, you''re not alone in this. Remember, Gianna is in the imperial capital now and


    you have a few maids around you. Meanwhile, Alexander is still in the River City. So are you sure you


    don''t want to marry him? I know Francis seems gentle, but he''s actually very stubborn. No one can


    change his mind, once he decides on something."


    Harper didn''t respond to him. Although she had her fair share of weaknesses which was the people


    she treasured the most, she wouldn''t allow anyone to use them in threatening her. If Francis dared to


    mess with her, then she would resist him at all costs!


    Harper''s tone was cold when she finally spoke. "Jason, we have known each other for years, so you


    should know the kind of person I am. No one can force me to do something I don''t want to. If Francis


    even dares to do so, he should know the consequences. He''d better think twice if he''s ready for its


    implications."


    "Harper, Francis is not a cruel person..."


    Harper sneered. "Francis viciously forged the divorce agreement, stole the token of love between me


    and Matthew, and spread the fake agreement all over the country. Isn''t that cruel? Not only that, he


    even made me a promiscuous woman, a disgrace to this empire and its people. But still, you''re saying


    that he''s not a cruel person? Then, please tell me, what is a ''cruel person'' to you? Does ''cruel'' in your


    dictionary only mean that the death of tens of thousands of people, which makes blood flow in river


    banks where water is supposed to be?!"


    "Harper, I didn''t mean that. I mean, he doesn''t mean to hurt you."


    Harper responded sharply, "But the only thing I can feel right now is that he definitely wants to hurt me!


    When we were both at the mountain for study, I promised you that I''m going to diagnose Francis. Now


    that I have fulfilled my promise, we''re even. As for what I''m going to do next, I can''t control it. But don''t


    worry; I won''t kill you."


    Jason looked right into Harper''s eyes. He didn''t see any trace of humor on her face, so he was certain


    that she couldn''t be more serious this time. Francis had been so stubborn that it pushed Harper to her


    limits. The hostages in Francis'' hands couldn''t restrain Harper. Instead, holding those she cared so


    much as the hostages only made her even more furious and resist more violently!

 Chapter 702 Grin And Bear It

    Chapter 702 Grin And Bear It


    The news of Harper''s divorce agreement had spread like wildfire all over the country. The news


    reached Matthew, along with the bracelets he gave to Harper before their wedding.


    Barry felt the cold aura around Matthew, so he took a few steps back. He knew the consequences of


    Matthew exploding with anger. Last time Matthew got this angry, he destroyed a yard in the north


    domain!


    However, contrary to Barry''s expectation, Matthew suddenly restrained himself. He tore the divorce


    agreement into pieces and carefully put the bracelet away. "I have to go now."


    "Yes, Your Highness!" Even though Barry knew that the situation would be difficult for them if Matthew


    had left them at that moment, he dared not to stop him. Rndo feared Matthew and considered him


    as a great threat. If it was possible, he would do whatever it took to make Matthew stay in the Great


    Jade Kingdom. For the time being, Rndo was bound by the treaty, and he couldn''t make a move


    against Matthew. But it couldn''t prevent him from making trouble for Matthew and his country.


    After Matthew left, a man who looked like the spitting image of Matthew came out and took his ce in


    the team. The man asked, "Do you think he believes it?"


    "If he believed it, he would be extremely furious. But he seemed to have his anger under control, which


    means otherwise. One way or another, he will try to verify it himself." Barry sighed helplessly, "Prince


    Francis has made a colossal mistake. Master was very irritated this time."


    "I am not sure if we can get back to the imperial capital before the day of Prince Francis'' ascension to


    the throne. I can''t wait to see that big spectacle. Prince Francis would dare challenge our master and


    rob him of his wife," the man said.


    "I''m also looking forward to it eagerly," Barry sighed.


    The day of the new emperor''s ascension to the throne was nearing, but the Sleek Pce was rather


    quiet. Harper seemed cool as ever, and was busy with her own business. Even Cynthia couldn''t remain


    calm.


    "Harper, what on earth are you thinking?" Harper had sent a divorce agreement to Matthew. Cynthia


    knew about this and took a secret pleasure in it, thinking that Harper was just stupid to give up Matthew


    for Francis. She believed that Matthew was way better than Francis.


    Harper was practicing calligraphy. She tried to focus her mind and calmed down. Jason had given her a


    copy of the divorce agreement that Francis forged. She noticed that Francis used the handwriting of the


    former Harper, which was different from hers. Matthew was the only one who knew her real


    handwriting, so he would know the agreement was a fake.


    "Harper, may I ask you something?"


    "Cynthia, I''m Prince Matthew''s wife," Harper said, without even raising her head. "Please address me


    correctly."


    "But you have already divorced Prince Matthew," Army, Cynthia''s maid, blurted out.


    "Forsythia, p her." Harper had no patience for the people she didn''t like. Forsythia would never allow


    others to offend her master. She knew very well that Harper had never written the divorce agreement.


    She immediately grabbed the maid and pped her across the face. Not until the maid''s teeth were


    knocked out did she stop the pping.


    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    The maid slumped onto the floor, her cheeks swollen badly, her face covered with blood. Cynthia''s


    pupils contracted sharply upon seeing this. The Harper she saw in the past few days was always gentle


    and kind. But how could she make the mistake of forgetting that this woman could never be a


    softhearted one!


    "Your Highness, please forgive my maid. She didn''t mean to offend you. I beg your pardon," Cynthia


    pleaded. Amy had been serving her since she was a little girl. They grew up together. pping Amy


    was nothing short of a humiliation for Cynthia. Cynthia suddenly realized that even living here as a


    captive, Harper could still decide her fate. She dared not act rashly, as that would affect her own


    survival.


    Harper continued to write. "I tolerate Francis just because I''m outnumbered now. It is not a good time


    for me to take off the gloves. I put up with Jason because he''s my old friend. But I shall not endure any


    disrespect from others, including Lady Sherry, not to mention a humble maid like her. Cynthia, be


    smart. If you continue to be so naive and unaware of your ce, with such an arrogant maid around,


    you will die in the Imperial Pce sooner orter," she gushed out in anger.


    Cynthia was totally irritated, but had no other go than to suppress her anger. Being a sensible woman,


    she knew well that she was a piece of meat on the chopping block. She couldn''t afford to offend Jason


    and Francis. But none of them frightened her like Harper did. Jason and Francis wouldn''t hurt her for


    the sake of the Xiao n. But Harper had no qualms about it.


    "Thank you for your lesson. I will¡­" Cynthia was interrupted abruptly.


    "You should address me as ''Your Highness''." Harper raised her eyebrow and gave a cold nce at


    Cynthia.


    Cynthia''s face turned pale. She bit her lower lip hard and then said, "Thank you so much for your


    advice, Your Highness."


    "You''re wee. If it weren''t for Rufus'' sake, I wouldn''t have even spoken to you," Harper said coldly.


    "From now on, restrain yourself from showing up in front of me. Otherwise, I may decide to teach you


    some rules."


    "Yes. Now if you will excuse me, Your Highness." Cynthia and Amy left in a hurry. Cynthia had never


    been insulted like this in all her life. Being the youngdy of the Swan Castle, many people dotted on


    her. Now she was in the imperial capital, and yet Harper insulted her like this!


    "My Lady, it''s my entire fault," Amy said as she tried to apologize.


    "She wanted to insult me. Even if it wasn''t for you, she would have found out another excuse!" Cynthia


    was annoyed. "She wrote the divorce agreement herself, and now she still pretends to be Matthew''s


    wife. How ridiculous!"


    "My Lady¡­" Amy stopped abruptly. The earlier experience alerted her. She looked around and was


    relieved to see that no one was around. "This is the Imperial Pce, not the Swan Castle."


    Cynthia took a deep breath and calmed herself down. She decided to keep a low profile and put up


    with everything. She couldn''t wait to see how that woman would face Matthew!


    Her eyes were full of malice. She wasn''t sure if Matthew could make it back to the imperial capital


    before the new emperor''s enthronement. It would definitely be an enjoyable show if he could. She


    wanted to see how Harper would react then!


    Seeing Cynthia leaving in fury, Harper felt much more cheerful. She continued with the calligraphy. She


    wrote so hard that the brush pen almost pierced through the paper!


    "Your Highness." The maids from the embroidery house brought the empress''s attire to Harper, so that


    she could try it on. They knew she was Prince Matthew''s former wife. As far as they were concerned,


    she had divorced Prince Matthew to marry Prince Francis, and soon would be the empress. Many of


    them disdained her and thought she was a slut, but at the same time they couldn''t help but envy her.


    The maids were kneeling on the ground and awaiting Harper''s order, but she seemed to have ignored


    them. They felt embarrassed and when they raised their heads to look at Harper; they found that she


    was still practicing her calligraphy. So once again, they said in a louder voice, "Lady Harper, we are


    here on Prince Francis'' order. If you can, please try the clothes on."


    Harper ignored them again. She was never a pushover. Those who thought they could force her into


    submission were making a tremendous mistake.


    The maids soon realized that Harper was trying to embarrass them by ignoring them. So they just knelt


    there and said nothing more. In the meantime, Harper finished herst character. She threw the brush


    pen away and walked straight towards the gate of the Sleek Pce.


    Forsythia immediately followed her. The guards at the door tried to stop them, and said, "Prince Francis


    has ordered that you shouldn''t be allowed to leave the Sleek Pce."


    Harper didn''t listen to them at all, and proceeded towards the Tranquil Hall. Francis wasn''t yet crowned


    as the emperor, so all the official meetings were held in the side hall of Tranquil Hall. She wanted to


    see Francis.


    "Lady Harper, if you leave the Sleek Pce, all the guards'' lives will be forfeit." The guard quickly drew


    his sword and held it close to his own throat to threaten Harper.


    Harper sneered, and didn''t even slow her pace for a second. When the guard saw Harper walking


    away, he killed himself. The other guards followed suit. Soon there were many corpses on the floor, but


    none of them could stop her from leaving.


    The leader of the maids of the embroidery house was so scared that her legs went weak. She always


    knew that Harper was a tough nut. Now, despite so many guards killing themselves, she didn''t stop


    even for a second. How heartless she was!


    "Nanny, what should we do?" The maids were about to burst into tears. The smell of thick blood filled


    the Sleek Pce. All the guards of the Sleek Pce had killed themselves. The blood-stink filled their


    nostrils and made them nauseous, but they didn''t dare to vomit.


    "Keep kneeling here!" The nanny managed to calm her nerves. "You saw nothing and heard nothing.


    That is the only way to survive a fight between masters. Remember, this is the Imperial Pce, and


    anyone here may take your life."


    Before the secret guards could convey the incidents in the Sleek Pce to Francis, Harper had already


    reached the Tranquil Hall. Since Francis was in a discussion about the state affairs with the officials,


    none of the secret guards dared to disturb him. They waited patiently to convey the incidents in the


    Sleek Pce.


    When they saw Harper approaching at the door of the Tranquil Hall, the secret guards'' hearts sank.


    Why did shee here?


    Standing in the doorway of the side hall, Harper could hear the voiceing from inside clearly. "Your


    Highness, I''ve heard that Prince Matthew was killed on his way back. Is that true?" asked one of the


    officials.


    Francis exined, "I don''t know the specific situation. I''ve sent someone to look into it. Uncle Matthew


    is the hero of the Bright Dynasty. He is the leader of the ck g Army and directlymands three


    hundred thousand soldiers. If anything happened to him, there could be a terrible mutiny in the army. It


    would be extremely hard to deal with. So, who do you think can go to head up the army?"


    The officials looked at one another and dared not to make a sound. They knew very well about the


    ck g Army. No one else couldmand it, except for Matthew. They could hardly get into the


    barracks of the army, not to mention head up it.


    "Nobody wants to take on this task?" Francis asked in his ever-gentle voice. "If the news about Uncle


    Matthew''s death spreads around the ck g Army, there is bound to be a mutiny. If they take up


    arms against us, could the imperial capital defend against three hundred thousand


    soldiers?"

 Chapter 703 Not Qualified To Be The Empress (Part One)

    Chapter 703 Not Qualified To Be The Empress (Part One)


    The entire pce fell into a dead silence, and no one dared to say anything.


    The ck g Army was an elite force of the Bright Dynasty. Despite their potentbat power and


    significant contribution to the national defense, thete emperor allotted no sry or food to them.


    Matthew fully supported the whole army. Thus, it was regarded as his private army. If the news of


    Matthew''s murder reached the army, the entire army would mutiny.


    "Your Highness." When everyone was in dead silence, suddenly there was a voiceing from behind.


    "Are you all right, Your Highness?"


    The voice was from Forsythia, who was there along with Harper. With the help of Forsythia, Harper


    steadied herself. Her eyes were as cold as ice. She turned back and slowly walked towards her


    residence. "Let''s go."


    "Yes, Your Highness." Forsythia held Harper''s arm and both of them walked back slowly. Along the


    way, she was cold and distant, not as gentle and courteous as before. At that moment, she was like an


    unsheathed sword, so sharp and blinding that would cut anyone who blocked her way.


    After the two left, the officials in the pce just looked at each other inly. Everyone knew that Harper


    now lived in the Sleek Pce. They also knew that she had already divorced Matthew and had no


    rtionship with him anymore. Now, after hearing that Matthew was killed, why would she feel sad?


    Francis didn''t chase Harper. He just sipped his tea and asked, "So, does anyone have any suitable


    candidate in your mind?"


    "I think Prince Jason will be an apt choice," Zack said loudly, standing up. "Prince Jason is a skilled


    martial artist. Let him go to the ck g Army and try to convince them. Even if he turns


    unsessful in controlling them, he will certainly escape unscathed.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Francis squinted as he listened to the wless Zack, who looked too calm. Everyone said that Zack


    treated Harper differently and was willing to offer her help, no matter what happened. However, when


    she was imprisoned in the pce, and the news that she got a divorce with Matthew spread all over,


    Zack and his n didn''t make any response. Moreover, his position was more stable than ever. Francis


    was now skeptical about what the Bu n was thinking.


    "I''m afraid Jason isn''t an expert in military tactics. I don''t think he is the right choice." Francis rejected


    the proposal. Then, he looked at Maxwell and asked, "General Maxwell, are you confident to take up


    the job?"


    Maxwell stood up and said helplessly, "Your Highness, you have been staying in the imperial capital for


    a long time. I guess you haven''t forgotten what happened when I took orders from thete emperor to


    take over the ck g Army. They threw me out before I could enter their gate. And Prince Matthew


    was not in the imperial capital at that time."


    "This time, the situation is different. Uncle Matthew was assassinated and he can''t control them


    anymore."


    "Your Highness, the rules of the ck g Army are strict. The person in charge of the army''s daily


    affairs is one of Matthew''s loyal subordinates that he trusted very much. He neither participates in


    politics nor obeys the royal family''s orders. If anything happens to Prince Matthew, the army only


    listens to the orders of two people. One is Joshua, the general of the army, while the other is the


    person who has the ck g Token. Even if something bad happens to Prince Matthew, the army will


    not mutiny. Your Highness, you don''t have to worry about them."


    A trace of light shed in Francis'' eyes. He too knew about Joshua. Many people ignored Joshua as he


    seldom appeared in front of others. However, he followed Matthew all the way out in various deadly


    battlefields, and only listened to Matthew''s orders.


    "The ck g Token should have been in the hands of Uncle Matthew before. But now he was


    murdered. What if the token fell into the hands of some evildoer? You already said that Joshua will not


    listen to the order of the court. Then, there is a possibility that the evildoer holding the token may ask


    the ck g Army to rebel. In that case, the imperial capital would be in danger." Francisid out his


    concern cautiously.


    "Your Highness, please be rest assured. It''s an unwritten rule of the ck g Army that they never


    attack the emperor," Maxwell said slowly. "That''s precisely the reason that thete emperor had been


    tolerating their existence."


    Francis heaved a sigh of relief. Once he ascended the throne, he would be the emperor. If Matthew''s


    intention was to deal with him by using the ck g Army, that wouldn''t be feasible.


    "In that case, I think we need not worry about the ck g Army. We will discuss it after I ascend the


    throne."


    Maxwell returned to his seat and sipped his tea leisurely, but he was wondering, ''What does Lady


    Harper intend to do? The Imperial Pce can''t trap her, but she stays here peacefully. Nothing goes


    wrong with her and everything seems normal. It''s not like her at all. With her character, she will destroy


    at least half of the entire n who dares to plot against her. It''s so unusual for her to remain so calm.


    She must have aprehensive n.''


    Maxwell''s eyes then wandered around Zack. ''This little fox is too calm, and more surprisingly, his whole


    n is too calm. Harper and Bu n have a very close rtionship. They share the honor and


    hardship. The Bu n is equal to her own family. Therefore, the Bu n supports Harper in almost


    every aspect. Except that they don''t publicly support Matthew, they handle the rest of the things


    whichever are rted to Harper very well. Something is wrong with the Bu n''s calmness, '' he


    thought.


    Ignoring Maxwell''s nce, Zack tapped on the table with his finger as usual, looking like he was having


    a good time. Francis'' eyes fell on Zack''s hand, as he knew that Harper also had the habit of tapping on


    the table subconsciously.

 Chapter 704 Not Qualified To Be The Empress (Part Two)

    Chapter 704 Not Qualified To Be The Empress (Part Two)


    Noticing that Francis was observing him, Zack immediately slowed down his pace. He stopped tapping


    on the table and pulled his hand back into his sleeve. Now that Francis had the testamentary edict of


    thete emperor and was named as his legal sessor, he would officially be the new emperor


    after the official ceremony.


    "Your Highness, the preparation for your enthronement is almostplete, and the remains of Prince


    Lucas have been buried ording to the rituals. But the investiture of the empress¡­" The minister of


    the Ministry of Rites was in a dilemma. Although Harper and Matthew were divorced, it was impossible


    to change the fact that she was married. A married woman was not qualified to be the empress as she


    couldn''t be a motherly model of the empire.


    "The investiture of the empress and the enthronement have to be carried out at the same time. Is there


    any problem?" Francis asked, looking at the minister softly.


    The minister was suddenly under tremendous pressure. He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead


    and said, "Your Highness, but the rtionship between the candidate for the empress and you¡­"


    "The investiture day will also be our wedding day. After we get married, she will be my wife. Do you


    have any questions, minister?" Francis asked in a calm tone. No one really understood what his real


    intentions were.


    When the imperial censor saw the minister''s hesitation, he stepped in and pointed out at once, "Your


    Highness, Harper Chu used to be the wife of Prince Matthew. She was married before. So, she doesn''t


    have the qualification to be with you or be the empress or the motherly model of the empire. I


    don''t think Harper is qualified to be the empress!"


    Francis gave a cold stare at the censor. He didn''t care who Harper had married. His only


    considerations were her capabilities and ambition. Of course, he also wanted her to care for him. It


    didn''t matter for him if her care was short, but he was willing to do everything to make it longer.


    "What kind of morality does the empress exactly need?" Francis asked slowly.


    "She naturally needs to be elegant, virtuous, filial, deferential and of course, good-looking. But it''s not


    moral for a woman to marry two men. She is also not tolerant and virtuous as she forbids Prince


    Matthew from having concubines. How could such a woman take up the responsibility of the empress?"


    Upon hearing that, Francis turned his attention to Zack. "What do you think, Zack?" he asked.


    "I agree with that," Zack said in a serious tone. Even if Harper wished to be the empress, she


    couldn''t be Francis'' empress. He took that stand not because he didn''t think she was not qualified


    to be the empress. If she wanted, she was even qualified to be the queen.


    Francis squinted his eyes and seemed a bit displeased with a hint of anger in his eyes. However, Zack


    had taken over the position of Franklin and was the youngest grand secretary of the Cab. Even


    though Francis was the future emperor, he still couldn''t discard Zack''s opinionpletely.


    "Do others also think so?" Francis asked slowly. The anger in his eyes had diminished, and he


    regained his gentle manner. It seemed that nothing could make him explode with anger. Even though


    he had been annoyed to the extreme, he would still be gentle and soft.


    "Your Highness, please think it over. I don''t think it will be a good idea to marry Princess Harper," Zack


    said.


    "She has already divorced Uncle Matthew. She isn''t his princess anymore," Francis said mildly. "If


    Princess Harper is not qualified, then is Harper Chu qualified?"


    "Your Highness, neither of them are qualified," Zack replied slowly. ''It''s not that she is not qualified. It''s


    only that you can''t marry her, '' he thought. Zack was not someone who would change his mind easily.


    Otherwise, he could never have been the head of his n at such a young age. But Francis was also


    quite a stubborn person.


    "In fact, I think I''m not the most suitable candidate for the new emperor," Francis added gently.


    "Whoever you think is the right choice can take up the throne."


    "Your Highness, what do you mean?" The officials were anxious after hearing his words. An empire


    could not survive without its emperor. It was not easy to fix the date for enthronement. Now that


    everything was well arranged, why did he tell now that he didn''t want to be the emperor?


    "I mean, if you don''t think Harper is qualified to be the empress, then neither am I qualified to be the


    emperor. You can let whoever you want to be the emperor." Then he took up the teacup and slowly


    took a sip. "I believe Minister Chen would be a good choice, since he cares a lot about our empire and


    its people! Zack is also sublimely talented and people adore him very much."


    "Your Highness, we don''t dare to do that."


    "I''m telling you I want Harper as my empress and I am not intending to get your consent for it. If any of


    you disagree, I''ll look for the right candidates to take your positions."


    "Your Highness, we dare not." The officials were terrified. Francis had always been gentle. They


    thought they could change his mind. But they forgot the fact that no matter how gentle he was, he had


    the majesty of the royal family that couldn''t be challenged.


    "Anyone who disagrees with Harper''s empress title may step forward now," Francis ordered sternly.


    Then he picked up his teacup and took a sip.


    The officials looked at each other and remained silent. Now that so many princes of the Bright Dynasty


    had deceased, and Jason was not interested in politics, Francis was the only remaining suitable


    choice. The officials had no other choice but to surrender to his will and give up their insistence.


    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    "Your Highness, we have no more objections."

 Chapter 705 Need No Reason (Part One)

    Chapter 705 Need No Reason (Part One)


    It was the evening before the new emperor''s enthronement day. Francis brought the empress''s robe to


    Harper in person, and demanded her to try it on.


    Harper took a nce at the robezily, and said, "I don''t need to try it."


    "Well, how do you know if it will suit you if you don''t try it?" Francis asked in a low and gentle voice.


    "Try it, please. If it''s not suiting you, we still have time to get it modified."


    "Don''t you know whether it is suitable or not?" Harper said as she leisurely ced the ck and white


    stones on the Go board. "It doesn''t matter whether the robe is suitable or not, but what matters is


    whether the person is suitable."


    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    Francis sat down opposite to Harper and said, "You want to y Go now? Here, I will y with you."


    "Don''t move!" Harper eximed, pushing away his hand from the board. Then she continued to ce


    the ck and white stones on the board in a seemingly irregr manner. However, Francis knew that


    Harper differed greatly from ordinary women. Whatever she did, there would be an underlying purpose


    in it.


    Francis didn''t get angry because of her attitude. He just sat there and watched her ying with the


    stones. Seeing theyout of the ck and white stones on the board, he became very curious. "What


    situation are you trying to create? It seems that there is no way out."


    "Yes, you''re right. There is no way out." Harper looked at the ck and white stones that she had


    ced in their positions with her cold eyes. "Can you find a way out?"


    Francis analyzed the situation carefully. He couldn''t find a way out. It was a game ofplete dead


    end.


    "Harper, I see no way out."


    Hearing that, she smiled, picked up a stone and ced it in a position. Immediately more than half of


    the stones on the board got killed and removed. Francis shook his head at her move. "You have thrown


    yourself into ruin by this move. More than half of your stones are killed."


    Harper didn''t respond, but continued with the game and ced one more stone on the board. As a


    result, the situation on the board became instantly clear. The ck stones, for which there had been no


    way out just now, suddenly faced an optimistic situation. However, this way of surviving seeded at


    the price of great losses, which was like the miserable and heavy loss of the wrist of a strong soldier.


    "You left no room for maneuver or route for escape, so that you finally found a way out. But you have to


    suffer great losses as the price. Don''t you think it''s not that worthy?" Francis picked up a white stone


    and slowly put it down on the board, beginning to chase after the ck stones. Soon, Harper ced


    one more ck stone on the board. Surprisingly, the advantage of the white stones disappeared


    completely.


    Francis was dumbfounded to see the sudden change in the situation. After all, the white stones had


    been in obvious advantage just a moment before. But, as soon as the ck stones took the risk and


    made their next two moves, the white stones were put on the path to ruin. What a dramatic inversion!


    "Sometimes, what you see with your eyes may not be true necessarily," Harper said, taking over the


    teacup from the maid and cing it in front of Francis. "Take this game of Go as an example. You felt


    that it would be an easy win for you, but you lost miserably."


    "Harper, are you implying something?" Francis asked with a gentle smile, concealing his surprise.


    Harper really admired Francis'' ability of self-deception. "Do you want to take a bet with me?" she


    asked.


    "So what are we going to bet on?" Francis asked curiously.


    "That if I can overtly leave the Imperial Pce tomorrow," Harper said slowly. "Do you think I will be


    able to walk safely out of the Imperial Pce in Matthew''s absence?"


    With a tender smile, Francis said, "Yes, I believe that. If you wish to leave the Imperial Pce, just tell


    me. I am ready to go out with you."


    Harper stood up and turned her back on Francis. "It''s already toote. Francis, I think you should go


    back."


    Francis remained unmoved, staring at the empress''s robe. He had imagined for countless times how


    Harper would look when she wore such a beautiful wedding dress. The red robe for the new empress


    looked gorgeous. Even though he could see her wearing it tomorrow, he couldn''t wait any longer and


    wanted to see her wearing it now.


    "You haven''t tried on the empress''s robe yet."


    Harper nced at the red robe on the table and didn''t move. She never liked such an aggressive color,


    not even on her wedding day. She had worn such a red dress on her wedding day with Matthew. At that


    time, she only thought that it was her opportunity to leave the Chu n for her own good. She didn''t


    dislike Matthew, even though the marriage had been granted by thete emperor. When she recalled


    now, she realized that she didn''t observe carefully how she looked in her wedding dress.


    Harper stretched out her hand and touched the red robe for the new empress. She said, "When I


    married Matthew, I thought finally I could leave the hell called Chu n and no longer had to stay with


    a group of hypocritical, ferocious and vicious family members. I was eager to marry Matthew and enter


    his mansion as soon as possible. Even though I knew that I could only be a puppet, I was not hesitant


    at all."


    Francis'' eyes dimmed. "But you fell in love with himter."


    Nodding her head, Harper said, "Yes, I am now used to his way of life and his care for me. Without him


    around me, I always feel empty. When I married him, I had impure motives. I wonder if he''ll feel


    distressed once he knows that."


    "Uncle Matthew is a proud man. He will certainly be mad if he knows that." Francis knew pretty well


    about Matthew. What Matthew hated the most was betrayal. The reason Harper had married him was


    not pure, which could be described as a betrayal. But technically, it wasn''t a betrayal. After all, the


    marriage was granted by thete emperor.


    "Forsythia, help me try the clothes on," Harper ordered. Finally, she agreed to try on the empress''s


    robe. During her marriage to Matthew, she had not paid attention to how she looked in her wedding


    dress. She thought, ''Matthew, where are you now? Why haven''t youe back yet? I''ll wear a


    wedding dress for you once again, and this time I''ll concentrate on you with no distractions. I''ll only be


    your wife in my lifetime.''

 Chapter 706 Need No Reason (Part Two)

    Chapter 706 Need No Reason (Part Two)


    Francis was very pleased with Harper''s confession. He waited outside patiently as she went inside the


    bedroom to try on the clothes. The red robe just seemed perfect for her, revealing her tenderness and


    charm as a woman.


    Looking at herself in the bronze mirror, Harper recalled, "When I got married, I didn''t worry about my


    look in the wedding dress. So I didn''t bother to give a careful look at my appearance. Now it seems that


    I don''t look very outstanding in such a dress. What should I do? If Matthew believes that divorce


    agreement, he will think that I have betrayed him. Then he may even fall in love with another woman.


    What can I do if things end up that way?"


    Forsythia had been so depressed that she wanted to weep. However, after hearing out Harper, she


    didn''t know whether she shouldugh or cry. The news they had heard in the Imperial Study hadn''t


    been confirmed yet, but she knew that Harper was very worried.


    "Your Highness, His Highness will be fine." Forsythia tried tofort her. "His Highness is a brave and


    powerful warrior, and an incredible legend. How could such a man get killed by rascals? His Highness


    will be back safe and sound."


    "Yes, he will be back safe and sound," Harper said. Then she took off the empress''s robe. "Inform


    Francis that the robe fits me well and needn''t be modified. And tell him to go back."


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    Francis was waiting outside joyfully. He imagined how Harper would look in the empress''s robe.


    However, contrary to his expectations, Forsythia came out of the room and not Harper. She said, "Your


    Highness, Lady Harper has tried on the robe and it fits her well. There is no need for any modifications.


    Please go back."Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    Francis'' excitement disappeared instantly. For a moment, he didn''t react. Forsythia didn''t move either.


    Quite for a while, Francis didn''t make a move, and neither did she.


    After some time, Francis slowly stood up and walked out. Tomorrow was his wedding day with Harper.


    There was no need for him to be impatient. It didn''t matter if he saw her in the red robe earlier orter.


    Anyway, he was about to see it soon and there was no need for him to hurry.


    As soon as Francis stepped out, Forsythia shut the door in a hurry. Francis took a quick nce back


    and clenched his fists. The sound from his joints could be heard.


    "Your Highness¡­" Owen looked at Francis cautiously.


    "Let''s go back. The enthronement ceremony is about to take ce tomorrow. We have to be fully


    prepared for it in case of any unexpected trouble." Although the procession escorting Lilian to the Great


    Jade Kingdom had informed the news that Matthew had been killed by assassins and his dead body


    was being sent back to the imperial capital, Francis was still a little worried. He knew Matthew wasn''t


    an ordinary person. Even if Rndo personally took action against Matthew, he might still not be able


    to kill Matthew. Then how could Matthew get killed by some petty assassins? No matter whether the


    news was true or false, Francis thought he ought to be well prepared for both scenarios.


    "Your Highness, the security guards both for the Imperial Pce and tomorrow''s enthronement


    ceremony have been arranged. Everything is under control," Owen reported in a low voice.


    "I don''t worry about anyone except Matthew. If hees back, things will not be the same." Francis


    was terrified of Matthew. He knew that his security guards could stop others, but Matthew was a rare


    breed. Stopping him was impossible.


    "They say Prince Matthew is dead," Owen reminded.


    "Only a fool will believe that." Francis didn''t believe a single word about Matthew''s death. He was


    certain that Matthew was still alive. Moreover, he was worried that Matthew might have already


    returned to the imperial capital and might be nning to give him a fatal blow tomorrow.


    "You possess the testamentary edict in your hands, so you have the justifiable reason to ascend the


    throne. He can''t attack you, Your Highness," Owen said. "Lady Harper has already divorced him. Even


    if he wanted to harm you, there wouldn''t be any solid reason for him to do that."


    "Since when does he need reasons to do things?" Francis asked, as he felt Owen sounded ridiculous.


    Matthew never needed any reason to do things he wanted. He did everything based on his free will.


    Even though he restrained from many things after his marriage, he still acted willfully, and even taught


    Harper to do things in his way.


    Owen smiled in embarrassment as he realized that his master was right. No matter whether Prince


    Matthew had hit, scolded or even killed someone, it was always the person''s own fault. He didn''t need


    a reason, as nobody had the audacity to question him.


    "So... should we strengthen the defense?"


    "No need for that. I have something else for him in my mind. Once hees, he will be greatly


    impressed and will never forget it," Francis sneered. "He could not use his ck g Army now. He is


    only left with his secret guards. How many secret guards would he have? I am the justifiable heir to the


    throne, so he can''t harm me, though he is my uncle!"


    "Your Highness, are you sure that you can make it?" Owen was a little worried. After all, everyone knew


    about Matthew''s abilities. It was impossible to defend an attack from him.


    Francis smiled and patted Owen on his shoulder. "As long as the testamentary edict is in my hands, he


    won''t dare to do anything. Be rest assured of it. Even if he enters the Imperial Pce, he won''t be able


    to harm me."


    "I think it would be better to add more guards, just in case," Owen said. He then proceeded to arrange


    for more guards. He had to be certain that everything would go smoothly for tomorrow''s enthronement


    ceremony.

 Chapter 707 Back To Life (Part One)

    Chapter 707 Back To Life (Part One)


    The new emperor''s enthronement was a big event. All of the civil and military officials had long been


    waiting in the Imperial Pce for the new emperor to hold the inauguration ceremony in the Temple of


    Heaven. The old emperor had passed away several days ago, but the new emperor was yet to ascend


    the throne. Worried as the officials were, the new emperor was, atst, willing to take the throne.


    Although it was quite absurd for Prince Matthew''s wife, Harper to be the empress, they had no


    choice but to ept the fact for the sake of the imperial court''s steady status.


    After all, the empress could be stripped of her status. Once the new emperor had sessfully


    ascended the throne, they would find fault with Harper in the future and force the new emperor to drive


    her out.


    Maxwell thought that things were going so smoothly, but since Franklin had retired, it was very difficult


    for him to lower his level and ask Zack. That being said, he was a straightforward man, so he had hard


    trouble keeping the words to himself. In the end, he decided to move closer toward Zack.


    "Lord Zack, do you feel that the atmosphere is quite dignified today?" Maxwell asked, trying his best to


    act natural.


    "General, today is the day the new emperor ascends the throne, so the atmosphere is naturally


    dignified. After all, this is a very significant event. How could it be not dignified?" Zack replied with a


    gentle smile.


    You little fox! Maxwell cursed deep inside. As far as he was concerned, Zack was much harder to deal


    with than his father. He was such a cunning man, and always performed well whenever he was doing


    his job. The people of the Bu n were all cunning foxes, but Zack was more cunning than his father!


    "I''m just curious. The Imperial Pce seems to be heavily guarded today."


    "Given that the new emperor is about to ascend the throne, no mistake is allowed. Of course, the


    pce is heavily guarded."


    At that moment, Maxwell really wanted to p Zack across the face hard. ''Why are you acting like such


    a cunning fox? Why haven''t you learned from anyone other than your father? That man is so cunning


    and slick. Would it kill you to say something and make a guess?


    You little fox!'' he screamed in his heart. Then, he was no longer interested in talking to Zack.


    A faint smile appeared on Zack''s lips. "I heard that your wife sumbed to her illness a few days ago."


    Maxwell turned frigid, and then responded in a serious tone, "Yes, we didn''t want to disturb others


    because it was close to the old emperor''s funeral. And we had her buried peacefully."


    Zack gave him a peculiar smile. As for Maxwell, he felt so ufortable seeing his smile, but when he


    thought that they supported the same person, he was somewhat relieved. No wonder Zack became


    friends with Harper; he was just as heartless and cunning as her.


    While the officials were waiting for the new emperor toe out, Lucas, who had already been dead


    and buried, appeared out of the blue. Moreover, he brought along fifty thousand soldiers with him to


    have the entire Imperial Pcepletely surrounded!


    "What the hell!" The minister of the Ministry of Works rubbed his eyes, finding what he was seeing hard


    to believe. Then, he pinched the vice minister beside him, which made thetter grimace in pain.


    "Prince Lucas hase back to life! Did you see that? Am I right?"


    The vice minister replied at once, "My Lord, you are not mistaken. It really is Prince Lucas and he has


    come back to life."Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    The minister didn''t loosen his grip on the waist of the vice minister at all. Instead, he pinched it even


    harder and said, "But I don''t feel any pain when I pinch myself. Is this just part of my dream?"


    The vice minister almost cried out in pain, "My Lord, since I''m actually the one you''re pinching, you


    wouldn''t feel any pain."


    Turning his head, the minister realized that he had indeed pinched someone else. He released his grip


    immediately and looked at Lucas who was standing outside the gates of the Imperial Pce. "Your


    Highness, what are you doing? Why are you leading your men to surround the Imperial Pce? Are


    you trying to rebel?"


    Lucas snorted with a grim face. These past few days, he had been forced to disguise himself as a


    woman and work as the number one prostitute in a brothel. For that reason alone, he had been


    depressed enough. "Minister, are you blind? Don''t you see that the army I lead belongs to the


    emperor? This is not an act of rebellion. I am merely ridding the emperor of evil ministers!"


    Staring at the general in front of the army, the minister asked in surprise, "General Yu, what do you


    think you''re doing?"


    "Thete emperor had issued an imperial edict that we Regal Guards should obey Prince Lucas''


    orders!" the general replied seriously.


    "Nonsense! You are the army belonging to the emperor. Shouldn''t you be following the orders of the


    heir to the throne instead?" As soon as the minister was done speaking, he realized that something


    was quite amiss. The Regal Guards led by General Yu were taking orders from Lucas, indicating that


    the previous emperor had chosen Lucas as the heir to the throne. However, Francis apparently had the


    testamentary edict in his hands to make him the new emperor. Knowing that, why were the imperial


    guards following Lucas'' orders? Could it be... The minister had a vague doubt on his mind that Francis


    might not be the legal heir to the throne, but he dared not say it out loud.


    "Your Highness, thete emperor has issued a testamentary edict dering that Prince Francis is the


    heir to the throne. Now, you are leading your troops to threaten the new emperor, and you are staging a


    rebellion and guilt of treason. You should be sentenced to death!" The vice minister stepped forward


    and stated since the minister couldn''t say a thing.


    Lucas simply snorted and responded, "Thete emperor has issued a testamentary edict dering that


    Prince Francis is the heir to the throne? Are you kidding me?"


    "All of us have witnessed it with our very eyes. If you don''t believe me, you can ask the officials present


    whether thete emperor mentioned that Prince Francis would be the heir," the vice minister blurted


    out, ovee by emotions. ''Now, Prince Francis is about to be the new emperor. You''re already


    a dead man. How dare you show up just to rebel? Are you kidding?''


    "Francis tried to murder my father and even framed Felix. Then, he killed Felix to keep the secret. How


    could my father possibly pass down the throne to him?" Lucas'' loud voice, mixed with his internal force,


    echoed throughout the Imperial Pce.

 Chapter 708 Back To Life (Part Two)

    Chapter 708 Back To Life (Part Two)


    "You''re spouting nonsense. It''s as clear as day that Prince Felix harbored resentment and killed thete


    emperor. Prince Francis became so furious that he ended up killing Prince Felix."


    "Did you see it with your own eyes?" Lucas asked, feeling quite amused. "When I came back to the


    imperial capital and saw my father, the first thing he said was that Francis was trying to kill him, and he


    even handed over the testamentary edict he prepared long ago to me. You said that Francis has the


    testamentary edict, but I have it in my possession as well. I am wondering which one is fake!"


    When Maxwell looked around, he saw that everyone was shocked. Then, he looked at Zack, who didn''t


    seem surprised at all, as though he was already aware of it. The little fox was actually in on it, but he


    hadn''t told him anything.


    Francis got word that there was something wrong, so he rushed to the pce gates, with Jason


    following closely behind him. When Francis finally appeared, all the officials who had been whispering


    suddenly stopped and looked at him, hoping that he could give them an exnation.


    Wearing the emperor''s yellow robe, Francis looked so overbearing and cold. "Who are you? How dare


    you pretend to be Prince Lucas and try to rebel on such an important day?"


    "Francis, howe you don''t even recognize me? While I was on the way to the Great Jade Kingdom


    for the marriage alliance, you sent many people to hunt me down. Why can''t you recognize me? Did


    you seriously think that I would be so useless and killed off by the assassins you sent? If I was actually


    killed by your men under Uncle Matthew''s protection, it would be a huge p in his face, wouldn''t it?"


    Lucas said scornfully.


    Hearing this, Francis curled his lips and said, "Lucas, you are still alive and well, but why we got the


    news that you were dead and even your body was sent back? Now, your remains have already been


    buried."


    "If I didn''t fake my death, would you stop the assassination? I used to think that Felix was the cruel one


    for killing his own brothers. But, now I know that you are the most heartless among all of us. You killed


    our father and eldest brother, harmed our uncle and stole his wife. Francis, do you think you have the


    world in the palm of your hands?" Lucas questioned him.


    "Father left a testamentary edict saying that I would be the one who should take the throne. Why would


    I have to kill him?" Francis quickly answered.


    Lucasughed so hard that he was having convulsions. "Are you trying to make meugh, Francis?


    Don''t you know that the heir to the throne is especially taught by someone? Moreover, from the day the


    heir to the throne was decided, the Regal Guards would only be following his orders. If you are really


    the heir chosen by Father, then have you ever met the imperial preceptor? Do you have the Regal


    Guards serving under you?"


    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    The civil and military officials all looked at each other, not knowing whom to listen to, Francis or Lucas?


    They thought, ''How could the things that already set in stone suddenly change? Prince Lucas was


    already pronounced dead and has been buried, but why did hee back to life and say that he only


    faked his death? Moreover, he is carrying thete emperor''s testamentary edict and is leading the


    Regal Guards. This is probably just a joke, right?''


    "Everything you said is just one-sided. The imperial preceptor was something you just made up. As for


    the Regal Guards, you must have stolen the token from them and forced them to listen to your orders!


    Moreover, I have the testamentary edict left by Father along with the imperial seal. I am the official new


    emperor. You are merely a traitor nning to rebel," Francis calmly stated.


    "I''m not sure who is a traitor. As for the existence of the imperial preceptor, it''s not yet certain whether I


    have only made it up or not. You can go ahead and ask Uncle Allen, Marquis Travis, and Uncle


    Matthew." Lucas looked at Allen who was standing in the crowd and asked, "Uncle Allen, you are an


    official who has to take care of Father''s heir. Do you know about the imperial preceptor?"


    "Of course I know. He''s the one who coaches the future emperor. And he is also specially in charge of


    training the secret guards of the emperor as well as the heir to the throne. Lucas, if you are indeed the


    heir to the throne, you must have the secret guards of the emperor," Allen replied in a loud voice.


    "Of course. Marquis Travis, is what I said true?"


    "It''s all true." Originally, Travis didn''t need to go to the imperial court at all, but today, the new emperor


    would ascend the throne, so he decided toe. He wasn''t expecting to see such a good y.


    Everyone said Francis was kind, but much to their surprise he had tried to kill his father and brothers,


    which was utterly against thew!


    When Francis heard this, his face froze. He looked at Allen and Travis. These days, the two of them


    didn''t really say much. But today, as soon as Lucas showed up, they didn''t hesitate to help him, so they


    must have been aware that Lucas was the real heir to the throne as well as thete emperor''s favorite


    candidate. In spite of that, they didn''t do anything from the beginning to the end. Their patience was


    admirable.


    "So Uncle Allen and Marquis Travis have sided with Lucas and be traitors?" Francis ordered in a


    hushed voice, "Seize them!"


    "What? Prince Francis, your conspiracy has been exposed and you be furious? Are you nning


    to kill us as well so you could keep your secret?" Travis had always been a man of courage. No one


    else but he dared to provoke Matthew, and he was the only one who had fought with him. Thus, he


    would never be afraid of Francis.


    "Marquis Travis, you and Uncle Allen have conspired with Lucas and tried to rebel. I am forced to take


    you down in ordance with thew." With a wave of his hand, Francis ordered, "Take them away!"


    "Francis, you are so domineering." A voice roared in like a thunderbolt, leaving everyone''s ears hurt.


    They followed the direction where the sound came from and found two people standing upstairs. They


    were, respectively, Matthew and his wife Harper!

 Chapter 709 Teach Him A Lesson (Part One)

    Chapter 709 Teach Him A Lesson (Part One)


    Francis'' eyes dted at the sight of the woman next to Matthew and even his face instantly turned pale.


    Then, he furiously shifted his gaze toward Jason. Jason was the one he asked to keep a close eye on


    Harper, yet she had been found and taken away by Matthew.


    Seeing the look on Francis'' face, Jason felt a bit guilty. He was meaning to tell Francis the truth that


    Harper had regained her memory as well as her special fighting ability. Even the secret guards in the


    Sleek Pce failed to stop her from running away. After all, Matthew was with her the entire time,


    which made them unmatchable. But he couldn''t let Francis find out the truth. If Francis were to find out


    that he hid this from him, it would only make him even more furious.


    "My empress, don''t you think that you''re in the wrong ce?" Francis asked in a resolute tone as he


    stared at Harper, not bothering to look at Matthew at all.


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    However, Harper merely yawned and pretended to be sleepy. Then, she said to Matthew, "Darling,


    please save me. I have been trapped in the Imperial Pce for days, and I couldn''t really eat or sleep


    well. What''s more, I felt so sad and lonely. Especially these officials are really annoying! On one hand,


    they cursed me and imed that I was a woman of easy virtue. But on the other hand, they forced me


    to marry Francis. I have really been wronged."


    When they heard her words, all the ministers broke out in a cold sweat. They all groaned in their


    hearts, ''Lady Harper, you can''t use us of anything. We have never really forced you to marry Prince


    Francis. It was you who wrote a divorce agreement to Prince Matthew so you could marry Prince


    Francis. We had nothing to do with that. You did this in order to get a higher status and be the


    future empress. So, why are you suddenly ming us for everything?''


    Although they were actually quite furious deep inside, none of them had the guts to speak out. If they


    dared to say anything that would contradict her, they were afraid that she might say even more absurd


    things to Matthew. Matthew loved and trusted her a lot, so he would certainly me them instead. She


    was such a cunning and spiteful woman!


    "Yes, you are right. They all deserve to be punished," Matthew said soothingly.


    "And it''s not just these officials, but your nephew as well!" Harper protested as she pointed toward


    Francis, pulling a long face. "This guy copied my handwriting and wrote a divorce agreement to you.


    And he even made it known to everyone, which made me look like a wicked woman who was used


    of abandoning her original husband all for the sake of wealth and fame. You really need to teach him a


    lesson!"


    "Yeah, I need to teach him a lesson," Matthew echoed.


    There was a nk look on Francis'' face, and his smile had long disappeared. He had actually guessed


    that Matthew would return, but he hadn''t anticipated that Lucas would still be alive. Even before,


    Francis had suspected that his father wanted Lucas to be the heir, so he sent his men all the way to kill


    him. However, he never would''ve thought that Lucas managed to escape by faking his death. Needless


    to say, Matthew was the one who came up with this idea. After all, he did not believe that Lucas was


    smart nor capable enough to pull it off all by himself.


    "It''s good to know that you''re all right, Uncle Matthew. But you''ve already divorced her. She is going to


    be my wife and empress soon. Don''t you think what you''re doing is inappropriate?" Francis felt


    extremely offended and upset upon seeing Matthew holding Harper in his arms.


    After that, Matthew put down Harper and made her stand firm. "Wait right here. I''m going to teach that


    arrogant guy a lesson first," he said with such tenderness in his eyes.


    "Okay! p him in the face for me," Harper said, encouraging him.


    "Okay." As soon as he said that, he flew down in an instant and went straight toward Francis in an


    aggressive manner. Seeing this, Jason immediately stood in front of Francis to fight with Matthew


    head-on. However, with just one swift move, he was thrown out by Matthew with ease and flew directly


    toward the pce wall. As she watched from a distance, Harper thought that it must be extremely


    painful to suffer such an attacking from Matthew.


    Francis couldn''t risk being careless when faced with Matthew''s attacks. As soon as Jason was thrown


    out, Francisunched an attack at one of Matthew''s vital parts. But Matthew swiftly turned over and


    dodged the attack. In the blink of an eye, his killing intent came spilling out his body. The people around


    him were so frightened that they froze on the spot. Everyone knew that Matthew was extremely


    powerful on the battlefield. As long as he was standing on the battlefield, it would be impossible for his


    enemy to escape his attacks. Before, they had assumed that this was just an exaggeration. But at that


    moment, they had the chance to witness everything firsthand and it turned out to be true. The malicious


    aura emanating from him sent shivers down their spines as they watched this fierce fight. They


    desperately wanted to get as far away from them as possible, but they were so frightened that they


    couldn''t do a thing because fear had rendered thempletely immobile.


    Although Zack was good at martial arts to some degree, he didn''t really have exceptional skills. He


    could only fight with ordinary people. So, when he was faced with such an overwhelming atmosphere,


    his face turned pale a bit. Then, he took a step backward calmly and moved away little by little. Truth


    be told, he was actually thinking of talking to Matthew about what happened today.


    Maxwell also did the same thing as Zack had done; he was able to slowly back off from the fighting. But


    the same thing couldn''t be said for the other officials, as they were quite pitiful. They could barely even


    move a muscle. Some of them were so scared out of their wits that they fell on their knees on the


    ground and couldn''t stand up.


    Noticing this, Lucas finally walked toward the officials and moved quickly. He helped the ministers up


    one by one to lead them to safety. He didn''t want them to be the coteral damage. After all, this


    country still needed them.


    The ministers who harbored resentment toward Lucas could not feel more grateful to him at this point.


    If Lucas hadn''t helped them, they could have been badly hurt, or worse, killed.


    With all of the ministers taken out of the dangerous area, Matthew no longer had to hold back. To


    everyone''s surprise, Francis, who had always been weak, appeared to be so skilled in fighting that he


    could hold out against Matthew for such a long time. Could it be that he wasn''t actually sick all these


    years?


    Jason directly hit the pce wall and fell to the ground, causing him even more pain. At that moment,


    he could tell that all of his bones had been broken. It felt so bad that he stared at Matthew with such


    resentment. ''Uncle Matthew, you are such ruthless. In spite of everything, I am still your nephew. Even


    though I am just two years younger than you, I am still your nephew. How could you have the heart to


    beat me up so badly? What if I got killed?''

 Chapter 710 Teach Him A Lesson (Part Two)

    Chapter 710 Teach Him A Lesson (Part Two)


    Harper looked down and noticed that Jason had been lying motionless on the ground for a long time.


    So, she asked Barry and Fred, "Is he dead?"


    "Your Highness, he is still alive. He would probably just get severely injured at most," Fred quickly


    replied. In truth, his conclusion was decisive yet cold, and no one could tell whether he was joking or


    not. When Barry heard his response, the corners of his mouth twitched a bit. Maybe other people would


    have no idea, but he was well aware that Matthew didn''t really hurt Jason that severely. Jason might


    get hurt badly, but he was not an incapable man. There was no way he would get killed so easily like


    this.


    "Okay. That''s fine, as long as he doesn''t die," Harper blurted out.


    "It seems that he is not badly hurt after all," Barry added. Jason had already sat up and was getting


    ready to lend Francis a hand.


    Seeing this, Harper ordered in a decisive tone at once, "Fred, go and stop him! Beat and cripple him if


    you must."


    When he heard Harper''s words, Jason staggered and fell back to the ground. Then, he shot her an


    intense re and yelled out, "Hey! We have the same master and you are my junior! How could you be


    so cruel?"


    "Whatever you say isn''t going to change my mind," Harper tly said, casting Jason a cold nce.


    Then, she said to Fred, "Fred, if he dares to make any sudden movements, feel free to beat him up.


    For as long as you keep him alive, you can beat him to your heart''s content."


    "As you wish, Your Highness," Fred replied and immediately began to warm up his body by stretching


    his arms. After he was done, he jumped off at once as if he had actually been looking forward to


    fighting with Jason for so long. When he got off, he looked at Jason in anticipation, hoping that Jason


    could stillunch attacks towards him. That way, he would have the chance to fight back and beat him


    up real good. Jason found the whole situation awkward now.


    Meanwhile, Francis and Matthew were still fighting fiercely with each other, but Francis was being at a


    disadvantage now. As the match progressed, he proved to be no match for Matthew. Matthew, on the


    other hand, took advantage of this andunched more furious strikes. What was more, he grabbed the


    opportunity and pped Francis in the face real hard twice. It was so hard that Francis'' tied-up hair


    even loosened. He was such a mess right now.


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    With that, Matthew finally stopped and flew back to Harper''s side after he had won. As soon as he


    stepped on the gate tower, he put his arm around Harper''s waist and said, "I''ve pped him twice for


    you. Are you satisfied now?"


    "Yes, yes, I''m very satisfied," Harper replied, looking quite pleased as she smiled. "Now that you have


    already taught him a lesson, why don''t you let Lucas take care of everything else? Let''s go home, shall


    we?"


    "Okay," Matthew said. The couple was just about to leave.


    "No, no, no! Uncle Matthew, Aunt Harper, you can''t just leave like this!" Lucas yelled out. There was no


    way he would agree to that. "If you leave right now, who''s going to back me up? I don''t have anyone on


    my side here. You know what? During the imperial court sessionst time, everyone spat at me, saying


    that Imitted heinous crimes. What if they all join forces to gang up on me after you leave? Please, I


    need you here."


    When they heard this, all the officials turned pale. Back then, they thought it would be a good idea to


    push Francis into the throne. At the same time, however, Francis was extremely talented. That was


    why they decided to impeach Lucas. Unexpectedly, Lucas turned out to be the sessor whom the


    late emperor had secretly trained.


    "Prince Lucas, please forgive us for offending you a lot back then. We only did that because you


    presented yourself to be such a yboy who did not seem to care about the country whatsoever. We


    had all been fooled by you! We scolded you at that time because we were disappointed at you for not


    making any contribution to this country. That was why we had to impeach you for the sake of the Bright


    Dynasty. I know that you are a broad-minded man. Please forgive us," one of the ministers cried out.


    Lucas, however, wouldn''t let those officials go that easily. "Aunt Harper, please stay and help me," he


    pleaded with such a pitiful look on his face.


    Seeing this, Harper helplessly shook her head. She then looked at Matthew and suggested, "Honey,


    how about we stay here and see how this thing goes before we head back? It may be a pity if we leave


    right now when everything isn''t over yet."


    "It''s fine if that''s what you want," Matthew simply replied. It was rare for him to behave so tenderly. Now


    that they had made up their minds to stay, they stood still on the tower, watching as though they didn''t


    have anything to do with the issue. But no one could dare to ignore them. After all, Matthew had an


    army of three hundred thousand warriors and each of them was capable of resisting ten ordinary


    soldiers, making them a force to be reckoned with.


    Francis'' fair face was now covered with scarlet finger prints, and his messy long hair made him look a


    little disconcerted. However, the fire in his eyes was still unyielding. After looking at Harper, he stepped


    back and waved his hand. "Lucas, you havemitted a crime of treason and staged a rebellion. You


    are extremely guilty beyond reasonable doubt! What you have done is unforgivable. I will have you


    sentenced to death!"


    "Wow! I''m so scared," Lucas teased, crossing his arms and pretending to be very afraid, which made


    others want to burst outughing. However, no one daredugh out loud in such a tense atmosphere.


    "Everyone, are you going to join the rebellion with Lucas?" Francis warned in a threatening tone when


    he saw that his guards had himpletely surrounded.


    Lucas, on the other hand, simply snorted coldly as he took out an imperial edict from his pocket, "I


    have with me Father''s testamentary edict. Moreover, I have the imperial jade seal! Francis attempted to


    murder thete emperor and other princes. What he has done is unpardonable. Today, I will make your


    crime public and have you sentenced ording to thew of the Bright Dynasty! Guards! Seize Francis


    and his men! Only those who are willing to surrender shall be kept alive!"

 Chapter 711 No One Shall Be Allowed To Leave (Part One)

    Chapter 711 No One Shall Be Allowed To Leave (Part One)


    "The imperial jade seal in your hands is a fake one, isn''t it?" Francis asked in a cold tone as he peered


    at the imperial jade seal Lucas was holding in his hands.


    Lucas then began tossing the imperial jade seal between his hands. "What do you think?" he tly


    asked.


    Francis screwed his eyes slightly. His intuition was telling him that something seemed quite amiss. Yet,


    as the arrow was on the bow and poised to strike, he didn''t have the time to think too much about it.


    For as long as Lucas was dead and he himself became the new emperor, Matthew wouldn''t be able to


    do anything to him.


    "Lucas, are you aware that you havemitted one more crime¡ªforging the imperial jade seal?!"


    Francis used him, waving his hand and gesturing for all of the guards to attack Lucas together. At


    that point, he believed that it wouldn''t make a difference even if Lucas was still alive. By doing this,


    Lucas could be killed and his blood could be used to pay respect to the g, because it would be


    a good omen for his enthronement.


    The Regal Guards moved one after another and stood with the pce guards. The head as well as the


    deputy head of the pce guards respectively stood on one side of Francis, awaiting his orders.


    Putting her hands against the tower wall, Harper leaned forward slightly, trying to take a good look at


    everything with such interest in her eyes. "I''ve heard before that a throne is always built on a pile of


    bones. But it is not until I see it with my own eyes today that I believe it''s true. It could even be


    considered humiliating for one to take the throne without stepping on bones."


    "As the saying goes, a general achieves renown over the dead bodies of ten thousand soldiers, let


    alone an emperor," Matthew said, pulling Harper into his arms. "I''m beginning to get bored just


    watching from here. What do you say we do something to take part in it too?"


    "Feel free to make this farce end sooner," Harper replied, looking at the difited Francis. He had


    always appeared so gentle and civilized before, but right now, he looked extremely disheveled. That


    being said, it didn''t really do anything to his charming appearance whatsoever. It was a bit unfair. A


    handsome man, no matter how disheveled, would still be handsome.


    Casting Harper a nce, Matthew suddenly snapped his fingers. No one else knew what it meant. But


    it seemed as though his fingers had magic power, stopping everyone in an instant, because Francis


    had been captured!


    Harper was left utterly dumbfounded when she saw Ken, the head of the pce guards, put his sword


    on Francis'' neck. "Stop, all of the pce guards."


    All the pce guards immediately obeyed Ken''s order. Now that Ken himself had told them to stop,


    they all stopped whatever it was that they were dong. Seeing that, the Regal Guards stopped as well,


    as if they had been extremely frightened by the unexpected scene.


    "Ken works for you?" asked Harper in surprise.


    Matthew answered gently, "You have only met three of my four strongest guards before. Ken is the


    fourth one."


    As it turned out, the head of the pce guards was actually one of the four strongest guards under


    Matthew''smand. If thete emperor were to find out about this, he would jump out of the imperial


    tomb because of anger, and he would curse Matthew for going too far, as he had trusted Ken till the


    end of his life.


    "You have so many talented followers around you, darling!" Harper said, giving him a thumbs up. No


    wonder many people feared Matthew so much. After all, people whom they thought they were familiar


    with might turn out to be their enemies in the blink of an eye.


    "I have a lot of capable men around me. I will introduce them to you one by one some other day.


    Joshua Qi, the general of the ck g Army, is an extremely capable man as well."


    Harper couldn''t help but chuckle upon hearing that. Of course, she knew that the general who was able


    tomand the entire ck g Army would by no means be a simple man. Even if she wanted to,


    she couldn''t pretend not to know. "Let''s get downstairs. The situation is already under control. It''s time


    for us to go down," she insisted.


    "Okay,"


    Matthew replied. Wrapping his arm around Harper''s waist, he leaped off from the gate tower and


    landed on the ground in front of Francis. Francis'' face had beenpletely devoid of color. "I didn''t


    expect that the head of the pce guards would be your man, Uncle Matthew."


    "There''s a lot of things you do not know," Matthew replied indifferently. "Over the years, you''ve worked


    hard in the dark, using your poor health as an excuse. You incited the other princes to fight against one


    another and you even managed to keep your father from finding out. You''re the most patient prince I''ve


    ever seen."


    "You must be kidding me, Uncle Matthew. As for patience, I believe Lucas is the most patient one. As


    the true heir to the throne, he pretended to be a yboy for years, discreetly wandering among various


    powers. Even the courtiers were fooled into thinking that he was actually a yboy. I honestly feel


    ashamed of my inferiority to him in terms of patience," Francis said, shifting his gaze toward Lucas.


    Lucas had been on good terms with Matthew for many years. Nobody had ever given it much thought,


    because he had always pretended to be a yboy without showing any interest in national affairs. It


    was not until that point that Francis realized that maybe Lucas had made up his mind to ride on the


    coattails of Matthew since the day he became friendly with him. Even though thete emperor had


    been very afraid of the great power Matthew possessed, Lucas had never changed his stance.


    "Thank you for your praise, Francis. I also admire you. Despite your poor health, you have stirred up


    quite a bit of trouble in the Bright Dynasty. If it weren''t for your evil intention on Aunt Harper, it would


    probably still be unknown who the throne will go to," Lucas said with a smile. Truth be told, Harper was


    Matthew''s taboo. Lucas had figured it out from the moment Harper became the hostess of Matthew''s


    mansion. However, Francis never really understood it. That was the reason why he lost the game.


    "Do you think you have won?" Francis sneered. "Uncle Matthew, whose life do you think is more


    important, mine or Harper''s?"


    "Your life is worthless!" Matthew stated in a cold and ruthless voice. In his eyes, Francis'' life was as


    worthless as weeds!


    Francis didn''t get upset with his answer. Instead, he simply smiled and said, "Uncle Matthew, in that


    case, you can''t kill me then. After all, no one other than me has the antidote to the poison in her body."


    "Poison?" Matthew asked, squinting his eyes and turning his head to look at Harper.Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.

 Chapter 712 No One Shall Be Allowed To Leave (Part Two)

    Chapter 712 No One Shall Be Allowed To Leave (Part Two)


    With an innocent smile on her face, Harper said, "I''ve been poisoned? When did it happen? I didn''t


    even realize it."


    "I smeared poison on the empress'' robe I gave you yesterday," Francis said as he looked at Harper,


    feeling quite sorry for her in his heart. "I knew Uncle Matthew would surely show up today, so I came up


    with such a n just in case."


    Matthew didn''t utter a single word and simply stared at Harper. Harper then took a step toward Francis


    and asked him, "What do you want?"


    "I want you to leave with me," Francis said, still not willing to give up. A sensible person should know


    clearly how to make a decision between dying or leaving with him. "Let Uncle Matthew be the


    new emperor. To tell you the truth, the throne isn''t really what I''ve always wanted."


    "He has no interest in the throne," Harper stated, slowly walking toward Francis. Seeing this, Ken


    frowned slightly and held the sword tighter, as if he was unsure whether he should put it away or


    continue pointing it at Francis'' neck.


    Gently pushing Ken''s sword away, Harper said, "General Ken, the sword is too sharp. You should be


    careful. You might injure me."


    Before making a decision, Ken looked at Matthew. Seeing that Matthew didn''t say anything or show


    any sign of being against it, he immediately drew back his sword and took a step back.


    "Uncle Matthew, do you really have no interest in the throne?" Francis asked in curiosity. When he saw


    Harper stand in front of him, he instantly understood what her decision was going to be. Matthew didn''t


    dare to stop her, because he didn''t want to risk her life. However, there was no way he was going to


    give up so easily. "Lucas is inferior to you in terms of both prestige and ability. If you ascend the throne


    and be the emperor, the Bright Dynasty would be capable ofpeting against the Great Jade


    Kingdom. On the other hand, if Lucas ascends the throne..."


    When Lucas heard that, his face became overcast. He knew that he would be no match for Rndo at


    all. Rndo was another rare genius in the world, a match for Matthew. What Francis said did make


    perfect sense. If Matthew became the emperor of the Bright Dynasty, no one would dare to invade the


    Bright Dynasty. That was because Matthew was different from all of the previous emperors in the


    history of the Bright Dynasty, for he was a man who didn''t know how to give in. He would not attack


    anybody who was friendly to him, but he would always retaliate at any cost when he was attacked.


    "I told you that I have no interest in the throne. Hand over the antidote," Matthew ordered, his face


    turning dark. Malicious killing intent shed across his eyes.


    As a smile crept onto his face, Francis calmly said, "Uncle Matthew, if I give you the antidote right now,


    how are you going to let me go? I know your abilities quite well. It wouldn''t be difficult for you to kill me


    unless I have some bargain chips in my hands."


    "It''s good that you are aware of my abilities. Before I want to cut you into pieces, hand over the


    antidote!"


    Stretching out his hand, Francis grabbed Harper''s arm and took her to step backward. "Once I''m sure


    that I''m safe, I''ll give you the antidote..."


    Before he could finish his sentence, the clear sound of a sharp de piercing into the flesh suddenly


    came through. Then, Francis lowered his head to have a look in utter disbelief. With a faint smile on her


    face, Harper looked at the grief-stricken Francis. Without so much as a hint of mercy, she pushed the


    dagger deeper into his body.


    "Has anyone ever told you that I am a woman who will seek revenge for the smallest grievance?"


    Harper whispered right into Francis'' ear. "I''ve told you before. If you dare toy a finger on my man, I


    will never let you go so easily."


    Francis opened his mouth and spat out a mouthful of blood. At first, he had thought that the reason why


    Harper stabbed him was because he had poisoned her. However, she had made it very clear that her


    reason was because he had taken action against Matthew. Now, Matthew was here safe and sound,


    but she still didn''t hesitate to kill him at all.


    "You... Don''t you want to get the antidote?" Francis asked. At that moment, it was too painful to


    breathe. The one person he had loved so deeply gave him a fatal blow right when he was caught up in


    the most difficult situation.


    At that moment, Harper wore such a bright and lovely smile, which made her look like a beautiful


    flower. But in Francis'' eyes, she seemed so cold that he felt as though his blood could freeze due to the


    coldness.


    "I guess you weren''t aware that I''m immune to all kinds of poisons," Harper exined, still wearing the


    vibrant smile on her face. "Up to now, no poison has been able to poison me. At least I have yet to find


    one."


    After saying that, Harper suddenly pulled out the dagger, leaving the blood to ssh all over her, but


    she didn''t seem to care at all. It was only then that Francis released his grip on Harper''s hand and


    stumbled back, looking extremely heartbroken. He had thought that Harper at least liked him a little.


    Otherwise, she probably wouldn''t have tried her best to cure him.


    "Harper, don''t you like me even just a little?" Francis asked, clearly in so much pain while covering his


    wound with his hands. In his mind, he couldn''t help wondering how Harper could bear stabbing him if


    she liked him even just a little.


    "No, not at all!" Harper said in a rather cold tone, her eyes devoid of any affection for him whatsoever. "I


    have wanted to kill you ever since you applied Terminalia Cheb to me."


    Francis staggered backwards in astonishment, as if he couldn''t believe that Harper had been wanting


    to kill him from such a long time ago. Despite her killing intent, she had remainedposed and hadn''t


    shown any sign of her real intention in front of him. In fact, the only time she had expressed her anger


    was when he said he wanted to make her his empress.


    "You are so good at acting!"


    "Compared to you, I actually am ashamed of my inferiority to you when ites to acting."


    "Francis!" Jason broke free from Fred''s clutches and ran to Francis immediately to support him. As he


    red at Harper, he wanted to give her a talking-to so bad, but he couldn''t say a word. After all, Harper


    simply did what she wanted to do. Since Francis and he had framed her up over and over again, how


    could he me her for wanting to exact revenge on them? "Let''s go!" he said.


    "No one shall be allowed to leave. Leave Jason who''s already at his dying breath and kill all the


    rest."This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

 Chapter 713 Who Will Be The New Emperor (Part One)

    Chapter 713 Who Will Be The New Emperor (Part One)


    The first time Francis was witness to Harper''s sheer ruthlessness, he was d to see that she was a


    woman with her own principles. But when he became the victim of her cruelty, all his merry was


    overturned to sadness. It was not until that moment, he realized that he could get treated so ruthlessly


    by her. It slowly came into his senses that he was nothing special to her, but just the one who stepped


    on her bottom line.


    Like all those other people who dared to step on her bottom line, he was also retaliated and became


    just a stranger to her!


    "How''s your wound?" Jason asked in a light voice while moving through the dark passage.


    "I won''t die," Francis said, in a hoarse and depressed voice. Though Jason couldn''t see his face, he


    anticipated that he would look quite livid.


    "Don''t worry. As long as we stick to this passage, we will soon be out of the imperial capital. We cannot


    stay in here anymore." Jason led the way, and Owen, holding Francis'' arm, followed. The secret


    passage was dimly lit with torches, and there was just the sound of their footsteps to be heard. All their


    secret guards got killed, and only the three escaped.


    Owen hated Harper to the core. Even though she didn''t like his master, Francis, there was no excuse


    for hurting him so badly without mercy. After all, his master was so concerned about her.


    "Prince Jason, where are we going now?" Owen asked under his breath.


    "To the South Kingdom." Before Jason could answer, Francis spoke. "We still have some chip in our


    hands. Contact Diana and ask her to help us."


    After a brief silence, Jason whispered, "Okay."This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    After a whole day''s fight in the Imperial Pce, its floor waspletely stained with blood. Even after


    repeated washing by the servants, the floor was still stained in red.


    The officials were waiting in the Tranquil Hall. They stealthily hoped that Matthew would take over the


    throne. Matthew was a rare talent, and no one doubted his capability. If he were to take over the


    throne, he would certainly bring prosperity to the Bright Dynasty. However, if the eighth prince, Lucas,


    ascended the throne, they had no such confidence in him. They were not so sure about his abilities.


    His dissolute image was deeply rooted in their minds, and it was not easy to change in a quick time.


    In the Imperial Study, Lucas gave the imperial jade seal to Matthew and said, "Uncle, I hope you will


    inherit the throne. It''s not that I don''t like the throne, but I believe that only under your leadership can


    the Bright Dynasty emerge prosperous."


    Matthew stood with his arms folded across his chest. He didn''t want to ept it at all. "I have already


    told you many times about myck of interest in the throne, and even now there is no change in my


    stand. It''s all those courtiers'' thoughts, and it has nothing to do with me. If I wanted the throne, I would


    have already taken it up by deposing the former emperor."


    The corners of Lucas'' mouth twitched slightly. Although Matthew was cold and ruthless, he enjoyed


    unparalleled fame among themoners and all the civil and military officers. If he raised his arms and


    called for support, countless people would join to support him.


    "But all themoners and courtiers want you to be their emperor." Lucas was a little hesitant. He was


    clear about his own abilities to rule the empire and believed he was not as good as his uncle.


    Matthew looked at Harper and said, "I don''t care about others'' opinions. What do you think, Harp?"


    "If you wish to be a peacock in a golden cage, then I don''t mind watching you in the cage every day,"


    Harper teased as she took a sip of tea.


    "You heard your aunt. I don''t want to be a peacock in the golden cage. I prefer to be an eagle flying in


    the sky. Since your father selected you, it proved that he was not so decrepit or muddleheaded. I also


    believe that you can be a good emperor and serve the people justly." Then, he reached out his hand to


    hold his wife, and was about to leave with her.


    "Wait!" Harper suddenly stopped, turned around, and looked at Lucas.


    ''What does she want to say now?'' Lucas wondered nervously.


    "The royal family of our Bright Dynasty has the Secret Pavilion, which records unknown secrets, right?"


    Harper had got the news about the Secret Pavilion recently. If she wanted to know something about the


    Qin n, there was no better ce to start her search than the Secret Pavilion.


    After a moment''s silence, Lucas nodded firmly. "The royal family did set up the Secret Pavilion, and


    innumerable secrets have been stored there. These secrets are unusual, and ording to the rules of


    the pavilion, only the emperors of our Bright Dynasty can enter it. Aunt, do you want to enter the Secret


    Pavilion?"


    "Yes, I do," Harper said frankly. "I want to find out about something. Perhaps it is recorded in the


    pavilion, so I want to enter it."


    "It will be my pleasure to let you in. Yet, the guards of the pavilion are strong and stubborn. I''m afraid


    they won''t follow my orders. Are you still going to ask Uncle Matthew to give up the throne?" Lucas


    asked and felt his palms were sweating. If Harper wished to enter the pavilion, the best way for her was


    to be the empress. Although the empress wasn''t qualified to enter it, Matthew could take her in when


    he became the emperor.


    "You just need to take me to the pavilion. As for how to get in, it is none of your concern. Let me bother


    about it," Harper said, with a shallow smile. "An emperor is the soul of the empire. No empire can run


    smoothly without an emperor. I guess the officials are waiting for you. Just go and get crowned as the


    emperor, so that our Bright Dynasty can be stable once again." Harper patted Lucas on the shoulder.


    "Don''t forget that Lilian is still at the Great Jade Kingdom. She needs your support and you need to


    back her up."

 Chapter 714 Who Will Be The New Emperor (Part Two)

    Chapter 714 Who Will Be The New Emperor (Part Two)


    Watching his uncle and aunt leave hand in hand, Lucas felt many feelings welling up in his heart. He


    had always known that his uncle was not interested in the throne. Even though he had persuaded his


    father countless times, his father still didn''t want to listen to him. Moreover, his father sent people to


    attack his uncle. It was lucky that his uncle survived. Otherwise, the whole Bright Dynasty would have


    been in danger.


    The moment Lucas appeared in the Tranquil Hall, everyone understood that Matthew had forgone the


    throne, and that Lucas would soon be the new emperor.


    "Your Highness, our empire can''t survive without an emperor. Please ascend the throne as soon as


    possible," Zack proposed as he stepped out first. Yet, the rest of the courtiers hesitated. For a moment,


    they didn''t know if they should agree or not. Although Zack was young, he represented the interest of


    the Bu n. Since the Bu n had already backed up Lucas, they found no reason to object.


    "Your Highness, please ascend the throne as soon as possible," Allen too proposed, stepping out.


    "Please ascend the throne, Your Highness." More and more courtiers stood out and expressed their


    support to Lucas. Lucas had thought that it would take some time to convince the courtiers to support


    him, but only to find that Zack had helped him to ease out of his worries. No wonder Harper had


    praised Zack a lot. He was really good at reading people''s mind and handling things perfectly. Nobody


    would hate a man like him.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    "Is the imperial astronomer here?"


    "Your Highness, I''m here."


    "Tell me when the auspicious time is," Lucas asked slowly. He was never hypocritical or sentimental.


    The throne was what he cherished for. Now that everyone had supported him, he wanted to be a good


    emperor, and meet the expectations of his father and uncle.


    "Your Highness, the auspicious time will be three dayster."


    "Ministry of Rites, I want to know if everything would be ready for the enthronement. There is too little


    time," Lucas asked.


    The minister of the Ministry of Rites stepped out and replied at once, "Your Highness, please be rest


    assured. The Ministry of Rites has already been preparing for the new emperor''s enthronement. We


    can get everything ready by then."


    "Good. Then, I will ascend the throne three dayster. Deliver the news to the people of our empire and


    also inform other countries," Lucas dered loudly. "I know that I am not as talented as my uncle.


    Neither do I possess exceptional militarymanding skills like him. But, I would like to assure you all


    that I will try my best to be a good emperor. I hope all of you will work with me and lead our Bright


    Dynasty to the peak of prosperity."


    "Yes, Your Highness. We assure you of ourplete support in our lifetime!"


    Finally, the case of the new emperor''s session came to a settlement. After returning to Matthew''s


    mansion, Harper had both familiar and strange feelings. "I haven''t been home for a long time."


    The word "home" pleased Matthew so much that the corners of his mouth slightly rose. Then it seemed


    that something urred to him. He took out a pair of jade bracelets from his pocket and put them on


    her wrists. "Remember to keep my gifts well in the future."


    "Yes, Matthew. I promise to cherish them forever with my life..."


    "No matter what, you should be safe and sound!" Matthew interrupted her and pinched her face. "Do


    you have any idea how I felt when I received the divorce agreement? I felt like I wanted to kill everyone


    in this world."


    "You won''t!" Harper said, holding her husband''s neck softly. "I have never shown my real handwriting in


    front of others, and only you have seen my handwriting."


    The next second, Matthew dragged Harper into his arms. They stood face to face. "Though I was in a


    fit of anger, it suddenly came to me that this was not your real handwriting. That made me realize that it


    was not you who wrote the agreement."


    "Even if it''s my handwriting, you should believe me!" Harper poked at his chest with a displeased look


    and scolded. "Am I that wanton¡­ Hmm¡­" Before she could finish, her lips were sealed by her


    husband''s lips.


    "Harp, I missed you so much!"


    Snuggling up in Matthew''s arms, Harper smiled like a blooming flower. "I missed you too, darling. I was


    waiting for you, counting down the days until I got to meet you. I thought you woulde back earlier.


    But you didn''te back until thest day, and it worried me so much."


    "As your husband, I must make it up to you," Matthew said seriously.


    With a big smile on her face, Harper tilted her head and asked, "So how do you n to make it up to


    me?"


    "I have brought you a gift." All of a sudden, Matthew remembered about the gift he had brought for his


    wife. While he was in the Great Jade Kingdom, he went to its treasure house. In the beginning, he


    wanted to find the whereabouts of the third Heavenly Book. Yet, Rndo had hidden it too well that


    Matthew failed to find it. However, Matthew found something else from the treasure house that


    belonged to the Qin n.


    "What gift?"


    "Moonlight." Matthew took out an object from his sleeve, which was white like moonlight and smooth


    like brocade. With the aura it was emitting, it seemed extraordinary. "I thought you''d like your mother''s


    weapon, so I kept it as a gift for you."

 Chapter 715 Entering The Secret Pavilion (Part One)

    Chapter 715 Entering The Secret Pavilion (Part One)


    Matthew, despite his high prestige, kept himself away from the fight for the throne. During the power


    struggle, Francis was defeated and Lucas was enthroned. After the new emperor ascended the throne,


    the dust finally settled and everything was returning to normal in the Bright Dynasty.


    Harper looked at Lucas, who was dressed in the emperor''s robe. He no longer looked like a sybarite,


    but showed the majesty of an emperor.


    "It''s said that fine feathers make fine birds. You look like a mighty emperor in this robe. But you''ll even


    look like a beggar if you change into the beggar''s clothes someday," Harper teased.


    "Don''t make fun of me, Aunt. Lucas, the current emperor of Bright Dynasty, smiled shyly. "Let''s go. I''ll


    take you to the Secret Pavilion."


    Only a handful of people knew where the Secret Pavilion of the Bright Dynasty was built. It was


    guarded by some special forces. Anyone who wanted to enter the pavilion, except the emperor, had to


    pay a corresponding serious consequence.


    To Harper''s surprise, the unknown pavilion was built and hid under water. No one would expect it to be


    under theke in the Imperial Garden, where many people came and went.


    "The people who built the pavilion were so thoughtful. But since it''s built at the bottom of theke, it


    must be moist inside. I''m afraid it wouldn''t be easy to keep some important books," Harper said.


    "Don''t worry, Aunt. The masterminds had anticipated this when they built the pavilion, so they gave


    special care to preserve things. I think your concern should be on convincing the guard of the pavilion


    to let you in." Lucas led the way in front. The passage was brilliantly illuminated with many luminous


    pearls iid at a fixed distance on both sides. Due to this, they could easily navigate their way towards


    the entrance.Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    "Your Majesty, why did you bring other people here?" Before the three of them saw the entrance of the


    pavilion, they heard a cold and confused voice, which seemed toe from the young woman, who


    was the chief guard of the pavilion.


    Lucas stopped and replied, "They want to gain ess into the pavilion. So, I agreed to bring them here


    to see you."


    "Go back. No one is allowed to enter it other than His Majesty." The guard''s cold voice left no room for


    negotiation. If the secrets in the pavilion got leaked, it would even lead to the destruction of a country.


    That was why the entry was restricted, and no one other than the emperor could enter it. Even if the


    empress could enter the pavilion, there were limitations on the books she could ess.


    "I have no say in this matter. You should know the two people standing behind me," Lucas said, with


    the same calm expression on his face. "If you provoke the two of them, I''m afraid there wouldn''t be


    anything left here to be called as the Secret Pavilion."


    "Are you threatening me, Your Majesty?" The woman sounded impatient and annoyed. Being


    surrounded by her overwhelming murderous look, and due to the narrow passage, Lucas had nowhere


    to hide.


    "Bang!" Nobody knew when Matthew approached Lucas. In a sh, Matthew blocked the oing


    attack. The woman who fought with him retreated over ten steps in a row before she could steady


    herself. On the other hand, Matthew stood there as motionless as a mountain, and wore a frigid


    expression on his face.


    "Your Highness, that move was not bad!" The woman snorted coldly. "But you''d better go back. I won''t


    allow you to enter the pavilion."


    "His Majesty can enter the pavilion, right?" asked Harper.


    "Of course."


    "Fine." Harper stretched out her hand and pushed Lucas. "Since she only allows you to enter, you go


    in. We both will guard outside. As soon as you are in, set a fire and burn the pavilion!"


    "How dare you!" The guard trembled with anger. Everything in the pavilion was priceless. How dare a


    woman like Harper urge the new emperor to enter it and burn it!


    Harper snorted. "If others can''t use it, it will be useless to keep it and it will be better to burn it."


    "How dare you!" The guard made a sudden move, and Matthew could only see a shadow. In no time,


    she passed by him, heading straight for Harper. He didn''t expect it and was frightened. The guard had


    good martial skills and was not bad at fighting. He was worried that Harper wouldn''t be a match for her


    aggression.


    However, before she could get close to Harper, the guard was thrown against the wall by a mysterious


    force and couldn''t move. Giving a cold look at that woman who was forced up against the wall, Harper


    was about to ignore her. But as she passed by the guard, she saw a jade pendant on her, and quickly


    took it off from her.


    "Give it back to me. That''s mine!" Seeing that Harper had taken away her stuff, the guard became


    anxious.


    "Yours?" Harper squinted her eyes. "I don''t think so."


    "Aunt, this stuff looks very familiar." Lucas took the jade pendant in his hand. "It''s a jade pendant


    belonging to some prince."


    "I was wondering how Francis could escape from the Imperial Pce. It turns out that he got the help


    of this woman." Harper noticed a hint of panic in the guard''s eyes. "Right from its inception, all the


    people in the Secret Pavilion worked for the emperor. Lucas, this person has betrayed you and is no


    longer qualified to be the chief guard of this ce."


    "Let me deal with her. Aunt, you may go inside and get what you want."


    Before walking inside, Harper took ast look at the guard, her face filled with contempt. "It turns out


    you are actually a renegade. Get ready to pay the price for what you have done."


    The guard''s face turned deathly pale and she couldn''t believe her sudden turn of fortune. It turned out


    to be an awful day for her. First, she couldn''t even withstand one light blow from Matthew, and this hurt


    her pride immensely. Then, she tried to attack Harper, but until now, she didn''t figure out what


    suppressed her power. Making things worse, she had been exposed right in front of the new emperor,


    and might even lose her position as the chief guard of the Secret Pavilion. There was nothing hopeful


    for her and what awaited her was a terrible punishment.

 Chapter 716 Entering The Secret Pavilion (Part Two)

    Chapter 716 Entering The Secret Pavilion (Part Two)


    "You can''t get inside without my help!" She didn''t want to give up. The reason why she still bothered


    them was because she hated Harper, who had just got that man''s favor, but yet despised it.


    The three of them stopped, and Lucas touched his nose. "It seems that only the guard can open the


    pavilion''s gate, and others won''t be able to do it."


    Harper waved her hand slightly. At once, the guard got dropped from the wall and went down on her


    knees. But she didn''t dare to attack them again. Instead, she stood up, calmed down, and led the way.


    "Things wouldn''t have turned this ugly if you had behaved more maturely. You should have offered


    them due respect. It''s not a big deal that they want to enter the pavilion. Everyone knows that it is


    Uncle Matthew who really guards our country." Lucas grinned.


    "Coward!" The secret keeper red at Lucas. Despite being the emperor, he openly admitted that he


    was not as good as Matthew. He was just trash!


    Lucas shrugged and said casually, "I''m telling the truth. A man should never lie to himself. Do you dare


    say no? I don''t know what fate awaits us if the Bright Dynasty loses my uncle."


    The guard kept her mouth shut. She was afraid that if she continued to say something, she might lose


    her control and even p Lucas. Thete emperor was cruel and ruthless, but the new emperor


    inherited none of his father''s traits and evencked self-confidence. In Matthew''s presence, he turned


    out to be a pug trying to tter him and didn''t have the demeanour of an emperor at all.


    When Harper saw the que and the ck gate of the pavilion, a strange feeling rose in her heart.


    Surprisingly, she had a feeling of familiarity.


    "The gate is made of meteoric iron. Except people of our pavilion, no one knows how to open it¡­"


    Harper walked past the guard, ced her hand on the gate, and then pushed it gently.


    "Crunch!" The gate slowly opened up with a squeak. The guard couldn''t believe what she saw. She


    was stunned and stood there like a rock,pletely forgetting how to react. The gate weighing


    thousands of kilograms was pushed open by Harper, that too by giving it a gentle push.


    Lucas stretched out a finger and poked the guard. "I remember you just said that only the people in


    your pavilion know how to open the gate. Then how could Aunt Harper push it open so easily? Are you


    aware that you justmitted another crime by lying to the emperor?"


    The guard just stood there and watched the couple entering the pavilion. As the gate got closed again,


    she still couldn''t believe what she witnessed. Trying to imitate Harper, she gently pushed the gate, but it


    remained unmoved.


    The corners of Lucas'' mouth moved. "Apply more strength," he said.


    The guard pushed the gate once again, this time by applying heavy force. But the gate still remained


    unmoved. Embarrassed, she felt like someone pped her in the face. Who said that only the people


    here could open the gate? How humiliating!


    Lucas couldn''t help but burst out intoughter. He said, "The people in the Secret Pavilion themselves


    can''t open the gate. Are you going to make meugh to death?! You proimed that you wouldn''t let


    them in. But when they came, the gate opened automatically to wee them. And now, the chief


    guard of the pavilion cannot open the gate. How ridiculous you are! hahaha..."


    The guard looked at Lucas who was convulsed withughter, her face flushing with rage and


    embarrassment. She couldn''t understand what went wrong with the gate today. Usually, she could push


    it open with a light force. Was it possible that the gate was sensible to different people?


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    "Your Majesty, is it that funny?" The guard was really pissed off. She hated to see Lucasughing and


    rolling on the floor and couldn''t bear it. "Prince Matthew and his wife are inside the pavilion, only you


    and me outside!"


    Lucas''ughter suddenly stopped, as if someone had grabbed his throat and made him silent in an


    instant. He quickly got up from the floor, patted the non-existing dust from his robe, and said in a


    serious tone, "I''m just curious. Does this gate actually recognize people? But I wonder if it can


    recognize me!"


    Lucas stretched out his arms and legs for rxation, took a deep breath, then applied great force to


    push the gate. But the gate remained unmoved, and even the dust wasn''t stirred up. He didn''t give up


    and made another attempt, but the result was the same!


    "You are a bully among the weak and a coward among the powerful! Since you know you are not the


    rival of the couple, you humbled yourself and let them in. And knowing that I dare not do anything to


    you, you decided to shut me out. Aren''t you afraid that I will burn you down?" With arms akimbo, Lucas


    pointed at the gate and cursed.


    "This is made of meteoric iron. It isn''t afraid of fire. It''s rare to see an emperor like you," the guard said,


    snorting.


    "It appears you are the first guard to have been shut out. We''re the same." With his arms folded across


    his chest, Lucas put his face in front of the guard who raised her hand to punch him. "Beat me! Just


    beat me once! I warn you! I may not be a good emperor, but I have my uncle to back me up. If he gets


    out in a while and knows about you hurting me, do you know the consequences?"

 Chapter 717 How Was The Qin Clan Eliminated (Part One)

    Chapter 717 How Was The Qin n Eliminated (Part One)


    In the Secret Pavilion, seeing the mammoth collection of books arranged in rows, Harper felt a


    headacheing on. Although she knew that the royal family of the Bright Dynasty had a hobby of


    collecting books about rare secrets, these many books were way out of her expectation. Even though


    this building was built at the bottom of theke, the air inside was surprisingly dry, with no moisture.


    "We have to look for it separately," Harper suggested at once. The collection of books in the Secret


    Pavilion was gargantuan. If both she and Matthew were to search together, it wasn''t possible to tell


    when they would find the one they wanted. Therefore, the better option was to search for it separately,


    as that would help in saving some time.


    Matthew nodded his head in agreement. The two of them moved to different ces and began


    searching for the book which recorded the history and secrets of the Qin n. They strongly believed


    that they would find some trace here because it was impossible for somemon people to destroy


    the Qin n. Only a powerful ss like the royal family of the Bright Dynasty could destroy the Qin


    n. No other forces would be that capable. Moreover, they suspected that the royal family of the


    Bright Dynasty was actually searching for the missing Heavenly Book all these years, instead of looking


    for the reason behind Qin n''s elimination.


    Harper was good at spotting things. Among all those shelves filled with piles of books, it was not an


    easy task to search for the specific one which recorded the story of the Qin n. Fortunately, both of


    them were good searchers. It didn''t take long for them to locate the one they wanted.


    "Harp, I think I have found something. Come here," Matthew called and asked Harper toe over.


    Harper hurried over and took the book from his hand. She rushed through the pages, searching for


    relevant information and discarding whatever wasn''t useful. This book recorded the fact that the


    members of the Qin n had magic power. It described the Qin n to be a very mysterious family. It


    even said that the Qin n was the main cause which led to the existence of the four countries in the


    world as of today.


    "It''s strange. How could the Qin n be rted to the union or the split-up of the whole world? You


    know, the world would be divided into different countries at one time and would also be unified at some


    other. It''s just nature''s rule. Why does it have something to do with the Qin n ording to the


    book?" Harper asked in surprise.


    Matthew shook his head and replied, "I don''t know much about it. But I have heard that the Qin n


    manipted the destruction of the previous dynasty and promoted the present political situation of the


    world."


    Harper grew more stunned. ''What on earth is the Qin n? How could it overturn the previous dynasty


    and produce four different countries? Was it just an ordinary n with some extraordinary skills?'' she


    pondered inwardly.


    "It is written that the Qin n came from another ce. Which is this another ce?" Harper asked


    herself. She had been of the belief that the sooner she would get into this ce and find out the


    relevant book, the sooner she would learn about the hidden secrets of the Qin n. But on the


    contrary, she just ended up more confused about them. The only thing she confirmed was that the Qin


    n owned very strong power. But still, all the members of it were killed overnight. It was unbelievable


    that such a powerful n went extinct in such a short period of time.


    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    "The book also says that the Qin n possessed three Heavenly Books and a Sacred Seal. Those


    items would aid in finding out the background of the Qin n. However, only people from the Qin n


    could read the Heavenly Books." Harper read the book as she nodded in agreement. If anyone would


    read and understand the Heavenly Books, he ought to be extremely smart and talented.


    Matthew also looked into the book, and then said, "Harp, continue reading. Here''s what you are looking


    for."


    Harper immediately continued reading. "The whole world was divided into four countries. The Qin n


    was settled in the Bright Dynasty. This made the other three countries fearful. Thus, they were secretly


    pressurizing the Bright Dynasty. The first emperor of the Bright Dynasty was worried that the Qin n


    might be a threat to them, so he reached an agreement with the other three countries. The


    agreement was to kill all the people of the Qin n."


    Looking at these words, Harper furrowed her eyebrows as her face turned pale. The first emperor of


    the Bright Dynasty was such a cruel tyrant. He had abandoned and plotted against the Qin n, who


    had helped him to destroy the previous dynasty and helped him take the throne. He even colluded with


    the other three countries to exterminate the entire Qin n. Even though the Qin n possessed


    strong power, they had no chance of survival against thebined attack of the four countries. But still,


    there was something weird. None of the direct descendants of the Qin n could escape from the


    genocide. That was abnormal.


    "I guess it has something to do with the South Kingdom," Matthew recalled as he looked at Harper, who


    was lost in her thought. It seemed that he knew what she was thinking. "ording to the record, the


    people from the South Kingdom used some of their secret skills to trap the people of the Qin n.


    Then, they triggered the fire from the thunder and burned the whole Qin n to dust. Thus their


    destruction wasplete. One of the three Heavenly Books was taken away by the first emperor of the


    Bright Dynasty, another one was taken away by the Great Jade Kingdom, and thest one went


    missing since then. The Sacred Seal was also divided into two parts, one half held by the South


    Kingdom and the other half by the Wonder Kingdom.


    Now, you''ve got the missing one. Rndo has the other two books. Are you going to grab them from


    him?" Matthew asked. Now that they got the information about the whereabouts of the Heavenly Books


    and the Sacred Seal, the next thing they needed to do was to get them back one by one. He only


    hoped their impending tasks would not be that difficult.


    Harper frowned and considered his suggestion. She knew Rndo pretty well after she had got along


    with him for a while. If she went to the imperial capital of the Great Jade Kingdom and asked him to


    give the other two Heavenly Books to her, what would be Rndo''s reaction? Would heply with


    her demand? Or would he give her a p? Harper thought the probable result would be thetter. She


    was sure that Rndo would likely give her a tight p in the face. He had in fact got the Heavenly


    Books after so much struggle, so one couldn''t expect him to give them away so easily.


    "I don''t think we should rush. Rndo is a stubborn man," Harper replied slowly. "As for the Sacred


    Seal, I have no idea what it looks like. How could I find it?"


    "Continue reading," Matthew reminded her. Harper then proceeded onto the next page, only to find that


    it was a nk one. Surprised, she turned one more page, but the result remained the same. "Is that all


    of it? It shouldn''t be," she said.

 Chapter 718 How Was The Qin Clan Eliminated (Part Two)

    Chapter 718 How Was The Qin n Eliminated (Part Two)


    She was confused. No matter how many pages she turned, all those were left nk. Even though this


    made her feel frustrated, she didn''t want to give up. She kept on turning the pages, finding one nk


    page after another. Finally, on thest page, she found a strange picture. "This is¡­" she murmured in


    hesitation.


    "It may be how the Sacred Seal looks. Based on this information, it wouldn''t be that difficult for you to


    find what you want," Matthew said in a firm tone. "But, it''s never that easy to find such a small object."


    Harper gave a bitter smile. It would be difficult to search for such a small thing in the world. It was like


    searching for a needle in a haystack. The two parts of the Sacred Seal must have been kept in hiding


    in the secret and vital ces of the South Kingdom and the Wonder Kingdom, just like where the


    Heavenly Books had been kept.


    "I''m afraid that''d be all for today. Let''s leave now," Harper said as she put the book back to the shelf


    and took her hand back. Suddenly, something rolled down from the shelf and fell into her hand. She


    looked at the dark thing in her hand, brought it closer to her eye, and observed it carefully. "What''s it?"


    she asked in confusion.


    "It looks to be a tripod¡­" Matthew said, with doubt in his voice. It was covered with verdigris, and didn''t


    seem like something precious. But why was it kept here? "It might be something rted to the Qin


    n," he added suspiciously.


    Harper inspected it, but couldn''t find anything of interest. She was about to put it back, but Matthew


    stopped her. "Don''t put it back. Take it with you. If it''s something from the Qin n, we may find it


    useful at some point of time."


    Harper hesitated for a moment, and then took it into her pocket. Matthew was right. Although it looked


    tattered and didn''t worth much, it must be something of importance since it was kept here. Besides,


    everyone cherished one or the other things from the Qin n. Probably, it might turn out to be of great


    use in the future.


    Outside the gate of the Secret Pavilion, Lucas and the chief guard of the pavilion were standing on


    either side of the door, but they didn''t talk with each other. The door opened, and Harper and Matthew


    walked out. Then, Lucas and the guard turned to look at the two, eagerly wanting to know whether they


    had found something useful.


    "Uncle, Aunt, what''s the result? Did you find something useful?" Lucas asked eagerly.


    Harper shook her head and answered, "No. Actually, I''m even more confused after reading the book.


    My puzzles still remain unsolved, and the mysteries have added up. I don''t know."


    Scratching his head, Lucas said, "I guess there is nothing I can do to help, or is there?"


    "You can say that. Let''s leave now," Harper said. Then she intended to move forward, but the guard


    stopped her abruptly.


    "What the hell do you think you are doing?" Harper asked in confusion.


    "Lady Harper, what are you trying to take away from the Secret Pavilion?" the guard asked as she


    furrowed her eyebrows. She had a smell and found that there was a distinct aroma emitting from


    Harper. It belonged to something in the Secret Pavilion. Every object in the Secret Pavilion had its own


    unique aroma.


    Harper was quite surprised that she discerned this. She admitted honestly, "Yes, I brought something


    out."


    "Please hand it over, Lady Harper. No one is allowed to take anything from the Secret Pavilion," the


    guard demanded politely, yet her voice was forcible.


    "What a joke!" Harper sneered with a cold smile. "It belonged to me from the very beginning and it still


    belongs to me now. Why can''t I take it away?"


    "It belongs to you?" the guard repeated in confusion. "That''s impossible! Nothing inside the Secret


    Pavilion belongs to you."


    "May I know if the property of the Qin n is mine, or does it belong to you?" Harper asked slowly as


    she took out the ugly tripod from her pocket and showed it to the guard.


    The guard had thought that Harper might have brought out something of great value from the Secret


    Pavilion. When she saw the ugly tripod in her hand, she twisted the corners of her mouth. She indeed


    thought that this object was unimportant. But no matter how unimportant it might be, she couldn''t allow


    anyone to take anything from the Secret Pavilion. That was her duty.


    "Lady Harper, with all due respect, let me remind you that no matter whom it belonged to originally, you


    can''t take it away as long as it belongs to the Secret Pavilion." After she finished speaking, she


    reached out and tried to take the little tripod away from Harper. However, Harper moved her wrist and


    the tripod in her hand was thrown out. The guard leaped, intending to grab it. But Harper suddenly


    swept her leg and kicked her away. Then, she quickly caught the falling tripod.


    "To be honest, I wasn''t that enthusiastic to take it away with me. But now that you are so desperate to


    stop me from keeping it, I must take it away now!" Harper said with a stern face.


    Hearing that, the guard trembled with anger. Now she too was determined to stop Harper! She even


    ignored the fact that she was no match for Matthew and approached Harper to take the tripod forcibly.


    Harper, on the other hand, resisted her attacks elegantly and stopped her from taking the tripod away.


    It made the guard even more furious. In the ensuing confusion, her weapon scratched Harper''s hand.Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Matthew squinted his eyes upon seeing that. He immediately moved to stand beside Harper. He threw


    out his palm, pushing the guard away. Suddenly, Harper witnessed something surprising. The small


    tripod which she had held in her hand had absorbed the beads of blood that came out of her hand. Out


    of amazement, she threw away the tripod, but it couldn''t be thrown out. The tripod seemed as it was


    stuck in her palm and was absorbing her blood!


    "What''s happening?" Harper murmured in surprise. She then activated her spiritual power to heal the


    wound, and the mysterious little tripod stopped absorbing her blood as the wound healed. Everything


    was back to normal, but the only difference was that the tripod looked much uglier than before.


    With a disgusted expression, Harper threw the tripod to the guard and said, "Keep it. I am not taking it


    with me now."


    But there was an unbelievable spectacle that was about to happen. When the tripod was about tond


    in the guard''s hand, it suddenly stopped in midair unexpectedly. Then it flew back to Harper''s hand.


    Everyone was taken aback at the sight of this. "I did nothing to it. It just flew back to my hand by itself,"


    Harper said in awe.


    The woman found it hard to believe her. She stepped forward, snatched it from her, and demanded in a


    stern voice, "Prince Matthew, Lady Harper, please leave now!"


    Harper shrugged helplessly and walked out with Matthew. However, as soon as they left, the tripod got


    rid of the guard''s custody and chased after Harper. The guard got bbergasted and rushed forward,


    trying to get it back. It had intelligence, and she couldn''t allow it to go with Harper.

 Chapter 719 The Collusion Had Begun (Part One)

    Chapter 719 The Collusion Had Begun (Part One)


    Upon seeing that the tripod religiously followed Harper no matter where she went, the chief guard of


    the Secret Pavilion was deliriously heartbroken. She had put great effort in every object of the pavilion.


    But now, that useless tripod totally ignored her and stuck with Harper and even followed her


    everywhere. There was nothing the guard could do to stop it from acting like that.


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    "Harper Chu, what did you do to it? Did you use some kind of spell?" the guard asked in anger. She


    was so exasperated that her voice turned more serious. As the chief guard of the pavilion, she should


    not leave the premises. But it seemed like the object had thought of Harper as its master and went


    away with her. Therefore, the guard had no other choice but to leave the pavilion and chase after it.


    Harper responded, "A spell? I can only hope that I mastered that skill. But if you''re serious in asking


    that, I didn''t do anything to it. Come on. You can''t me me just because I entered the Secret Pavilion


    earlier. And, I didn''t ask it to follow me. It just went out by itself and follows me wherever I go. You saw


    what happened. Why would you even question me?"


    "But it''s impossible for an inanimate object to¡ª" The guard tried to protest but Harper cut her off.


    "I wouldn''t say that. Even an inanimate object can have intelligence. Believe it or not, I really didn''t use


    any tricks. I swear it. I don''t know what''s going on with it either."


    But no matter what Harper said, the guard didn''t trust her words. Seeing Harper''s serious expression,


    she didn''t believe the princess would lie. But still, she was at a loss about how to deal with this tricky


    situation. Left without any other option, she decided to follow Harper wherever she went in order to find


    the right opportunity to take the tripod back.


    Meanwhile, Francis who had been seriously injured had just escaped from the imperial capital. He met


    up with Diana who came to pick up Hoffman. But she had not expected to see Francis instead of


    Hoffman.


    "Where''s Hoffman?" Diana asked.


    In a sluggish tone, Francis responded, "He''s dead. He was killed when the battle broke out in the


    Imperial Pce. It was such a mess, and you should''ve seen it."


    Upon hearing that, Diana frowned and refused to believe him at first. But when she thought about it


    more thoroughly, she didn''t think Francis would lie to her. After all, he didn''t have any reason to do so,


    especially for such an important matter like that. "Well, now that Hoffman is dead, there''s no need for


    me to stay here anymore," Diana nonchntly stated and was immediately about to leave when


    Francis spoke once more.


    "Princess Diana, hold on. Although Hoffman is dead, the deal is not over yet." Although Francis'' wound


    had been properly treated, his wound was still inmed. The main reason was that he had run for such


    a long time in order to escape. Aside from that, the country was experiencing such a very humid and


    hot climate. Over all, he wasn''t in a very good condition.


    Hearing Francis'' words, Diana immediately understood what Francis truly wanted. She just smiled at


    him and asked, "Do you mean to say that you want to be my ally in Hoffman''s ce?"


    "Why not? I''m sure you''re well aware that a partnership with me is more advantageous than that with


    Hoffman. Besides, he had been a useless man since a long time ago. I had removed all of his men in


    the south domain. Are you sure you don''t want to be allies with me?" Francis asked. Even though he


    was having a fever, he would never show any weakness.


    After thinking about his words carefully, Diana figured out something by reading along the lines. "What


    do you mean by that? Are there members of the south domain''s army that are yours?"


    Francis gestured for her toe closer with his finger. Diana immediately obliged and listened


    attentively. Francis whispered something in her ear. The moment he started talking, her face changed.


    Francis was very satisfied to see how she reacted. He then asked, "So do you think I''m qualified to be


    your ally?"


    Diana''s stare which was intense since they started talking immediately softened. "Of course yes. Prince


    Francis, I can see that you don''t look well. It''s fortunate that I happen to have some medical skills. Do


    you mind if I check up what''s wrong?"


    "Oh? That would be great. Please do so."


    Diana knew that Francis was having a fever but she was still shocked when she unwrapped the


    bandage around his belly. The wound was so deep and now it was festering with inmmation. It was


    why he had a very high fever. Diana was actually surprised that he could be so calm while they were


    talking even though his body was in such a terrible condition. No wonder he was able to cause such a


    huge stir in the Bright Dynasty. He was indeed capable.


    With a cunning smile, Diana said, "Your wound has festered. I have to remove the slough and re-apply


    the medicine. It will hurt so badly once I remove it though. Do you need to¡ª"


    But before she could finish speaking, Francis interrupted her, "Just go ahead. I''m not afraid of pain."


    Despite the circumstance at hand, his voice was still very gentle. He even had a tender smile on his


    face.


    Diana only sneered in response. In her opinion, even though he was acting very brave and saying all of


    those things, he would groan miserably because of the tremendous pain when she began the process.


    Without saying anything more, she took out a jar of wine from a secret drawer in the carriage. Then,


    she poured some alcohol on her dagger to sterilize it. Proving that she had the skills, she swiftly


    removed the rotten part of skin on Francis'' wound.


    Huge beads of sweat gathered on Francis'' calm face. Even though he was suffering extreme pain and


    his body was even shivering, he didn''t utter a single word. The warm smile remained on his pale face


    all throughout the procedure.


    Diana noticed this and a flicker of newfound appreciation shed in her eyes. "Prince Francis, you''re


    really something. You can even have a decent smile on your face when you''re suffering from such


    severe pain. I must admit that I''m starting to admire you."


    "A smile is always better than a tear. What''s more, I don''t really like to cry in front of women," Francis


    said. His voice still sounded calm. The pain of cutting his flesh was nothingpared to the pain in his


    heart. The woman he loved the most had stabbed him.


    "That''s a great outlook! You are a tough man and I respect you for that," Diana eximed while she


    poured a bowl of wine and handed it to him.


    Francis took it and drank it off in one go. "Now that we have reached an agreement, what are you going


    to do next?"


    "First, I''m going back to the South Kingdom. I need to discuss with my father before making any


    significant move. Matthew is not easy to deal with. If we do anything against him without a good n,


    he will dispatch his men to attack the South Kingdom. That would certainly be a great loss for us. I can''t


    take that risk," Diana stated while she helped Francis to dress the wound and bandage it before


    applying some medicine to prevent any kind of infection again.


    "I have a n to lure him to the South Kingdom. Once he''s there, he''ll be weak because he''s not very


    familiar with that ce. It would be easy for you to kill him. Don''t you think so? Moreover, as long as


    Matthew is dead, Lucas wouldn''t be a threat to us at all," Francis said. The weariness was apparent in


    his voice. His face had already turned red because of the fever. After the wound was bandaged, he


    leaned against the wall of the carriage.

 Chapter 720 The Collusion Had Begun (Part Two)

    Chapter 720 The Collusion Had Begun (Part Two)


    "Oh? Is that so? Tell me," Diana asked with interest. She actually noticed that he didn''t feel that well.


    But still, she chose to ask because she knew that Francis wouldn''t like to talk about his state.


    After some dry coughs, he took the wine jar, poured a bowl of wine, and quickly drank some again. This


    way, he suppressed his desire to cough. "I heard that the Worship Ceremony will be held in the South


    Kingdom very soon."


    "Yes, it''s a very important ritual for us," Diana slowly said. The Worship Ceremony was a grand event


    for everyone in the South Kingdom. If anything unpleasant were to happen during the actual ceremony,


    the people believed that the kingdom would be in trouble since bad luck would descend upon them.


    "It''s a good opportunity to attract Matthew intoing to the South Kingdom. There are two things on


    how this will work. One, the kingdom sends invitations to all the other countries to participate in the


    Worship Ceremony. And two, you include a promise to show something really fascinating in the


    invitation letter. I''m sure Matthew and his men wouldn''t be able to decline," Francis said without haste


    which would make anyone feelfortable upon hearing his voice.


    Diana carefully thought about his n before asking, "What kind of thing would be fascinating enough


    to lure him?"


    "How about the Holy Article from your kingdom?" Francis suggested.


    For a moment, there was a twinkle in Diana''s eyes. The Holy Article of the South Kingdom was actually


    medicines. But she didn''t believe that Matthew would fall into the trap if she lured him through that.


    After all, Matthew was a prince and already owned various medicines all over the world. It would be


    unnecessary for him to risk his life bying to the South Kingdom just for some medicines.


    "I''m afraid he won''t take that kind of bait," Diana said.


    "As long as you spread the news far and wide, I''m sure he wille. Trust me," Francis said with a


    little difficulty. He then paused for a little while and took a deep breath. At that moment, the exhaustion


    had started to sink in. So he closed his eyes in an attempt to feel a little bit better. "I''m very certain


    because if there''s anything unusual happening in the South Kingdom, they will suspect that it has


    something to do with me. Whether it''s true or not, they wille there to take a look in person."


    "I see. Well, that makes sense," Diana replied after giving it a thought for a while. Then she looked at


    Francis and noticed that the man looked like he would give anything for some sleep. She added, "In


    that case, don''t worry. I''ll ask my men to get ready. Anyway, you must be tired after running all the way


    here. Take a rest first. We''ll talk more about it when you wake up."


    In fact, Francis couldn''t hold on any longer. If he wasn''t exerting every bit of energy that he had left, he


    would have fallen asleep long ago. So when he heard Diana''s promise, he felt extremely relieved.


    Without a heavy burden in his heart for the time being, he fell asleep right away.


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    While looking at Francis as he slept, Diana felt a hint of fascination in her heart. When he spoke, his


    voice was as gentle as the wind. He was also very good-looking and she had to admit that he had a


    face that nobody could resist. If she were to only consider his facial features, she would never think that


    he was capable of doing anything remotely evil. The Bright Dynasty was home to a lot of handsome


    men, but Diana found that Francis was on a different level.


    "You have such a beautiful face," Diana softly said while she reached out her hand to stroke his cheek.


    Francis seemed to have felt what she was doing and unconsciously furrowed his eyebrows. It even


    looked like he was irritated by it, but he didn''t wake up. "It appears like the men of the Bright Dynasty''s


    royal family are all quite handsome," Dianamented to herself.


    Then, Francis started to mumble random words in his sleep. Diana couldn''t understand him clearly, but


    there was one thing he said loud enough that it was hard for her not to hear. "Harper," he murmured. At


    that, Diana couldn''t help butugh. "You are so strong that you would never shed tears even in a reality


    as grim as this. But you still treasure her even though she hurt you so much. Why do you keep on


    doing this to yourself?"


    Later on, Diana pulled the curtain open. She looked at Owen who had been driving the carriage. When


    he saw Diana, he was worried and looked inside.


    Dianaughed. "Don''t worry. He''ll be fine. He just fell asleep. He was seriously injured but still ran all


    the way here. So, he is in dire need of some rest," sheforted.


    "Thank you for saving him, Princess Diana," Owen said.


    "You''re wee. We''re helping each other after all. It seems like your master likes Harper a lot. Am I


    right?" Diana responded in a calm tone while she fidgeted with the silver bracelet on her wrist.


    The expression on Owen''s face immediately changed as soon as he heard Harper''s name. If it weren''t


    for her, Francis wouldn''t have been hurting so much. Jason wouldn''t have gone separate ways with


    Francis because he wanted to cooperate with the South Kingdom. Francis and Jason had supported


    each other for so many years. But not long ago, they had different opinions which couldn''t be


    reconciled. And it was all because of Harper. Owen knew that Francis must be very upset by it.


    "No, he hates her and is just so desperate to kill her! I too loath her with every fiber of my being. If I see


    that woman again, I''ll kill her!" Owen eximed while he furiously gritted his teeth.


    Diana raised her eyebrows when she heard what Owen had to say about Harper. But she didn''t care a


    bit about his anger. She had only fought with Harper twice, but she didn''t have any advantage. So in


    hindsight, Diana had no idea what kind of person she was. When she attacked Harper for the first time,


    she had lost the South Kingdom''s precious venomous insect. The second time, she almost got herself


    killed. What was more, the way Harper fought was so unique that she had never seen such skills. She


    still felt a lingering fear whenever she would recall that fight.


    "To be honest, I''m afraid that even if Harper were standing right in front of you, you wouldn''t be able to


    hurt her even by a bit. That woman is very dangerous. She''s the only one who makes me want to run


    away whenever I get remotely close to her. But don''t get me wrong. I want to kill her as well! At


    whatever cost, I''m going to make sure it will happen," Diana told him.


    "So we have amon enemy then. Princess Diana, I know that I''m not as strong as her, but with your


    help and that of the South Kingdom, things are going to be different. I think with ourbined forces,


    killing her would be a piece of cake." Owen said while he turned around to look at Diana.


    Raising her eyebrows, Diana responded, "May that be true at all costs. I wish great fortune for this


    alliance and our future endeavors."

 Chapter 721 Changes In The South Domain (Part One)

    Chapter 721 Changes In The South Domain (Part One)


    For the past few days, Ken had been taking his men to annihte Francis'' force. In the middle of it all,


    they found someone who took them by surprise. When the person was taken back to Matthew''s


    mansion, everyone was too stunned to speak because they had all thought that the person in front of


    them was already dead.


    Harper was no exception. She couldn''t believe her eyes. After reaching out to carefully touch the


    person''s face, she said, "You''re real. Everyone, he''s not fake."


    The person in front of her¡ªJack, wanted to cry but he didn''t have any tear. "Your Highness, how could


    you have been so heartless? If it weren''t for you, I wouldn''t have been captured by Prince Francis!" he


    comined.


    Harper pointed at her own nose with her finger. With an innocent expression on her face, she asked,


    "Did it have anything to do with me?"


    Even while listening to Harper at that moment, Jack felt extremely weak. Since he fell into Francis''


    hands, he had been imprisoned for nearly a year. In the beginning, there had been someone who was


    constantly observing him and imitating his movements, tone, and martial arts skills. He was locked up


    in a ck prison and there was nothing he could do to escape. But every time he pondered on the


    person''s purpose for closely observing and copying him, he was so furious that his whole body


    trembled with anger.


    "One of Francis'' followers was disguised as your maid. That was how they fooled me into their trap,"


    Jack exined, wishing he could cry out. The entire time which he had been abducted, he actually


    thought that Harper''s maid had betrayed her. He didn''t have any idea that it was an enemy''s trick.


    Thus, he had walked into the trap and been captured. What was more horrible was that someone had


    disguised as him and gone back to Matthew''s mansion. Even Jack couldn''t figure out any difference


    between the fake one and himself.


    "Oh, I see. No wonder something like that happened to you despite your shrewdness. I would think that


    it would more likely happen to Fred or Barry. I guess those wicked people were just really skilled in


    maniption," Harper willfully stated.


    "Go and receive your punishment," Matthew ordered in an indifferent tone. Although his face was


    devoid of any expression, Harper could tell that Matthew was very d. After all, Jack was one of the


    guards who had grown up with him. When he found out that Jack had betrayed him back then, he was


    inconsble. Later on, they did find out that the impostor wasn''t actually Jack. However, none of them


    had thought or even imagined that Jack could still be alive.


    "Yes, Your Highness," Jack briefly answered with sorrow on his face. He thought that Matthew didn''t


    care about him at all even when he just escaped from being the enemy''s prisoner. He made up his


    mind that he would take revenge on Francis. Jack even vowed that he wouldn''t show any mercy for


    him once he''d been caught. But in the meantime, Jack couldn''t understand why Matthew was treating


    him like that. Before he left, Jack looked at Anabel with a deep grievance. For her, he had fallen into


    the enemy''s trap because he suspected that she had betrayed Harper. If it weren''t for her, he wouldn''t


    have been abducted in the first ce.


    After Jack left, Harper held Matthew''s hands and asked, "You''re very happy to see him alive. So why


    are you still going to punish him?"


    "Order will never be maintained without rules or standards. He is too sloppy. Among my four strongest


    guards, he is the weakest one when ites to martial arts. I guess that''s why Francis chose to


    capture him and had someone else imitate him. Because of his carelessness, someone had infiltrated


    us," Matthew impassively stated.


    Harper had to admit that Francis might not have seeded if he had done the same thing to Barry or


    Fred. The reason that Jack had been captured was not only because he had the weakest martial arts


    skills among the four, but also because he wasn''t vignt enough. Barry might look like a nerd, but he


    was extremely cautious and mindful. Fred, on the other hand, had powerful martial arts skills. He could


    be unnaturally strong when he needed to be. As for Ken, the fact that thete emperor had never


    discovered his true identity was an indication of how cautious he had been.


    Shifting the topic of the conversation, Matthew said, "By the way, we have received an invitation letter


    from the South Kingdom. Including us, they''re requesting the presence of the other countries to watch


    their Worship Ceremony. This is actually out of character for the South Kingdom. The Worship


    Ceremony is extremely important to them. In order to avoid any trouble from happening, they have


    never allowed outsiders to watch the rites. But this time, they have asked all the other countries to send


    representatives there to witness the ritual."


    "Francis went to the South Kingdom so they are now his allies," Harper asserted, immediately


    understanding what he meant. Now that Francis had been defeated and fled away, he had nowhere to


    go within the Bright Dynasty. It would be difficult for Matthew and Harper to find him if he was hiding in


    the South Kingdom. But if he had reached an agreement to be allied with them in such a short time, he


    must have had something to trade with them.


    "I suspect that Francis has spies in the south domain''s army. Lance''s daughter had tried multiple times


    to rescue Hoffman. He grew up in the south domain''s military camp. Even though he had been


    relegated to a civilian and imprisoned in the Repenting Tower, it would be impossible topletely


    remove his influence on the south domain in such a short period of time. What''s more, Harrison had


    been guarding the south domain for many years, so he must still have some spies hidden deeply in the


    south domain''s army. When the Imperial Pce had been in chaos thest time, Hoffman attempted to


    run away. But he only ended up being killed, which is actually strange if you ask me." Matthew stated


    his suspicions.


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    "It doesn''t matter if Francis is in the South Kingdom or not. We have to go there. I would also prefer a


    public journey, rather than a secret one. Come to think of it, I want to know how many spies are there in


    the south domain''s army," Harper stated while her eyes glowed with so many ideas.


    "It will be risky," Matthew reminded her.


    "Matthew, by giving us this news, Francis is basically announcing that he''s in the South Kingdom. Even


    if we refuse this time, he will definitely find another way to force us to go. Besides, themander of


    the south domain''s army has been changed again and again, which we both know has caused


    numerous problems. Our south domain borders on the South Kingdom. Thetter has been staring at


    our Bright Dynasty like a tiger watching its prey. You don''t want our nation to be attacked by enemies


    from different directions, do you? Because I can assure you that if we don''t act now, they''re going to be


    knocking on our doors one day. And before we know it, they have taken everything precious to us.


    Moreover, in order to investigate the matter of the Qin n, we have to go there sooner orter. Since


    Francisid a path for us, let''s go there right now." Harper tried to persuade her husband with every


    logical reason she could think of.


    With a tight frown, Matthew announced, "I''ll go to the South Kingdom alone!"


    "If you weren''t afraid that something bad may happen to me once I go to the South Kingdom alone,


    then try doing it on your own now. I''m not a weak woman. Besides, people in the South Kingdom are


    very good at using poisons. Can you guarantee that you won''t be targeted with the venomous insect


    poison if you go there by yourself?" Harper said, crossing her arms over her chest to show her


    displeasure. She even turned her head and pretended to ignore her husband.

 Chapter 722 Changes In The South Domain (Part Two)

    Chapter 722 Changes In The South Domain (Part Two)


    Looking at how annoyed Harper was, Matthew felt helpless and said, "I just don''t want to risk your


    safety."


    "Do you really think there''s a safe ce anywhere in the world right now? If you go to the South


    Kingdom alone and leave me in the imperial capital by myself, do you think Francis wouldn''t do


    anything to hurt me? I''m afraid that he will sneak back to the imperial capital and seek revenge on me


    as soon as you leave. It doesn''t even have to be him. He could still have acquaintances here and could


    just ask them to do his dirty work for him. Or, don''t you believe in your capabilities to protect me if I go


    with you?" Harper reasoned with him.


    It was the first time for Matthew to see Harper being so eloquent. He didn''t know how to rebut her


    arguments because she did have a point. The safest way was to keep Harper by his side so that he


    could look after her by himself. After all, it was the only way for him to feel assured of her safety. There


    was nobody else that he could ask to protect Harper while he was away.


    "Your Highnesses, His Majesty is here," Noah reported while he came into the room. When he noticed


    the awkward atmosphere, Noah was confused so he asked, "Shall I invite His Majesty here?"


    Lucas was feeling aggrieved as an emperor. He thought that he must be the first emperor in history to


    have been denied ess to a mansion. But he was already used to being embarrassed. So he


    immediately climbed over the wall to enter Matthew''s mansion. Noah just turned a blind eye to such


    behavior, because Matthew only said that Lucas was not allowed to enter his mansion through the


    gate. Technically, he didn''t prohibit Lucas from entering his mansion by climbing over the wall.


    "Uncle Matthew, Aunt Harper," Lucas greeted the couple while he popped his head into the room with a


    ttering smile on his face. Upon entering the room, he straight on stated, "The general guarding the


    south domain sent me an emergency report. ording to his ounts, something unusual happened


    in the border of the South Kingdom."


    "The general guarding the south domain?" Harper asked when a name suddenly came to her mind. "Is


    it Luther Lu? He was the man that your father sent to take over the army in the south domain after


    Harrison was dismissed from his position."


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    Meanwhile, Matthew remembered Luther just then. The man was a former member of the military''s


    strategic n department. He had kept a low profile and hadn''t had much contact with the courtiers.


    When thete emperor promoted him, everyone else had been very surprised to hear the news. That


    was because Luther had been too inconspicuous. But if anyone were to carefully look into him, they


    would find out that his rank did not increase because of social connections but rather through his


    military merits.


    "I want detailed information about Luther," Matthew immediately said.


    Hearing that, Lucas ran into the room quickly. He handed a stack of documents to Matthew and said, "I


    knew you would be interested in Luther, Uncle Matthew. So I acquired his personal records and


    brought them here in a hurry. However, your guards didn''t let me in. I had no choice but to climb over


    the wall just to enter your mansion."


    Lucas threw himself into a chair as if he didn''t have a single bone in his body. Then, he picked up a cup


    and took a big sip of the tea. "There are a lot of poisonous miasmas and insects in the South Kingdom.


    Besides, the people in there are very skilled at using poison. In case we have to go to war against


    them, I''m afraid that we will be at a disadvantage."


    "But that is not what you should be worrying about. First of all, you have to figure out how many spies


    are there in the south domain''s army," Matthew said. After carefully looking through Luther''s personal


    records, he handed them to Harper. He couldn''t find anything wrong with the man. "I didn''t expect that


    he has obtained a lot of achievements in the military."


    "The reason that Father promoted him was precisely because of his capabilities. And at that time,


    Father was hoping that he could find a military general who would beparable to you..." Lucas


    stated, his voice dropping while he continued to speak. After all, thete emperor had been hostile to


    Matthew because he had always been threatened by him. Because of this, thete emperor had done


    a lot of things which would have been enough for Matthew to kill him a dozen times.


    Matthew didn''t respond to that and sipped his tea instead. At that moment, Harper was skimming over


    Luther''s personal records. All of a sudden, she asked, "How is Carlson in the north domain?"


    "That guy had a rather great experience in his time at the Northern Expeditionary Army. He is now a


    sub-third rank general. Previously, every time Uncle Allen heard what Carlson did, he would shake his


    head and helplessly sigh. However, things are different now. Whenever he hears that Carlson had


    earned excellent military achievements, he will grin from ear to ear. I thought he woulde back and


    quit the army within a month. But to my surprise, he has been promoted to the sub-third rank after


    serving in the army for only a year. I did underestimate him before. Also, Shawn really deserves to be


    the heir of his father''s position. He has beenmanding the army in perfect order," Lucas hastily


    answered.


    A glimmer of light shed in Harper''s eyes while she turned to look at Matthew. There were too many


    problems with the army guarding the south domain. Now that they were going there to eliminate the


    spies from the army, of course, they couldn''t trust or use anybody from the army guarding the south


    domain. Thus, they had to transfer people from another ce. However, the Northern Expeditionary


    Army was too far away, and they could not take the ck g Army to the south domain either.


    Otherwise, it would only make their enemies suspicious and take precautions in advance, which would


    incur a great loss on their part.


    When Lucas noticed that the couplemunicated with each other by eye contact instead of uttering a


    single word, he felt a little bored. He asked, "Uncle Matthew, should we send someone to the South


    Kingdom per their invitation? If not, I''ll have someone turn it down."


    "We should ept their offer; don''t you think so? Francis provided such an attractive bait in order to


    lure us there. If we don''t take it, he will be greatly disappointed," Matthew impassively replied.


    When he heard the name of his brother,plex emotions shed through Lucas'' eyes. He asked,


    "Uncle Matthew, are you going to kill Francis?"


    "It depends on whether or not he''s determined to dance with death. If he dares to create chaos within


    the army guarding the south domain and betray our Bright Dynasty by colluding with our enemies, I will


    never keep him alive," Matthew slowly said.


    When Lucas heard that, his eyelids began to twitch. No matter what happened, Francis was a prince of


    the Bright Dynasty. So Lucas didn''t want to believe that his brother could really betray his country.

 Chapter 723 Suitable For Marriage (Part One)

    Chapter 723 Suitable For Marriage (Part One)


    Harper was puzzled for a moment seeing Becky Liu, the chief guard of the Secret Pavilion on the


    mission. ''Why would the woman guarding the Secret Pavilione with us?'' she wondered.


    She gave a nce at Matthew that seemed to ask why Becky Liu woulde with them to the South


    Kingdom.


    Matthew nced at Becky Liu for a second, and then said in a low voice, "She was afraid that


    something might be wrong with the thing you took away. So, in order to monitor you, she will follow you


    wherever you go."


    "Did Lucas agree to this?" What an excuse! Even if Becky Liu were to follow her everywhere, Harper


    was confident that she wouldn''t be able to take the tripod back.


    "He was too tired of her badgering that he agreed." Matthew put down the curtain of the carriage and


    held Harper in his arms. "It''s a long way to the South Kingdom. You''d better get some rest at the


    beginning of our trip when the road is smooth. The road will be bumpyter on. It would be difficult for


    you to sleep then, even if you want to."


    Resting her head on Matthew''sp, Harper gazed at his face. He was reading a book on strategy. She


    felt he looked even more handsome while they were alone and he didn''t put on the poker face. She


    was absorbed in looking at his angr face and could not helpughing.


    Hearing her giggle, he looked down and asked, "What''s so funny?"


    "People always say that you''re as hard as the ice on a snowy mountain peak, too difficult to melt even


    after thousands of years. But I don''t think so. I think you are so good-looking that I feel fascinated by


    you. I''m so d that I have such a man as my husband," Harper said with a smile.


    With a glimmer of mischief shing in Matthew''s eyes, he pinched her face and said, "You''re so good at


    ttering me. But it''s weird that every time you tter me, I feel that you want something from me."


    Harper widened her eyes, "Nonsense! I don''t know what you are talking about."


    "Think about it. You havemended me a few times earlier and every time you did that, you wanted


    something. Don''t you remember?" Matthew asked slowly.


    It seemed that Matthew was telling the truth. She had always unted Matthew on purpose every time


    she wanted something from him.


    "Today it''s not the same!" Harper said. "I might have done something like that in the past, but I don''t


    have any intention this time. I praised you sincerely out of my heart."


    "Really?" Hearing that, Matthew raised his eyebrows. "So does that mean that you have never praised


    me sincerely?" he asked.


    The expression on Harper''s face changed suddenly. She felt as if she had dug a hole and buried


    herself in it. So she just yawned and said, "I''m tired. Let me have some rest."


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    Matthew pinched her chin and said, "No way! If you don''t make it clear now, I will¡­"


    "What would you do?" Harper opened her eyes and asked. She didn''t know what Matthew intended to


    do, but she wasn''t afraid of it either. She knew that Matthew wouldn''t do anything that would hurt her.


    The most likely thing he would do was to scold her a bit, and it wasn''t a big deal for her.


    With a slight smile on his face, he responded, "I haven''t decided what to do. It will take us about twenty


    days to reach the South Kingdom. Well, should I do you a favor so that you can have a good rest, and


    wouldn''t even need to show up in front of other people for the forting days?"


    Harper went nk and asked, "What do you mean?"


    Putting down the book in his hands, he undressed himself. Harper was stunned to see this. She quickly


    held his hand, and asked again, "What are you doing?"


    "I will punish you," he said and continued to unknot his waistband.


    "Stop!" Matthew''s action scared her a bit. She knew what he meant and what he intended to do. But


    they were in a carriage, and there were soldiers and officials around. Although she didn''t worry much


    about her reputation, she didn''t want others to portray her as a dissolute woman either. "Matthew, all


    thepliments I said before are truly from my heart. However, it just happened that I needed some


    favors as well. I''m sorry. I''m really sorry," Harper said in a serious tone, holding his hand.


    "So you admit the fact that the reason youplimented me is that you wanted something from me?"


    Looking at the worried look on Harper''s face, Matthew was delighted. But still, he maintained a straight


    face, and said, "In that case, I still need to punish you."


    "Okay, okay. I have made some mistakes, and I''m sorry for it. Are you still not willing to forgive me?"


    She enjoyed spending time with Matthew in the carriage, but didn''t want to have sex with him in it,


    especially in the daytime. There were people around the carriage, and she was sure that they could


    sense what was happening inside. No matter how thick-skinned she was, she couldn''t let that happen.


    "Fine. You should keep telling me something nice. If I''m satisfied with it, I''ll forgive you," he said in a


    serious tone, leaning against the carriage and looking at his wife.


    Harper rolled her eyes and asked, "Do you mean it? Will you really forgive me as long as I say


    something nice?"


    "Yes."


    "As long as you forgive me, I will say something nice to you every day."


    "Say it and then we''ll see." Matthew was wild with joy deep inside, but he didn''t ease up on his stern


    look. He thought about the sweet words Harper would say to make him happy.


    Kneeling on the seat, Harper leaned toward him slightly. Then, she looked at him affectionately with a


    smile. Her red lips slightly opened, and each word seemed to have lingered over the tip of her tongue


    before she said it. The first sentence, however, almost made Matthew lose control of himself.

 Chapter 724 Suitable For Marriage (Part Two)

    Chapter 724 Suitable For Marriage (Part Two)


    "Something nice, something nice, something nice¡­." Harper just repeated the words "something nice"


    many times with all kinds of voices and postures. Matthew was stunned, and it took him a while to


    understand what was happening. But soon he realized that this was the so-called "something nice" by


    Harper.


    He tried to recall what he said and realized that she was doing exactly what he had told her. He asked


    for something nice, but never expected that she would trick him!


    His eyes darkened, especially when he saw a hint of banter in Harper''s eyes. He pushed her down on


    the floor of the carriage, leaned against her, and said, "Wow, that was so sweet. I''m so d to hear


    that. But now, it''s my turn to award you. You will stay here with me for the next twenty days."


    Hearing that, Harper became speechless. She never thought that would turn into an award.


    "Matthew, I¡­"


    Suddenly, the curtain of the carriage was opened, and Howard appeared at the door. Seeing their


    awkward and intimate gesture, he raised his eyebrows and said, "What are you both doing? It''s


    daytime and we''re still on the way. Are you really not able to control yourselves when alone?"


    Looking at Howard calmly, Matthew narrowed his eyes. He wasn''t happy to be disturbed while he was


    trying to teach his wife a lesson. "What''s wrong?" he asked.


    As if she had seen a savior, Harper winked at Howard and looked for help.


    Ignoring Harper, Howard turned to Matthew and replied, "I n to leave the mission and go to the


    South Kingdom in advance to gather information."


    Matthew straightened his back and considered Howard''s n. Their trip to the South Kingdom was


    extremely dangerous. The South Kingdom always wanted to stir up troubles. Moreover, Francis had a


    strong side. If he got involved with the South Kingdom, together they would try to shoot up bigger


    troubles. It was a good idea for someone to get there and gather information in advance.


    "Be careful and be safe," Harper said. "It''s important to get the information, but your life is even more


    important. So avoid taking too many risks and be safe."


    Howard''s eyes glowed when he saw the serious look on Harper''s face. He felt warm, but didn''t want to


    reveal his genuine feelings to her. "I believe no one else could care more about my safety and my life.


    Didn''t you always want me to die?"


    "Yes, I want you to die. But will you do that?" Harper said sullenly.


    "Of course no," Howard said without hesitation. "Living is not easy, but it''s way better than dying. Even


    if I want to die, it would happen a long time ago."


    "So, you''d better live well and help me in doing more things," said Harper. And then she threw


    something at Howard. He took a nce at it and then put it into his pocket.


    "I believe there''s something wrong with Becky Liu. She is apanying you in the mission. Be careful.


    It wouldn''t be as dangerous as going to the Great Jade Kingdom this time, but you still need to be on


    guard," Howard warned.


    "Don''t worry about her. I know what to do," Harper replied.


    Howard didn''t respond to her. He dropped the curtain, took the horse beside him, mounted on it and


    rode away. The leading guard shot a nce at Howard, who was about to go away, but he didn''t say


    anything. He was regarded as one of Matthew''s men. Now that Matthew was the most powerful man in


    the country, no one would dare to offend him. So the leading guard just pretended that he didn''t see


    Howard and didn''t even know anything about him.


    Harper lifted open the curtain, looked at Howard''s receding figure and sighed, "Enemies are bing


    friends and friends are bing enemies. Is there nothing permanent in this world?"


    "You are the one who often said that there are no evesting enemies in the world, but only evesting


    interest." Matthew casually yed with Harper''s hair and asked, "Now, shall we continue the award


    game?"


    "Stop it." Harper tugged at his sleeve and gestured. "Come here and take a look!"


    Matthew quickly went over to see what Harper was talking about. He saw Jack block Becky Liu from


    getting closer to their carriage.


    "As the saying goes, it is never easy to change a person''s nature. Jack always wants to flirt with


    beauties. No one would want to marry such a person," Harper said, with a disappointed expression on


    her face. Matthew was curious to know why Harper would say so.


    "Jack is not that bad. If he is lucky, he would meet someone," he said.


    Harper rolled her eyes at him and said, "Not my girls. They would never marry a man like him. He is


    glib and flirtatious. Every time he sees a beauty, his heart flipped. He always flirts with beautiful women.


    I don''t think such a person is suitable for marriage."


    "Then what kind of person do you think is suitable for marriage?" Matthew asked.


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    Harper wanted to say that Matthew was also someone who wasn''t suitable for marriage, but she


    sensibly held back her words. Instead, she said, "Someone like you. You are the best man in the world.


    You are an indomitable man with integrity."


    "Do you know what I think? In my view, you are the best woman in the world and the most desirable to


    marry," he said, raising his eyebrows slightly.


    Outside the carriage, Barry had overheard the coupleplimenting each other, but he pretended he


    hadn''t heard it, partly because he couldn''t believe what he heard. Harper just dered that Matthew


    was the best man to get married. Barry never thought that Harper would lie about something like


    this.

 Chapter 725 The Birch Pass (Part One)

    Chapter 725 The Birch Pass (Part One)


    On the way to South Kingdom, the journey went smoothly for Matthew and everyone else. In fact, it


    was way beyond their expectations. When the envoys arrived at the station of the Birch Pass, Luther,


    who was responsible for guarding the south domain, personally led his soldiers to receive them.


    "Your Highnesses, good day to you all. I''m Luther Lu." With thick and seemingly imprable armor,


    Luther looked like a mighty general. The innocent face that he once had was nowhere to be seen. After


    strenuous training, he gave people the impression of being steady and sophisticated.


    Matthew lifted the curtain of the carriage and looked at Luther. The prince actually thought highly of the


    general. He got promoted to this position solely because of his military prowess and didn''t keep close


    rtionships with the courtiers.


    "You, are Luther?" Actually, a lot of people were surprised when thete emperor chose Luther to take


    over the south domain''s army. After all, he didn''t attract much attention at the imperial court. If thete


    emperor hadn''t suddenly promoted him as amander in chief, only a few people would have known


    his name.


    "That''s right, Your Highness. I am Luther, themander in chief of the south domain''s army," Luther


    inly answered in a tone that was neither humble nor rude. The army of the south domain had always


    been a headache for the imperial court. It was all because the ce was located near South Kingdom


    where the people were very skilled at using poison. Additionally, the soldiers in the south domain were


    arrogant. It was impossible for them to passively obey an order from anyone who they regarded as


    ipetent and undignified.


    "How many soldiers are in the garrison of the south domain?" Matthew asked slowly.


    "Your Highness, in total, there are 200, 000 soldiers in the garrison. The troop of 100, 000 soldiers is


    directly under mymand. The other 100, 000 are being led by General Xu and General Wei." More


    than what Matthew was asking for, Luther exined in great detail the division of the south domain''s


    army. Including himself, there were three leaders in the army. However, even when a prince hade


    to the Birch Pass, the other two generals didn''t show up. Even though Luther didn''t say anything


    outright, he was actually trying to snitch on the other two generals.


    "Where do you live right now?" Matthew then asked. After entering the Birch Pass, he had been


    deciding whether they should stay in the official inn or in the military camp.


    "Your Highness, thete emperor gave me the former marquis''s mansion as the general''s residence.


    I''ve already asked my men to clean up the guest room. You may go there right now so you can take a


    rest. You must be really tired after traveling for so long." It seemed like Luther already had an idea


    about Matthew''s concerns. He even prepared their amodation in advance.


    With one hand resting on her chin, Harper smiled. "General Luther, you''re very considerate. Thank you


    very much."


    "Well, then please lead the way, General Luther," Matthew said.


    There was a time when the mansion was extremely grand because the former marquis Harrison had


    guarded the south domain for an awful lot of years. But the man used his influence over the people for


    their own selfish and avaricious gains. They robbed a lot of people''s properties and assets. When


    everything that they owned was confiscated, all of the treasures almost filled half of the national


    treasure house.


    As soon as Matthew and Harper entered the mansion, they noticed that theyout was very simple,


    other than the fact that the estate was veryrge. With a slight change of the originalyout, the


    magnificent mansion had be a simple and stunning residence.


    "You have good taste, General Luther," Harper praised.


    "I''m ttered, Your Highness. I''m not particrly good at designs. It''s just that I like it to be simple, so I


    tried my best to organize the mansion in this way," Luther slowly replied with a small smile on his face.


    "You''re too modest, General. This ce is indeed well arranged. Now I feel sorry as we''ll have to


    trouble you in the following two days."


    "It''s my pleasure. I''ll take you to your room. Please follow me." Luther led the way, giving Harper a


    chance to observe the interiors of the mansion more closely. Although Luther was very humble, he had


    actually put a lot of effort in decorating the mansion. It was apparent that he had unique tastes


    compared to ordinary martial generals.


    Luther had arranged a picturesque and tranquil house for them. Harper was very satisfied with it so she


    instantly had a good impression of the general.


    "So apparently, it''s true that Luther is capable," Matthew idly stated while looking at the dishes served


    to them. The food was neither too luxurious nor too shabby. They were actually delicate and delicious.


    It was obvious then that Luther made a lot of effort to prepare the meal, the amodation, and the


    journey to be asfortable as it could be.


    While enjoying the delectable dishes, Harper couldn''t help but praise Luther a lot. "He knows us very


    well."


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    "Yes, I think you''re right. He is very thoughtful and detail-oriented. He has a good understanding of our


    concerns," Matthew said while his eyes lit up.


    While Harper continued to eat, she picked up some food for Matthew. "This tastes good. Give a try."


    Matthew always ate at a very quick pace, which was a habit that he picked up from the military camp.


    Although he had changed a lot since he got married, he was yet to get rid of that habit. Compared with


    Matthew''s, Harper''s pace of eating was very slow. When she finished eating about half of her meal,


    Matthew already put down his chopsticks and bowl.


    "I''ve told you many times already. Don''t eat so fast. It''s not good for your digestion. Do you know the


    repercussions of not giving yourself enough time to digest your food?" Harper asked while she


    continued to eat.


    "You''ll have a stomachache?" Matthew tried to guess.


    "It''s not as simple as that!" Harper swallowed the food in her mouth before continuing, "If a person is


    killed and his death time cannot be recognized due to external reasons, another way is to open his


    stomach and see the contents. We will then calcte the time of his death based on the food digested


    in his stomach because once a person dies, his stomach would, of course, stop digesting. With that, we


    can roughly know the death time from the amount and state of food that is digested."


    "You''re eating," Matthew reminded her. He was at a loss while he looked at Harper. She was talking


    about cutting open a dead person''s stomach while eating the food as if it was nothing.

 Chapter 726 The Birch Pass (Part Two)

    Chapter 726 The Birch Pass (Part Two)


    "It''s not a big deal. We used to dissect dead bodies with our teacher while eating our snacks back


    then," she retorted with augh.


    "You learned from a teacher how to dissect a corpse?" Matthew thought about what she said again and


    again. He realized that the more he knew about Harper, the less he could understand her. He once


    thought that she was very fragile, but it turned out that her martial arts skills were exceptional. She had


    just been hiding that on purpose. And even more outstanding, she had inherited the bloodline of the


    Qin n, so she had very rare spiritual power.


    Matthew pondered, ''If we are to fight in bed and I exert every single fiber of force that I have now, can I


    suppress her?''


    "Harp, shall we have apetition?" he then asked tentatively.


    "In bed?" Harper asked as she already figured out what he was thinking. She rolled her eyes at him


    and continued, "Don''t do that. Just outside the border of the Birch Pass is thend of South Kingdom. I


    wonder how many spies from that kingdom there are in this city. No matter how powerful Luther is, he


    can''t get rid of all of them!"


    "I meant fighting. If you want to fight in bed as husband and wife, I''m very much willing to do so. After


    all, I only have you by my side." The smile on Matthew''s face widened even more.


    At that point, it dawned on Harper that there was an underlying meaning in her husband''s words. She


    then stopped eating, put down her chopsticks, reached out for the table napkin from Forsythia and


    wiped her mouth. After that, she threw a re at her husband and asked, "Are you disappointed at me


    because I sent away your beautiful younger cousin?"


    Matthew blinked his eyes before asking, "What? Where is thising from?"


    Harper was so upset that she didn''t even want to listen to Matthew. "Humph! No wonder thatdy


    dared to be disrespectful to me. You''re the one who''s backing her up. And now what? Do you want to


    make your younger cousin your concubine? Or do you want to marry her as your wife? If you regret


    sending her away, then hurry up and inform Rufus that he needs to send her back to you!"


    Finally realizing that Harper was being jealous, Matthew burst intoughter. He grabbed her hand and


    said, "Harp, do you know that you look so adorable when you get jealous?"


    "Who''s jealous? I know I''m not! I''m merely giving you a suggestion. If you think you''re too lonely and


    bored with only me by your side, I can find some more interesting women for you," Harper retorted at


    once.


    "I don''t need anyone else by my side," Matthew said, a dreadful expression falling into his face.


    "Really?" Harper eximed with all her strength.


    "Yes, of course! You''re more than enough for me! I can hardly bear you! If I have another woman by my


    side, that would certainly kill me! I don''t care about the quantity of women. I only care about the quality.


    And I can say with absolute confidence that you have the best qualities that I''m looking for," Matthew


    stated with utmost sincerity.


    Despite his sweet words, Harper only snorted. "I''m already full. Let''s take a walk outside to help with


    our digestion."


    Matthew stood up and reached out for her hand. "That''s a great idea. Let me walk around in the


    general''s mansion with you. You know, I always feel like this arrangement is familiar, but I can''t


    remember where I''ve seen such ayout before."


    Harper''s eyes lit up. "Both the general and you are very tough people. It''s like you came from the same


    tree so I guess you might have the same idea. Did you decorate the mansion where you lived before


    just like this?"


    "I''ve always lived in the military camp! Do you think thete emperor was generous enough to give me


    afortable private room? You''re daydreaming," Matthew responded right away.


    Harper thought it over. Thete emperor wanted Matthew to die outside of the kingdom as soon as


    possible so that he wouldn''t be able toe back and get in his way. How could he give a ce for


    Matthew to stay in? What was more, he had never given Matthew a single penny for the sry of the


    ck g Army. If it weren''t for Matthew''s source of ie, the 300, 000 soldiers of the ck g


    Army would have starved to death.


    "Matthew, do you hate thete emperor?"


    "No, I don''t have a grudge against him. There''s an old saying. Birds of the same feather flock together.


    Wasting my energy to care about him is not worth it. After struggling for power for a lifetime, he was


    killed by his own son in the end. I guess, it''s true as they say. You reap what you sow." While he was


    speaking, Matthew had an impassive expression on his face. The deceased emperor hadpeted


    with him all his life. Even though they were brothers, he hated Matthew for his outstanding military


    capabilities. He couldn''t have peace of mind because of his brother''s talents. So he wanted to cripple


    Matthew. And every time something bad finally happened, the emperor would push him away to deal


    with it. From the moment Matthew had shown his talent to the second that the emperor was killed, he


    didn''t consider Matthew as his brother. So when he was killed by his own son Francis, Matthew


    honestly thought that it was thete emperor''s bad karma.


    "What''s the custom of the people in the Birch Pass?" Harper changed the subject.


    "The customs of South Kingdom are very liberal. Since the Birch Pass is next to the kingdom, they are


    influenced by the customs of the kingdom. The people in the Birch Pass are open-minded. ManyContent rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    women get out of their houses and do businesses here," Matthew promptly answered. He had also


    been to South Kingdom, but he didn''t know what it was like after all these years.


    With curiosity on her face, Harper asked, "Why don''t we take a walk outside tomorrow?"


    Matthew had the same idea. The only way that he could know what was going on in the Birch Pass


    was to go outside. And he could confirm if the city was sessfully managed by Luther, the appointed


    commander in chief of the south domain''s army.

 Chapter 727 Buy The Medicinal Herbs (Part One)

    Chapter 727 Buy The Medicinal Herbs (Part One)


    Although the Birch Pass was the natural border between the Bright Dynasty and the South Kingdom, it


    was quite noisy and bustling. And in spite of the rtionship between the Bright Dynasty and the South


    Kingdom being tense at the moment, there were still many merchants going back and forth to the


    border of the two countries. They brought over the herbs from the South Kingdom to the Birch Pass for


    trading.


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    "It seems that we came out at the right time, just in time for the morning market." In the morning market


    of the Birch Pass, lots of items were being sold¡ªmedicinal materials, ores, some unique jade which


    could only be found in the South Kingdom, as well as some rare small articles. All kinds of people were


    busy looking around to find what they needed.


    "Sir, would you be interested in purchasing a precious jade pendant? It''s the pink warm jade only


    avable in the South Kingdom and can''t be found anywhere else. This jade pendant should be perfect


    for your wife. As you can see, the pink color looks very clear. And it will also be very useful to help her


    get back to health. Sir, I highly rmend that you purchase a jade pendant for your wife." The


    vendor stopped Matthew in his tracks and tried his best to convince him into buying the jade he had in


    his stall.


    Taking a closer look at the jade in the hands of the vendor, Matthew was actually about to take it.


    However, Harper suddenly grabbed the jade and remarked, "This is not a warm jade, otherwise, I


    would''ve felt warm when I touched it. Apart from that, its pink color is not quite right. The warm jade of


    the South Kingdom looks pink because the geology of the ce where they are produced is red. That''s


    what gives the jade that slight tint of red, thus giving it the name pink warm jade. The jade you are


    selling is a fake one."


    Hearing this, the vendor almost lost hisposure. Yet, he quickly snatched the fake jade pendant


    from Harper''s hand and took out another jade pendant. "Madam, you must be a well-educated person


    who knows a lot about jade. I''m actually talking about this piece of jade. It is a real piece of pink warm


    jade, and is priceless. Have a look at it. It is wless; wouldn''t you say so? Touch it, and you will feel


    warm. It is the best jade to help you keep healthy. The jade should be a perfect match for you, madam,


    as you are beautiful, noble and kindhearted."


    Seeing this man''s reaction, Harper was a bit surprised. As soon as the fake jade was recognized, this


    man immediately took out a genuine jade and tried to sell it instead. Because of that, Harper became


    curious and wanted to see how much this man could do. So, she took out a piece of warm jade which


    she always carried around and said, "I don''t need a warm jade. I already have a piece of superior suet


    white warm jade, which is even better than your pink warm jade."


    Blinking his eyes, the vendor instantly put his jade away. "Well, madam, would you like to sell your


    jade? If you think that you''ve been wearing this jade pendant for too long and don''t like this style. If you


    want a different style, I have a wide variety of styles avable. You can also customize the style to your


    liking. Of course, I can also buy the jade you have. What do you think?"


    "No, I don''t need money," Harper nonchntly said.


    "Madam, do you like collecting treasures? The treasures in my shop are all rare treasures. I''m sure


    you''re going to like them." Then, the vendor turned to Matthew and added, "Sir, your wife is so


    beautiful. Why don''t you pick a good treasure and give it to her as a gift? It will definitely make her


    happy." It seemed that he still hadn''t given up on persuading Matthew into buying his goods.


    "Did you just say you have all kinds of treasures in your shop?" Matthew asked, looking very interested.


    "Yes, we have everything you may need. Just name it, and we''ll give you whatever you want!" the


    vendor proudly said as he patted himself on the chest, seemingly very confident.


    Harper helplessly shook her head. This vendor was quite the smooth-talker and spoke differently


    depending on who he was talking to. Given that, she did not believe his words. So, she simply grabbed


    hold of Matthew''s hand and was about to leave the stall with him. However, Matthew stopped her in her


    tracks and said, "It wouldn''t really hurt to go inside and have a look. Who knows? Maybe a pleasant


    surprise is waiting for us."


    Harper honestly appreciated the vendor''s quick wit, but she just wasn''t fond of his way of doing things.


    Despite that, she didn''t object to Matthew''s suggestion and followed him into the vendor''s shop.


    It was a rather small and messy shop. The shopkeeper was inside leaning against the counter, nodding


    off. Hearing a couple of footsteps approaching, he immediately ran out from behind the counter and


    greeted, "Distinguished guests are walking inside my shop. Come in, please. Is there anything in


    particr you would like to see?"


    "Boss, they are our distinguished guests. They''re not interested inmon goods," the vendor said.


    Hearing that, the shopkeeper immediately ordered his assistant to get the most precious treasure they


    had in the shop. Then, he personally poured a bowl of tea for them and said, "The miasma here in the


    South Kingdom is very thick. This tea, although not very good, can help get rid of the miasma. I hope


    you do not dislike it."


    After taking a sip, Harpermented, "This is the medicinal tea made from the herbs like rhizoma


    atractylodis and tuckahoe. But, it seems that someone has added another herb inside..."


    "Madam, you eve know about medicine?" the shopkeeper asked in surprise. "A special herb exclusive


    in the South Kingdom has been added, which is called snakeroot. It is used to get rid of the poison in


    the miasma. I can tell at a nce that you two just arrived at the Birch Pass. If you don''t drink this


    specially made tea, you probably won''t be able to resist the poison of the miasma."


    "That''s so thoughtful of you! Thank you," Harper said as she put down her tea bowl. "I wonder how


    many special medicinal materials from the South Kingdom you have in store here."


    "Madam, are you looking for medicinal herbs?"


    "Yes, I am. But I wonder if the medicinal herbs you have could get my attention," Harper slowly said,


    looking the shopkeeper straight in the eye. "I am looking for medicinal herbs from the South Kingdom


    with unique efficacy, ones that people cannot simply buy from the outside."


    Pausing for a while, the shopkeeper asked, "What are you going to need them for, madam?"


    "I''m a physician," Harper tly replied. "Of course I buy medicinal herbs for the purpose of treating


    patients and saving people''s lives. A great number of rare medicines from the South Kingdom have


    extraordinary effects, but it is very difficult to acquire them from the market. You just told me that you


    will give me whatever I want as long as I name it, right? If you can show them to me right now, I''ll buy


    all of them."

 Chapter 728 Buy The Medicinal Herbs (Part Two)

    Chapter 728 Buy The Medicinal Herbs (Part Two)


    "That''s great! It has been a while since thest time I encounter a great buyer like you. Please follow


    me, madam." The shopkeeper pped his hands and burst intoughter.


    ncing at Matthew, Harper then followed the shopkeeper into the backyard. The mansion consisted


    of a storefront with warehouses and living space in the back. After the shopkeeper brought them


    directly into the innermost part of the warehouse, he opened the door and said, "Feel free to look


    around and see if there''s anything you want inside."


    As Harper roamed around, she noticed that there were a lot of shelves with various kinds of boxes on


    them.


    "Some of the medicinal materials can''t be mixed together. Some are poisonous, and some are not, so


    we have to store them in separate specially made boxes. Otherwise, the medicinal materials will lose


    their effects. Each box has abel that states the function of the medicinal material inside it. You can


    choose the ones you like."


    As Harper walked inside, Matthew simply stood at the door and waited. Harper carefully examined the


    medicinal herbs with the shopkeeper following her closely behind. Whenever Harper focused her


    attention on a specific box, the shopkeeper would tell her the name, price, and effect of the medicinal


    herb inside it right away.


    Harper simply nodded her head without telling him whether she would buy them or not. Despite that,


    the shopkeeper seemed patient enough to tell her all he knew.


    After a while, Harper finally finished scanning all the boxes and got a rough idea of all the materials


    they could offer. With that, the shopkeeper asked, "Madam, which medicinal herbs have you taken a


    fancy to?"


    "I like all of them. Make a price," Harper said in a t tone.


    Left a bit dumbfounded, the shopkeeper asked, "Madam, do you mean you want to buy all of them?"


    "Yes, I want all of them."


    "All the herbs that we have here are precious. Meaning to say, they are all very expensive. If you want


    to buy everything, you''re going to need to spend arge amount of money. Take this herb as an


    example. A single nt already costs five hundred taels of silver, let alone the other rare herbs."


    "A hundred thousand taels of silver. Is that enough?" Harper showed him a bank note worth such


    amount of money and put it on the table. "Don''t tell me you think it''s not enough."


    The shopkeeper wanted to raise the price, but then, he thought of the fact that it wouldn''t be easy to


    fool Harper. After all, she could tell all of the medicinal materials in the tea just by taking a sip. From


    that, he concluded that she was not a simple person. So, he had better not offend her.


    "Madam, that''s too little. You''re going to need to pay me at least this much." The shopkeeper raised


    three fingers.


    When she heard this, Harper squinted her eyes and thought, ''He wants three hundred thousand taels


    of silver? He''s asking for such an unreasonable amount. The medicinal herbs in this ce should, at


    most, only be worth a hundred and fifty thousand taels of silver, but he''s asking for twice that amount.''


    "I can offer one hundred and fifty thousand taels of silver at most," Harper replied.


    "Madam, believe me. They are really worth three hundred thousand taels of silver." A peculiar grin


    appeared on the shopkeeper''s face as Harper looked at him without saying anything.


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Although Matthew didn''t know much about medicinal herbs, he could tell that Harper really wanted


    them. Three hundred thousand taels of silver shouldn''t be that big of a number for them. They could


    easily afford them. That being said, since Harper thought that they shouldn''t be worth that much, he


    also thought they were definitely not. So, he decided not to chime in and just watched them negotiate.


    "Do you have other goods aside from the ones in this warehouse?"


    "Madam, I have the most precious treasure of the South Kingdom. Would it be worth the price?" the


    shopkeeper whispered under his breath.


    A light shed across Harper''s eyes. "I would like to examine the goods first."


    The shopkeeper walked toward a wall and knocked rhythmically on it, and then a box popped out. The


    moment the shopkeeper opened the box, Harper saw clearly that there were three red fruits stored


    inside the box, which happened to be the sacred treasure of the South Kingdom¡ªthe Rosefinch Fruit.


    They went to the South Kingdom this time with one goal, which was to find the location of the Sacred


    Seal. But there was one other thing¡ªfinding the Rosefinch Fruit, which was an essential herb Harper


    had to use to refine the pill she needed.


    "Deal." Taking over the box, Harper took out a pile of bank notes and put them on the table. "Have


    these medicinal herbs sent to the general''s residence."


    The look on the shopkeeper''s face shifted dramatically. "The general''s... The general''s residence?" he


    confirmed.


    "I''m in the general''s residence at the moment, so you have to send the medicinal herbs directly to the


    general''s residence. Got it?" Harper wanted to take the Rosefinch Fruits away, but the shopkeeper


    quickly stopped her.


    "Madam, I won''t sell my medicinal herbs to you!"


    "Why is that?" Harper asked, taking a step back. "Honesty is the most important thing in business."


    "Anyway, my medicinal herbs will not be sold to anyone from the general''s residence!"


    "I''m not really from the general''s residence. I''m only staying there for the time being." How could


    Harper give back the Rosefinch Fruits she just found? "Don''t worry, sir. People in the general''s


    residence won''t make any trouble for you. They wouldn''t dare to."


    "No more of this nonsense. I won''t sell my herbs to you!"


    "It''s not up to you!" Harper took out an official token and put it down on the table. When the shopkeeper


    saw this, his hand froze in the air as he tried to take back the Rosefinch Fruits. Looking at Harper in


    astonishment, it seemed as though he couldn''t believe his eyes. Then, he looked at Matthew, and after


    a long while, he finally withdrew his hand in frustration.


    "Fine, fine. I apologize for not recognizing you, Your Highness. Please take the Rosefinch Fruits with


    you."


    "What about the medicinal herbs?"


    "I''ll ask my men to send the medicinal herbs to the general''s residence. I hope your people can take


    them over themselves." As he took another nce at the token on the table, he helplessly sighed.


    Then, he exhorted Harper, "These herbs cannot be touched by the people from the general''s


    residence."


    "Don''t worry, sir. My stuff won''t be handed over to others. I''m leaving now."

 Chapter 729 Join The Escort Team (Part One)

    Chapter 729 Join The Escort Team (Part One)


    After making some hefty purchase of medicinal herbs, Harper didn''t want to shop around anymore. She


    was eager to get back to the general''s mansion and study those herbs she had just procured. Matthew


    knew very well about her, so he went back with her.


    As soon as the couple arrived at the gate of the general''s mansion, Luther, apanied by two men,


    went up to them and greeted, "Greetings, Your Highnesses."


    "Where are you heading, Luther?" Harper asked in confusion. "Is there something urgent at the


    barracks?"


    "Your Highness, there isn''t any particr emergency at the barracks, but I was trying to find you. I


    heard you both went out of the mansion alone, with no guards for your protection. So, I was worried


    about your safety." Luther was a very considerate person. He was ready to undertake any tasks that


    one could think of, and could control an army of one hundred thousand soldiers in a short time. It was


    evident that he wasn''t simple-minded.


    "Thank you so much for your concern, Luther. We just wanted to take a walk around the Birch Pass


    and see its local traditions, its people, as well as its culture. If you sent some people to follow us, the


    civilians would feel uneasy, and they might feel like being harassed," Matthew said indifferently.


    "People here live and work peacefully. I couldn''t find anything inharmonious or strange at all. You


    indeed manage it very well."


    "Your Highness, thank you for your kind words. I am just doing my job."


    Matthew nodded and walked in with Harper. He turned around at the threshold and ordered, "Barry,


    stay at the door. When the things that Harper purchased are delivered, ask someone to move them into


    her room. She needs them."


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    At the same time, Luther followed up and said, "Your Highness, the Worship Ceremony will be held in


    five days at the capital of the South Kingdom. May I know when you are leaving for the ceremony?"


    "Tomorrow," Matthew replied swiftly. "In order to avoid anything undesirable, you lead the soldiers and


    wait at the border. By then, ask your people to deal with the changing situations tactically."


    A hint of surprise shed across Luther''s eyes. He asked, "Will the South Kingdom create trouble


    then?"


    Matthew didn''t reply. He didn''t know whether the South Kingdom would take the chance to stir up


    trouble, but he was sure that Francis would do it. However, at the moment, Matthew was also


    concerned with something else. The garrison of the south domain was the mostplex army among


    all the forces in the Bright Dynasty. Two of the three generals of the south domain hadn''t met him so


    far. Matthew had been in the Birch Pass since thest two days, but they never showed the courtesy to


    visit him. It was obvious that even though he was the prince, they didn''t take him seriously.


    "It doesn''t matter if the South Kingdom will use the opportunity to create trouble, but what''s more


    important is that our army can''t mutiny." Matthew gave a meaningful look at Luther. "What is your


    opinion on the other two generals of the garrisons here?"


    "General Wei is a senior leader. He has his own useful way of dealing with the South Kingdom. It''s just


    that he doesn''t like to make friends with others." Luther was careful in his wording. "As for General Xu,


    despite his unruly personality, he treats his soldiers very well. He often lives in the barracks along with


    his soldiers and seldom goes back to the Birch Pass. That may be the reason he didn''te to visit


    you in thest two days."


    Matthew had also heard things about the two generals. Despite knowing that he was the envoy to the


    South Kingdom, the two of them kept away from seeing him. One directly avoided seeing him, while the


    other hid in the army. It was hard to believe that there wasn''t any problem. There must be a lot of


    secrets among the garrisons of the south domain, and they might mutiny.


    "General Wei and General Xu have years of experience in military affairs. Still, if things end up worse,


    do you think you can defeat them?" Matthew asked abruptly.


    "Your Highness, I am ttered. Yet, both General Wei and General Xu are hugely experienced. I am not


    a match for either of them. If they join hands, I''m afraid I will have to concede defeat," Luther said with


    a modest smile.


    "Well, I think you are a match for them." Matthew tried to boost his confidence as he was convinced


    about him. If not for going through Luther''s file, Matthew wouldn''t have known about his abilities.


    "Your Highness, you must be joking. The two are mightily experienced and battle-hardened. I don''t


    think I can defeat them." The serious expression on his face drew Matthew''s attention. After taking a


    nce at him, Matthew returned to his residence.


    Luther didn''t follow him. He learned that the couple would leave tomorrow. What he needed was to


    make necessary arrangements for their travel to the South Kingdom.


    "General, the South Kingdom has never allowed any outsider to attend their Worship Ceremony before.


    But now, why did they decide to invite outsiders to the ceremony so abruptly?" the deputy general


    asked doubtfully. After all, the Worship Ceremony in the South Kingdom was its most important festival


    and was equivalent to its national ceremony.


    "Who knows about the intentions of the South Kingdom? The only thing we need to do is to safeguard


    the Birch Pass and stop people from the South Kingdom from trespassing our territory," Luther said


    slowly. "Let our people prepare for it. The envoy team will set out tomorrow. You should select five


    hundred strong warriors to stand by. They will be arranged to escort Prince Matthew and his team to


    the capital of the South Kingdom."


    "Yes, general."


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    Barry stood at the door like a spear, waiting for the delivery of medicinal materials purchased by


    Harper. After a slight nod at Barry, Luther headed to the military camp. Barry nced at his receding


    figure and then moved his eyes away. He thought that Luther should be very good at martial arts and


    wanted to test his fighting skills with him. But he knew it was not the time for that wilfully.


    After Luther left his mansion, he didn''t go to the military camp, but went to a teahouse not far away


    from his mansion.

 Chapter 730 Join The Escort Team (Part Two)

    Chapter 730 Join The Escort Team (Part Two)


    In a private room inside the teahouse, a man had already been waiting for Luther. "How is everything


    going in the city?" Luther asked.


    "Everything is fine," the man replied.


    "Where did Prince Matthew and his wife go today?" Luther asked specifically.


    "They had been to the morning market and then the Treasure Pavilion. I am not sure what they bought


    from there."


    "The Treasure Pavilion?" Luther frowned. He knew well about the Treasure Pavilion, as it was


    notorious for selling fake, shoddy and defective goods in the Birch Pass. The Treasure Pavilion had


    cheated many people. Yet, the pavilion was very careful in their dealings and they hardly left any


    evidence against them. So Luther allowed them to keep running their business.


    "Prince Matthew didn''t lift the roof of the Treasure Pavilion?" Luther asked curiously. The pavilion was


    notorious. So he assumed that if the pavilion dared to cheat Matthew and his wife, the consequences


    would be serious.


    "Not yet. Princess Harper seemed happy when she came out of the pavilion. She carried a box with


    her, and asked the shopkeeper of the pavilion to send all the things she procured to your mansion," the


    man answered cautiously. "General, but why are you keeping watch on Prince Matthew?"


    "Prince Matthew and his wife are our honorable guests. The Birch Pass is in the south domain. What if


    there is awless intruder in the city? And what if he hurts them in the city under our watch? My


    intention is not to spy on them. I''m sending you to protect them secretly. If anything happens, I can be


    there to rescue them in time," Luther said slowly as he took a sip of tea.


    The man scratched his head and said with embarrassment, "General, you are amazing. Sorry to


    misunderstand you."


    "Okay, you may take your leave now," Luther ordered in a low voice. The Birch Pass had a mixed


    poption, including people from the Bright Dynasty, the South Kingdom, and even other kingdoms.


    Since he was themander in chief of the garrison in the south domain, he had heavy


    responsibilities. He didn''t dare to act carelessly at such a critical moment.


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    The ascension of the new emperor to the throne had led to major transformations in the whole Bright


    Dynasty. Meanwhile, the South Kingdom had invited guests from other kingdoms to watch their


    Worship Ceremony. Luther felt uneasy seeing the strange events unfolding around him.


    "Luther." A soft and gentle voice abruptly came from behind. When Luther turned back, he was


    surprised to see one of his old acquaintances. He quickly smiled and said calmly, "I knew you must be


    alive." Looking at the acquaintance, who stood in the dark, he added, "Why are you here? What are


    you going to do this time?"


    The person in the dark maintained his silence. He just looked at Luther quietly for a long time before he


    said slowly, "My purpose is, well, someone here in the Birch Pass."


    "Who?" Luther asked calmly. The people his acquaintance was looking for couldn''t be someone who


    had been in the Birch Pass for a long time, but would be among the few people who came there


    recently. That would be the reason his acquaintance would have taken the risk to be here now.


    "Can you make a guess?"


    the man asked. The expression on Luther''s face changed. He spected who that person would be,


    but he didn''t speak it out. He thought it would be better to pretend ignorance, as long as it didn''te


    to thest step.


    But it seemed that the man had read Luther''s mind, so he too didn''t reveal any names. "When will the


    envoy team to the South Kingdom set out?" the man asked.


    "Tomorrow morning."


    "Okay. I need a favor from you." The man''s voice was remote and empty. "You are supposed to send


    people to escort the envoy team to the South Kingdom. I need you to hide me in that team."


    "Are you nning to go to the South Kingdom?" Luther was surprised. The South Kingdom was


    notorious for the various poisonous insects there. Also, the temperature there was unusually high with


    the air containing a thickyer of miasma. He was worried that the man wouldn''t survive such torrid


    conditions. He asked in surprise, "Well, I''m afraid that your body can''t stand the high temperature there,


    can you?"


    "I''m good now. You don''t have to worry about me, Luther."


    "Are you sure about going there?" Luther struggled and tried to dissuade him. He didn''t want the man


    to go to the South Kingdom. He was worried that the environment there wouldn''t suit him, and that


    would make him worse and weaker.


    "I have to go."


    "Well, thene to the barracks tonight and I''ll help you to be in the escort team." After a moment''s


    silence, Luther promised the man. He didn''t want to ask what his purpose was, nor did he want to ask


    whether he would try to harm Matthew and his wife. After the escort team passed the Birch Pass, they


    would be in the territory of the South Kingdom and no longer under his direct responsibility. If anything


    happened there, the me would fall squarely on the South Kingdom. Moreover, Matthew was not a


    mediocrity that anyone could bully. If the man wanted to hurt Matthew, he needed to think carefully


    before he took any action.


    Luther''s quick promise surprised the man. "Don''t you wish to know what I''m going to do?"


    "I don''t want to ask!" Luther replied frankly. "If you are nning to hurt Prince Matthew and his wife,


    you''d better think twice about that. Both of them are tough nuts. If you act against them, you''ll be the


    one to suffer."


    "Why do you trust them so much?" the man asked with a little disappointment.


    "I don''t trust them blindly. I just feel surprised that you are willing to deal with them by putting yourself


    into danger. You are no longer the same man I knew before, because the man I knew would never


    have risked his life. Is it because of Princess Harper?" Luther asked.


    The man fell into silence. He didn''t answer the question, even after a lengthy pause. But Luther didn''t


    want an answer. He added, "Meet me tonight, at midnight, at the barracks."

 Chapter 731 More Confusions Arise (Part One)

    Chapter 731 More Confusions Arise (Part One)


    That day, batches of medicinal herbs arrived at the yard where Harper lived. The soldiers guarding the


    general''s mansion were quite taken aback because even though they were in the Birch Pass, the


    medicinal herbs were very rare for them to see. In addition, the sultry weather in the south domain all


    year round caused the air to be filled with miasmas. As a result, numerous people died on a daily basis.


    So when they caught sight of arge number of medicinal herbs being sent to the general''s mansion,


    they were overjoyed at the prospect of that. However, as the true soldiers they were, they didn''t show


    their happiness on the outside. For them, it was possible that Harper knew they were running short of


    herbs. If that were the case, she was indeed a very caring woman.


    However, after a long period of waiting, they didn''t get the order from their general to ask them to fetch


    the medicinal herbs from Harper. The fragrance of the herbs would asionally spread from Harper''s


    quarters, bringing them both peace andfort.


    "Why is there always smell of herbsing from the inside?" The guards gathering outside Harper''s


    yard began to discuss with each other.


    "Maybe she''s making some medicine." One guard made a wild guess.


    "Have you ever smelled medicine this good before? You must be kidding. From what I can smell, she''s


    cooking something delicious," another guard responded while sniffing the air around him.


    "The only thing you can think about is food. That''s exactly the reason you''re assuming that it''s food."


    "Excuse me, food isn''t my only expertise. I know a great deal about fighting as well!"


    Meanwhile, Luther was on his way back after assembling the team to escort the envoy. When he


    reached the entrance to Matthew''s yard, he noticed that it was surrounded by several guards. With a


    frown on his face, he asked, "What exactly is going on here?"


    The guards, who were still indulged in a heated debate, instantly stopped throwing words at each other.


    Composing themselves, they greeted, "General!"


    "What are you doing here?" Luther asked again.


    "Our curiosity brought us here. The lovely fragrance emitting from Prince Matthew''s yard has been in


    the air for hours now. We are wondering whether this scent is because of some medicine or perhaps


    some delicious food," one of the guards replied right away.


    Hearing this, Luther couldn''t help butugh. "Stop bothering yourselves with it. Instead, do what is


    asked of you. Your duty is to guard this ce. As far as I remember, standing here while trying to guess


    the source of a fragrant smell doesn''t fall under your duties. It doesn''t matter where the smell ising


    from because it has nothing to do with you guys. All right, everyone? Go back to your positions."


    "Yes, General."


    In fact, Luther knew that a lot of the medicinal herbs were sent to his mansion from the Treasure


    Pavilion. He was well aware of what kind of herbs that ce would provide. He even knew their


    cunning tricks. Yet, Harper was a woman with incredible medical skills, so it would not have been easy


    to deceive her. Luther concluded that this time, the deceptive Treasure Pavilion would suffer a great


    loss because of Harper.


    "General, His Highness wants to see you," Jack said while he invited Luther inside with a smile on his


    face. As a matter of fact, he didn''t have to follow Matthew all the way here. But when he found out that


    Francis might be in the South Kingdom, he didn''t hesitate to follow his master. He was determined to


    avenge himself for the wretched months that he was imprisoned because of Francis.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    Luther followed Jack into the room. The first thing he noticed was that only Matthew was there. At that


    moment, the man was reading the official report. When he saw Luthere in, he looked up at him but


    only for a brief second before he continued to review the report. "I will go to the South Kingdom


    tomorrow. This time, I may encounter some incidents on the way. Whatever happens, you must keep


    and protect the Birch Pass. If anything changes, you should prepare to provide assistance at any time,"


    Matthew said while his eyes were still glued to the report.


    "Yes, Your Highness. I''ve already selected five hundred skilled fighters from the barracks. They will


    escort you and Her Highness on your way to the South Kingdom," Luther responded.


    "That''s very kind of you." Matthew expressed his gratitude. He didn''t refuse his offer. After all, five


    hundred soldiers would certainly be helpful. He knew that it would be hard for them to reach the South


    Kingdom without being spotted. And he didn''t intend to do so either. There was no need for them to


    keep a low profile. He figured that some people might have already known that he and Harper were at


    the Birch Pass.


    "Your Highness, you are wee. This is what I need to do," Luther responded.


    "Where are you from?" Matthew asked in a casual tone.


    "Ie from a remote and small city. My parents died when I was very young and I have no other


    rtives. In a short time after that, I left my hometown. I haven''t gone back since I left. It''s been so


    many years that I lost count already," Luther quickly answered without any hesitation.


    "You''re not that young anymore and yet you''re still single and unmarried. Don''t you feel too lonely? I


    think it''s a great time for you to find the right woman and get married," Matthew advised. His tone was


    in and casual, as if Luther was just an old friend of his.


    Luther, however, merely smiled. "Your Highness, please don''t make fun of me. As a soldier, I have the


    responsibility to protect this country from every threat and harm. A war may happen at the border any


    time soon. If I marry someone out of loneliness, I may put her in danger. With my upation, I may


    even die without warning. Either way, if I marry someone, I''ll just put her in a very miserable situation. I


    can''t be that selfish."


    "That''s not right. Most of the soldiers who I know have parents, and some even have wives and


    children. They are eager to end the war as soon as possible and return to their families. General, your


    house is too lonely because there are only a handful of people in this big estate. It''s good to have a


    thoughtful woman taking care of you," Matthew replied, vehemently disagreeing with him.


    Luther was silent after that because he didn''t know how to respond. Somehow, he just didn''t want to


    get married any time soon. Perhaps, it was because he had not met the one he truly cherished.


    Matthew actually noticed his reluctance to the issue. He didn''t urge him any further. After all, it was just


    a casual conversation. "I''m afraid that the South Kingdom already revealed their evil intentions. When


    Harrison defended the south domain, he had a very close rtionship with the South Kingdom.


    Hoffman had a good rtionship with the princess of the South Kingdom, too. So your role is very


    important," Matthew said, changing the topic.


    "I''ll try my best to protect the Birch Pass," Luther promised.


    Matthew nodded at him before saying, "I don''t doubt your capabilities and loyalty. But Hoffman and his


    family had been guarding the south domain for generations. Moreover, we have no idea how many


    spies from the South Kingdom are there in the Birch Pass. I''m afraid the Worship Ceremony is just an


    excuse. The Bright Dynasty and the South Kingdom are likely to be at war with each other sooner


    rather thanter. While you''re concentrating on guarding the Birch Pass, you should also pay close


    attention to the ones among your men who are behaving a bit strange, just in case they may cause


    unnecessary trouble."


    "Yes, your orders have been duly noted."


    "I have also met the other two generals. They will cooperate with you while I''m away." Thest


    sentence that Matthew uttered was quite surprising for Luther. He knew how stubborn the two generals


    were. But it had just been a few days since Matthew arrived at the Birch Pass and he actually


    convinced them to obey his orders. When did he seed in persuading them? Why didn''t anyone


    report this to him? Luther was bing more confused.

 Chapter 732 More Confusions Arise (Part Two)

    Chapter 732 More Confusions Arise (Part Two)


    "Yes, Your Highness," Luther answered with determination despite his confusion. He then hesitated for


    a moment, before speaking once again. "I heard that Her Highness has bought a lot of herbs from the


    Treasure Pavilion today. I have to remind you that the Treasure Pavilion has a bad reputation in the


    Birch Pass. A lot of people had been deceived by them. Your Highness, please don''t be fooled by them


    as well."


    Upon hearing this, Matthew only smiled, not taking the matter seriously. "It is true that the people from


    the Treasure Pavilion are really cunning. But fortunately, I have my wife. If it were not for her intellect, I


    would have almost been fooled by them. You should have given them a warning for their despicable


    deeds."


    Luther was helpless. He answered, "Yes, it''s true that I should have given them a warning. But the truth


    is that I did warn them. I paid a lot of visits to the Treasure Pavilion to demand them to be righteous in


    their business transactions and stop deceiving people. But they are so cunning and sinister that they


    never leave any evidence against them. As a result, we never had any fruitful investigations. So we just


    let them be. But as a countermeasure, we have reminded other people not to buy things from them so


    they wouldn''t be cheated. That''s all I can do at most."


    "People who don''t know much about them would be easy targets. Harper is a physician so she''s quite


    fond of herbs. The medicinal resources from the Treasure Pavilion happen to be of high quality. So she


    bought some from them. In addition, the south domain and the South Kingdom are full of poisonous


    miasma, so it''s always good to be cautious and prepare more medicines," Matthewmented while


    he put down the pen on the table.


    "But if you carried so many medicinal herbs along the way, I''m afraid it wouldn''t be convenient for the


    march," Luther said, expressing his concern.


    "Don''t worry. It''s not a problem," Matthew said. He didn''t exin more. But his confident demeanor


    made Luther very curious. Today, three chariots full of medicinal herbs were sent by the Treasure


    Pavilion and it was not easy to preserve or escort them.


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    However, when the envoy team set off the next morning, Luther didn''t see the three chariots of


    medicinal herbs. As for Harper, she looked worn out, as if she hadn''t gotten any sleep the night before.


    As soon as she entered the carriage, she rested her head on Matthew''s thigh and fell asleep. Luther


    was surprised but he didn''t show it to the public. There were rumors that Matthew had been spoiling his


    wife very much. Now, while looking at them, Luther could say that it was true.


    "Your Highness, have you forgotten your herbs?" Luther asked.


    "No, they''re with us," Matthew responded softly. The little woman lying on hisp turned over in


    discontent, so he lowered his voice even more in order not to wake her up. "Okay, it''s time for us to go."


    Although he was curious where the medicinal herbs were ced, Luther knew that it was not


    appropriate to ask any more details about it. He only ordered the guards to protect Harper and Matthew


    at any cost.


    Meanwhile, Becky was wearing a sullen expression on her face. These days, Matthew had grounded


    her in the Birch Pass. No matter how much she tried, she was unable to go out. Therefore, she could


    not keep a close eye on Harper. She wasn''t even sure whether the tripod was still following Harper or


    not. Because of these factors, she was getting more and more anxious as the hours went by.


    Jack was riding a horse, neck and neck with Becky. He curiously asked, "Beauty, you''re always sulking.


    Aren''t you getting tired of being sad all the time?"


    Becky, on the other hand, merely cast a cold nce at him. She then proceeded to ignore him. She


    was fully aware that she couldn''t speak to this man on their entire journey. However, it didn''t mean that


    he couldn''t annoy her. The moment she responded to him, the disaster began and Jack would never


    stop talking. What she didn''t know was even if she didn''t make any response, he would still talk to


    himself the whole day. She was already feeling a headache out of too much irritation, but he remained


    completely oblivious to it.


    If she asked him to stay away from her by using rude words, he would continue speaking with her


    through every random topic such as a flower or the grass on the roadside. His purpose was to make


    her know that as a female, she was not supposed to say anything rude. If she red at him, he would


    take this as a sign that she liked him. Anyway, he could always find a way to continue the conversation


    with her. It made her even more annoyed and upset so she just continued to ignore him. Yet, he


    interpreted her silence as being too shy to respond. He got all kinds of absurd theories. Becky was at a


    loss whether she should beat him or scold him just to make him stop.


    Then, Barry nced at Jack who was trying to start a conversation with Becky. He immediately noticed


    that the man was making her angry so he shook his head helplessly. "This guy has been imprisoned for


    more than half a year. It''s very possible that he didn''t speak any humannguage for a long time. He


    must have been bored to death that he almost went crazy. That is why he could talk as long as he has


    the opportunity to do so. Ah, what a torture it is to talk with him. He hasn''t changed at all. Still such a


    talkative person," he murmured.


    Fred cast a nce at Jack andmented, "He needs to be taught a lesson; don''t you think so?"


    Barry remained silent. He agreed with what Fred had said about Jack. After he returned, Jack was not


    as arrogant as he used to be because of his flying skills. He became very hard-working in practicing his


    martial skills. This time, he deliberately provoked Becky in order to have a fight with her and to practice


    his fighting skills. For Barry and Fred, they were d that Jack turned to Becky instead of them.


    Therefore, they were at least relieved to see Jack desperately trying to talk with Becky. In that case,


    they didn''t have to waste their time on him.


    "Fred, do you see how Jack is behaving? Who do you think can put him in his ce?" Barry couldn''t


    help but ask. He could not think of any woman who could tolerate being Jack''s wife. It must be


    unbearable to be with him all the time.


    Fred turned his eyes to the direction of Matthew''s carriage. Both of the two people inside it could do


    that to Jack. Especially, Harper would be extremely good at teaching Jack a lesson. Her mere nce


    would shut him up immediately. There was no doubt that he would be extremelyposed and


    serious after that.


    Barry looked at the carriage as well. He did not forget that when Jack came back, he kept on


    comining to Harper about what he had suffered. Out of anger, Harper stuck two needles into his


    body so that he wouldn''t be able to speak for the whole day. What was more, Harper even punished


    him by demanding that he jump like a frog. They had thought that jumping in that way would not be a


    difficult task. But when they saw Jack lying on the ground like a dead fish after the exercise, they finally


    understood how exhausting the punishment was. They confirmed once again that Harper was the one


    they should not offend even once in their lives. She had tons of methods to punish people without


    hurting them physically. With these thoughts in mind, the two men gulped nervously. Just imagining the


    things that Harper could do made the hairs on their arms stand up.

 Chapter 733 The Best Candidate (Part One)

    Chapter 733 The Best Candidate (Part One)


    As soon as the envoy mission heading to the South Kingdom left the Birch Pass, Luther blocked the


    pass, preventing anyone from entering. Some businessmen were quite dissatisfied with his action, but


    Luther never gave them a chance to question him while he was doing his job. The businessmen dared


    not to speak out their discontentment.


    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    "Humph! Good for General Luther! Anyone can''t disobey his orders in the Birch Pass. Even the other


    two generals don''t make friends with him. Now he has be even more arrogant. He forbids


    everyone from entering the city."


    "You don''t have to be angry about it. When the envoys are entering the South Kingdom, he has the


    reason to block the Birch Pass. After all, Prince Matthew and his wife are part of the mission, and he


    didn''t want others to know about their presence among the envoys. That''s why he blocked the


    bordend. Don''t worry. It won''t be a long time, and in three days, it will be reopened," another man


    said slowly.


    "Mister, so what should we do? Are we going to stay in the Birch Pass?"


    A faint smile appeared on the man''s face. "If everything is normal in the Birch Pass, we will be in the


    city. But if something goes wrong in the pass or if something happens here, it will be uncertain."


    "Mister, we didn''t get the transfer order yet. Leaving without authorization¡­"


    "Who said we didn''t get the transfer order?" The man turned around, revealing a familiar face. It was


    the powerful and dignifiedmander in chief of the Northern Expeditionary Army, Marquis Shawn.


    "Do we have the transfer order?" The deputy general, Freeman Yan, scratched his head in confusion.


    ''Even if we have the transfer order, what is the Northern Expedition Army going to do in the south


    domain? We shouldn''t havee to the south in the first ce, '' he thought.


    Seeing the confusion on Freeman''s face, Shawn exined to him, "Currently, the Great Jade Kingdom


    is stable. The Wonder Kingdom is peaceful as well. Yet, only the South Kingdom will try something


    unexpected to create problems. In the past few years, they have colluded with Harrison, and they are


    very ambitious. Now that the new emperor has just ascended the throne, it would be the best time for


    them to create fresh troubles. So, the South Kingdom will certainly try to do something evil on the


    pretext of the Worship Ceremony."


    "I heard that Prince Francis was defeated, and is gone missing since then. Mister, is he¡­"


    "Don''t talk nonsense. We shouldn''t spread rumors without evidence. We are soldiers," Shawn said, and


    then sipped his tea from his cup elegantly. He just looked like a graceful young master, and not like a


    tough soldier.


    As he looked at Shawn repeatedly, Freeman wiped off the tears in his eyes. When Shawn first arrived


    at the camp of the Northern Expeditionary Army, he was so thin and weak that the soldiers looked


    down upon him and didn''t want to submit to his leadership. Shawn defeated all themanders with


    his bare hands and punished all the soldiers who disobeyed his orders. There were three hundred


    thousand soldiers in the Northern Expeditionary Army, and many were punished. He was lenient to


    none, and thus the whole training ground became a punishing ground. The soldiers there cried and


    howled like ghosts and wolves in agony, and this scared the entire army!


    People said that thew failed where the vitors were legion, but this young general proved he was


    different. He was very cruel when it came to punishing people. He looked weak but was horrifyingly


    powerful. The soldiers in the army were trained to be fearless, but they feared him and were obedient


    to him. They praised him with their innermost reverence the moment his name was mentioned.


    Moreover, the old generals too had great admiration for him.


    Freeman thought, ''You tricked all of us with your appearance back then. We all thought you were a


    schr who was weak and decent, but when you beat those soldiers, you didn''t even treat them as


    fellow human beings. I still remember the darkest days after you joined the Northern Expeditionary


    Army. At that period, we trained all day and night, and many soldiers couldn''t bear the pressure of


    excessive training. But still, no one dared to give up. It was because you, whom they considered as the


    weakest amongst them, kept practicing with them without giving up. However, they had to admit their


    defeat in the end.''


    "Mister, but this is not our battlefield¡­" Freeman said cautiously.


    "No, you''re wrong. This too is our battlefield. The army of the south domain has remained as a


    malignant tumor in our country since the time Harrison''s family led it. Now Prince Matthew wants to


    remove this tumor once and for all. The new emperor has just ascended the throne, and every


    neighboring country desires to control our territory. Obviously, the emperor of our country is the most


    unimportant one among the four countries," Shawn exined once again.


    Freeman racked his brain, but couldn''t figure it out. So, he asked, "Is it the idea of His Highness or His


    Majesty?"


    Shawn nced at the deputy general, while hiding his face with his hand. He was a little worried about


    his deputy''s intelligence. The new emperor was chosen by both thete emperor and Matthew.


    Although Lucas was not outstanding, he was not worthless. Matthew was not interested in power. He


    came to interfere with the army of the south domain, perhaps because he wanted to strengthen their


    allegiance to the country and hand over the army to the emperor.


    The people who would guard the south domain for theing generations would probably be a branch


    of the royal family, and the best candidate was Carlson, who had gained military experience in the


    Northern Expeditionary Army. If it wasn''t for fear that Carlson might not be able to control the entire


    south domain, he would have been the one to be here in the first ce.


    "Of course it''s their idea." As Shawn spoke, his memories travelled back to the time when Harper


    leaned on Matthewzily. She had changed a lot since thest time they saw each other almost one


    year ago. Back then, she had been acting more cautiously, but now she was more confident and


    elegant.


    While they were talking, Luther suddenly walked by downstairs, followed by a group of soldiers.


    Shawn''s eyes fell on Luther, who seemed to have noticed them. Luther looked back quickly, but


    couldn''t find anyone. Though doubtful, he assumed that he was being too sensitive.


    "His Highness was right. Luther is not simple-minded." A meaningful smile appeared on Shawn''s face.


    But it seemed that something urred to him all of a sudden, and his face darkened. It was because


    he still remembered that day when he was punched by Matthew!

 Chapter 734 The Best Candidate (Part Two)

    Chapter 734 The Best Candidate (Part Two)


    After walking away for some distance, Luther looked back once again with worried eyes. However, he


    still didn''t see anyone suspicious. "Is it true that I''m being over-cautious?"


    "General, is something wrong?" the deputy general asked in confusion.


    "Nothing. We have to expand patrols in the city. Since the pass has been blocked, some merchants


    wouldin. We will double the patrols from today." Meanwhile, Luther had no clue about where


    the three carriages of medicinal herbs that Matthew had procured were hiding. He wondered if it had


    something to do with the aroma of medicinal herbs from their housest night. He doubted that they


    had decocted those herbsst night and taken it along with them. But since the quantity of herbs was


    high, it was not easy to transport the decoction!


    When Luther was walking, lost in thought, he suddenly saw someone at the door of a pharmacy,


    grinding the medicinal herbs into powder before packing it. He stopped and wondered, ''Did they grind


    the materials into powder before taking them away?'' But that seemed impossible. There were a lot of


    such medicinal materials.


    "General, what are you thinking about?" The deputy general sensed that something was wrong with


    Luther since Matthew and others had left.


    "Do you have any idea about how to take away three carriages of medicinal herbs without attracting


    any attention?" Luther shared his concern, his eyes almost popping out.


    The deputy general thought for a moment, and then replied, "Of course, you can make them into pills


    and take them away."


    "Pills¡­" As soon as Luther heard the word, his eyes lit up. Harper was an excellent physician and was


    good at making various kinds of pills with strange effects. Did she manage to turn all the three


    carriages of medicinal materials into pills within just an overnight? What was the effect of these pills?


    "Let''s go to the Treasure Pavilion."


    If they wanted to know what effect Harper''s pills had, they should know what kind of medicinal


    materials she had bought. But when Luther went to the pharmacy with his people, he found that the


    door there was closed and a notice was hung on it, saying that the shopkeeper had some family issues


    and the shop would remain closed for a month.


    Luther squinted his eyes. ''What a coincidence! Her Highness bought three carriages of medicinal


    herbs. But as soon as she left, the Treasure Pavilion closed for a month. One would only be delusional


    to believe that there wasn''t any trick in it, '' he thought.


    "Go find out where the shopkeeper of the Treasure Pavilion is! Catch him and bring him to me!" Luther


    felt uneasy, so he went back to his mansion to check if there was any residue of medicine left in the


    house where Harper had stayed. But the room was clean, except for a faint scent of medicine. To his


    surprise, there wasn''t even a tiny piece of residue left.


    "General, what happened?"


    Luther shook his head. "No big deal. But I was just worried that the Treasure Pavilion might have sold


    some fake medicinal herbs to Her Highness."


    "I don''t think they would dare to do that. That was Princess Harper who they were dealing with.


    Besides, everyone knew who Prince Matthew was and how much he cared for his wife. If they did


    cheat Her Highness, they would be digging their own graves." The deputy general shook his head in


    disbelief. "Moreover, it''s said that Her Highness has exceptional medical skills. In terms of medicine,


    perhaps only a super master can cheat her!"


    Luther didn''t speak out his guess as he didn''t want a further argument on this matter. He just smiled


    and said, "You''re right. I shouldn''t have guessed it that way. Her Highness is such a capable physician.


    She could never have been fooled by a small shop like the Treasure Pavilion. You may go back and


    continue patrolling."


    "Yes, General."


    After all the people had left, Luther wrote a note and whistled to the window. A crow flew in and fell on


    his arm. He put the note into a small bamboo container, tied it to the crow''s leg and fed the crow some


    food. Then he let it fly away. Matthew and his wife had prepared a lot of medicines before setting out


    for the South Kingdom. They must have learned that it was very dangerous to go there, so they carried


    the medicines just in case. Or was it their intention to plot against others?


    People in the Birch Pass were panicked as Luther had blocked the whole bordend. They thought


    there would be an outbreak of war between the Bright Dynasty and the South Kingdom, and many


    were seeking shelter for fear of getting hurt.


    Matthew and hispanions, who were on their way to the South Kingdom, were going through a lot


    of hardships. They were constantly under attack from various poisonous insects or beasts along the


    way. No matter what medicines Harper used to drive them away, they kept showing up one after the


    other. It seemed that in the eyes of the poisonous insects, the humans were delicious food, and they


    were not afraid of the medicines that Harper used to expel them.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    "Your Highness, I think the poisonous insects and snakes in the South Kingdom can recognize human


    beings. Otherwise, why do they keep chasing us?" At that moment, Jack felt like weeping, but he had


    no tears. He still hadn''t found Francis, and his thirst for revenge was yet to be quenched. He couldn''t


    let himself be eaten by poisonous snakes or bugs.


    Harper was also curious. Those poisonous snakes and insects seemed under someone''smand,


    and it looked like he was using the poisonous creatures to deal with them. And no matter how hard


    they tried to hide, it wasn''t working at all. Those creatures always outsmarted them.


    She then turned and looked at Matthew. Both of them thought of the same possibility that there were


    spies in their team. But what was their intention behind sending poisonous insects and snakes after


    them? Did they want to kill them, or did they want to wear them out, so they could be easily eliminated


    once they arrived at the capital of the South Kingdom?


    But no matter what their actual intentions were, they were no longer fit to stay in the team. After


    exchanging a look, the couple instantly had an idea. In a sudden move, Matthew reached out to hold


    Harper''s waist and jumped away. They disappeared from the team, but still, Matthew''s voice hadn''t


    drifted away. "We will take a step first."

 Chapter 735 Entering The Capital Of The South Kingdom (Part One)

    Chapter 735 Entering The Capital Of The South Kingdom (Part One)


    Since Matthew and Harper parted from the envoy team, the team was no longer pestered by the


    poisonous insects or snakes for some reason. Everyone immediately felt worried, believing that the


    poisonous insects and snakes were chasing after the couple. They thought that Matthew drew away


    the poisonous creatures for the sake of their safety.


    If Harper knew what these people were thinking, she would absolutely despise them. The actual reason


    that they left the team was because she and Matthew suspected that there were spies in the team.


    Moreover, if they continued to stay with them, everyone in the team would not be able to endure the


    attacks of the poisonous insects and snakes any longer. They would also run out of medicinal herbs in


    no time.


    When a realization suddenly came to Harper, she asked, "Matthew, do you think the reason that these


    poisonous insects and snakes have been constantly attacking is that they want us to use up all of our


    medicine?"


    Matthew narrowed his eyes a little. Although they had bought a lot of medicinal supplies, only a few


    people knew that Harper had refined them into pills, making them convenient to be carried around. So


    how could those people know that they brought a lot of pills with them?


    "There''s a spy in the general''s mansion!"


    "What''s more, I''m afraid there''s also a spy hiding among the five hundred guards. But we don''t know


    who the spies are since we don''t know the army in the south domain very well!" Harper eximed. In


    fact, she was quite impressed. It seemed like the people who were hiding in the dark were by no


    means weak and incapable. Luther was not an ipetent man. The guards he selected must be at


    the top of their game and perhaps some of them were even his right hand. So it would be quite


    impressive to be able to ce a spy among Luther''s men.


    "We''re going to know who the spies are very soon," Matthew said while he handed Harper the fruits


    which he had washed for her. While they continued to walk, Harper took one and started eating it.


    She then blinked her eyes and stated, "You''re right. A fox always shows its tail sooner orter. But I


    wonder who the nted spy in the Birch Pass is."


    Matthew didn''t respond to her. For the time being, they couldn''t tell which one was the spy, or perhaps,


    there was more than one nted spy.


    All of a sudden, Harper stopped walking. She then turned to Matthew and asked, "Matthew, if one of


    those three people is a spy, can we get some help if something happens to us here?"


    With his arms around Harper''s waist, Matthew took her away using his flying skills. "Don''t worry about


    it. It''s time to change themander in chief of the Birch Pass. Otherwise, I''m afraid that Lucas won''t


    be able to sleep at night from worrying too much."


    Harper was a little surprised to hear that. Every time she saw Lucas, he would always make impromptu


    comic gestures and remarks. But she knew that even though he looked inconspicuous, he was an


    extremely assertive person. The troops stationed at the Birch Pass had been a burden on the emperor.


    In the past, Harrison had used them as his private army so thete emperor didn''t even want to take


    over the south domain. But Lucas decided that he wanted to do what his father couldn''t, which only


    meant that he was quite brave.


    "Who do you want to take over the Birch Pass?" Harper pointedly asked. Actually, she had already


    come up with a name in her mind, but wasn''t sure if Matthew had the same thought as her.


    "Well, who are you thinking of?"


    With utmost honesty, Harper responded, "Carlson. He is the second son of Prince Allen and he has


    been friendly with Lucas since they were children. Allen''s n is not only part of the royal family, but


    they are also loyal to the emperor. I think Carlson is the best choice."


    "I agree with you. However, it''s not him who came to the Birch Pass this time," Matthew stated with a


    smile.


    Harper''s eyes immediately lit up when she understood what Matthew meant. The situation in the Birch


    Pass was ratherplicated. Despite Carlson''s loyalty, he was actually too inexperienced to go


    against the cunning opponents in there. Therefore, a sophisticated and maniptive person was


    needed to solve the problems at the Birch Pass. And there were only a handful of people who could


    satisfy such requirements.


    "It''s Shawn," Harper delightfully eximed, unconscious of how thrilled she was. Although she didn''t


    know much about Shawn, she admired him very much.


    "Are you happy to know that it''s him?" Matthew inly asked.


    "Yeah, I''m quite happy. Last time, you and I worked together to trick him. You even beat him so hard


    that he was unable to get out of bed for days. His father almost challenged you in a fight. Now that he''s


    willing to forget all of this and even came to help us, we have to thank him some way. How about


    allowing them to take Wendy back when I return to the imperial capital? I will even try to cure her


    congenital heart disease," Harper responded after carefully thinking about it for a while.


    "Can that disease be cured?" Matthew asked in surprise. Harper had once mentioned that it was


    impossible to permanently cure heart diseases, so she could only give a person some medicine to


    stabilize their condition.


    With a bright smile on her face, Harper said, "It was impossible before, but now I''d say we have an


    eight out of ten chance. I just wonder if they''re willing to take the risk."


    "I''m sure they are if you told them what you just told me," Matthew slowly said. For every member of


    the Shen n, Wendy was their treasure. But because of her poor health, Travis was afraid that she


    would be irritated in the imperial capital. With a heavy heart, he had sent her to the south region so she


    could recover in peace. However, Travis had another reason for doing so. He did it to prevent Wendy


    from seeing Harper.


    Harper felt extremely relieved to hear that. She said, "We''re about to arrive in the capital of the South


    Kingdom. We should change our clothes before we enter the city."


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    The two of them looked at each other and smiled tacitly. Then they both changed to clothing that was


    alike to the style of the South Kingdom''s native citizens. When Matthew looked at Harper who was


    dressed as a native woman, his pupils shrank a little. In the past, he had never thought that there was


    anything wrong with the local clothes of the South Kingdom. But when he saw Harper wearing simr


    clothes, he felt that they were too revealing. Especially when he saw that Harper''s slender waist was


    exposed, a dark expression could be seen in his eyes.

 Chapter 736 Entering The Capital Of The South Kingdom (Part Two)

    Chapter 736 Entering The Capital Of The South Kingdom (Part Two)


    "Change your clothes!"


    "What''s wrong?" Harper asked, confused at his sudden outburst.


    "It''s hideous!" Matthew unconsciously turned his head around. The truth was that it wasn''t because the


    clothes were too repulsive but Harper would draw a lot of people''s attention in those clothes. There


    was a possibility that they would be caught as soon as they entered the capital. It was not until then


    that Matthew realized how a beautiful appearance could sometimes bring some trouble.


    Harper red at Matthew before asking, "Did you just say that I''m hideous?"


    "It''s not you! I said the clothes are ugly!" Matthew exined or rather yelled. He didn''t feel at ease


    while looking at those clothes. He could not understand why the citizens of the South Kingdom wore


    such kind of garments. They were bearing their arms and legs, and even their waists were very much


    exposed. It might be wrong but Matthew wanted to keep his wife''s body to himself.


    When Harper looked at the awkward expression on Matthew''s face, she finally understood why he was


    acting so weirdly. "You know, these clothes are actually very conservative. I had worn more revealing


    ones before. So it doesn''t matter."


    "No way!" Matthew stubbornly insisted, bing more upset as the conversation went on.


    "We are going to sneak into the capital of the South Kingdom. If we don''t wear their clothes, we''re


    going to fail."


    "I would rather fail!"


    Harper''s head was pounding. Finally, she came up with an idea to resolve their difference. She put on a


    cloak and covered her whole body with it. With that, Matthew decided to move forward although he was


    very much reluctant.


    Since both of their faces were too recognizable, they each took a disguise pill. It could change their


    appearance and make their faces look like other citizens''. When they were among the crowd, they


    blended so well that no one would be able to identify them easily.


    It was only then when the discontent in Matthew''s heart was finally gone. But still, he carefully kept an


    eye on Harper''s cloak. Whenever a small part of her skin was exposed, he would quickly stretch out his


    hands to adjust the cloak. Needless to say, it made Harper feel quite helpless.


    The couple disguised themselves as merchants of medical supplies and entered the capital of the


    South Kingdom with ease. Then, they found an inn to stay at. The capital was bustling from every


    corner. There were vendors, merchants as well as local people who were bargaining with the vendors.


    Looking at the boisterous crowd, Harpermented, "The busy crowds are only seeking their personal


    interests."


    "Didn''t you always say that there are no evesting enemies, only evesting interests? How about we


    explore the capital tonight?" Matthew suggested while slipping his arms around her waist from behind.


    Harper shook her head. The capital was too big for them to explore. It would not be easy for them to


    find Francis in that way. She thought that they should settle in first, getting familiar with their


    surroundings and finding out how much they were limited when it came to resources. Now that Francis


    had lured them here, he must certainly know what she cared about, so he would definitely give them


    some clues.


    Suddenly, Harper''s sight fell on a woman with a veil on her face. She could only see a vague figure but


    Harper thought that she was so beautiful that she actually looked like a fairy.


    However, every time a beautiful woman went outside by herself, she would always encounter one or


    two perverts. While the woman was looking at the stalls of medical supplies on both sides of the road,


    she unexpectedly bumped into someone.


    "Ouch!" The man who deliberately bumped into the woman grabbed her hand and rubbed it to his


    chest. "You really hurt me right here!"


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    "Let go of my hand!" the woman yelled at the man with a deep frown on her face.


    Ignoring what she said, the man told her, "Pretty girl, you don''t need to wear a veil when you''re


    outside." The man then reached out to remove the woman''s veil. But before he could do so, his hand


    was stopped by another hand which quickly twisted it. He immediately cried out in pain.


    "How dare you harass ady in the light of day?!" Harper eximed. When she exerted more strength


    to her hand, the man gave a more painful cry. The man pitifully replied, "It''s all my fault, madam. I''m


    sorry. Release me, please."


    Harper frowned in disgust and pushed the man forward, making him fell to the ground. It was not until


    then that his servants came to their senses and ran to help him. "How dare you hit our master?!"


    "Your master?" Harper sneered, ignoring the man and his servants. However, as soon as the man was


    free, he quickly reached to his pockets and was about to throw poison at the two women. Harper


    immediately stood in front of the woman. When she waved her sleeve, the poison ricocheted and was


    directly thrown back to the man.


    "Oh, my face!" the man screamed in horror. His servants were so scared as well that their faces turned


    deathly pale. The man fell down on the ground once again while he continued to scream. The servants


    looked at Harper and quickly realized that they were not a match for her. Therefore, they carried the


    man away in their arms and screamed, "Just wait and see!"


    "Indeed, I will wait and see!" Harper snorted. Then, she turned around to look at the woman behind her.


    "Miss, are you okay?"


    "Thank you, madam. I''m fine," the woman said. She then noticed that Harper was wearing a bun for a


    married woman so she figured that she had a husband already. "That man is the son of a courtier and


    you hurt him for my sake. I''m afraid that his family won''t let go of you. You''d better leave as soon as


    possible."


    "Don''t worry about me. They can try with everything they get to hurt me but it takes more than skills to


    do that," Harper said with a small smile. She then turned around and walked towards the inn as if


    everything that just happened were nothing.


    The woman stared at Harper''s receding figure. She didn''t want Harper to suffer an unexpected problem


    because of her, so she turned around and headed for the mansion of a courtier. In an instant, her eyes


    turned into something more intense. She then thought to herself, ''How dare he disrespect me, the Holy


    Maiden of the country? If I didn''t teach him a lesson this time, he would think that he could just do


    whatever he wants.''

 Chapter 737 Became The Kings Son-in-law (Part One)

    Chapter 737 Became The King''s Son-inw (Part One)


    Harper had thought that the envoy team would take another couple of days to reach the capital of the


    South Kingdom. But to her surprise, the team arrived just one dayter than she did. Moreover, after


    the team entered the capital, Becky immediately found her.


    Becky stood face to face with her and gave her an angry stare. Looking at the angry face of the


    woman, Harper said nothing. She was calm and collected and just stared back at Becky.


    "Here you are! You are really something, Your Highness! You have made your arrival at the capital of


    the South Kingdom so early! I thought you would die of a poisonous insect or snake bite!" Becky was in


    a terrible mood. To catch up with Harper and Matthew, she pressurized the envoy team to hurry on with


    their journey overnight, so they could reach the capital sooner.


    After taking a sip of tea leisurely, Harper broke her silence. "Sorry to disappoint you. Those poisonous


    insects and snakes were afraid of me and didn''t dare to attack me."


    "Humph!" Becky snorted and ignored Harper as she found a ce to sit down. As soon as she sat


    down, there was a noise from outside. However, she was still angry with Harper since thetter had


    gotten rid of her, so she didn''t pay attention to the noise.


    On the other hand, Harper was just standing by the window, casually watching the ceremonial


    procession passing by down the stairs. When the wind blew the curtain of the sedan chair, Harper saw


    the people sitting inside¡ªit was Francis, who had fled away from the imperial capital of the Bright


    Dynasty.


    "His Majesty''s son-inw looks so handsome." People downstairs kept talking amongst themselves


    about the person in the sedan chair.


    Harper was shocked to hear their talks. If Francis had be Lance''s son-inw, then which princess


    did he marry? Could it be Diana?


    "Our princess is so beautiful, and her husband is so handsome. The two of them make a perfect


    couple. Her Highness remained single for so many years, and now she finally chose a husband she


    truly loves. That''s something great."


    Overhearing the people downstairs, Harper couldn''t help but look at Francis with fresh eyes. When the


    situation was not good for him, he would yield. Now, to get the support of the South Kingdom, he didn''t


    hesitate to marry Diana.


    "He is really something!" Harper said in an ironic tone. Becky, who had been sulking over alone, had


    also walked to the side of the window and cast her greedy eyes on the person in the sedan chair. The


    affection reflected in her eyes waspletely caught by Harper.


    Matthew made noment on what Francis had done. Deep in his heart, he knew that Francis was a


    fierce and powerful person. He was flexible, cunning and ruthless. When he fled away from the imperial


    capital of the Bright Dynasty, not even once did he care about Sherry, his mother. Lucas had ordered


    Sherry tomit suicide after he took the throne and became the new emperor.


    Suddenly, the curtain of the sedan chair was opened. Francis looked out and his sight fell precisely on


    Harper. There was a stream of emotions flowing through his eyes, which Harper couldn''t understand,


    and neither did she want to understand. She just looked at Francis coldly, as if they were strangers.


    There was no trace of affection in her eyes or on her face.


    Contrarily, Becky blushed instantly at the sight of Francis'' gaze. Seeing this, Harper smiled, knowing


    that Becky was really in love with Francis. If it weren''t for Becky''s help, Francis wouldn''t have possibly


    escaped from the Imperial Pce in the first ce. When she saw that the man she loved and whom


    she had helped wholeheartedly had now turned out to be the husband of a princess of the South


    Kingdom, she didn''t look angry but grateful. Harper really couldn''t understand what she was thinking.


    "Hey, don''t you think the princess'' husband is quite charming?" Harper asked in a low voice.


    As soon as she heard Harper''s question, Becky suddenly came back to her senses. Shifting her gaze


    to Harper, she said, "I don''t know what you''re talking about."


    "Oh dear, you really don''t understand what I am talking about?" Harper asked with a forced smile.


    "Who would have expected this? Prince Francis of the Bright Dynasty is now the husband of Princess


    Diana of the South Kingdom. After all, Diana used to be Prince Hoffman''s woman. Does it mean that


    the two brothers shared the same wife?"


    "Shut up!" Becky angrily yelled at Harper. "Your Highness, you may be Prince Matthew''s wife, but that


    doesn''t mean that you can talk any nonsense!"


    Harper snorted at her. "You know very well about this nonsense. Maybe the rtionship between Diana


    and Hoffman was unknown to many, but you were more than aware of it, right?"


    Of course Becky knew it. All the records maintained in the Secret Pavilion were about secrets unknown


    to the public. So she was aware of the dubious rtionship between Diana and Hoffman. She


    understood that Diana was not the best choice for Francis, and neither did she like Francis to be


    Diana''s husband. But she thought it was okay as long as Francis liked Diana.


    Since she didn''t want to argue with Harper, Becky turned around and left. Now that she saw Francis


    with her own eyes, she was finally relieved. That person was indeed telling the truth to her. Francis was


    fine, though he didn''t fit the identity of Diana''s husband.


    As soon as Becky left, Harper''s face darkened. Looking at the receding procession, she said,


    "Something is wrong with Luther."


    "Why do you say that?" Matthew asked in a t tone. In fact, he too knew that Luther was questionable.


    That was the reason he had transferred Shawn to the south domain for help. He had done that as a


    backup, but what totally surprised him was that all the threemanders of the Bright Dynasty in the


    south domain were disloyal to Lucas.


    "Francis has be Lance''s son-inw now," Harper sneered. Luther had already met Francis, but he


    didn''t mention it to the couple that Francis had married a princess of the South Kingdom. But why didn''t


    he reveal it to them? There could be just one reason for it and that was because he was helping


    Francis to hide the truth from the couple.


    "This helps you in confirming that there''s something wrong with Luther, right?" Matthew asked with a


    smile. "But I am sure that you must have suspected him much earlier."Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

 Chapter 738 Became The Kings Son-in-law (Part Two)

    Chapter 738 Became The King''s Son-inw (Part Two)


    Harper smiled slightly and said, "Rumor has it that Luther seldom makes friends with courtiers. But the


    way he treated us seemed way too hospitable."


    "This aroused your suspicion?"


    "Wasn''t it more than enough?" Harper raised her voice. "If this wasn''t a sufficient reason, what else


    could be? Sending someone to keep a watch on us or deliberately trying to cast a bone between us?"


    Her answer amused Matthew. With a smile, he held Harper into his arms and said, "I thought you had


    no doubts on him. But now I am surprised to know that you began suspecting him right after our first


    meeting with him."


    The moment Harper met Luther, she subconsciously felt that there was a huge gap between Luther''s


    performance and the hearsay. He had been overenthusiastic in front of them. A man who had been


    promoted step by step based on his military merits would never have spent so much effort to please


    them. He must have had some other intentions. Now it became evident to them that Luther was just a


    secret pawn of Francis.


    "I have no choice but to admire Francis!" Harper said. "While in the imperial capital, he had pretended


    to be ill to keep away from all sorts of attacks. But in the dark, he established his own power and


    plotted against his brothers one by one, including Lucas. Maybe if he hadn''t been so ruthless, and with


    an additional stroke of luck, he would have be the emperor of the Bright Dynasty.


    "He would never be the emperor of the Bright Dynasty!" Matthew dered firmly.


    "Why?"


    "Because I wouldn''t allow that to happen. He stepped on my bottom line. How dare he attempt to take


    you away from me?! He should pay for what he had done to you. The moment he made use of you and


    attacked you, he lost the throne of the Bright Dynasty forever." While he spoke, there was a murderous


    instinct shing across his eyes. If Francis only wanted the throne or if he wanted to eliminate all his


    brothers, Matthew wouldn''t have cared much about it. But Francis went too far as to cast his greedy


    eyes on his woman.


    Harper tilted her head and thought for a while. "Lucas had asked me to give a tight p to Francis on


    his behalf the moment I saw him. However, it wouldn''t be that easy for me to p the husband of the


    princess of the South Kingdom."


    "Go ahead! If you can''t do it alone, I''ll help you," Matthew said angrily. "If you think you''d be lowering


    your dignity by pping him, you can let Jack do it. I believe Jack wishes to skin him alive."


    "One day Jack asked me for a poison that could make people beg for death. It seemed that he wants to


    deal with Francis desperately." Harper suddenly felt pity for Francis. She couldn''t imagine the horrors


    that Francis would encounter if he fell prey to Jack. But she believed that she would be very much


    impressed by Jack''s means of torturing Francis.


    Matthew smiled as he knew very well that Jack''s mind was drowned in grudge and revenge against


    Francis.


    "But speaking of this, I haven''t seen Jason around," Harper said as she suddenly remembered this


    fellow disciple of hers. Right after he assisted Francis'' escape, Jason too had disappeared just like


    that. She asked, "Will he also be in the capital of the South Kingdom?"


    "Not necessarily," Matthew answered after thinking for a while. "Although Jason had been on good


    terms with Francis, he is unlikely to collude with the enemy and betray the Bright Dynasty. So my guess


    is that he has broken up with Francis. But I don''t know where he is now. Maybe he too hase to the


    capital of the South Kingdom, waiting to watch the Worship Ceremony."


    "I heard that the Holy Maiden of the South Kingdom is a top beauty, and she is even more beautiful


    than Princess Diana, the daughter of King Lance. It is said that she enjoys a higher position in the


    minds ofmon people. If Jason really likes beauties, perhaps there isn''t any better ce for him to


    go than the South Kingdom," Harper said with a smirk. "I wonder which one of them would be more


    charming to Jason, the Holy Maiden of the South Kingdom or Francis? If the Holy Maiden is less


    charming than Francis, I''m afraid Jason would not pass his affection to somebody else."


    All of a sudden, Matthew got reminded by Harper''s words, and something clicked in his mind. "I heard


    that when you were at the Imperial Pce earlier, you showed thergesse to draw the thirty-six


    peaches-sharing skills for Jason. ording to what I heard, it looked erotic withplete postures,


    and maybe evenparable to porn drawings¡­"


    A cold shiver ran down Harper''s spine. Judging from Matthew''s tone, she could tell that he was up to


    something. She anticipated some danger, so she denied without further thinking, "No, no, no. I didn''t. I


    just thought about satirizing Jason through some drawings. I drew nothing that had sexual meanings."


    "Really?"


    "Trust me. I''m serious!" Harper almost vowed to Matthew. She was worried that if he found out about


    the thirty-six peaches-sharing skills she had drawn were more pornographic than porn drawings, he


    would punish her in a raptured manner.


    Matthew seemed to believe what she said, which made Harper breathe a sigh of relief silently.


    However, before she couldpletely rx her vigil, she heard Matthew say, "Anyway, I''ve told


    someone to grab the thirty-six peaches-sharing skills collection from Jason. In a few days, I will know


    what you have drawn."


    Hearing Matthew, Harper almost felt like her brain had burst out. Looking at him, she could do nothing


    but giggle, "They are just a few drawings. You need not take them so seriously."


    "That''s because my wife has drawn none for me, but has drawn thirty-six of them for him. I don''t have


    any problem in admitting that I''m jealous of him. So, I have decided to snatch all of them and leave


    none to him." Matthew sounded pretty serious.


    "How about if I draw for you as many as you want?" Harper asked in an adtory manner. She was


    wholeheartedly ready to satisfy him as long as he didn''t mention about the thirty-six peaches-sharing


    skills.


    "Okay, but I will still have a look at them."Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

 Chapter 739 The Worship Ceremony (Part One)

    Chapter 739 The Worship Ceremony (Part One)


    Harper didn''t know whether she shouldugh or cry. The pictures had been finished a long time ago, so


    she almost forgot about them. Why would Matthew suddenly bring it up now? Could it be because he


    got stimted seeing Francis? But it wasn''t like she did anything that might stimte him when Francis


    was around. So, why would Matthew be interested in seeing the pictures?


    If she had known things would go this way, she never would have painted the pictures to poke fun at


    Jason. Now, it turned out that she had also gotten herself in trouble by doing so. Having this in mind,


    she looked at her husband in total bewilderment.


    "Darling, don''t tell me¡­ that you have changed from being straight to gay?" Harper asked, as if this


    was the only logical reason she coulde up with to exin why Matthew was asking for the


    pictures.


    However, sheter swore to herself to never dare make such a joke to him ever again, for her waist


    almost got broken by this man when they made love all because of this stupid joke!


    "Matthew, you bastard!" Trying to catch her breath, Harper threw herself back to the bed. She felt weak


    from all the lovemaking. ''Is he still a human?'' It was him who did all the work all over her body, so it


    should be him who was more exhausted, right? But why was it that she was the one who had to beg for


    mercy in the end? And why was she the one gasping for breath on the bed right now? It didn''t make


    any sense!


    "Are you getting up, Your Highness?" Forsythia checked up on Harper, trying to hold back herughter.


    Rolling her eyes, Harper replied, "Go ahead andugh if you want. I won''t punish you for this!"


    But when Forsythia burst outughing, Harper''s face darkened. In the end, Harper decided to just


    ignore it and go back to sleep. There was still some time before the Worship Ceremony started, so she


    could take a nap again before watching the grand ceremony of the South Kingdom.


    When Matthew came back, he noticed that Forsythia was waiting outside the house. With his eyebrows


    raised, he asked, "Hasn''t Harper gotten up yet?"


    "No, Your Highness. Perhaps Her Highness was too tired and just fell asleep again," she smiled. "The


    ceremony will begin in the afternoon. So, it should be fine if she gets a bit more sleep."


    "I''ll have a look," Matthew insisted When he pushed the door open, he immediately spotted Harper who


    had turned herself into a silkworm by wrapping herself up with the quilt. She was sleeping soundly.


    When he saw this, a doting smile crept onto his face. Then, he reached out to pull Harper out of the


    quilt and said, "Harp, time to get up. You should wash up and have something to eat. The Worship


    Ceremony is going to take ce today, and it''s already bustling outside."


    Getting up was thest thing Harper wanted to do now. Unfortunately for her, she didn''t have the


    strength to resist Matthew. So, she had no other choice but to let him dress her up, as shezily leaned


    against his chest like a spoiled little girl.


    Matthew slowly and elegantly dressed Harper up, but when he was about halfway through, he suddenly


    stopped and said, "On second thought, I don''t think it''s such a good idea. Let me help you take your


    clothes off."


    Hearing those words, Harper instantly woke up. She quickly freed herself from his arms, grabbed her


    clothes from him, and got dressed as fast as she possibly could without bothering to check how she


    looked. "It''s time to get up. I shouldn''t be sleeping any longer. You''re spoiling me too much."


    Matthew rested his hands on the bed, looking at Harper up and down, and he answered, "Well, I think


    you''re craving for the bed because you miss me and want me. As your husband, I don''t want to force


    you to get out of the bed, and should satisfy you instead."


    Upon these words, Harper''s face turned red at once. Then, she poked Matthew''s chest and protested,


    "Do you have no sense of shame? It''s daytime now; stop thinking about any weird thoughts which are


    not appropriate for children!"


    Matthew chuckled, quite amused with her scolding him. "All I''m saying is that if you want to sleep a little


    longer, then I''ll let you do so. Is that really something inappropriate for children? What on earth are you


    talking about, Harp?"


    Harper''s face was red-flushed in embarrassment. Then, she shifted her gaze somewhere else and


    whispered under her breath, asking Forsythia to bring her water so she could wash up. "Matthew, will


    anything happen during today''s Worship Ceremony?"


    "Of course not," Matthew tly replied. "The people in the South Kingdom take the ceremony very


    seriously, including King Lance himself. Their purpose is to draw us here. Given that we''re already


    here, and that their goal has already been achieved, there is no longer any reason for them to pull any


    tricks at one of their most important events."


    Upon hearing his exnation, Harper thought about it for a while and said, "In other words, they may


    still take actions once the ceremony is over, and we can''t say for certain that we''ll be safe by then."


    "If Francis can wait till the ceremony is over, then we can have another peaceful day," Matthew


    admitted. Seeing Harper brushing her hair in front of the mirror, he went over, took theb in her


    hand and proceeded to skillfullyb and style her hair before heading out.


    The Worship Ceremony was a festival everyone in the South Kingdom had been looking forward to.


    During this event, the Holy Maiden would go to the altar to pray for them. Instead of joining in the


    procession of envoys, Matthew and his men joined the crowd of the excitedmoners, watching the


    slender figure standing on the altar in the distance. The figure was wearing a strange-looking mask


    used for praying.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    "Is that the Holy Maiden?" Harper asked, feeling quite curious. "It''s such a pity that I can''t see the face


    behind that strange mask. There are so many people here blocking my view. Oh, no..."


    As soon as he heard that, Matthew immediately crouched down and let Harper ride on his neck to give


    her a better view of what was going on from the crowd. Excitedly poking Matthew''s head, Harper said,


    "Look, darling, the dance of the ceremony is so beautiful. The Holy Maiden''s figure is so seductive. I


    bet her face must be quite beautiful as well."


    "In my eyes, you are the most beautiful woman I have everid my eyes upon." An affectionate smile


    appeared on Matthew''s face when he softly said those sweet words. Harper, on the other hand, was


    beaming with happiness after hearing what he said.


    As he sat on the high tform, Francis noticed Harper at once. His face was devoid of any expression,


    but the surprise in his eyes could not be concealed. In every aspect, Matthew was a prince who held a


    high position and stood above many others. In spite of that, he let Harper sit on his shoulders,


    something which couldn''t be done even by an ordinary man. How could Matthew act like it wasn''t that


    big of a deal? How could he not be bothered by the people turning their heads and giving them odd


    looks?

 Chapter 740 The Worship Ceremony (Part Two)

    Chapter 740 The Worship Ceremony (Part Two)


    "I can''t believe that there''s actually a man who would allow a woman to sit on his shoulders," Diana


    mumbled, giving a snort of contempt. As far as she was concerned, men who would do such a thing


    were spineless cowards. Otherwise, they wouldn''t allow women to ride on their shoulders and be


    above them.


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Francis didn''t say a word, because the vibrant smile on Harper''s face dazzled him. Even though her


    face had changed and she didn''t look familiar to him, he still recognized her the moment he saw her.


    When she was with him, she had never smiled so happily that way in front of him. Was it true that he


    just wasn''t as good as Matthew in her eyes? He could do all the things Matthew could do for her, and


    he was sure that he could give her things which even Matthew couldn''t. Knowing that, why wasn''t she


    willing to give him a chance?


    On the altar, the Holy Maiden''s dance was still going on, and the people were so engrossed in it. King


    Lance had a rather solemn look on his face, but his eyes were filled with paternal love when they fell on


    the Holy Maiden. Seeing this, Diana snorted coldly and spoke to Francis in a low voice. "Do you think


    Matthew is going to sabotage the ceremony?"


    "No, he won''t," Francis curtly replied. Truth be told, even though Francis knew that Matthew could be


    very aggressive, he wouldn''t just take the initiative to attack anyone if they didn''t do him wrong first. As


    for Harper, he somewhat felt that she and Matthew were alike in this regard.


    "You know, Matthew would do everything as he pleases. I''m afraid that he may do something to disrupt


    this important ceremony," Diana slowly said. As a matter of fact, this was what she was expecting. If


    Matthew was here to disrupt the ceremony, then she would have the perfect excuse to attack Harper.


    Francis didn''t humor her with a response this time. The way he saw it, Matthew was not a fool; he must


    be aware that the Worship Ceremony was of great importance in the South Kingdom, so disrupting a


    big event like this was tantamount to turning all the people in the kingdom into his enemies. Although


    he might not be afraid of a bunch of ants, he would have to admit that ants could bite an elephant to the


    bone. It was true that he might do whatever he pleased if he were by himself. However, with Harper


    coming along with him, he would never take the risk of putting her life in danger. So, he would never do


    anything that might ruin the ceremony.


    "Diana, behave yourself!" Lance couldn''t take it anymore and finally snapped. The Worship Ceremony


    was utterly important in their kingdom! As his daughter, Diana didn''t seem to care that much about it.


    Didn''t she know that it could anger the people? Moreover, the Holy Maiden was still praying on the


    altar. So, this was truly not the time for chatting and gossiping.


    Diana quickly straightened her body and focused her attention back to the Holy Maiden on the altar,


    albeit reluctantly. At this point, she suddenly hoped, rather irritably and sinisterly, that the Holy Maiden


    would sprain her ankle, fall, and interrupt the dancing. That way, she would be criticized by everyone.


    However, things didn''t go as she hoped. The Holy Maiden performed the whole dance solemnly and


    quite beautifully, and she went on to finish the praying ceremony without making a single mistake. All


    things had been done meticulously, leaving no problems to be found.


    "All right, all right. Thank you, Holy Maiden," said the king, in a voice filled with paternal love. "You must


    be tired; you may take a rest now."


    The Holy Maiden nodded a curtsy and took her leave gracefully. Lance also returned to the royal


    pce. As for Francis, when the ceremony was concluded, his eyes fell on Becky, who was standing in


    the crowd. He nodded at her, and she politely nodded right back. After that, the two of them left the


    spot.


    Seeing this, Diana ran toward Francis and said, "That woman..."


    "She''s the chief guard of the Secret Pavilion of the Bright Dynasty, and is now by Matthew''s side. She


    may prove to be useful," Francis answered in a steady and refined voice, as though he didn''t take the


    matter seriously whatsoever.


    When Diana heard that, a peculiar smile appeared on her face. "I think that she seems to have feelings


    for you."


    "Diana, what you do mean feelings?" Francis asked, squinting at Diana.


    Upon the question, Diana''s face darkened. Francis had promised to marry her; however, he had never


    stayed in her room at all. They were legal husband and wife, but still had yet to consummate. The only


    thing Francis needed was the title¡ªhusband of the princess of the South Kingdom, and Diana just


    happened to be someone he could use, so their union wasn''t really about love.


    "Francis, I wonder... Other than Harper, who else could attract your attention?" Diana knew deep inside


    that Francis liked Harper. Back then, when she went to assassinate that woman, this man tried to save


    her at all cost, even if it meant putting his life on the line. If it weren''t for him risking his life to save her,


    Diana bet Harper would have been seriously injured even if she didn''t die.


    Francis didn''t utter a single word, and there wasn''t even any expression on his face. In his opinion, the


    word "love" was extremely hurtful. Back then, he was willing to do anything for Harper. But even after


    everything he had done, including sacrificing himself, Harper still didn''t appreciate it.


    "If she is ruthless, then I see no need for me to love her and wait for her," Francis suddenly murmured.


    "I''m afraid I''ve never received so much as the slightest amount of affection from her. She''s a very cruel


    woman."


    Diana didn''t offer her opinion, but she, in fact, had a deep impression of Harper. Thetter wouldn''t


    have be Matthew''s wife and held this high position if she wasn''t ruthless enough. Not only was


    she cruel to her enemies and herself, but to her father, brothers and sisters as well. It was quite


    challenging for Diana topete with this woman, yet she still thought that as a woman, Harper was


    indeed formidable.

 Chapter 741 The Two Women Reached An Agreement (Part One)

    Chapter 741 The Two Women Reached An Agreement (Part One)


    "Well, Francis, let me ask you this. What do you like about Harper? We both know she''s cruel and


    horrendous," Diana curiously asked. No matter how hard she tried to think about it, she just couldn''t


    figure out why Francis fell in love with such an insidious, cunning, maniptive, and cruel woman. She


    couldn''t even think of one redeeming quality for Harper.


    Instead of directly answering her question, he asked in reply, "What? Do you think you''re even in


    comparison with her?" In Francis'' perspective, even if Harper was vicious, she was very kind to other


    people as long as they treated her the same way. It was true that she was cunning, but she had never


    made the first move to purposely hurt others. She was cruel to her enemies which was a principle that


    no one could me her for. Being merciful to one''s enemies only meant that one did not have much


    regard for themselves. They might either have self-esteem issues or they didn''t have concrete


    boundaries for themselves. In this respect, Francis didn''t think that Harper was in the wrong. The only


    thing he hated about her was that she had been too kind to him. But when he fell in love with her, she


    ruthlessly left him without as much of a little hesitation.


    His question made Diana enraged. She grew furious not because Francis did not deny that Harper was


    a cruel woman, but because they were both vicious for him. And despite that, he still favored Harper


    over her. As a matter of fact, Diana was more ruthless than Harper in many respects. The most


    essential distinction between them was that Diana would kill someone no matter if they were her


    enemies or not. She would randomly kill someone when she was in a bad mood. She didn''t need to


    have an eptable reason. But Harper would never do that. With this in consideration, if Harper was


    not worthy of Francis, Diana was even more unworthy.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    "Let''s go. We need to entertain our guest," Francis gently said. He decided not to continue their


    conversion because he knew it would turn into an argument and he also did not like other people


    questioning his personal life.


    That day, Francis and Becky had agreed to meet in the courtyard. The instant she saw Francis, Becky


    immediately became delighted. Her eyes were full of affection. Francis, on the other hand, had the


    same expression he had all day. He politely invited her to take a seat. The way he behaved was still so


    elegant andposed, just like the time when he was still the prince who was respected by the


    officials.


    "Thank you for your help while we were in the imperial capital of the Bright Dynasty. Without you, I


    couldn''t have escaped from there," Francis said. His voice was as gentle and charming as the birds


    singing on the trees.


    Becky was a little shy. She smiled in a very subtle way before saying, "It''s not a big deal, Your


    Highness. How have you been? I heard that you were badly hurt at that time."


    "I''m fine now. Thank you for your concern," Francis replied with a smile on his face. In front of Becky,


    he behaved in a very kind way, as if to show that he respected her very much. It was thrilling for Becky


    but she didn''t show it that much on the outside.


    "Hi, Becky. There you are. Please forgive me for beingte in greeting you here. I''ve heard from my


    husband that if you hadn''t saved him, he would have been killed by that disgusting woman," Diana said


    while she leisurely approached them.


    A hint of disgust shed across Becky''s eyes when she heard Diana mention Harper. She was already


    well aware of how hateful that woman was in person. If it were not for the fact that she was no match


    for either Matthew or Harper, she would have taught Harper a lesson some time ago.


    "That woman is so difficult to deal with! I haven''t met someone more vicious than her!" Becky


    commented as she frowned deeply. Harper had some unusual martial arts skills that even now, Becky


    couldn''t figure out how she was able to execute those skills.


    "Couldn''t agree more. She is indeed very heinous," Diana responded. She shared the same


    sentiments. Her heart would still tremble with fear whenever she thought about how Harper struck her


    when they fought. Her Venomous Insect King was dead because of Harper, and she had not fully


    recovered yet. Another one of her enemies was the Holy Maiden. Originally, she was no match for the


    Holy Maiden. Now, Diana was weaker than before, making her incapable of fighting the Holy Maiden


    even more. With these thoughts, Diana was so enraged that she could feel the wrath seeping through


    her veins.


    Francis picked up a cup of tea and casually blew the bubble on the surface. He then said, "If Matthew


    wasn''t with Harper, it would be easier to deal with her."


    Upon hearing that, the two women both looked at each other at the same time. At that moment, there


    were so many emotions in their eyes. Everyone knew how Matthew cherished Harper. If anyone


    wanted to hurt and take revenge on Harper, they would have to deal with him first before they could


    even touch her. Because of what Francis had done to Harper, Matthew had now been keeping a close


    watch on her. He rarely moved a step away from her. Therefore, it was impossible for them toy a


    hand on Harper as long as Matthew was with her.


    "Becky, can you think of any way to drive him away from her? Or, do you have any idea how to lure


    Harper out?" Diana asked with curiosity. She wondered if they could part Harper and Matthew and then


    deal with them separately. As long as they were separated from each other, it might be possible to


    defeat them. Francis would never give a hand to help Harper nowadays. Therefore, she would have no


    way to escape.


    "Maybe we can give it a try," Becky answered with some hesitation. Truth to be told, she was not a


    hundred percent sure. After all, Harper was wary and cautious, so was Matthew. Therefore, it wouldn''t


    be easy to think of a plot against them.


    Even though Becky''s response was not an ultimate statement, Diana took it as an affirmation that


    Becky agreed to help them. Diana breathed a sigh of relief at that. She held Becky''s hand and said,


    "I''m sure we can do it. I''m just so thrilled that Francis has you as his friend. I feel so honored."


    A questionable blush bloomed across Becky''s face while she took a secret ce at Francis. He was


    gently smiling at her which made her even more determined to kill Harper for his sake.


    Not longter, Becky left to proceed with their n against Harper and Matthew. When she was gone,


    Diana sat down next to Francis and said, "It seems like Becky is quite affectionate towards you. Do you


    have the heart to take advantage of such a woman who likes you very much?"


    Francis, on the other hand, merely cast an apathetic look at her and tly responded, "You once had


    deep feelings for Hoffman. Yet you didn''t choose to save him, did you?"


    When she heard his usation, her face turned pale right away. However, as fast as it came, it went


    away in an instant as well. She didn''t take his remark seriously. With a sigh of relief, she said, "Yes, I


    did. But so what? We are of the same kind; don''t you think so? In our eyes, our objective is greater


    than anything else. So we can take advantage of everything and everyone as long as we can benefit


    from it. The one we love can be our stepping stones, too. You know what? Maybe that''s exactly the


    reason why Harper chose Matthew over you."

 Chapter 742 The Two Women Reached An Agreement (Part Two)

    Chapter 742 The Two Women Reached An Agreement (Part Two)


    Crash!!! Francis vigorously threw the teacup on the table. Within seconds, it broke into a thousand


    pieces, creating the most vivid noise in the room. The tea water spilled out and part of it sshed on


    Diana''s clothes. But she didn''t get upset. She merely wiped off the water drops on her garments and


    asked again, "What? Am I right? Are you annoyed because of what I just said?"


    "Diana, mind your words and that attitude of yours. Don''t forget that we''re partners and that''s it. I don''t


    like it when othersment on my personal affairs," Francis reminded her while his eyes darkened. He


    had never denied his feelings for Harper. He also knew that Harper didn''t like him. But it didn''t matter to


    him. In his mind, he would be satisfied if he could have her by his side. He wasn''t that greedy as to


    expect that she would fall in love with him as well. As long as he physically owned her, it would be more


    than enough.


    "Of course. I haven''t forgotten that our rtionship is strictly business. But don''t forget that you''re now


    my husband," Diana whispered right at Francis'' ear upon getting close enough to him. However,


    Francis only frowned and pushed her away.


    "I don''t like being touched by anyone," Francis apathetically stated. Then he stood up and left without


    looking back.


    Looking at his receding figure, Diana sneered, "You don''t like being touched by anyone? What a joke!


    We know that''s just an excuse. Even though that woman doesn''t even have a bit of affection for you


    and she wants to end your life, you keep on guarding your feelings for her like a precious child. How


    ridiculous it is that a royal prince can''t get over a woman!"


    "Your Highness, shall we ¡ª" a maid proposed with so much hesitation.


    But before she could finish her words, Diana interrupted, "No, we don''t need to do anything. I''d like to


    see him hurt and bleed while he willingly drives himself into a corner. It is actually boring to see him


    being cold and indifferent all day. He doesn''t like to be touched, right? Good! I''d like to see if he doesn''t


    like to be touched by anyone or he doesn''t like to be touched by everyone else except for Harper!"


    Meanwhile, a young woman was passing through the streets of the South Kingdom. The people on


    both sides made way for her and even bowed as she passed by them. Without looking at them, the


    woman just walked forward. Her goal was very clear. She was walking towards the inn.


    Harper and Matthew went out to watch the Worship Ceremony. Because of this, it took them a long


    time toe back to the inn. Just then, they saw a beautiful womaning towards the direction of


    the inn. Harper couldn''t help but curiously ask, "This woman..."


    "She''s the Holy Maiden of the South Kingdom. In here, apart from King Lance, the Holy Maiden is also


    favored by the people very much. The woman who danced and prayed during the Worship Ceremony


    is none other than her," Matthew whispered by her ear.


    Harper blinked her eyes a few times to take a closer look at the Holy Maiden. When they were


    watching the Worship Ceremony, Harper wasn''t able to see her clearly because she was wearing a


    mask. But now, she wasn''t that far away so Harper could see her face in the open. She must admit that


    she was a really beautifuldy with a delicate face. Harper asked again, "What''s the identity of this Holy


    Maiden?"


    "I don''t know that much. But from what I gather, after the previous Holy Maiden has retired, another


    woman will inherit the position. Except for the previous Holy Maiden, I''m afraid no one knows her


    identity before she took up the position. Also, the Holy Maiden doesn''t live in the Imperial Pce, but in


    the Starry Pce where all the previous Holy Maidens lived for generations," Matthew


    comprehensively informed her.


    "The Starry Pce?" Harper repeated. Somehow, the name of the ce struck a chord in her. "It''s a


    little strange. The ce where the Holy Maiden lives is called the Starry Pce. For some reason, I


    just don''t think they fit each other."


    "Yes, it is a little strange. Except for the Holy Maiden and King Lance, no one is allowed to enter the


    library of the Starry Pce. The status of the Holy Maiden is only second to the king. Besides, the Holy


    Maiden is more skillful at venomous insect tricks than Diana. The essential difference is that Diana


    uses them to harm people while the maiden uses them to save people. It could be said that the Holy


    Maiden has a much greater reputation than the king," Matthew answered, still at a slow pace.


    Harper had fought with Diana before. She was well aware that Diana''s poisoning skills were quite cruel


    and deadly. However, Diana had failed many times because Harper was actually immune to any


    poison. If it were someone else, Diana would have been able to kill him or her multiple times.


    Unfortunately for her, she met Harper.


    "The Holy Maiden actually enjoys a greater reputation than the king? That''s just very surprising.


    Wouldn''t the king be restless and scared because of her influence?" Harper asked in surprise. If


    this were to happen in the Bright Dynasty, the emperor would be bothered when someone had a higher


    reputation and was more influential than him. Matthew barely escaped the former emperor''s wrath just


    for having a great influence on thend.


    "Since the Holy Maiden doesn''t take part in the state affairs, she poses no threat to the king''s power.


    So instead of being restless and scared of her prestige, it can be said that the king is just happy about


    her prestige. After all, she keeps herself away from political affairs. But my opinion is that if the Holy


    Maiden took part in the state affairs, the king would probably mind it so much that he may even act


    upon it," Matthewmented. Each Holy Maiden had high prestige in the South Kingdom, but the


    royal family and the Holy Maiden supported each other without any conflict of interest. For many years,


    they had been getting along in peace. There might be some special reason behind it, but no one was


    able toprehend it, at least for the time being.


    "Right after the Worship Ceremony, this Holy Maiden came out alone. Is there any special reason for


    that?" Harper asked, growing more and more curious. From her perspective, the Holy Maiden shouldn''t


    just leave her ce and wander around at will. But Harper saw that she roamed around in public as


    soon as the Worship Ceremony was over.


    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    People on both sides of the street continued to go down on their knees and worshiped the Holy


    Maiden. From the sea of people, she stood out from the crowd. Within a second, one could


    immediately find her. It was like their eyes were drawn to her. If someone wanted to execute her, it


    would be so easy for the killer to locate their target.


    When the Holy Maiden passed by the inn where Harper and Matthew were staying at, she


    unexpectedly stopped. She looked up and saw Harper. Then a smile appeared in her eyes. A second


    later, she walked into the inn.


    Harper and Matthew looked at each other, both confused as ever. Somehow, they felt that the Holy


    Maiden wasing for Harper specifically, especially when she saw that the Holy Maiden smiled upon


    seeing her.


    "It is such a great pleasure to wee you, Your Grace," the keeper of the inn greeted with admiration.


    All of the inn''s working stuff came out to greet the Holy Maiden as well. They all knelt on the ground


    respectfully.


    The Holy Maiden replied in a soothing and gentle tone, "Get up, please. There''s no need to be so


    courteous. I''m just thirsty so I came in here hoping to have a cup of tea."


    "Your Grace, I''ll prepare a wonderful kind of tea for you. Please wait a moment," the keeper answered


    in a reverent tone. He immediately called the waiters toe and serve her. The Holy Maiden, on the


    other hand, kept looking upstairs. No one in the room could tell what she was thinking about.

 Chapter 743 A Feeling Of Old Friends Being Reunited (Part One)

    Chapter 743 A Feeling Of Old Friends Being Reunited (Part One)


    In order to confirm if the Holy Maiden of the South Kingdom really came to the inn for her, Harper


    decided to go downstairs and have a look. When she came out of her room, it so happened that she


    saw the keeper of the inn carefully making a pot of tea. It was a high-end tea set so Harper assumed


    that it was going to be served to the Holy Maiden.


    The moment Harper appeared at the staircase, the Holy Maiden became aware of her presence. She


    poured a cup of tea by herself and pushed it to the opposite side of the table. While looking at Harper,


    she asked, "Would you like a cup of tea?"


    Her words took Harper by surprise. At that point, Harper was certain that the Holy Maiden really came


    for her. But as far as she could remember, she hadn''t had any contact with her. So she couldn''t figure


    out why the respected maiden would invite her to have some tea.


    Despite how stunned she was by the unexpected invitation from the Holy Maiden, Harper took thest


    few steps of the stairs withposure and sat down opposite her at the table. Then, she picked up the


    teacup and drank the tea in one gulp. "Thanks for the tea, Your Grace."


    The keeper and the waiters were so shocked that their faces turned deathly pale, as if it was kind of


    offensive to sit down and drink tea with the Holy Maiden. The keeper opened his mouth several times,


    with the intention of saying something to remind Harper, but he gave up eventually. He was afraid that it


    might be too presumptuous for him to say anything when the Holy Maiden didn''t seem to mind Harper''s


    behaviors. He was trying so hard to control himself that he even blushed with embarrassment.


    In fact, the Holy Maiden noticed how ufortable the members of the staff were. However, she


    simply smiled and poured more tea to Harper''s cup. "Actually, I should be the one thanking you. I


    concealed my identity when I went out yesterday. To my surprise, I was harassed by a pervert. If you


    hadn''t stood out and helped me, I don''t know how I would have dealt with that matter."


    "You..." Harper murmured in shock while pointing at the Holy Maiden with her finger. It took her a short


    while before she could say anything more. "You''re thedy with the veil who looked like a fairy


    yesterday!"


    The Holy Maiden chuckled behind her hand because of how Harper described her. "Yes, I am thedy


    with the veil who was harassed yesterday."


    The keeper was petrified by what the Holy Maiden said. He wondered who could be so bold as to


    disrespect the Holy Maiden. He believed that the man who did that had been courting death. The


    keeper then stared at the Holy Maiden. When he saw that she didn''t seem upset with Harper''s


    impoliteness, he breathed a sigh of relief.


    "You can leave now. We don''t need anyone to serve us here," the Holy Maiden said.


    "Certainly, we''re taking our leave now," the keeper said while immediately retreating from the room.


    With the smile still on her face, the Holy Maiden stared at Harper carefully. "Whenever I look at you, I


    can''t help but feel like I''ve already met you before. I wonder if this feeling is the same as when old


    friends reunited after not seeing each other for a very long time."


    "Your Grace, I''m most ttered that you feel like I''m an old friend of yours," Harper said with a bright


    and sincere smile on her face.


    The Holy Maiden''s eyes shined even more at that. "I don''t know why but I genuinely feel so happy to


    see you."


    "It''s the same with me. Your Grace, I didn''t expect that you would be such an amiable and carefree


    person. Now that I know it was you who I met yesterday, I feel a little foolish. It was like I taught a fish


    how to swim. Please excuse me," Harper said with a little embarrassment. How could she interveneContent rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    and try to rescue such a powerful person like the Holy Maiden? For certain, she was more than


    capable of doing something and defending herself.


    However, the Holy Maiden smiled a little, then responded, "Actually, you helped me a lot. It was the first


    time that something like that happened to me, so I didn''t know how to deal with it. If you hadn''t shown


    up, I might have been taken advantage of by that rogue."


    Harper smiled, "I heard a lot of people say that the Holy Maiden is the most rigid person in the world.


    But now that I''ve met you in person, I realize that they couldn''t be more wrong. You''re not rigid at all. In


    fact, you''re quite carefree. I honestly feel veryfortable while talking to you."


    A bigger smile appeared on the fairy-like face of the Holy Maiden. She replied, "I have been the Holy


    Maiden for many years. Everyone treats me with great respect, but all of them are very cautious and


    nervous in front of me. However, you are the only exception. You don''t seem to be afraid of me at all. It


    makes me so happy to be able to converse with someone like you."


    The smile in Harper''s eyes became brighter while she listened to the Holy Maiden. "You''re so beautiful


    and kind, Your Grace. Why are people afraid of you? I don''t think you''re scary at all."


    A touch of sadness shed across the Holy Maiden''s eyes after she heard what Harper said. Most of


    the people in the South Kingdom weren''t afraid of her, but they didn''t dare to get close or even speak to


    her. If she said a few words to them, they would be too excited that they wouldn''t be able to sleep for


    several days. Because of this, she grew up lonely, with no one to talk to and even y with. Ever since


    she was a child, she was alone in the vast Starry Pce. She didn''t have any friend or rtive. From


    the day she became the Holy Maiden, she had to say goodbye to everyone she had ever known and


    be the indifferent Holy Maiden without any personal feeling.


    Harper noticed that the Holy Maiden was suddenly lost in her thoughts so she chose not to interrupt


    her. Matthew had told her some information about the Holy Maiden before. So deep in her heart,


    Harper felt so much empathy for her. The Holy Maiden was separated from her parents ever since she


    was a child. So every single time that there was a festival or an asion, she was alone at the Starry


    Pce while everyone else was meeting up with their family and friends. While everyone was enjoying


    a happy time, she might have been destely weeping in loneliness. While other children were ying


    games, she was improving her poisoning skills. When other children had grown up, got married, and


    had children, she was still by herself in that pce because the Holy Maiden must remain a virgin.


    "Are you married?" the Holy Maiden asked all of a sudden.


    Nodding her head, Harper answered, "Yes, I''m married. My husband is very kind, and he allows me to


    be myself. He''s a merchant who specializes in medical supplies trading. Sometimes, he would bring


    me along when hees here to sell our products."

 Chapter 744 A Feeling Of Old Friends Being Reunited (Part Two)

    Chapter 744 A Feeling Of Old Friends Being Reunited (Part Two)


    A strange emotion shed in the Holy Maiden''s eyes, but it disappeared in an instant. Even so, Harper


    still caught sight of it. Because of that, she felt curious and wondered if the Holy Maiden was happy to


    hear that she was married.


    "Your husband must treat you very well," the Holy Maiden said. The women in the South Kingdom were


    actually very open-minded. Many of them would go out to pick medicinal herbs to help support the


    family. Moreover, there were a lot of female shamans in the entire ce. They started to learn some


    poisoning skills since they were children. Such skills could not only hurt people, but save them from


    various diseases and conditions as well.


    The Holy Maiden closed her eyes and carefully sniffed her surroundings. "You have a faint smell of


    medicine. Are you a shaman?" she asked.


    "I''m afraid I can''t be called a shaman. I only like dealing with medicinal herbs. Some of them should be


    treated in various ways in order to preserve them very well. I have also been educated with medical


    effects by physicians, so that I can help my husband with our livelihood. As time goes by, it seems like


    my body has absorbed the smell of medicine," Harper lied without batting an eye.


    While listening to Harper, the Holy Maiden nodded her head. It seemed like she believed what Harper


    said. However, Harper couldn''t help but snicker because it was so easy to deceive her. She thought


    that the Holy Maiden was naive enough that if she left the South Kingdom, it was very likely for her to


    be caught by human traffickers.


    "How long are you going to stay in the capital?" the Holy Maiden curiously asked.


    "I wanted to leave when all the medicinal herbs that we brought are sold. But my husband said that we


    should wait until the Worship Ceremony is over," Harper answered with a simple smile. And just like


    that, the two women sat together while talking about everything for two hours.


    "How about you and your husbande to the Starry Pce as my guests? Let''s say, one of these


    days, before you leave the capital. Please let me entertain you to express my gratitude. What do you


    think?" Harper couldn''t count how many times she had been surprised that day. However, that invitation


    must be the most overwhelming of all.


    "Your Grace, the Starry Pce is a holy ce. How can we as normal citizens enter a ce like that? I


    have already seen you, and even got to sit with you and talk about a lot of things. I can say that I have


    no more regret in my life. My life is nowplete," Harper said while waving her hand continuously.


    But the Holy Maiden only handed a token to Harper. "Since I''ve invited you, it means that you can enter


    the pce. Besides, it''s not forbidden to enter the Starry Pce. The only ce where outsiders are


    not allowed to enter is the library inside of it."


    With the token in her hands, Harper looked very much ttered. "I see. In that case, thank you very


    much for this once in a lifetime invitation, Your Grace."


    "I think tomorrow is a good day. How abouting to the Starry Pce tomorrow? I''m honestly always


    so bored while staying there by myself. It will be really amazing if you can apany me. We can talk


    over tea, just like what we''re doing now," the Holy Maiden stated with confidence. She even ordered


    the keeper of the inn to escort Harper and her husband to the Starry Pce tomorrow.


    "Let me see you out," Harper said. While she led the Holy Maiden to the door, they happened to bump


    into Becky, who wasing back into the inn. Becky didn''t have any idea who the Holy Maiden was.


    But when she saw that Harper was with her instead of Matthew, who was always by Harper''s side,


    Becky instantly had an impulse to embarrass Harper.


    "What are you doing? Have you realized that it''s not good for you to be extremely jealous so you found


    a concubine for your husband? Are you doing this in order to make him love you more?" Becky taunted


    Harper with outrageous questions. She then looked at the face of the Holy Maiden and eximed,


    "What a very beautiful catch! Where did you find her? In a brothel?"


    "How dare you?!" Harper scolded her.


    p! As soon as Harper finished speaking, the Holy Maiden pped Becky right across her face. She


    did it so quickly that Becky wasn''t able to avoid it. While looking at the Holy Maiden in disbelief, Becky


    ced one hand on her cheek which had been pped. "How dare you hit me?! Do you know that I''m


    a distinguished guest of Princess Diana from the Bright Dynasty?"


    The Holy Maiden snorted before telling her, "Diana? Even if you''re a distinguished guest of the king of


    the South Kingdom, I still won''t hesitate to p you. Who do you think you are? How dare you act like a


    crazy person in front of me?! If you don''t understand the rules, I will teach you on behalf of the emperor


    of the Bright Dynasty!"


    Apparently, Becky hadn''t expected that the woman by Harper''s side would have a powerful influence.


    When she mentioned Diana, the woman didn''t show a bit of fear and even said that the king of the


    South Kingdom would be unable to protect her as well. Becky started to wonder who on earth she was.


    She then looked at Harper and turned her resentment at her. She thought to herself, ''Harper must have


    known her identity, but she didn''t even remind me. Instead, she deliberately made me provoke this


    person so as to embarrass me. What a vicious woman she is!''


    Becky couldn''t hold it any longer and asked, "Who are you then?"


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    "This is the Holy Maiden of the South Kingdom," Harper introduced with a small smile.


    Becky''s face turned pale. She had never imagined that Harper would be associated with the Holy


    Maiden. Based on the casual and friendly atmosphere between the two, Becky figured that Harper and


    the Holy Maiden must have known each other for a long time. It baffled her because she had no idea


    about it. She then wondered how many more secrets Harper had which she didn''t know.


    "Your Grace, please forgive me. I didn''t mean to deliberately offend you. The woman by your side is


    vicious and jealous. Every woman who gets remotely close to her husband will end up miserable.


    When I saw a beautiful female standing by her side, I misunderstood the situation. Please forgive me


    once again, Holy Maiden."


    Perplexed, the Holy Maiden looked at Harper and asked, "Jealous?"


    "Yes, I actually get jealous very easily. I require my husband not to marry any other woman in his


    lifetime. No woman except me could be by his side," Harper frankly admitted.


    With a smile of admiration on her face, the Holy Maiden said, "You want to be married to a faithful man


    and spend your entire life with him in happiness. I do respect your courage. You muste to the


    Starry Pce tomorrow. Let''s have a good chat then."


    "Okay, I will," Harper replied, returning the smile.

 Chapter 745 The Short Journey To The Starry Palace (Part One)

    Chapter 745 The Short Journey To The Starry Pce (Part One)


    At that time, the Holy Maiden was about to leave. She was overjoyed after spending the afternoon with


    Harper. She turned to Becky but only for a short while before turning to Harper. "You''d better give a


    good lesson to those people who distort facts. In the South Kingdom, those who nder someone


    else''s reputation and are then proven to be spewing lies will be thrown into the cave with thousands of


    poisonous sects."


    "Thank you, Your Grace. I will keep your words in mind," Harper responded with a smile. After


    exchanging some more pleasantries, the Holy Maiden left. Harper watched her with bliss while Becky,


    on the other side, started turning pale like a sheet of paper.


    "You did that on purpose!" Becky eximed through gritted teeth.


    Raising her eyebrows at Becky, Harper replied, "I think the Holy Maiden''s suggestion was very wise.


    You thought I wouldn''t kill you, so you kept on pushing me to my limits?"


    In an instant, Becky suddenly looked embarrassed. But it didn''tst. She then snorted and left without


    saying another word.


    After that, the keeper of the inn came up to Harper and said with obvious envy, "Oh, you''re so lucky to


    receive the Holy Maiden''s invitation toe to the Starry Pce. It''s truly a great honor."


    Harper put the token in her pocket before responding. "I haven''t been to the Starry Pce before. They


    said even the bricks and tiles are made of white jade and all of the things in there are invaluable. How


    rich and magnificent the pce should be!"


    Hearing this, the keeper immediately straightened his back, taking absolute pride in the pce. "Of


    course, the Holy Maiden is so pure and noble like a fairy. The pce she lives should be pure and


    noble as well. That''s why the Starry Pce was entirely made of Chinese white jade. It symbolized her


    holy image. You''ll be able to see that tomorrow."


    "Sir, could you please tell me what am I not supposed to do in the Starry Pce? I don''t want to do


    anything rude that might offend Holy Maiden tomorrow," Harper asked.


    The keeper was very d to do her the favor, so he replied, "Oh, my pleasure. First, no one is allowed


    to enter the library of the Starry Pce except the Holy Maiden and other members of the royal family.


    Anyone who enters the library will suffer severe punishment from heaven."


    "What is the punishment from heaven?" Harper curiously asked.


    "It''s the divine thunder and lightning from the heaven. Anyone who steps into the library without


    permission will be punished by it! In the past, there were some people who went too far into the library,


    and they were all struck to death by the lightning. They didn''t even leave any bones. It was that


    horrible." The shopkeeper spoke of this with both fear and awe.


    "I see. Except for the library, is there any other taboo that I should know about?" Harper questioned


    with so much eagerness, carefully assessing the situation. In fact, she had thoughts that what she


    wanted might be in the library so she was thinking that it wouldn''t hurt if she could slip in there.


    "We can''t offend the Holy Maiden. You''re not supposed to talk to her like what you did earlier. If it


    weren''t for her kindness, you would have died today!"


    Harper touched her neck and smiled. "I think she''s very easy to get along with. Aside from being gentle


    and beautiful, even her voice was very pleasant to the ears. It''s not as scary as you said."


    "It might be like that for you, but if you''re ever disrespectful to her, you will be punished by the witch.


    But you''re lucky to receive her special invitation. You should know, the Holy Maiden doesn''t often invite


    people to the Starry Pce these years. If I could be a guest ande to the Starry Pce, my life


    would beplete. I could die in peace with a smile on my face right then and there," the keeper


    stated in an envious tone.


    Harper didn''t say anything in response. The keeper then sighed because he thought that he would


    probably never get the chance to enter such a holy ce. After another deep sigh, he asked the


    servants to put the cups and teapots that the Holy Maiden used on the shrine. Things that she had


    used were not allowed to be used again by others. They became something that people needed to


    burn incense and kneel to worship every day.


    When Harper returned to the second floor, Matthew was ying Go by himself to kill some time. "You


    talked with her for about two hours. It''s a surprise that you two got along so well."


    "Well, the Holy Maiden is quite an interesting youngdy. Time passed by very quickly when we were


    talking." She then tossed the token given by the Holy Maiden to Matthew. He looked at her and asked,


    "What is this?"


    "A pass." He caught the token and threw it on the table, saying indifferently, "The gate of the Starry


    Pce is heavily guarded. This token is the key to get into it."


    Harper took the token, looked at it carefully and said, "Somehow, I don''t think it''s appropriate for the


    Holy Maiden to invite us to the Starry Pce."


    "I''m afraid you''re the only one who thinks it''s not appropriate. Anyone else who will be invited would be


    overjoyed. Going to the Starry Pce is the dream of countless people in the South Kingdom. They''ll


    even be so honored to work as mere servants to the Holy Maiden." After a pause, he sneered in


    contempt. "To be honest, I actually don''t think she deserves so much worship."


    Harper sat down next to Matthew and fiddled with the token in her hand. "It''s their faith. The people of


    the South Kingdom truly believes in her. But what they worship is not who she is, but the identity and


    power she has. I think it''s just the same with how the ck g Army believes in you."Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Matthew narrowed his eyes because he didn''t agree with her. He established and trained the ck


    g Army so it could be what it was now. He had spent countless time and effort to improve it, while


    the people of the South Kingdom were just fanatics. They admired a woman whom they didn''t even


    know. Moreover, he never considered the Holy Maiden to be noble. He just pitied her because, in his


    opinion, she was a puppet being used by the royal family to manipte the people!


    "Will you still go with me tomorrow?" Harper asked.

 Chapter 746 The Short Journey To The Starry Palace (Part Two)

    Chapter 746 The Short Journey To The Starry Pce (Part Two)


    "Of course I''ll go with you. I''ll be worried about you if you go there by yourself. It''s too dangerous there.


    No one would be able to help you if I weren''t there," he slowly said.


    "Then, that''s it. We''re going to the Starry Pce together. Thank you very much, my escort," Harper


    stated with a chuckle.


    "It''s my pleasure, my Harp," Matthew replied.


    The next morning, the keeper woke Harper and Matthew up very early and urged them to take a bath


    and change clothes. After that, he asked them to burn incense and pray before leaving for the Starry


    Pce.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    They followed everything that the keeper told them and after a while, they were finally on their way with


    his guidance.


    The Starry Pce was built on the top of the Holy Mountain. From foot to top, the mountain was


    heavily guarded. When they reached the foot of the mountain, the keeper turned to Harper and


    Matthew. He then said, "I''m sorry but I''m only allowed to escort you up to this point. From now on, you


    need to go to the top by yourselves. The pce is right there at the very top. You will encounter a lot of


    posts where you will need to be checked. But with the pass token given by the Holy Maiden herself,


    you can go through each one smoothly and reach the top safe and sound."


    Harper smiled and thanked him before he left. Then she showed the token to the guards. The guards


    thoroughly checked it before letting them get through. The couple walked slowly, as if they were on


    vacation while enjoying themselves very much. People in the Holy Mountain were raising numerous


    poisonous insects and snakes to help the Holy Maiden in enhancing her poison skills. Strangely


    enough, Harper thought that she could sense the breath of all the nts and animals in the mountain. It


    actually gave her chills for a little bit.


    "What''s wrong?" Matthew asked in confusion when he noticed that Harper closed her eyes.


    A light shed in Harper''s eyes. "I don''t know why but it seems like I can feel the breath of everything in


    the mountain, a flower, a grass, even a bug."


    Matthew was a little surprised. "You can feel it, too?"


    "Wait, you feel it as well?" It was Harper''s turn to be taken by surprise.


    "Yes, I can. You know my internal force is very powerful. I can release it to move around the whole


    mountain and feel everything. But it''s a surprise that you can also do it without the help of internal


    force. Is it because of your special bloodline? But I don''t know if it''s a good thing for you to have that,"


    Matthew stated, at odds with the ordeal.


    "It doesn''t matter whether the bloodline is good or bad. The tripod taken from the Secret Pavilion is


    good for refining medicine," Harper replied while her eyebrows furrowed. In the beginning, she didn''t


    give the tripod that much attention. But unexpectedly for her, the tripod was quite convenient in refining


    pills. Harper wished it could be bigger. But if it were, it would be toorge for her to carry around.


    "If the tripod is of no use, the master of the Secret Pavilion wouldn''t have traveled such a long way to


    come and take it back. There are a lot of valuable things in the Starry Pce''s library. But I''m not sure


    if we can get in there," Matthew said in a yful tone.


    "The keeper of the inn told me that anyone who dares to enter the library would suffer the punishment


    from heaven. I don''t know if it''s true. But I haven''t seen a divine thunder and lightning splitting people.


    That must be an eye-opener," Harper stated with so much interest.


    "It''s just a lie. There''s no punishment from heaven at all," Matthew responded with a sneer.


    Holding Matthew''s arm, Harper curiously asked, "How could you know so much about the Starry


    Pce here? Is it because you actually admired the Holy Maiden very much that you had already


    sneaked in here and took a look at her before?"


    "Do you want me to punish you on the bed tonight? Because you know, I would really love to do that,"


    He asked while giving her a warning look. He didn''t like it whenever she would say things like that,


    insinuating that he had eyes for women other than her.


    The smile on Harper''s face froze. She then touched her nose with embarrassment. Well, he couldn''t


    me it on her. He knew a lot of things about the Starry Pce, which naturally gave her the suspicion


    that he would be into the Holy Maiden. Plus, the Holy Maiden''s behavior yesterday was a little strange


    as well so it made her more confused.


    "I was just joking. Don''t be upset, honey. The Holy Maiden is beautiful, but she''s too boring. I know


    she''s not your type. However, her rigid personality is somewhat simr to what you used to be," Harper


    teased him.


    Matthew didn''t say anything in response. To be honest, he didn''t have any impression of the Holy


    Maiden. But he had indeed sneaked into the library before. Unfortunately, he was discovered while he


    was trying to find something there. He was even wounded by the protective device in the library. So he


    got nothing useful at that time.


    "Remember, there are many traps in the library, so be careful." As soon as Matthew thought of the


    traps in the library, he couldn''t help but keep on giving caution to Harper. He didn''t want any harm to


    come to her. If something were to happen to her, the situation would be out of control.


    "Don''t worry. I''m going to behave really well," Harper assured him. After a long while of walking, Harper


    stopped to look at the top of the mountain. She then sighed before saying, "Is this for real? We''re only


    halfway there! I would be tired to death if I continued walking to the top. Honey, can you take me there,


    please?"


    "I remember that you''ve just gotten your force back," Matthew replied. Although that was what he said,


    he reached out to hold Harper''s waist and quickly took her to the top of the mountain.


    Harper enjoyed his help very much. Although she had regained her spiritual power, she was pleased


    that he was willing enough to help her. Until now, she still didn''t know who had attacked her in the


    general''s house. It was clear that the intention of that attack was to kill her. In fact, it did kill the real


    Harper.

 Chapter 747 Meet The Loving Couple

    Chapter 747 Meet The Loving Couple


    Harper looked at the peak and saw a figure standing on top of a tree, seeming to look for something.


    Soon, the figure flew towards her and Matthew.


    Matthew slowed down, still holding on to Harper''s waist. In a moment, the Holy Maiden of South


    Kingdom was standing in front of them. She nced at Matthew and then at Harper. "Is this your


    husband?"


    Harper nodded. "Yes, Your Grace. He is not good at making conversation. Please forgive him."


    "It doesn''t matter." The Holy Maiden looked at Matthew and turned around to lead the way. She


    confessed, "When I didn''t see youing up after waiting for a while, I was worried something had


    happened to you, especially when I realized there was something wrong with the spiritual creatures in


    the mountain. That''s why I came out to look for you. Luckily, there''s nothing wrong, or I''d have felt very


    guilty."


    "Your Grace, please don''t worry. This is the Holy Mountain. How could something happen here?


    Besides, with you here, no monster or demon would dare approach us." The Holy Maiden''s


    consideration quite moved Harper. As the lofty Holy Maiden, it was unnecessary for her to pick them up


    in person, but she still came.


    "You saved my life. I can''t let my savior get in trouble in my ce. Besides, I''m not so mighty as to


    have that effect on the monsters. There are many poisonous insects and snakes in this mountain. They


    would be very dangerous to you but are considered treasures to our people in South Kingdom. People


    here are good with poison, and those kinds of poisonous stuff are the best material for making poison,"


    the Holy Maiden said with a smile.


    "I understand that people in South Kingdom need them in their poisoning skill. Even deadly poisonous


    bugs have their own uses. I''m sure you have the amazing power to make the best use of those things,"


    Harper responded thoughtfully.


    The sincere smile on Harper''s face somehow dazzled the Holy Maiden. She looked away and said,


    "Your smile makes you look adorable. I like it."


    Hearing this, Harper smiled brighter. "Your Grace, I''m sure your smile will be even more charming. You


    should smile more."


    The Holy Maiden gave them a shy smile. She did a lot of that recently. With her identity, she couldn''t


    show any emotion. But for some reason, she felt happy whenever she saw Harper and couldn''t help


    but smile at the sight of her.


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    "I recall seeing my youngest sisterugh so much as a child, just like you. It''s a pity I haven''t seen her


    since I became the Holy Maiden," she said.


    "Why don''t you go back to visit your family? You''re quite powerful, Your Grace. It will thrill them to see


    you," Harper said sincerely.


    "Will they be happy?" The Holy Maiden sighed weakly. Although she was whispering, Harper could


    hear her clearly. After bing the Holy Maiden, she had to forget her previous life and turn a blind


    eye to any feelings, including love. Assuming she wanted to go back, the rules would not allow it. And


    even if she went back, she could not return to her previous life, the way things once were. Her parents


    would have to treat her with reverence and respect instead.


    Matthew didn''t say a word during the entire exchange, but he didn''t let go of Harper. Their intimacy


    made the friendless Holy Maiden look even lonelier.


    "Why aren''t you saying anything, sir?" the Holy Maiden asked him softly.


    "Your Grace, please forgive my husband. He doesn''t talk much to others. Not to mention, your


    honorable status makes him worry he''d say the wrong thing and offend you," Harper responded at


    once. It was impossible for Matthew to talk to any other woman with a trace of friendliness.


    "It doesn''t matter. I don''t care." The Holy Maiden''s voice was both tender and sweet.


    However, Matthew remained silent. He focused his attention on Harper. Seeing that she''d slowed


    down, he frowned. Then he stretched out his hands to pick her up and said, "If you feel tired, just tell


    me."


    A flush rose to Harper''s cheeks. "I... I''m not tired. Put me down. Her Grace is still watching us."


    The Holy Maiden was also shocked by Matthew''s behavior. She then said warmly, "You are still very


    weak. It will take a lot of energy to climb the Holy Mountain. It was thoughtless of me not to consider


    that."


    "No, it''s nothing. I just feel a little tired from the lengthy walk. I can go on after resting a little. Your


    Grace, please don''t worry. I''m fine." Harper looked at Matthew, urging him to put her down. Even


    though she didn''t get embarrassed easily, it was ufortable to be stared at by such a beauty.


    Matthew tightened his hold on her and said, "Don''t move. You must be tired after walking for such a


    long time. It won''t bother me to carry you up the mountain."


    Looking at Matthew''s face, the Holy Maiden was stunned. Although people in South Kingdom were


    open-minded, the men weren''t that considerate to women. Climbing from here to the top of the


    mountain whilst carrying a woman would be too tiring for him and his arms would go numb.


    "How about this? I can fly her up there myself. That would help ease this on both of you," the Holy


    Maiden suggested.


    "No need for that. She''s my wife. No matter how heavy she is, I can carry her," Matthew said calmly,


    with no trace of guilt or evasion in his eyes. The look on his face was full of confidence.


    The Holy Maiden''s face didn''t show any reaction to his words. "You two love each other so much that


    it''s enviable."


    "How about carrying me on your back? It would be much easier." While it felt good to be held by


    Matthew, Harper worried about the strain on his arms to carry her all the way up.


    "I like holding you." Matthew juggled her weight and said, "You have gained some weight, but it doesn''t


    matter. I still think you are light."


    Harper didn''t know whether tough or cry. Even after iming she''d put on some weight, he still


    imed not to mind it at all. His response left her speechless.


    The Holy Maiden''s footsteps quickened. Matthew followed in her wake, but at a more moderate speed.


    He wasn''t right behind her, but kept her in his line of sight.


    Feeling a little sorry for Matthew, Harper wiped off the sweat on his forehead. Suddenly, something


    came in their path. Since Matthew couldn''t move his hands, Harper lifted her wrist, and three silver


    needles shot out. The needles pinned a snake on the verge of attack to a tree trunk.


    It took a moment for the Holy Maiden to notice that something was wrong. By then, Harper had already


    made her move. With a mysterious light shing across her eyes, the Holy Maiden sprinkled something


    in the air while murmuring some words. Whatever she did had the snakes and bugs scatter and leave


    instantly.


    "I don''t think they will be approaching us anymore. Let''s go."


    An hourter, they finally reached the top of the mountain. Looking at the pce made of white jade in


    front of them, Harper couldn''t help but admire the sight.


    "I heard that the Starry Pce is as beautiful as the fairy pce in the sky. Today I finally get to see it.


    It''s fantastic."


    "Do you like this kind of pce?" Matthew asked in a low voice. "I''ll build one for you someday."


    "It would cost a lot to build such a pce, and it''s befitting to hide a beauty in it." Harper rolled her eyes


    at him. "You want to hide a beauty in it?"


    "I just told you I''d give you whatever you like. In this way, you don''t need to admire anyone," said


    Matthew casually.


    Harper felt awkward as she let out a sigh. The Holy Maiden would surely be furious if she heard what


    he said.


    "The Starry Pce looks fabulous and magnificent, but it is deste like the Cold Pce. I would


    prefer to live in a smaller house, with rtives, friends, and..." The Holy Maiden paused for a while. "It''s


    too cold to live here all alone."


    Harper had some sympathy for the Holy Maiden. Living in the cold Starry Pce alone since she was a


    child, she must have yearned for life outside of it. But as the Holy Maiden, all she could do was restrain


    her envy, and she was even not allowed to show her emotions.


    "Everyone thinks it is a great honor to live in the beautiful Starry Pce, but no one knows how cold it


    is here. It''s too barren to live in such an enormous pce alone. You should find someone to give you


    company, even if it''s just a maid," Harper suggested.


    "It''s not as if I didn''t feel the same way. However, once inside the Starry Pce, there are rules to


    follow. No one could stand the rules and regtions, so they left after a while. After that, I stopped


    asking people toe and stay with me." The Holy Maiden turned to Harper and gently asked,


    "Harper, do you feel lonely sometimes?"


    After thinking it over, Harper shook her head without hesitation. "No. My husband will always be with


    me."


    Matthew smiled pleasantly. He looked at Harper with approval. It drove the Holy Maiden to feel a little


    envious of Harper, who didn''t know what it was like to have worries.


    "I am so envious of you."


    "Your Grace, there are countless people in South Kingdom who admire you. I don''t understand why


    you''d be envious of me." Harper had been studying the Holy Maiden''s expression. When she was done


    talking, the Holy Maiden''s eyes flickered to Matthew.


    A trace of suspicion shed in Harper''s eyes. ''Is the Holy Maiden desperate for love? But ording to


    the rules of South Kingdom, she can never get married nor have children. So, is that the reason why


    she is envious of me?'' But it was human nature. The Holy Maiden was young and certainly wanted to


    be loved. Being so inherently human and romantic made her even more adorable.


    "Everyone believes that as the Holy Maiden, in a lofty position, I can get anything I want. However, they


    do not understand that there are many rules I have to abide by. I can''t get what I long for and instead


    should get what I don''t want. I have many worries that ordinary people don''t know of, and many people


    can''t understand," the Holy Maiden said as she opened the gate. "Let''s go. I''ll show you around the


    Starry Pce first."


    "Thank you so much, Your Grace."

 Chapter 748 What It Meant To Be A Sister (Part One)

    Chapter 748 What It Meant To Be A Sister (Part One)


    Harper followed the Holy Maiden as they entered the Starry Pce. While they were walking, she was


    very impressed by the ce''syout. The Holy Maiden merely smiled in a nonchnt way, but she


    seemed to be more like a human beingpared to thest time when Harper saw her. She was


    walking with Harper side by side while she introduced the ce using a soft voice. asionally, she


    would tell some interesting stories about the South Kingdom. Harper found all of them very interesting.


    "What is that ce?" Harper asked out of the blue while she pointed to a building with a round roof


    located at the center of the Starry Pce. It stood out to her because it seemed like the whole pce


    encircled it, as if the entire ce had been built around it. But what was strange about it was that it


    didn''t have a door.


    Upon hearing her question, the Holy Maiden changed her expression for a second. Then she said in a


    gentle voice, "It''s the library of the Starry Pce. Arge number of the South Kingdom''s precious


    books are carefully ced in there."


    "Ah, I see. That''s very impressive. But why doesn''t it have a door? Without any door, how could people


    go inside? Is it through the wall? If that was the case, then people would have a bleeding head every


    time they would go in." Harper asked some more questions. She was very curious about it.


    Her assumptions made the Holy Maidenugh. She shook her head and responded, "It''s not that it


    doesn''t have a door. There''s a door leading into the library. But it would only open when I and a


    member of the royal family need to go inside."


    "May I go inside it?" Harper innocently asked while she pointed at herself.


    The Holy Maiden shook her head in response. "Unfortunately, you can''t go inside. The library is the


    most sacred ce in the South Kingdom. Outsiders are not allowed to enter. If anyone forces


    themselves into the library, I''m afraid it will just backfire on them."


    "Backfire? What does the ''backfire'' refer to?" Harper was so surprised that her eyes immediately went


    wide.


    "It''s like some sort of punishment directly from heaven. Fire and thunder will fall from heaven to punish


    those who are disrespectful to the library," the Holy Maiden said slowly.


    However, Harper merely shrugged her shoulders and did not take it seriously. "I''m just curious. Don''t


    worry. I won''t force my way inside. Actually, I don''t even think I''m capable of doing so. After all, how


    could I do it when there is no door?"


    The Holy Maiden grinned with one of her hands covering her mouth. After a few seconds, she then


    said, "I already told you, there is a door indeed. It''s just that outsiders don''t know where it is. Well,


    you''re free to visit every corner and room inside the Starry Pce except for the library."


    "Okay, I''ll keep that in mind," Harper replied. She then held the Holy Maiden''s hand as they continued


    to go forward, as if the library was just an inconspicuous ce that she could forget at any time.


    Meanwhile, Matthew was casually following them from behind. He took a nce at the library with


    thoughts about the hidden door. To be more precise, it was more than just hidden¡ªit was the most


    well-kept secret of the entire kingdom. Except for the Holy Maiden, no one could open the door and no


    one knew how to open it. That he had activated the mechanism to open the library earlier should be a


    mere coincidence.


    The Holy Maiden noticed from the corner of her eye that Matthew was looking at the library with very


    intense and careful eyes. She didn''t react that much but simply smiled instead. She was well aware of


    how difficult it would be to open the door of that ce. If anyone wanted to break into the library by


    force, the library would be ruined. All the things inside of it were extremely precious. She thought that


    nobody would be so stupid and cruel as to destroy the library.


    After they had been wandering around for quite some time, a guard suddenly came. He then reported,


    "Your Grace, Her Highness is here. She''s waiting for you in the front hall."


    When she heard this, the Holy Maiden let out a helpless sigh. "She hasn''t given up after all these


    years, still being so stubborn."


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    "Her Highness? Is it Princess Diana, if I may ask?" Harper asked with the utmost interest.


    "Yes, it''s her. Who else would consider the Starry Pce to be a food market where she could pay a


    visit any time as long as she likes it?" the Holy Maiden replied in aplicated tone. It seemed like she


    was irritated but at the same time, helpless that she was about to deal with Diana.


    "I have to meet her. You guys can wander the ce from here on. Make yourselves at home, please. I''ll


    come back and see youter," the Holy Maiden said. After that, she turned around and flew away


    elegantly. Harper turned her gaze from her receding figure to Matthew.


    "What do you think of it?" Harper asked with eagerness in her eyes.


    "I think those two have a deep connection," Matthew casually stated with a hint of sarcasm.


    "I meant the library!" Harper reminded him in a helpless tone. The door of the library needed to be


    opened with some secret method. That was why she asked his opinion about it.


    "Besides the Holy Maiden, no one can open the door of the library. Even when members of the royal


    family of the South Kingdom need to enter the library, they would still need the Holy Maiden to open the


    door for them," Matthewmented with a frown on his face.


    "It''s just like the Secret Pavilion of the Bright Dynasty that can be opened only by the chief guard,


    right?" Harper asked with confusion.


    At her words, Matthew recalled that the door of the Secret Pavilion would just automatically open


    whenever Harper would demand to go inside. At that moment, he didn''t know how to answer her. If he


    gave her an affirmative reply, then he could not exin why she was able to go inside the Secret


    Pavilion so easily. If he gave her a negative reply, he was afraid that she would take the risk of opening


    the door in person. He had firsthand experience with the various gears in the library so he clearly knew


    how dangerous they were. He wouldn''t risk the possibility of Harper trying to open the door and getting


    hurt in the process.


    "Leave it to me. I''ll try to find a way inside. Don''t worry. I will take care of it for you," Matthew answered


    in a calm tone after thinking about it in silence for a while.


    "Thanks, honey. Well, let''s go to the front hall to watch a good show," Harper then suggested with an


    impish smile on her face. Matthew knocked her head softly but returned a doting smile. Harper merely


    tucked her tongue out in response. Hand in hand, they made their way towards the front hall.


    A few moments before, Diana was sitting on the main seat in the front hall. Her legs were crossed as


    she sat idly. The Holy Maiden entered the hall and looked at her from a distance. Then, she shifted her


    focus to the main seat. With a wave of her hand, Diana was forced to leave the main seat. To be more


    exact, she almost fell to the ground. Now, she looked like a mess.


    "Catherine, why did you even do that?" Diana eximed in rage.

 Chapter 749 What It Meant To Be A Sister (Part Two)

    Chapter 749 What It Meant To Be A Sister (Part Two)


    Ignoring herint, the Holy Maiden casually sat down in the main seat and looked at Diana with a


    cold expression on her face. "Princess Diana, what brings you here?"


    Diana gritted her teeth with a ferocious look and responded, "I heard that you invited Prince Matthew


    and his wife to visit the Starry Pce. Is that true?"


    "I don''t think I need to report this to you. Whether it''s true or not, I don''t think it has anything to do with


    you. Please don''t fret about matters that don''t concern you. You can leave now if you don''t have any


    other questions. I have guests to entertain and I''m very busy," the Holy Maiden perfunctorily replied.


    "Catherine, please keep in mind that you''re my elder sister!" Diana eximed in anger. She was


    bing more and more anxious. Now that Matthew and Harper were in the Starry Pce, it would


    be an excellent chance for her. As long as the Holy Maiden, Catherine, would help her in detaining


    Matthew, Diana was sure that it would be much easier to deal with Harper.


    However, Catherine grew angry. Her eyes became colder and colder while she stared at Diana. "You


    can''t say things like that. Diana, you should remember that as the Holy Maiden, I don''t have any


    rtives or friends anymore. I''m an orphan!"


    Diana was rendered speechless when she heard that. Catherine was only telling the truth. The day


    when she became the Holy Maiden, she was no longer her elder sister. However, they still had the


    same blood running in their veins. So, Dianna insisted that they were still sisters.


    "Please, sister, I need your help!" Diana started begging. She had finally figured out that Catherine


    wouldn''t help her if she demanded for help forcefully. So she decided to try another way. By pretending


    to be very pitiful, she was attempting to knock into Catherine''s heart.


    Catherine, on the other hand merely sneered, "Humph. You need my help? You must be kidding me.


    There is nothing in this world that I can do to help you. And even if I can, I would never do it. I''m not


    going to say it again. Leave, right now." Emphasizing on herst three words, Catherine firmly and


    slowly told her sister off.


    "Catherine! I''m showing you kindness and this is how you''re treating me! You should see it as an


    honor! Don''t test my patience now!" Diana warned in a stern tone. She was so furious that her face


    turned red. In her opinion, they were still sisters and what she was trying to do was for the sake of the


    South Kingdom. So she couldn''t understand why Catherine was so opposed to her.


    Despite this, Catherine remained distant and indifferent. There was no expression on her face at all. On


    the contrary, there were so many emotions on Diana''s face¡ªdisappointment, sadness, but most of all


    anger. She became so furious from the embarrassment that she really wanted to fight Catherine at that


    moment. In fact, they did do it within minutes. When Harper and Matthew arrived a few moments after


    that, the two of them were so engaged in the fight that it was hard to separate them. Both of them were


    good at using poison, but they didn''t use any kind of poison this time. They resorted to physical


    aggression, making use of their martial arts skills.


    "I would have never expected in a million years for the Holy Maiden to be quite good at fighting. I


    mean, she did look so gentle and even fragile at times. Diana has a bad temper, so it affects her


    performance in a fight easily. And now that Francis has be her husband, I''m kind of curious


    whether she has control over him," Harpermented while her eyes went wide at the sight of the two


    women fighting.


    When Matthew heard Harper''s remark about the rtionship between Francis and Diana without any


    pressure or emotional burden, he was very happy. Francis had tried to take Harper away from him


    again and again. But now, his wife Francis had been obsessing with wasmenting on the man''s


    personal life with another woman in a mocking tone. What was more, she had grown to dislike Francis


    very much. With this in mind, Matthew immediately felt that it was so good to have one fewer


    competitor.


    They continued to watch the two women who were fighting very fiercely. Harper noticed that Diana did


    not show any mercy with her every strike while the Holy Maiden was very kind. She even avoided


    attacking Diana''s vital parts. If she also attacked with all her might, Harper was afraid that Diana would


    have been beaten to the floor long ago.


    With the spectacle in front of her, Harper became lost in her thoughts. She pondered whether the Holy


    Maiden was being so considerate because tradition waspelling her not to hurt any member of the


    South Kingdom''s royal family. So even though Diana came barging in to provoke her, she still found it


    in her to tolerate the woman. But judging from the ruthless expression on Diana''s face, Harper felt that


    she was so determined to kill the Holy Maiden right there and then.


    All of a sudden, Diana blurted out, "Catherine, stop being so stubborn! We both know that if it weren''t


    you who hindered me, it''s me who would have be the Holy Maiden!" What she just said surprised


    everyone in the hall except for the Holy Maiden. Harper had not expected that there was such a history


    between the two.


    However, what Diana said only irritated the Holy Maiden even more. She was already at her wit''s end


    and that was thest straw. She decided not to show any mercy in the fight anymore. With her full


    strength, she attacked Diana, and not long after, thetter was extremely injured. Lying on the floor,


    Diana red at the Holy Maiden with so much resentment.


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    "I hindered you?" Catherine asked firmly. She forced a bitter smile and was almost in tears. In a very


    loud voice, she then asked, "Do you think I was willing to be the Holy Maiden? Do you think I wanted


    this? How dare you use that against me! Go back and ask your dear father why I was selected but not


    you!" Catherine refused to call the king of the South Kingdom as her father.


    At that moment, Diana was frightened by the expression on Catherine''s face. From Diana''s memory,


    Catherine had always been pure and gentle since they were children. She had never been rude to


    anyone. She would just smile a little while being so courteous to everyone. No one could find any


    mistake in her behavior. Their father and themoners all believed that she was extremely qualified


    to be the Holy Maiden. No one would have expected that she was capable of being filled with rage all


    her life.


    "Didn''t you drug me so I could pass out at that time?" Diana asked, still surprised about what happened


    back then.


    Catherine turned around, refusing to look at her. "It''s true that we''re sisters, but I''m not kind enough to


    sacrifice myself just to make you happy. I''ve never wanted to be the Holy Maiden. And yes, I knew that


    this had been your dream since we were kids. That''s why, I was willing to let you have the position so


    you can fulfill your wish. But in the end, you didn''t show up!"


    "No, it''s not like that. It''s you¡ª" Diana tried to say something but Catherine interrupted her, "It doesn''t


    matter now. There''s nothing we can do to change those have happened in the past. You''re living a


    happy and free life as the daughter of the South Kingdom''s king. Meanwhile, I''m the Holy Maiden who


    is said to be pure and innocent. You can enjoy your life, while I must obey strict rules. I can''t even


    entertain the thoughts of other possibilities. You know what? It''s not that easy. I didn''t choose this life!


    And you even darede here and use me of wanting it for myself. You crossed the line. So you''d


    better not appear in front of me ever again. Leave right now! Otherwise, I can''t promise that I would


    restrain myself from hurting you. Don''t evere here again." Tears ran down from Catherine''s


    cheeks. For so long, she just wanted to live a happy and simple life where she could be free with the


    one she loved and cherished. But everything changed since that night ten years ago. It was Diana who


    was supposed to be the Holy Maiden. But somehow, it had be her instead.


    Diana struggled to stand up from the floor while looking at Catherine''s unforgiving back. After listening


    to her, she became more confused. She stumbled out of the hall in haste. All she wanted to do then


    was to go back and ask her father what actually happened ten years ago.


    After Diana left, Catherine cried silently by herself in the front hall. For quite some time, tears only


    flowed from her eyes. Harper then eyed Matthew, suggesting that it was a good chance for him to go to


    the library. Now, Catherine was sad because of Diana''s visit, so she was very frustrated and needed


    some time to calm herself down. Harper decided that she would stay here tofort Catherine while


    Matthew could wander around and try to sneak into the library.


    Matthew hesitated for a moment but yielded in the end. He then said in a concerned tone, "Okay, but


    you must be extremely careful here."


    "Yes, I will. You must be careful as well," Harper replied softly so only Matthew could hear her.

 Chapter 750 A Disobedient Snake (Part One)

    Chapter 750 A Disobedient Snake (Part One)


    After Matthew left, Harper slowly walked into the hall. As soon as she heard the footsteps, Catherine


    wiped her tears and pretended nothing had happened. She turned around and discovered it was


    Harper. "Did you see everything?" she asked.


    "No, I was worried, so I decided to check up on you. I know how wayward Princess Diana is," Harper


    said as she approached. "Your Grace, did you cry?"


    "No, I didn''t. I just had something in my eyes," Catherine said, her voice as gentle as ever. Her tone


    didn''t give away any of her feelings. There was no trace of sadness on her face now.


    "Your Grace, do you want to hear a story?" Harper turned around, sat down on the stairs, and looked at


    the scenery outside. When Catherine didn''t move, she patted the ce beside her. "You''ve told me so


    many stories about the South Kingdom today. Now let me tell you a story."


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    Catherine walked gracefully to Harper and sat down next to her as Harper started telling her story. "I


    remember when I first came to the Starry Pce, I enjoyed sitting on stairs like this and looking


    outside. I wondered when my family woulde and visit. However, as the days turned to years, they


    never showed up. Later, when I realized that they would never visit me, I stopped sitting here and


    waiting for them," Catherine said sadly.


    "Your Grace, once upon a time, there was a little girl just like you. She spent years hoping that her


    father could pay more attention to her. That girl did a lot of things in hopes of that happening. Instead,


    her father ended up hating her more and more. Things escted to the extent that he''d even wanted


    her to die," "What happened to that girl then?"


    Catherine asked in a clear but angry voice.


    "She lived a good life while her father lost everything. He ended up living in pain for the rest of his life."


    Harper told Catherine the entire story of the little girl. When she exined how the father didn''t hesitate


    to take the girl''s life for the promising future of his concubine''s daughter, Catherine''s face turned grim.


    "That damn father!"


    "Yes, such a father really deserved nothing but death," Harper intoned. "It is said that even a vicious


    tiger would never eat its cubs. He was worse than a beast. He tried his best to secure personal gains


    all his life and used his children to strive for a brighter future. But in the end, he found out that the son


    and daughter he loved most were not his biological children. It turned out that he had raised another


    man''s children for almost twenty years, which he had treated as the apples of his eye."


    "Karma got him then," Catherine said forcefully. "He deserved it. He toyed with his own child''s life to


    pave the path for another man''s children. It had to be karma."


    "That''s precisely how I feel. God is always watching what humans do. Evil people will eventually pay for


    their deeds, and it''s only a matter of time." Even though Harper''s tone was devoid of any emotion,


    Catherine felt a chill from her words.


    "Is this your personal story?"


    "No, of course not. It''s someone else''s story," Harper said gravely. "By the way, your performance of


    the worship dance was absolutely incredible. I heard that envoys from different countries woulde


    all the way here to watch the ceremony. Why were the Bright Dynasty''s envoys the only ones present?"


    "Today''s worship was merely the opening. The actual Worship Ceremony will take ce in five days. I


    guess the envoys from the other two countries will be arriving in a couple of days."


    Harper frowned at the exnation. The invitation letter to the Bright Dynasty had stated the Worship


    Ceremony was scheduled for today. However, the South Kingdom''s Holy Maiden was now iming that


    the Worship Ceremony would be held in five days. Harper wondered why they were given different


    dates.


    "I thought that was today. My husband and I had decided on leaving the South Kingdom capital as soon


    as we saw the Worship Ceremony s we almost sold out our herbs. We weren''t aware that today''s


    ceremony was merely an opening show," Harper said in a t tone. She wasn''t sure whether to be d


    or to be angry, but her eyes looked cold. Why did Francis make them go to the South Kingdom so


    ahead of time?


    "Where is your husband?"


    "He said he wanted to take a walk by himself. He should be returning right about now," Harper


    responded carefully. As soon as her words were out, she caught sight of Matthew''s handsome figure


    slowly approaching them.


    "Darling, did you enjoy the scenery around the Starry Pce?" Harper''s face split with a smile.


    "The entire Starry Pce is all white. It looks deste if I''m being honest. There is not much to see


    here," Matthew answered simply.


    After hisment, the Holy Maiden''s eyes misted over. Everyone thought the Starry Pce was great,


    but that wasn''t true. It was white, cold, and still. It did not differ from a cold pce, except that it looked


    more luxurious.


    "It''s gettingte. We should probably return now," Harper said in a gentle voice. "I wille to see you


    again some other time."


    "Okay." The Holy Maiden saw them off, then went to the library. Seeing that there was nothing out of


    ce, she left.


    On their way down the mountain, Matthew grabbed Harper and rushed all the way to the bottom at a


    high speed. They were like a blur to the guards stationed on duty as they passed them. It didn''t take


    the couple long to arrive at the foot of the mountain.


    "What did you find out?" Harper asked in a low voice on the way.


    "The library changed again. I couldn''t find a way to get in. I''m afraid we won''t be able to get inside the


    library without the Holy Maiden''s help," Matthew answered, frowning at what that meant. "I''m afraid it


    will not be easy for us to get in."

 Chapter 751 A Disobedient Snake (Part Two)

    Chapter 751 A Disobedient Snake (Part Two)


    "I also managed to gather a piece of news," Harper said, gritting her teeth. "The real Worship


    Ceremony will be held in five days. Today''s ceremony was just their disy of prayers before the real


    one takes ce."


    Hearing that, Matthew scowled slightly. "So, there was something amiss with the invitation letter sent to


    the Bright Dynasty."


    "Or, maybe there was nothing wrong with the invitation letter. Maybe someone deliberately made us


    come here sooner than we should have," Harper muttered. "I guess the Wonder Kingdom''s and the


    Great Jade Kingdom''s envoys will arrive in a couple of days. I wonder who the Great Jade Kingdom will


    send as their envoy leader."


    "It can''t be Rndo," said Matthew firmly.


    Harper agreed with him. "As the emperor of the Great Jade Kingdom, Rndo would not risk his life. I


    wonder who he will send in his stead."


    "Most likely their newly appointed prime minister."


    "What kind of person is he?"


    "He is a very shameless man." It was the first time for Matthew to insult someone so vehemently.


    Clearly, he disliked the new prime minister.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    That immediately piqued Harper''s curiosity and interest in knowing more about this new prime minister.


    She wanted to know what kind of person would prompt Matthew to describe him as shameless.


    Rndo looked like an other-worldly being. But Harper had a hard time imagining what the prime


    minister was like.


    After returning to the inn, Harper and Matthew discreetly conferred with the secret guards. They then


    had to go back to the envoy''s team. Their entrance to the South Kingdom''s capital would need to be


    public. When they entered the Starry Pce''s library, they would be Prince Matthew and his wife.


    Failing her task, Becky made her way to the envoy''s temporary residence. Once there, she found both


    Matthew and Harper inside. The sight of the couple shocked her. It even made her question if she had


    gone to the wrong ce.


    But no, one look at the sign and she knew she was in the right ce. It meant that both Matthew and


    Harper were back in the envoy''s fold. There was no way for her to separate them now.


    "Your Highnesses." Becky had no choice but to bow and greet them despite how much she hated doing


    it.


    Harper was amid ying with a crimson snake that she had caught, so she was not in the mood to deal


    with Becky. Matthew didn''t want to respond to her either. Kneeling on the ground, Becky felt rather


    embarrassed. She wanted to stand up, but Matthew hadn''t given her permission to do so, so she


    remained in position. However, if she kept kneeling on the ground, she would lose face.


    "Your Highnesses," Becky greeted the couple in a much higher voice.


    Frowning, Harper asked, "Do you have anything important to say to us? If not, you can just leave. I''m


    training my new pet. Don''t bother me."


    Becky''s face turned red in embarrassment when she heard that. She turned to look at Matthew. But he


    was watching Harper as she yed with the snake on the table. He didn''t even bother to take a nce


    at her.


    Gritting her teeth, Becky stood up and turned to leave. With onest deep simmering look at Harper full


    of murderous intent, she finally left.


    Suddenly, Harper reached out and pinched the area above the snake''s heart. "You''re such a naughty


    little thing," She scolded. "Even though you''ve fallen into my hands, you still don''t know who has control


    over your life. Do you still think you''re king of the snakes, running freely in the jungle?"


    "If you don''t like Becky, kill her," Matthew pointed out in a t tone. "She''s a poisonous snake circling


    around us, ready to jump out and bite at any moment. While we might not fear her, it''s still


    ufortable knowing she''s always around."


    Harper shook her head and said, "Forget about her. No need to get our hands dirty by dealing with


    someone so unworthy. Since she likes to court death, just let her do it. I wonder what a show Francis


    has prepared for us for he even goes so far as to corrupt the woman like that."


    Matthew sneered, "He not only married the South Kingdom''s princess, but he also seduced the Secret


    Pavilion''s leader. I hadn''t expected him to fall to such an extent."


    Hearing that, Harper stretched out her finger and flicked the snake''s head. As a result, it fell on the


    table, motionless. When it started moving again, it looked at Harper cautiously, not daring to attack


    again.


    Harper stretched out a finger, with a drop of blood at the tip. The snake''s eyes opened wide at the sight


    of the blood. It slithered closer to Harper. It wasn''t until it was sure Harper wouldn''t beat it again that it


    tentatively stretched out its tongue to lick the drop of blood.


    "What are you doing?" Matthew asked in confusion.


    "Feeding it. Although this crimson snake is very young, it can be quite useful if well trained. Since Rena


    and her father destroyed my Golden Cicada, I haven''t had any powerful poison source. I decided to


    train a crimson snake in its ce," Harper exined to Matthew.


    Hearing Harper mention Johnson and Rena reminded Matthew of the wound in Harper''s chest. She


    had almost died to save him.


    "Harp."


    "Yes, is there something wrong?"


    "From now on, no matter what happens, you are not allowed to risk your life to save anybody else,


    including me," Matthew said as he held Harper''s hands in his. "Promise me."


    Harper found his reaction amusing. "You can no longer get poisoned or sustain an injury. What kind of


    mortal danger can you face? What could happen that would require me to risk my life? As long as you


    are fine, I will be fine."

 Chapter 752 The Envoy From The Great Jade Kingdom (Part One)

    Chapter 752 The Envoy From The Great Jade Kingdom (Part One)


    Matthew was not satisfied with Harper''s answer. So he exerted a little bit more strength in pinching her


    to make it a little painful. In return, she frowned at him. Instantly, the red snake bent its body to attack


    him, but Harper stretched out her hand to grab its tail. She then threw it far away from them.


    Matthew loosened his hold on Harper. He then noticed that her hand had turned red because of his


    grip. Gently, he took hold of her hand with both of his and rubbed it with his utmost carefulness. "That


    little thing has very fast instincts to protect its master! You have spent so much time raising it and as it


    turns out, it''s worthwhile. Only, it''s so blind that it even wanted to bite me."


    With that, they both looked at the red snake which she had thrown earlier. It didn''t understand why it


    got punished after attacking the one who was hurting its master. At that moment, it drooped its head,


    not daring to approach Harper.


    Harper waved her hand and the eyes of the snake lit up. Then, it crawled to her foot and climbed up


    along her leg, stopping on her wrist. It didn''t move after that, resting idly with its master. If anyone were


    to look at her without checking carefully, they would think that she was only wearing a pretty bracelet.


    "It could be used as a good weapon to plot against others." Matthew couldn''t help but say. Who would


    think that Harper would carry a red poisonous snake with her?


    Harper seemed to agree with him. She stated, "You may be right. After all, I don''t have any idea about


    Francis'' n, so I should be more vignt. Although I''m not afraid of poison, I don''t want to be injured,


    so I''d better be extra careful. Not to mention, the Wonder Kingdom which never involved themselves in


    anything like this, has also sent envoys to the South Kingdom this time, which made me feel uneasy."


    While she was conveying her thoughts, a hint of coldness shed in her eyes.


    "I''m afraid that the Wonder Kingdom has the same goal as us." Matthew was actually well aware of the


    situation in the Wonder Kingdom. For the past years, the kingdom had been keeping to themselves.


    They neither shed normunicated with any other nation. But now, they had started to get in touch


    with other countries again and even sent people to the South Kingdom. Plus with the records which


    they had seen in the Secret Pavilion, Matthew couldn''t help but think that the Wonder Kingdom must be


    nning on the other half of the Sacred Seal.


    "Well, let''s see who''ll rise to the asion and win."


    It waste at night when Harper was awakened by the noise outside. Still with groggy eyes, she


    reached out her hand to the space beside her. However, it was already empty.


    "Someone!" Harper had no choice but to exim.


    Forsythia pushed the door open and asked, "Your Highness, did they wake you up?"


    "What''s happening outside?" Harper rubbed her forehead because she suddenly felt pain in her


    temples. ''What is going on outside at midnight? This is the temporary dwelling pce for the envoys.


    Who would dare to cause trouble here? Do they want to get killed?'' There were so many questions on


    her mind.


    "Your Highness, an envoy from the Great Jade Kingdom just arrived. As soon as he did, he broke into


    our quarters. His Highness went out in an effort to send him away. Now, that envoy..." Forsythia was


    about to say something, but hesitated. For her, that envoy was too shameless.


    Because of that, Harper''s eyes lit up. "The envoy from the Great Jade Kingdom! Get me dressed. I


    need to go out and have a look."


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    Harper had been imagining what this specific envoy looked like. She even pondered on her mind the


    countless possibilities of his character. After getting dressed, she went outside in a rush. However,


    despite the numerous possibilities she had been thinking about, it seemed like there was one thing that


    slipped her mind. A tall man was not only dressed in women''s clothes and wearing make-up, but he


    was even pressing his fingers together like a sissy while speaking. He was obviously flirting with


    Matthew. It was not just intolerable, but it was unbearable for her to witness!


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    Therefore, under the hot weather in July, Harper did not hesitate to greet the envoy of the Great Jade


    Kingdom. She poured a basin of hot water on him which ultimately shocked everyone on the spot.


    Naturally, it seemed like the envoy was a little surprised. He even forgot to put his crossed fingers back.


    The rouge on his face was wet, and instantly, it was sliding down his cheeks. His colorful face which


    had been perfect just a few seconds ago was now too miserable to be seen. The woman''s clothes


    were wet as well. They stuck to his body, revealing his strong chest.


    If Matthew were beingpletely honest, he was quite satisfied with his wife''s brave behavior. "Seems


    like we woke you up," he said.


    Harper handed the basin to Forsythia. She then straightened her back before responding, "Yes, you


    did. Who would have thought that I would be frightened as soon as I came out? My hand trembled and


    before I knew it, water was thrown into the air. Please forgive me, sir."


    The envoy, also the new prime minister of the Great Jade Kingdom, Miguel Hua, was considered to be


    a man of a high position. So in an instant, he pulled himself together, wiped the water on his face


    coquettishly and said, "It doesn''t matter. I''m pleased that such a beauty poured water on me. Tell me


    then, lovely, do you want to be a guest in my room? I just brought some good tea and I want to have a


    cup with you. What do you think?"


    Harper stepped forward with a broad smile, which ultimately dazzled Miguel. But before long, she had


    grabbed the man by the chin and quickly opened her mouth. "I don''t care. I don''t know that Chodak¡ª


    No, we should call him Rndo now. I didn''t know that Rndo would like someone with style such as


    yours."


    Miguel held Harper''s hand and said, "His Majesty doesn''t like my style. He likes..."


    Before he could finish speaking, Matthew hit Miguel''s wrist with his palm. "Let her go!" Miguel was


    taken aback. He immediately released his grip on Harper''s hand, tilted his body, and was about to fall


    into Matthew''s arms.


    "Your Highness, if you don''t want me to hold a woman''s hand, just tell me. I''ve already told you that I


    will do anything for you as long as you ask me to."


    The next second, Matthew moved to avoid Miguel and ce his arm around Harper''s waist. Miguel


    almost fell to the ground, but midway, he stood up on his feet. Looking at the vignt Matthew, he felt


    bored.


    "That''s not funny at all. I went on a long journey, without stopping for days and nights toe here


    sooner. I did it so I can see you much earlier but you''re so ruthless and indifferent to me," Miguel


    grumbled.

 Chapter 753 The Envoy From The Great Jade Kingdom (Part Two)

    Chapter 753 The Envoy From The Great Jade Kingdom (Part Two)


    One of the other envoys from the Great Jade Kingdom covered his face with his hand. ''You went on a


    long journey, without stopping for days and nights? But you didn''t even notice how much fun you were


    having on the way. When it was almost time to arrive in the South Kingdom''s capital, you changed into


    some terrible clothes to disgust Prince Matthew. You didn''t even blink when you lied!''


    "Miguel Hua, are you tired of being a man?" Matthew asked in a threatening tone.


    Miguel rolled up his sleeves, then pressed his fingers together like a sissy again. "What are you talking


    about? It''s all because of you. If it wasn''t for you, I wouldn''t have made myself look like this. Well since


    you''re so heartless, I don''t have to disguise myself as a woman for you," he said, maintaining the flirty


    tone that he had since he arrived.


    "Well, that would be great!" Matthew snorted. He had long been fed up with Miguel''s feminine style.


    And since the man had given up and chose not to disgust him anymore, Matthew could not be more


    satisfied.


    Miguel put away his crossed fingers and winked at Harper. "Lovely, it''s my fault for bothering you while


    you were sleeping tonight. I''lle and apologize to you tomorrow."


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    "There''s no need," Harper indifferently stated. She didn''t want to see this colorful face in the morning or


    any time of the day for that matter. It would certainly be a great challenge for her.


    Miguel didn''t make things difficult for them any further. He dly left with his people at that very


    moment. After he disappeared, a young man next to him walked up to them and apologetically said to


    Matthew, "Your Highnesses, I''m so sorry. Our prime minister just likes to y around. Please forgive


    him for disturbing you."


    "Tell your master to mind his behaviors." With a snort of contempt, Matthew ced his arm around


    Harper''s waist and walked back to the room. He was so bothered and frightened by this man in the


    middle of the night. He didn''t expect that he was so hateful that he would deliberately disturb them


    while they were sleeping.


    Harper coughed twice before speaking. "I would have never assumed that the new prime minister of


    the Great Jade Kingdom would be like this. Perhaps he does have talents that are very unique and


    special."


    Special... The corners of Matthew''s mouth twitched a little. "He''s sick. That''s what he is!"


    "It''s a pity that I don''t have the treatment for him." Harper shook her head helplessly. She thought that


    even if she were the greatest physician in thend, she still wouldn''t be able to cure him.


    "You don''t need to pay attention to him. From now on, no matter what he says or does, just ignore him.


    You can even pretend not to see or hear him." Matthew had a feeling that Miguel''sst nce was


    meaningful. Rndo had sent this person out and must have been trying to say something through the


    man.


    "Okay." Harper nodded at him with a small smile.


    Meanwhile, the officials of the South Kingdom who received the envoys breathed a sigh of relief after


    escorting the kingdom''s new prime minister to their house. The only one who had the nerve to provoke


    Matthew was standing right in front of them. Anybody else would have been chopped off by the prince.


    But this man was so lucky that the prince endured it and didn''t kill him!


    After taking a bath, Miguel came out of the bathroom. At that time, York was standing outside, waiting


    for him. "What do you think?"


    "What do you mean, master? Do you mean Prince Matthew or his wife? Or the receptionists from the


    South Kingdom?" York asked with caution.


    Miguel hit York''s head lightly before saying, "The one I''m interested in!"


    "Prince Matthew doesn''t like you!" York blurted out due to the pressure that Miguel was giving him.


    Miguel red at York and eximed, "I''m not interested in him. I''m only interested in the woman who


    caused our master''s right arm to be disabled!"


    York raised his eyebrows. "You felt it yourself, right? Unapologetically, she poured a basin of warm


    water on you on this hot summer day. How did it feel?"


    As a result, Miguel red at him even more. He then asked, "Well, do you want to try it yourself? I''ll


    dly pour one on you myself."


    "No, I don''t. I just thought that you should be very knowledgeable about Princess Harper," York


    respectfully responded. He then quietly thought to himself, ''Thedy is really capable and brave since


    she had the audacity to pour water on our prime minister!''


    With a frown, Miguel didn''t respond to him and just remained silent. When their emperor was in the


    imperial capital of the Bright Dynasty, he came back with a disabled arm to save Harper. She was


    helpless at that time. However, she showed today that she was not as weak as he had thought. It was


    impossible for anyone who didn''t have any sufficient martial skills to pour water over him even when his


    defenses weren''t up.


    "Let''s test thisdy tomorrow," Miguel finally said.


    "Shall I?" York asked in confusion. He was afraid that with his status, he wouldn''t even be able to get


    close to Harper.


    "No, I''m going to do it. It is said that Prince Matthew dotes on his wife very much. Some even said that


    he''s obsessed with her. I''d like to see just how much he loves her," Miguel said with a smile.


    "Master, are you courting death?" York quickly asked, very much concerned for his master.


    Miguel hit York in the head once again. "Why haven''t you learned to speak with caution?"


    "I''m just telling you the truth. Everyone knows that you can never touch Princess Harper if you don''t


    want Prince Matthew''s wrath to follow you. In the South Kingdom, there''s a living example of this. Have


    you forgotten about that man who couldn''t be a prince anymore? He even has to hide in this kingdom.


    He now lives like a rat crossing the street, always afraid and wary of cats. And even though it has been


    so long, Prince Matthew still refuses to let him off the hook."


    Miguel only sneered at this. "Should I be afraid of him then? Not to mention that with his intentions, His


    Majesty will dere war against him sooner orter. We can never be friends. We can''t even be mere


    strangers but only enemies."


    It was met without an answer. York knew that his master and the emperor were like brothers to each


    other. When the emperor was in the Bright Dynasty, his master had everything under control in the


    Great Jade Kingdom for the past few years. If it weren''t for Miguel, how could the emperor manage the


    whole situation as soon as he went back to the Great Jade Kingdom? Since his master said Matthew


    was an enemy, then he must be an enemy.

 Chapter 754 Something From His Majesty (Part One)

    Chapter 754 Something From His Majesty (Part One)


    "Master, since Prince Matthew is our enemy, shall we take the first move so we can have the upper


    hand?" York asked after being silent for a while. In his opinion, if they could attack first and seed in


    killing Matthew, they would get rid of a big obstacle for Rndo''s sake. After all, everyone knew that


    Matthew was ruthless and powerful, so it would be good to kill such a formidable opponent in the first


    ce.


    "If you have the ability to kill him, why don''t you go and try it? I''m afraid that you''ll lose your life even


    before you''re inches apart from him. You should always think carefully before you act. Don''t be


    impulsive and reckless. Otherwise, you''ll just end up as a dead man. Nevertheless, I just want to see


    what kind of woman Harper is. After all, His Majesty didn''t hesitate to save her, even at the cost of


    losing an arm," Miguel said, his eyes filled with indifference. If he were to find out that Harper had


    plotted against Rndo so he could lose an arm, Miguel would not spare her.


    "Well, now that you''ve seen her in person, what kind of woman do you think she is?" York curiously


    asked. As a matter of fact, he admired Harper very much, because few people could put Miguel in an


    awkward position with so much ease. It was very hard to make him speechless about his grievance,


    but as it turned out, Harper was one of those people. Even the ferocious Matthew had always been


    enraged because of Miguel''s antics and he had never been able to vent his rage.


    "Soon enough, we''re going to see what kind of person she truly is!"


    "I hope you''re right. Anyways, I guess the envoys of the Wonder Kingdom will also arrive tomorrow. I


    have no idea who their leader is," York asked, ever so curious about everything.


    "It was said that it''s going to be Prince Kile, the third prince of the Wonder Kingdom. In fact, this


    particr prince has a special characteristic," Miguel stated while ying with the ring on his thumb.


    "A special characteristic?" York asked while tilting his head.


    "Yeah, a special characteristic," Miguel said with a meaningful smile on his face. He then silently


    thought to himself, ''It''s impossible for Prince Kile to take his eyes away from any beauty. What a


    coincidence! Lady Harper of the Bright Dynasty is one of the most beautiful women in thend.''


    York scratched his head, not knowing what Miguel meant. ''Master only said that Prince Kile has a


    special characteristic, but what could it be? Will it be helpful to us?'' he thought to himself.


    "Master, what is his special characteristic?"


    With disdain, Miguel red at York before impatiently responding, "He has always been obsessed with


    beautiful women."


    York immediately nodded his head in understanding. "Is he bold enough to go through extreme risks


    just for beautiful women?"


    "Haha, you''re so smart! Besides, it is said that he had even dared to flirt with the consorts of his father.


    Once he sees a beauty from a foreign country, how do you think is he going to react?" Miguel said


    while slowly shaking his head in amusement.


    "Master, do you n to use Prince Kile to test Lady Harper?" York finally understood the extent of his


    master''s plot. If Prince Kile of the Wonder Kingdom had an obsession with beautiful women, there were


    a lot of such in the South Kingdom. But obviously, none of them would have been Miguel''s target. Thus,


    the only possibility was that Miguel wanted to make use of the prince to test Harper.


    Early the next morning, Miguel went to the courtyard where the envoys of the Bright Dynasty were


    staying. However, he was refused ess and was driven away.


    "It''s said that the people of the Bright Dynasty are courteous, but it seems like the rumors are not true,"


    Miguelined. He was no longer wearing women''s clothes. However, even when he had returned


    to his normal clothes, it looked somewhat unusual in the eyes of other people. In fact, no one could


    me them because he was dressed provocatively. Although the clothes he was wearing were men''s


    clothes, he looked quite seductive in them. His robe was slit in the middle from his cor to his waist,


    revealing his bare chest. If any woman of the Bright Dynasty saw him in those kinds of clothes, they


    would certainly blush in embarrassment. Fortunately, the women from the South Kingdom were not so


    conservative and were dressed in a somewhat daring way. As a result, nobody questioned his clothing,


    but they couldn''t let him inside for fear that it would soil Harper''s eyes.


    "We''re in the South Kingdom now," Barry responded indifferently. Countless times, he had the impulse


    to brandish his sword towards the new prime minister of the Great Jade Kingdom. But every single


    time, he would manage to restrain himself. In his opinion, Miguel was too cunning. At that moment,


    Barry had no choice but to put up with it for fear that Miguel would y tricks on him.


    "I came here to visit Lady Harper and apologize to her for my reckless behaviorst night." As soon as


    he finished speaking, Miguel turned away to walk past Barry and entered the courtyard. But of course,


    Barry still refused to let him in. He immediately stopped Miguel, even before the man could enter the


    premises.


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    "Please conduct yourself with dignity, Prime Minister Miguel. His Highness said that nobody is allowed


    to see him," Barry said.


    "But I didn''te here to see him. I want to see his wife," Miguel dered, avoiding Barry once again


    as he continued to move toward the property.


    Because of the man''s persistence, Barry drew his sword and stood in front of Miguel. "Her Highness


    doesn''t want to see anyone either."


    "Dear Barry, you''re not being a good boy, are you?" Miguel said with a tender smile. Upon seeing that,


    Barry heard a warning bell ringing in his heart. Unfortunately, it was toote. In the blink of an eye, he


    faintly got down on one knee. He was too weak that he needed to support his own body with his sword.


    He couldn''t do anything aside from watching Miguel pass by him. Confidently, Miguel made his way


    inside while the rest of the guards were all lying on the ground.


    "You''re shameless!"


    "Thank you for thepliment." Miguel''s voice came through from a distance. Barry''s face turned


    green with anger. He had no choice but to sit down and try to remove the poison from his body first.


    Like what he had expected, Miguel was a person who would do anything at all costs just to achieve his


    goal. Even as the prime minister of a country, he didn''t hesitate to use such a dirty trick in broad


    daylight. Barry believed that he didn''t deserve to be a prime minister.


    Meanwhile, Harper and Matthew were having breakfast. When Matthew heard some footsteps, he put


    down his bowl and chopsticks. He then used his energy to rush towards Miguel, who was about to


    reach the door. Sensing the danger, Miguel quickly took a few steps back. Then he took a look at the


    space where he had stood just now. Suddenly, there was a pit in front of him. If he had been hit by


    Matthew''s energy, his bone would have been broken into pieces. In his heart, he could not help but


    curse how ruthless Matthew was.


    "Lady Harper, I came here to apologize to you," Miguel eximed while keeping a considerable


    distance from the door.

 Chapter 755 Something From His Majesty (Part Two)

    Chapter 755 Something From His Majesty (Part Two)


    Even before he could speak, Harper already knew that Miguel was on the premises. However, she


    didn''t want to see him as she could still remember how he had looked the night before. After all, she


    was enjoying her breakfast at that moment. So as much as possible, she didn''t want to vomit


    everything she had just eaten.


    "Pleasee back next time, Prime Minister Miguel. My wife is unwell, so it''s not a good time for her to


    receive any guest," Matthew firmly said, resolutely dismissing Miguel.


    Of course, Miguel refused to leave so easily. "Prince Matthew, Lady Harper and our emperor are good


    friends and they have gone through a lot of difficult and dangerous times together. This time, before I


    came to the South Kingdom, His Majesty repeatedly told me to pass on something to Lady Harper in


    person. Lady Harper, don''t you want to see me, even if it''s just for His Majesty''s sake?"


    Harper was rendered speechless because of the things that Miguel had just said. She couldn''t help but


    wonder what Rndo might have asked Miguel to give her.


    Meanwhile, Matthew only frowned with what Miguel had just informed them. By instinct, he felt that


    whatever it was that Miguel was supposed to give Harper, it wouldn''t be anything good. However,


    Rndo had two Heavenly Books in his hands. And if they wanted to know what had happened to the


    Qin n and the secrets about Harper''s body, they needed to have all three Heavenly Books


    altogether and get the Sacred Seal.


    "Let''s see him," Matthew finally said. When Harper didn''t utter a word in response and passively looked


    at him quietly, he felt that it was safe. So, he gestured the servant to allow Miguel toe in.


    As soon as Miguel entered the room, he directly sat next to Harper at the table. He grabbed a stuffed


    bun and threw it into his mouth. "I went to bedtest night so I got up veryte this morning. I haven''t


    had any breakfast yet."


    "Prepare a bowl and a pair of chopsticks for Prime Minister Miguel," Harper ordered right away.


    "You are so kind, unlike someone who tried to hurt me as soon as he heard that I was here," Miguel


    said while subtly peeking at Matthew. Although he was still dressed a little provocatively, he was


    behaving normally right then. Harper almost thought that he had two personalities, one at night and the


    other during the day.


    A maid fetched a bowl and a pair of chopsticks for Miguel. After being given the utensils, he began


    eating without hesitation. While still chewing his food, he sighed with utmost contentment. He then said,


    "The weather here in the South Kingdom is extremely hot and humid! I could hardly bear it. But this


    breakfast is really good. My trip has not been in vain."


    When Harper was already full and satisfied, she put down her bowl and chopsticks. She immediately


    noticed that Miguel ate up all of the ten stuffed buns on the table, two small dishes of pickles, and two


    bowls of porridge. She could not help but widen her eyes in shock as she admired Miguel''s appetite.


    After a while, Miguel finally put down his bowl and chopsticks. In a satisfied tone, he said, "It is said that


    beautiful women have the ability to encourage appetite. Looking at you right now, I can believe that it''s


    true. Today, I had breakfast at the same table with a beauty, so I was able to eat a lot. I''m actually quite


    surprised by myself."


    The corner of Harper''s mouth twitched at his words. "What did Rndo ask you to give me?" she


    asked straight on.


    When he heard that, Miguel winked at her and said, "Why don''t you try guessing?"


    Matthew removed his sword from his waist and ced it on top of the table. If Miguel attempted to fool


    them, he would not hesitate to stab Miguel furiously.


    "I don''t want to guess. After all, Rndo is different from you. If I guess correctly, you might change the


    answer, so no, I''m not going to do it."


    "Beauty, you don''t believe me. That hurts me so much," Miguelined, pretending to be


    heartbroken. Matthew unsheathed his sword and ced it on Miguel''s shoulder.


    Miguel chuckled in embarrassment before saying, "Take it easy. I''ll take it right now."


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    Harper took a cup of tea from Forsythia and had a sip of it gracefully. Then she said, "Prime Minister


    Miguel, please don''t mind my husband''s bad temper. It''s very obvious that he has been trying his best


    to restrain himself. If it was in the past, he would have killed you by now."


    With a calm smile, Miguel pinched Matthew''s sword with his fingers and carefully pushed it away from


    him. It was not until then that he took out a wad of paper from his pocket and handed it to Harper. "His


    Majesty is inviting you to visit the Great Jade Kingdom. The weather is rather pleasant for a trip right


    now. I''m sure you''re going to like it."


    "I should thank Emperor Rndo for his invitation¡ª" Harper was about to refuse the invitation, but she


    swallowed her words upon seeing what was on the paper. In fact, what Rndo had asked Miguel to


    give her was a copy of the other Heavenly Book. However, what was on her hands was notplete. It


    was only a part of the book.


    When he noticed the change in Harper''s demeanor, Matthew knew that whatever Miguel had brought


    to her must be something rted to the Heavenly Book. He could not help but grit his teeth while he


    thought that Rndo really knew what Harper cared about the most.


    "What happened to Rndo''s hand? When he left the imperial capital, he had not fully recovered yet,"


    Harper gently asked after putting away the copy of the Heavenly Book.


    Looking at Harper with so much interest, Miguel responded, "Well, he doesn''t have any problem using


    his hand for daily tasks. However, he can''t use a sword anymore. Since he was very skilled at using a


    sword before, it''s really a pity for him. By the way, I still remember when Prince Matthew went to the


    Great Jade Kingdom to escort Lady Lilian thest time, he actually harassed His Majesty without any


    mercy by using a sword."


    Miguel was trying his best to sow discord between the couple. ''His Majesty disabled his arm just to


    save you. But your husband was so shameless that he took advantage of His Majesty''s poor health


    condition and fought him using a sword."


    Harper turned to look at Matthew, who looked righteous without any hint of a guilty conscience.


    Whenever he would hurt other people, he didn''t care if they were disabled or in a good condition. Either


    way, he would harass them because he believed that they were asking for it.


    "And then?"


    "Naturally, your husband defeated His Majesty."


    "Is there anything else?" Harper asked. Disappointment was written all over her face.


    "Do you want to disable His Majesty''s other arm as well?"


    "I thought you were upset with my husband because he defeated Rndo. So you took revenge on


    him by wearing women''s clothes in an attempt to seduce him and even try to turn him gay," Harper said


    in a serious tone. She felt that with regards to what Miguel had donest night, her assumption actually


    made perfect sense!

 Chapter 756 The Wonder Kingdoms Third Prince

    Chapter 756 The Wonder Kingdom''s Third Prince


    The corner of Miguel''s eye was twitching. He moved his lips, but couldn''t say a word. Harper''s thought


    process was more wild and bold than what he''d expected. She believed that since Rndo had lost a


    fight to her husband, Miguel felt unwilling to ept such a defeat. Thus, to revenge for Rndo, Miguel


    seduced her husband in women''s clothing in hopes of turning him gay.


    Miguel''s expression didn''t change when he looked at Matthew. Then, he returned his gaze to Harper''s


    serious expression and said, "I like beautiful women."


    "Men can be beautiful too!"


    "I like women, not men." It was clear that Miguel had dug a hole for himself. In the past, he''d enjoyed


    poking fun at Matthew. But now that his actions had backfired, he wasn''t amused at all.


    "What a revtion! I always knew you were partial to handsome men. After all, you were the first man


    who threw your arms around Matthew the moment you saw him. Bold and open as you are..." Casting


    a nce at Miguel''s bare chest, Harper said. "Since Rndo is so gentle, I''m sure you''ve swooped on


    him as well. But I wonder if you can manage to turn your own emperor gay. If you can, I''d like to


    be his sworn sister. After all, epting a weirdo like you would be a phnthropic act."


    Miguel''s smile died on his face. He said bitterly, "Your Highness, you are making fun of me."


    "No, I am not. I am praising you. Not just anyone can manage such a coup," Harper said seriously.


    Conscious that he couldn''t win this argument, Miguel immediately shifted the topic. "The Wonder


    Kingdom''s delegation ising. It hasn''t been in contact with any of the three kingdoms in years. But


    now, it is trying to build a connection with the South Kingdom. Aren''t you curious as to what''s going on


    there?"


    The expression on Harper''s face didn''t change. She continued to drink her tea while Matthew wiped his


    sword. He asionally nced at Miguel with a cold look on his face, as if uncertain where to stab him


    first.


    Miguel flushed in embarrassment. He was a prime minister, for heaven''s sake. Although his behaviors


    last night had been wild and absurd, he had only wanted to rattle Matthew. Now that the matter was


    over with, Matthew and his wife were toying with him together. ''Your Majesty, it was difficult for you to


    take Harper away, '' Miguel thought carefully.


    "How about forming an alliance with me?" Miguel stopped ying around and proposed seriously. "It


    won''t be an alliance between the Great Jade Kingdom and the Bright Dynasty, but between you and


    me."


    "How would that benefit us?" asked Harper bluntly.


    "I''ll help you stall the Wonder Kingdom, so you can find what you''re searching for." Miguel put on a


    meaningful smile. His emperor''s predictions were never wrong. The couple''s real goal was the Sacred


    Seal hidden in the South Kingdom!


    The Wonder Kingdom''s delegation finally arrived at the South Kingdom''s capital a day before the


    Worship Ceremony started. As soon as theynded, a conflict brewed with the kingdom''s imperial


    family. The Wonder Kingdom''s lecherous third prince, Kile, also the envoy leader of the delegation, had


    taken a fancy to Diana once he saw her out on the street. He dered that she would be his and even


    fought with Diana''s guards. The only thing that had spared him from Diana''s wrath was finding out who


    he was.


    "Tsk-tsk, no wonder they call him an idiot. How could he take a fancy to that vicious woman Diana?!"


    Miguel shook his head. How could such an idiot plot against Harper? Harper would end his life in less


    time than it would take to roll her eyes.


    Hearing his master''s reproaching tone, York asked in confusion, "Master, since Prince Kile is such an


    idiot, we won''t be able to achieve our goal."


    "We don''t need him. He is no match for Harper," Miguel intoned. Although he didn''t know much about


    Harper, he knew that he shouldn''t underestimate her. Otherwise, he would be the one to suffer.


    "Master, do we still need to test Lady Harper?"


    "We don''t need to do it. Others will do it for us." Miguel''s eyes fell on Kile who was carried in by his


    guards. Even though he was an idiot, Kile was still a prince. Diana hadn''t killed him but she''d badly


    injured him.


    Kile screamed hysterically all the way back. His underlings didn''t dare to take revenge for him. It was


    his fault for flirting with the princess.


    "Your Highness, stop crying. We''ve sent for the imperial physician."


    "Ouch!" Upon hearing that, Kile cried out even more forcefully. Forsythia happened to pass by then,


    with a te of desserts in her hands. He immediately stopped crying and shifted his eyes to Forsythia''s


    back. While he''d been lying on the stretcher, he sat up at the sight of her, fully intending to follow in her


    wake.


    "Your Highness!" The Wonder Kingdom''s envoy quickly stopped him. "You can''t follow her to that


    courtyard!"


    "Why can''t I? She is just a maid!"


    "Don''t offend the people in that courtyard!" The envoy was so anxious. It was all their emperor''s fault


    for sending the third prince here. Anyone else would have been a better choice. The third prince was a


    real troublemaker. That was all he''d been known to do since he was a child. It was so humiliating to


    watch him act so rashly without any decorum.


    Kile nced at Forsythia who was about to enter the courtyard and asked, "Who is staying in that


    courtyard?"


    "Prince Matthew from the Bright Dynasty!" the envoy answered quickly. "He is a devil. It wouldn''t matter


    to him whether you are a prince or not if you dare to offend him."


    "Prince Matthew?" Kile was overjoyed. "It''s said that his wife is the most beautiful woman in the Bright


    Dynasty, and her medical skills are very outstanding. I have long admired her. Today, I''ll pay her a visit."


    "Your Highness, you can''t go there!" The envoy flung himself forward and held Kile''s leg. "Please! You


    really can''t do that. Prince Matthew''s sword doesn''t discriminate!"


    "I''m not going to visit Prince Matthew, only his wife!"


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    "It''smonly known that Prince Matthew loves his wife very much. If you offend his wife, you will die!


    He will kill you!" the envoy cried bitterly and wished he could pound the prince with a brick to stop him


    from causing trouble.


    Yet, Kile dragged the envoy towards the courtyard and said, "I won''t do anything to offend Princess


    Harper. Don''t worry!"


    "Your Highness, aren''t you injured? The imperial physician is here. Please check on your wounds first,"


    the envoy suggested hastily, catching the imperial physicianing from a distance. He couldn''t let his


    third prince pay Harper a visit. That couple were not the ones to be trifled with!


    "I''m just a little wounded. I''m going to check on Princess Harper first. I want to see how beautiful she


    is." Kile''s curious and eager expression made the envoy desperate. In a panic, the envoy grabbed a


    rock and hit the prince on the head with it and with no hesitation. Kile dropped to the ground, with his


    head bleeding profusely.


    "My Lord, hurting someone from the royal family will lead to the death penalty!"


    "Nonsense! I just wanted to stop Prince Kile from getting himself killed!" The envoy wiped the sweat


    from his forehead. "Why are you still standing there? Why don''t you take Prince Kile back and let the


    imperial physician treat him?"


    "Yes, My Lord."


    Many people had witnessed the absurd incident from outside the gate, but no one cared. The prince


    was notorious in the Wonder Kingdom. Beauties, whether or not they were married, couldn''t escape his


    ws.


    Becky studied Kile as he was carried away, and a meaningful light shed through her eyes. She then


    turned around and left. At the corner, someone stopped her. It was Jack.


    "Get out of my way," Becky yelled angrily with a deep frown.


    Jack raised his leg to the porch column, blocking the road. "I don''t want to talk to you either. I just want


    to remind you not to forget who you are."


    "I know who I am, and you don''t have to remind me!" Jack''s words outraged Becky. As the leader of the


    Secret Pavilion, she''d been forced to leave with Harper after thetter had entered it and taken


    something from the pavilion. She''d suffered a lot along the way. Since Matthew and Harper didn''t take


    her seriously, she also didn''t have to care about them.


    Hearing this, Jack said nothing but withdrew his leg. As he looked at Becky''s receding figure, his eyes


    grew dark. "That woman is really hopeless."


    "She is never one of us." Came Fred''s voice. Jack turned his head and snorted, "I just don''t want her to


    do something she can''t take back."


    Fred narrowed his eyes and asked, "When did you be so nice?"


    "Nice?" Jack quirked his brow with a wicked smile on his face. "I am not nice at all!"


    Fred paused and sighed. "You are no match for Francis. Besides, Jason is in hiding and no one knows


    where he is. You''d better behave yourself and don''t bring trouble to our master."


    "Don''t worry. I will behave myself," Jack intoned. He''d been trickedst time, so he had to be more


    cautious this time around. It was true that he was no match for Francis. The prince was a very cunning


    man. Not to mention, he had the support of the South Kingdom and many people in the Birch Pass.


    Needless to say, Jack knew better than to act rashly.


    Francis was busy spreading some news out of Diana''s mansion. Diana stood at the door, waiting for


    him to finish, and then walked in. "Have you decided to take action?"


    "Haven''t we already agreed on that?" Francis asked in a soft tone. It was settled the second he


    decided toe to the South Kingdom. He could no longer go back to his own country, but he didn''t


    want to be defeated, not by such a way. That was why he''de here.


    "Is it possible that you will be unwilling to kill her in the end?" Diana asked sardonically. "After all, you


    did risk your life for that woman."


    Francis remained silent. He''d lived in the Bright Dynasty''s Imperial Pce for so many years with his


    brother Jason always by his side. However, what had kept him warm there had been Harper. He wasn''t


    a greedy man. He just wanted more warmth. Even if she were to stay with him silently, he would have


    been happy. But as it turned out, asking that of her was too much.


    "Diana, were you ever in love with Hoffman?" Francis asked suddenly.


    Diana fell into silence. Had she loved him? She''d asked herself that question a lot. Even though she''d


    nned on spending a lifetime with him, she hadn''t even tried to help him and just watched him die.


    Diana could have saved Hoffman''s life, but she didn''t. His death had been the most beneficial thing for


    both her and her kingdom.


    Diana didn''t answer him, and instead asked, "Were you ever in love with Harper?"

 Chapter 757 Assassination Attempt On The Prince (Part One)

    Chapter 757 Assassination Attempt On The Prince (Part One)


    "Did you ever love Harper?" The question echoed in Francis'' mind. It was one he had asked himself a


    thousand times in the past. Of course, he had loved her. Her smile alone could drive him crazy enough


    to do anything she asked for. He would never deny the love he had once had for her. But it was all past.


    Now, there was only hatred in his heart.


    "Yes, I did," Francis admitted. "I loved her and hoped she would reciprocate my feelings. I was eager


    for it. But you know what? All I got out of this longing was disappointment, despair, pain, and grief. I lost


    all hope by the end. I had a hard time engulfed in despair. It was agonizing. I ended up wanting to kill


    her, even tried to do it, but still..."


    "What? Do you regret that decision?" Diana asked dryly. Men were all the same, unable to get over


    what they failed to get and never cherishing what they had already.


    "Certainly not. How could I? If I can''t have her, I won''t allow her to be with another man! I would rather


    destroy her," Francis said. He quickly restrained his feelings, regained hisposure and schooled his


    expression to his habitual indifference. "Diana, we are the same. We always put our interests first, and


    even those we love will be sacrificed to get our way. What we love most is ourselves. There is no other


    kind of love in our hearts."


    "I have to admit I''m surprised that you''re honest about your feelings. I thought you would tell me you


    still loved her and always would. It''s good to know you''re thinking clearly about this and it''s good that


    you understand what matters most to you," Diana said. She then stood up and continued, "Well, I came


    here to tell you that everything is set. Becky will help us as long as you promise not to hesitate. The


    smallest stumble will lead to unbearable consequences for us all."


    "Don''t worry. I will send her to theher world myself in the Worship Ceremony tomorrow," Francis


    said with a determined look as he gritted his teeth. ''Harper, don''t me me for what will happen to you.


    You should me yourself for ignoring me. You only care about Matthew. No, that''s not even it. You


    care about everyone except for me. You sympathized with Lilian because of her obsession with the


    man she loves. So, you helped her marry into the Great Jade Kingdom. You admired Lucas for his


    philosophical life attitude and helped him ascend the throne. You thought highly of Chodak because he


    was always calm and tolerant and helped him to get back to the Great Jade Kingdom. But you showed


    me no mercy. I''ve done many things for you. I even killed both my father and brother all for you. But


    even so, you just turned a blind eye to my efforts to gain your attention.


    You left me no choice but to do this to you!'' With that, Francis kneaded the sugar figurine in his hand


    into pieces. ''From now on, I will never make sugar figurines with your face again. Since I can''t have


    you, neither can Matthew. I''ll make sure of it!'' he swore inwardly.


    "Owen," Francis called. As soon as Owen entered the room, Francis veiled the venom in his eyes. He


    went back to being a gentle and handsome young man.


    "Your Highness," Owen responded.


    "Tell Luther to get ready. Tomorrow is the best time to take action. Ask him to help us upy the Birch


    Pass. I wonder how Matthew will react when he finds two hundred thousand soldiers lying in wait at the


    Birch Pass, all keen on fighting him and his men," said Francis slowly.


    "Yes, Your Highness." Owen took his orders and left. He was thinking the same thing. Now that Harper


    had arrived in the South Kingdom, he would never allow her to leave. He wanted her to pay for hurting


    his master.


    A figure lurked on a gloomy street as Owen took his leave. Looking at Princess Diana''s brightly lit


    mansion, the figure sighed, "You''ve chosen the wrong path atst." Then the voice faded away into the


    darkness.


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Both the royal family and people of the South Kingdom cared a lot about the Worship Ceremony. This


    was a big day for them. Every family provided offerings and prayers, hoping for a smooth year with


    abundant food and joyful lives.


    As per tradition, the Worship Ceremony was held in the Starry Pce where the Holy Maiden lived. On


    that day, the Starry Pce would open to the public, making it lively and full of people. The three


    countries'' emissaries arrived early as the Holy Maiden was preparing to conduct the Worship


    Ceremony. Lance, the South Kingdom''s king, sat in a lofty chair befitting his position. Although the


    South Kingdom was the weakest out of all four kingdoms, it remained stable throughout the years. All


    four kingdoms had always gotten along well with each other. In fact, nothing untoward had happened


    until Francis came armed intending to usurp the throne in the Bright Dynasty. The South Kingdom had


    gotten involved. It had created uncertainties about whether the bnce would remain between the


    kingdoms.


    "The four kingdoms have had little contact over the years. I invited you all to attend our Worship


    Ceremony in the South Kingdom to form a longsting alliance. I hope we remain on good terms


    forever!" Lance spoke in a gentle and kind voice. "The Great Jade Kingdom has weed a new


    emperor, Emperor Rndo. Princess Lucas has also taken the throne in the Bright Dynasty as its new


    emperor. Both of them are young and smart. We all need to keep in touch and reinforce our ties. The


    emperor of the Wonder Kingdom rarely sends his men out to visit anywhere. But he sent some here to


    attend the Worship Ceremony. I am grateful that you have alle here."


    "You''re very wee, Your Majesty," Miguel said as he waved the fan in his hand. "Our emperor is


    also eager in forming an eversting alliance with the South Kingdom."


    "Splendid! I''m overjoyed to hear that," Lance said with a smile.


    Kile, on the other hand, hadn''t taken his eyes off Harper. Despite the thick bandage on his head, he still


    did not restrain himself a bit. An imperial envoy from the Wonder Kingdom sat next to him, poking at


    him to remind him to behave properly. However, Kile merely moved his body to avoid his touch. "Leave


    me alone and don''t disturb me while I enjoy looking at a beauty."


    The imperial envoy was so disappointed upon hearing that. ''He was already injured from offending one


    woman. Why couldn''t he control himself at least a little?'' he cursed under his breath. However, he


    wouldn''t dare scold Kile. With no other choice, he coughed and said, "Prince Kile, the king is looking at


    you."


    "Why is he looking at me? I''m not some beauty," asked Kile, his eyes still focused on Harper.

 Chapter 758 Assassination Attempt On The Prince (Part Two)

    Chapter 758 Assassination Attempt On The Prince (Part Two)


    "He said that the South Kingdom wants to be allied with the Wonder Kingdom," the imperial envoy


    stressed in a whisper. "You should at least say something in response."


    "Can''t you do that in my stead?" Kile stated in an annoyed tone as he cast a re at him. Again, he


    kept fixing his eyes on Harper.


    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    The envoy had no choice but to stand up. "Our emperor also thinks the four grand kingdoms should get


    along well with each other. That is why he sent Prince Kile here to attend the ceremony, to show his


    sincerity."


    Lance''s eyes swept across the hall. He shifted his eyes from Kile to Harper. Then, he looked at


    Matthew and said, "Prince Matthew, the Bright Dynasty and the South Kingdom are neighbors. We


    have gotten along well all these years and I hope we will remain like that in the future as well."


    Matthew snuck a sideway look at Francis, who was next to Diana. He had wanted to gauge his


    reaction, but the man''s expression didn''t change. Matthew then responded in a calm and t tone,


    "Yes, indeed. As long as the South Kingdom doesn''t interfere with our kingdom''s problems, I''m sure we


    will remain on solid ground."


    Lance''s face hardened for a second. He was well aware of what Matthew implied. However, now that


    Francis had married his daughter, he would not hand over his son-inw so easily. Judging from


    Matthew''s words, he discerned that the man was determined to take Francis back.


    "Of course," Lance said, trying to shift the topic of the conversation. Sadly, before he could even finish


    what he was about to say, a loud noise sounded.


    It was the sound of a gong. The deafening noise reminded him that the Worship Ceremony had started.


    The Holy Maiden wasn''t the only performer during the Worship Ceremony. Many people were involved


    in it as well. Thousands of people wore specially made costumes and performed dances. The sight of


    them together was magnificent. Themon people knelt down at the foot of the Holy Mountain with


    respect.


    "It''s time for the Holy Maiden''s show now," Harper whispered to Matthew. Then Catherine appeared on


    the altar in mid-air, dressed in a fancy robe. She recited the verse while those on the ground repeated


    after her. Her voice was loud and clear and could be heard from far away. Even those at the foot of the


    mountain could hear it clearly.


    Kile took the chance and whispered to Harper, "Lady Harper, Lady Harper. Look here!"


    Casting a nce at him, Harper suddenly picked up a grape and threw in his direction. Kile opened his


    mouth and caught it. But he swallowed it in one gulp and ended up choking. He straightened his neck


    and rubbed his chest, hoping the errant grape would make its way to his stomach.


    The envoy next to the prince turned pale with fear when he saw this. He immediately said, "Prince Kile,


    Prince Kile. What''s going on? Don''t scare me!"


    Kile''s face turned purple as he suffocated on the fruit. Miguel happened to be next to him. He stretched


    out his hand and patted him on the back. Kile fell on the table from the shock as he spat out the grape.


    "Oh dear God! I almost died!" Kile gasped.


    The envoy had been on the verge of tears because of Kile''s antics. He cast a grateful look at Miguel


    before passing Kile a cup of tea. Kile took the tea and drank it up to relieve the pain. Then he helplessly


    nced at Harper again.


    "Aiden, I think Lady Harper is really gorgeous," he murmured.


    The envoy named Aiden felt so embarrassed at Kile''s flirtyment about Harper. She almost killed


    him. But he still thought she was gorgeous! There must be something wrong with his brain. Did he


    need to be taught a lesson or be abused by her again? Unfortunately, he dared not speak out his


    thoughts.


    "Your Highness, we are here to take part in the South Kingdom''s ceremony, not for a woman!" he


    reminded in a stern tone.


    "I''m taking part in the ceremony now, am I not?" Kile, however, responded naughtily.


    "We shouldn''t pay attention to other irrelevant people anymore," Aiden warned again. He now regretted


    that Diana hadn''t hit him hard enough yesterday to paralyze him. That way, he wouldn''t be able to


    behave recklessly today.


    Kile whistled with mischief andmented, "Lady Harper has a bad temper. But I like it!"


    Aiden looked toward Harper and instead met Matthew''s murderous eyes. He was so frightened that he


    started trembling. "Your Highness, His Majesty said he would send you four beauties. He was confident


    you would like them," Aiden said to Kile, trying to pull his attention away from Harper. He didn''t think


    Matthew was an easy one to get along with, especially with Kile showing such feelings for the man''s


    wife.


    "I know. But I''m not interested in that right now. All I want now is to enjoy the sight of the beauty in front


    of me," Kile responded pigheadedly, his painpletely forgotten at the moment. His gaze glued to


    Harper, his eyes growing heated.


    The Worship Ceremony went on and on. Everyone on the high tform was overwhelmed with


    different thoughts. Francis couldn''t help but look at Harper. He noticed that she hadn''t looked in his


    direction since he appeared as if he was an irrelevant passer-by.


    Clenching his fists, he tried hard to suppress his anger. His hatred was all-consuming, yet the smile on


    his face gentled with every passing second. If people knew the rage and blood-thirst his smile was


    hiding, they would tremble in fear.


    Diana nced at Francis but said nothing. Instead, she picked up a fruit and took a generous bite out


    of it. Her eyes wandered around, taking everyone in. When she saw Kile, who had been sitting


    opposite her, leave his seat and walk towards Harper, her eyes lit up. ''Herees our chance, '' she


    murmured inwardly.


    "Your Highness! Please behave yourself!" Aiden bing increasingly anxious. Kile was the Wonder


    Kingdom''s representative. How could he behave so rashly? He might bring disgrace to the whole


    kingdom!


    Aiden sprinted towards Kile intending to drag him back. Harper was looking at the two men with


    watchful eyes. However, something unexpected suddenly happened. Poisonous needles shot out from


    Harper''s table and flew towards Kile.


    Kile''s pupils contracted in an instant at the sight. Aiden rushed to him and blocked the needles from


    reaching the prince. He had wanted to persuade the prince to not act so recklessly, but the abrupt


    attack ended his life.


    "Your... Your Highness... " Aiden stammered. Before he could finish his words, he fell to the ground in


    front of everyone, his back full of poisonous needles. If the needles had struck Kile, he would have


    been dead on the spot.

 Chapter 759 Asking For Some Reward (Part One)

    Chapter 759 Asking For Some Reward (Part One)


    In fact, Harper was as surprised as everyone else. She didn''t do anything and yet the poison needle


    flew in the air.


    "Lady Harper, how can you be so cruel? Prince Kile is just a little mischievous. How could you be so


    ruthless to kill him because of that?" Lance took the lead in putting the me on Harper, before she


    and Kile could say anything.


    "As an emperor of a country, it would be better for you to think twice before you say something," Harper


    said with a sneer.


    "Lady Harper, you had the intention to kill Prince Kile using a poison needle. Everybody clearly saw


    what you did. Do you still want to defend yourself? Murdering a prince of another country is a huge


    crime!" Lance eximed, obviously enraged about the whole situation.


    Upon hearing that, Harper only smiled. She then said to Matthew, "Darling, it seems like His Majesty


    doesn''t want to be allied with our Bright Dynasty forever. This thing happened all of a sudden. I didn''t


    even know what happened. He''s sitting far away, but he ims that he saw everything clearly. I''m


    impressed by his eyesight."


    Lance didn''t know how to respond to that. His reaction was indeed exaggerated but still, he insisted on


    his point. "Lady Harper, why can''t you just admit what you did? Everyone saw that you had a hidden


    weapon and you wanted to kill Prince Kile. If that official weren''t there to protect Prince Kile, it would


    have been him who''s dead by now."


    Meanwhile, Kile finally came to his senses. He looked at Aiden who was dead and lying on the ground


    with a grim face. Then, he turned to Harper, but didn''t say anything. He saw with his own two eyes that


    Harper didn''t do anything. There was no doubt about it. However, that hidden weapon had indeed been


    shot from her position. Aside from her, no one could have shot the hidden weapon from that angle!


    At that point, Miguel decided to stir up trouble. "Lady Harper, you''re the only one who can shoot a


    hidden weapon from that angle. Moreover, the hidden weapon was aimed exactly at Prince Kile."


    Diana sneered and joined in the conversation, adding fuel to the fire. "I didn''t expect you to be this


    cruel. Just now, Prince Kile delightfully greeted you. However, you almost killed him with a single grape.


    He would be dead if Prime Minister Miguel didn''t save him. You did not seed in killing the prince that


    way, so this time, you tried to kill him again in such a vicious way. How dare you!"


    "I did not do such a thing. Everything that you''re using me of, I don''t know anything about them.


    Prince Kile, you have been standing right in front of me. Did you see me doing anything of that sort?"


    Harper asked calmly.


    Kile looked at Harper. Everyone thought that he would nod and further implicate Harper. However, Kile


    hesitated for a moment before finally shaking his head. "No, I didn''t see her do anything. I only saw that


    she became more beautiful even with a frown on her face."


    ''Asshole!'' Lance eximed to himself. Silently rolling his eyes, Lance thought that Kile was extremely


    unconcerned with important things. He almost died under Harper''s hands. How could he still praise her


    beautiful face with a frown?


    "Your Highness, please don''t be deceived by her appearance. She almost killed you! Aiden died for


    you. The only purpose of that woman is to murder you!" The envoys of the Wonder Kingdom were very


    dissatisfied to witness that Aiden was already dead and yet, their prince was still defending Harper.


    Giving the speaker an indifferent nce, Kile responded, "I said I didn''t see her do anything remotely


    close to what you''re using her. It happened during the Worship Ceremony in the South Kingdom.


    I''m the guest, so is Princess Harper. I will ask His Majesty to investigate it thoroughly and give me an


    exnation. Otherwise, I won''t let it go so easily."


    Lance turned his attention to Matthew who had never spoken the entire time.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    "Prince Matthew, what do you think?"


    "I trust my wife," Matthew immediately said without any hesitation, as if he was just telling a true


    statement. If they wanted to kill someone, they had plenty of ways to do it. More importantly, they


    wouldn''t do it in such a stupid way that would turn everyone''s usations on them.


    "But the hidden weapon was shot from Princess Harper''s position. The envoy of the Wonder Kingdom


    even died because of it. Your wife is the only one who can shoot the hidden weapon from that angle.


    You can''t prove that she is innocent just by saying that you believe in her. Prince Matthew, please hand


    over Princess Harper and give an exnation to the Wonder Kingdom," Lance said in amanding


    tone.


    "Humph. Before going that, I need you to hand over Francis, the traitor of the Bright Dynasty. He


    committed regicide, killed his brother, and created internal conflicts in our kingdom. Yet, you allow him


    to be your son-inw here in the South Kingdom. Do you really want to be an enemy of the Bright


    Dynasty?" Matthew questioned with a snort.


    Lance didn''t expect that Matthew would mention Francis. "That''s two very different matters. What we''re


    talking about right now is the issue with Princess Harper and how she killed the envoy of the Wonder


    Kingdom."


    "I think we can both agree that we''re civil people. Well, things have to be done in proper sequence.


    Francismitted regicide first and the attack on Prince Kile happened after that. So naturally, we


    have to deal with the matter concerning Francis first. If you think that pushing around the Bright


    Dynasty is easy, I don''t mind marching my ck g Army with three hundred thousand soldiers to the


    South Kingdom," Matthewzily replied while ying with his wine ss.


    "Prince Matthew, are you trying to cover up what Lady Harper did?" Lance was so irritated with what he


    said that he couldn''t help but exim in his mind, ''What an unreasonable man! If things do not go as he


    wishes, he will force others to do as he likes. At this point, he''s no different to a bandit.''


    "My wife didn''t kill the envoy of the Wonder Kingdom. So what is there to cover up? You really are a


    strange one. You''re protecting the convicted traitor of the Bright Dynasty and now you''re framing my


    wife. Why are you doing all of this?" Matthew had never been a person to concede. If he had, he


    wouldn''t have been persecuted again and again by the former emperor of the Bright Dynasty.


    "Prince Matthew, it''s the people of the Wonder Kingdom who want to hold Princess Harper ountable


    for the murder of the envoy!"

 Chapter 760 Asking For Some Reward (Part Two)

    Chapter 760 Asking For Some Reward (Part Two)


    "Your Majesty, what Prince Kile wants is an exnation from you. But instead, you just keep on


    ming me. Before everything is cleared up, you already put the me on me. Could it be that you''re


    trying to conceal something even bigger and you''re just using me to distract everyone''s attention?"


    Harper said, still calm as ever.


    "Lady Harper, be careful with your words!" Lance said in panic while his eyes started to widen.


    Harper stood up and started to walk around while she spoke. "It''s the South Kingdom''s fault that Prince


    Kile was attacked at your banquet. I was framed to be med for that assault, which only shows that


    you''re ipetent. If you think that just because the new emperor had just been crowned in the Bright


    Dynasty, you can stir up trouble and get away with it, you''re wrong. We''re not afraid of you at all."


    "Lady Harper, you''re distorting the truth. Everyone saw that it was you who did it!" Lance furiously said.


    He could not help but think, ''What a shameless woman! Obviously, it was her who tried to kill Prince


    Kile. But she wants to me the South Kingdom instead! She is so shameless!''


    "Did you really see with your own two eyes that it was me who attacked Prince Kile? Or did you only


    see the hidden weapon being shot from my direction?" Harper asked firmly while raising her eyebrow


    at him.


    "The hidden weapon was indeed shot from your direction! No one could shoot the hidden weapon from


    that position except for you, Lady Harper," Miguel responded first before anyone could do so.


    "Prime Minister Miguel, are you not seeing that the real person behind this could have arranged the


    attack of the hidden weapon? The seats of the envoys were arranged in advance. It would have been


    easy for someone to set a trap in my seat beforehand. Even if Prince Kile wasn''t the target, someone


    would be hurt from it," Harperprehensively stated, emphasizing on her every word.


    "You are making irresponsible assumptions!" Lance eximed.


    "It''s easy to know if I''m making irresponsible assumptions or not. Just investigate and the truth will be


    revealed soon enough. Your Majesty, you may not know this, but three hundred thousand soldiers of


    the ck g Army have secretly gathered a hundred miles away from the Birch Pass before my


    husband and I came to the South Kingdom. We only need to give onemand and they will go


    straight to the Birch Pass," Harper slowly added.


    Suddenly, a dark expression descended on Lance''s face. Francis was surprised by her revtion.


    Harper was iming that the ck g Army had gathered outside of the Birch Pass. That was


    absolutely impossible! How could it be true? But if it were, then Luther would certainly face an


    overwhelming loss and even death if he were to ever rebel.


    "Are you trying to make usugh, Lady Harper? After all, it''s obvious to everyone that you were the one


    who attacked Prince Kile. But still, you kept on insisting that you''re not the killer. Do you have any


    evidence to support this im?"


    "The evidence wille forth, Your Majesty. However, if you refuse to deal with this matter the right


    way, you will not only be the enemy of the Wonder Kingdom, but you will also be attacked by the


    ck g Army. Although I am a woman, I have some medical skills and investigation skills. I am


    willing to find the murderer if you want, but..."


    Harper stopped in mid-sentence, making Lance very nervous. This time, Matthew and his wife came to


    the South Kingdom mainly because they wanted to reorganize their army in the south. He was afraid


    that if he were to grant their request of handing over Francis, ultimately, it wouldn''t be good for him in


    the end.


    "Lady Harper, what do you want from me?"


    "The envoy of the Wonder Kingdom was murdered in the South Kingdom. This was caused by your


    negligence to protect thend. I have to ask for some reward if I were to find who the real murderer is."


    For the first time in quite a whole, Harper smiled. With that, she didn''t look like a murderer at all.


    "What do you need, Lady Harper?" Lance asked in a calm voice.


    "I need to have ess to the library of the Starry Pce." Harper dered her demand.


    "That''s impossible! No outsiders are allowed to enter the library of the Starry Pce!" Lance firmly


    rejected.


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    When she heard that, Harper shrugged and nonchntly returned to her seat. "Well, then it''s none of


    my business. Prince Kile, you need to ask His Majesty to find the murderer and the antidote at the


    same time. Otherwise, you''ll be poisoned to death in an hour."


    "What?" Kile looked at Harper in shock. It seemed like she wasn''t joking about that. But he was sure


    that he wasn''t hit by the hidden weapon.


    "Take a closer look at the back of your hand. It has been wounded. Didn''t you notice that it has turned


    ck?"


    Everyone turned their attention to Kile''s hand. Like Harper had said, his right hand had turned ck,


    which was a clear sign of poisoning. There was even an imperceptible blood mark on the back of his


    hand. His hand must have been scratched, but no one, even him, had noticed it.


    "Your Majesty, I''m not a pushover and I don''t intend to start being one. Please hand over the antidote


    and find the murderer!" Kile began to panic. He didn''t want to die because of poison, even if he often


    said that he wanted to die under the hands of beautifuldies.


    "Call the shaman immediately!" The expression on Lance''s face dramatically changed in an instant. If


    Kile were to die because of the hidden weapon, the entire situation would be easy for him. However, if


    the prince were to die because of poison, it would be hard for him to exin it. What was more,


    Matthew and his wife had been well prepared in gathering three hundred thousand soldiers, waiting for


    an excuse to attack the South Kingdom!


    After a few moments, the shaman came to check on Kile. "Your Majesty, there is no antidote to the


    poison inside of Prince Kile''s body."


    "What poison is that?"


    "This poison is called Lethal Seven."


    "What a coincidence! My husband was poisoned by the Lethal Seven in the past. Felix, the former


    crown prince of the Bright Dynasty, was poisoned by the Lethal Seven as well. And I have a witness


    who can prove that the Lethal Seven poison came from the South Kingdom," Harper exined with a


    confident smile on her face.

 Chapter 761 Who Is The Murderer (Part One)

    Chapter 761 Who Is The Murderer (Part One)


    At that time, there was still tension in the air. More specifically, Lance was feeling extremely nervous


    and Diana had a ghastly expression on her face. It was actually her who obtained the Lethal Seven


    poison. The reason why she didn''t use a unique poison from the South Kingdom was she didn''t want


    anyone to suspect anyone from their kingdom. However, Harper just said that she had a witness who


    could prove that the Lethal Seven was from the South Kingdom. How was that possible?


    "Lady Harper, the Lethal Seven is from a poison master, not from the South Kingdom," Diana said in a


    rush.


    "In the past, my husband was poisoned by the Lethal Seven. He captured the poison master, but he


    didn''t have the antidote for it. In a fit of anger, my husband killed him. He also destroyed all of the


    poisons which the poison master had made, so he didn''t make any poisons on the market right now.


    However, we found out that others had developed a simr poison," Harper replied before turning to


    Lance. "Your Majesty, do you want to be used of murdering Prince Kile from the Wonder Kingdom


    and ndering me, a princess of the Bright Dynasty? Or do you want me to find out the truth? All I''m


    asking for is ess to your library."


    Lance was in a very difficult position. Certainly, he didn''t want to admit that his kingdom had anything to


    do with the murder but at the same time, he didn''t want Harper to enter the library either. Thus, he was


    hesitating.


    "By the way, I can stop the poison attack for Prince Kile but it''s only temporary." What Harper said felt


    like a bomb to Lance. It settled the decision that he was trying to make. Now he couldn''t hesitate


    anymore because if he did, it meant that he would be the one who killed Kile!


    "That''s good. As long as you can find out the real murderer, you will be allowed to enter the library!"


    Lance finally eximed.


    "Great! I''m happy that you chose that," Harper responded before taking out a small porcin bottle


    from her handbag. She then took out a green pill from it and handed it to Kile. "Take it," she briefly said.


    Kile didn''t hesitate a bit. He just took the pill from Harper and swallowed it in a second. Before another


    envoy from the Wonder Kingdom could say anything to stop him, the princemented, "It''s sweet."


    Harper chuckled while approaching Kile. She then grabbed his right hand which had been poisoned


    and suddenly drew a dagger to cut his palm. After that, she took out a small bamboo tube and poured


    out several bugs on his arm. Unconsciously, Kile wanted to shake them off. "If you don''t want to die,


    don''t move," Harper warned him.


    With that, Kile tried to suppress his impulse to shake his hand and merely watched as the bugs climbed


    up to his wound and sucked his blood. The bean-sized bugs became about the size of a thumb after


    they had sucked enough blood. Within a short period of time, the ck color on his hand gradually


    disappeared and returned to its normal color. However, Harper wasn''t done with him. She ced


    several needles on his acupoints and then took the bugs from his arm.


    "All right, we''ve been able to control the poison. Next, let''s talk about how this hidden weapon was


    shot." While looking at Lance, Harper spoke very slowly in a gentle voice. It seemed so full of magic


    which made people involuntarily wonder how a hidden weapon was shot in that way. They all had the


    same questions on their minds. ''How was the hidden weapon fired?'' and ''Was it really Harper who did


    it?''


    "How was the hidden weaponunched?" Harper posed the question, seemingly capable of reading


    their minds.


    Harper then turned to Matthew. He extended his hands and overturned the table between them. Under


    it was a neat small box without any hidden weapons inside. Apparently, all of the hidden weapons had


    already been fired.


    "Damn it! Who did this?" When Lance saw that, it became easy for him to understand what actually


    happened. After all, everything in the Starry Pce had been arranged by their people. Someone had


    definitely ced hidden weapons in advance under Harper''s table. The only thing that remained a


    mystery was who wanted to kill who.


    Then, Harper took out something from the box of hidden weapons. She pulled out a poisonous needle


    from the dead Aiden''s body andpared it to the marks on the box. She then imed, "After careful


    comparison, the poisonous needles that killed Lord Aiden and injured Prince Kile are the same as the


    ones from this box."


    "Well, maybe you''re the one who brought that here! How dare you! How could you intentionally set up


    our country!" Diana yelled very loudly.


    In response, Harper only sneered. "Take it easy, Princess Diana. I have an old friend of yours. Please


    don''t be too excited to see himter."


    As Diana heard the words "old friend", her eyelids twitched. Which old friend was she talking about?


    "Lady Harper, don''t say such things that will mislead the public once again. You brought those hidden


    weapons and tried to kill Prince Kile! After you failed, you''re now falsely using our country!" Diana


    firmly insisted on her ims with the utmost perseverance.


    Meanwhile, Harper remained calm. "Princess Diana, I don''t have any hostility towards Prince Kile.


    What motive do I have to kill him?"


    "Because he flirted with you!"


    At that, Kile became extremely furious. Diana wasn''t just using Harper. She was also using him


    and doing it right in front of Matthew. "Oh, Princess Diana, when did you see me flirt with Princess


    Harper? Don''t even think that I wouldn''t dare to beat you up just because you''re a woman! I just


    greeted her. I didn''t flirt with her! What kind of world would that be considered as ''flirting''?"


    Kile was very much aware that Harper still had his life in her hands. He couldn''t risk offending her so he


    retorted immediately.


    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    "Since we''re talking about the motive for attempting to kill Prince Kile, aren''t you supposed to be the


    prime suspect here, Diana? We all know that he molested you yesterday and even wanted to take you


    back to his bedroom. You were so enraged that you beat him up to the point that he couldn''t get up.


    You''re a princess of the South Kingdom so you''re at your own home where you''refortable and free


    to do what you want. If anything, you''re more suspicious than me," Harper said slowly.

 Chapter 762 Who Is The Murderer (Part Two)

    Chapter 762 Who Is The Murderer (Part Two)


    "How dare you insult me!" Diana frantically eximed.


    "We''ll find out the truth soon enough. But you can''t change the fact that we all know how you beat up


    Prince Kile and left him with some injuries not long ago," Harper bitterly said.


    "Yes and yesterday you threatened to kill me!" Kile chimed in. Kile and Harper cooperated perfectly


    with one another.


    While Miguel stood witness to the events unfolding right before him, his eyes narrowed at all of them.


    He thought, ''The horny Prince Kile from the Wonder Kingdom goes hand in hand with Harper in going


    against the princess from the South Kingdom. If I didn''t know that these two are almostplete


    strangers to each other, I would have thought that they had been good friends for years. With just one


    look from Harper, Prince Kile instantly coordinates everything that he should do and say.''


    "Enough! Lady Harper, didn''t you say that you have a way to find the murderer? As soon as possible,


    you should seize whoever that person is, in case he wants to hurt others again." Lance was at his wit''s


    end. He didn''t want to hear more usations towards his daughter from Harper or Kile.


    "Fine," Harper briefly responded while she sped her hands together. It created a short but loud


    sound. Right then, someone walked into the hall. When Diana saw the man, she rose from her seat


    and looked at him incredulously. She wondered why he was still alive.


    Francis instantly extended his hand and grabbed Diana''s shoulder to make her sit down. No matter


    who the person was, he believed that they couldn''t show any hint of guilt in front of him, because they


    didn''t leave any proof that would link them to the assassination. But Francis had to admit that Harper


    was reallypetent. Even under such circumstances, she was still able to talk as glibly as a fox and


    even take the opportunity to turn the situation around. He had thought that Harper would be


    overwhelmed in panic, and Matthew would even wage war against the Wonder Kingdom in order to


    protect his wife. For all its worth, things didn''t go as Francis had imagined.


    "Good day, Your Majesty. I''m Howard Chu." Interestingly, he was as calm as Harper. "Long time no see.


    As usual, you look good."


    Despite his steady voice, Lance''s palms were actually sweating heavily. When Howard was at the Birch


    Pass, they had the chance to get to know one another. Howard had knowledge about too many secrets


    about the South Kingdom and the former Marquis Harrison. Now Harrison''s family had been destroyed,


    but the South Kingdom remained like how it was before. Once those secrets were exposed, Lance was


    afraid that their entire n which they had worked on for many years would be in vain.


    "I remember you were a guest in Harrison''s mansion before." With a single sentence, Lance revealed


    Howard''s identity to everyone present. Because of their betrayal, all of the adult men in Harrison''s


    mansion had been killed and the ones under ten years old had been exiled. Now that Howard


    appeared abruptly, Lance clearly knew his intentions.


    "You have a good memory, Your Majesty. You still remember that I was a guest of Harrison''s mansion.


    Princess Diana, how are you? When I saw you in the imperial capital of the Bright Dynasty a few days


    ago, I thought you were going to see Prince Hoffman. I didn''t expect that you hurt Prince Francis so


    badly. Do you like Francis instead of Hoffman?" Howard asked with a smile.


    "I''m deeply in love with my husband. I hope you''ll stop talking about such nonsense!" Diana looked


    rather sullen. Howard had worked for her in the past, so he knew about her rtionship with Hoffman.


    She then thought, ''Wasn''t Harper the one he hated the most? Why is he helping Harper in bringing me


    down?''


    Howard didn''t be upset with her remark. "You''re right. Let''s get down to business first. I was


    ordered to assassinate Felix, the former crown prince of the Bright Dynasty. You gave me a bottle of


    poison to do it."


    Diana''s pupils instantly contracted. "I have never given you anything!"


    "Your Highness, please don''t deny it so quickly or you''ll just embarrass yourselfter," Howard said in a


    dreadful voice.


    "But I''m telling the truth! I haven''t given you anything!"


    With that, Howard took out something from his pocket. When she saw it, the expression on Diana''s


    face instantly changed. At the same time, all of the people from the South Kingdom immediately had a


    ghastly expression on their faces. It was known to everyone, far and wide, that they were good at using


    poison. Moreover, each one of them had unique containers where they stored the poison that they


    made. Howard showed a ck porcin bottle withplicated patterns that were only used by the


    royal family. Naturally, each member of the royal family had their own distinct patterns.


    "My dear princess, do you still remember this?" Howard didn''t wait for her to respond. He handed the


    porcin bottle to a shaman next to him and said, "Please take a look. Is the poison residue inside the


    bottle the same as the one that poisoned Prince Kile?"


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    The shaman awkwardly swallowed and took the bottle with trembling hands, wondering if he should


    break it by ident. Then, Howard said, "Can you please take it carefully? If you ''identally'' break it,


    it''s going to be clear evidence that the princess from your kingdom murdered Prince Kile from the


    Wonder Kingdom and set up Princess Harper from the Bright Dynasty."


    With that, the shaman grasped the porcin bottle very tightly in his hand and carefully checked the


    pattern on it. In a second, he quietly sighed in his heart. Sure enough, it was the princess''s container.


    Then he opened the bottle and checked the residue inside. He closed his eyes and helplessly said,


    "Your Majesty, the poison is the same as the one used to harm Prince Kile."


    Grabbing the armrest of the chair firmly, Lance tried his best to reply in a calm voice. "It''s just a bottle. It


    doesn''t prove anything."


    "Your Majesty, if this can''t exin anything, then I have nothing to say. You want to cover up what


    Princess Diana did so I can''t do anything about this. But I''m asking you to hand over Prince Francis of


    the Bright Dynasty who hasmitted a lot of crimes. He needs to be escorted back to our country for


    a trial. As for the matter that Princess Diana poisoned Prince Kile, please consider how you''re going to


    exin it to the Wonder Kingdom."

 Chapter 763 She Was Devoured (Part One)

    Chapter 763 She Was Devoured (Part One)


    Because of the things that Harper said, a glum expression descended on Lance''s face. For the


    moment, he was in a dilemma. He could not decide what to do. At the same time, Diana thought for a


    while before suddenly rising to her feet. Pointing at Francis with her finger, she confessed, "It''s him. He


    set a trap for Princess Harper. Actually, Prince Kile of the Wonder Kingdom wasn''t the target at all. It


    was anyone who would approach Princess Harper, because as long as someone stood in that position,


    the mechanism would be triggered."


    It was Francis'' turn to have a cold expression in his eyes. He was extremely annoyed by the fact that


    Diana didn''t hesitate to betray him. But at that time, reality dawned on him. He no longer had any


    bargaining chip at all. In order to protect herself, Diana ratted on him. He knew that if he sat still and did


    nothing, it would be like waiting for his death. There was no doubt that Matthew and Harper would


    capture him on that same day.


    In the blink of an eye, Francis decided what he should do. To everyone''s surprise, he took big and


    heavy steps towards Harper. Among all of the people present, Harper had the weakest martial arts


    skills. As long as he could take her as a hostage, Matthew would not dare to act recklessly. And as long


    as Matthew remained passive, no one else would dare to do anything. They would be considered as


    Matthew''s enemy if they even took a small step.


    Francis thought that his n was perfect, but he had no idea that Harper had been hiding her true


    strength. For some time, she had no idea about the strong power inside of her. But after she regained


    her memory and realized her true abilities, she didn''t want to reveal it to anyone who wasn''t that close


    to her.


    Upon seeing that Francis was dashing towards her, Harper could not help but quietly sneer at him in


    her heart. She thought that Francis was so foolish to think that it would be easy to attack her. When she


    was about to counter-attack against Francis, Kile suddenly appeared in front of her.


    "Ouch! Which bastard pushed me?!" Kile eximed, pretending that he was pushed forward by


    someone to stop Francis, but actually, he took the initiative to rush towards Francis.


    As a result, Francis was so enraged that he immediately pped Kile. Then, he opened up his hand in


    an attempt to grasp Harper''s neck.


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    "Watch out!" Kile shouted.


    In a sudden turn of events, Harper took a step back and suddenly hit Francis with her palm. They drew


    back from each other as soon as the first round of confrontation was finished. The astonishment in


    Francis'' eyes was beyond any word because he just realized that Harper hadpletely regained her


    martial arts skills. He then thought to himself, ''How could it be possible? If she has truly recovered her


    martial arts skills, at that time, how could she have... Was she testing me back then?''


    Francis felt chills down his spine at this thought. He could have given up his life for Harper, but


    apparently, she was only testing him. Instantly, he made up his mind to drag her down with him. "If I


    should die, I''m going to make you mypany on the way to hell!"


    Once again, Francis attacked Harper, this time, in a much more destructive way. It was as if he didn''t


    have any regard for his life anymore. To say the least, it stunned everyone present. Finally, Matthew


    thought that it was time to help his wife. However, when he was about to run towards them, the Holy


    Maiden of the South Kingdom showed up out of nowhere and ran to help her. As a result, she blocked


    his way.


    "Get out of my way!" Boiling with rage, Matthew didn''t hesitate to strike the Holy Maiden of the South


    Kingdom for being on his way. It seemed like the Holy Maiden didn''t expect that Matthew would attack


    her, so she wasn''t able to react for a few moments. It made Matthew''s strike look more severe than it


    really was.


    "Your Grace!" Because of what Matthew did, the situation immediately turned more chaotic. The people


    of the South Kingdom could no longer sit still and merely watch from their seats. They all stood up to


    stop Matthew. In their eyes, Matthew striking the Holy Maiden of the South Kingdom was an


    unforgivable crime.


    Somehow, the chaos indirectly helped Francis. While everyone was distracted, heunched a fatal


    attack on Harper with all of his strength. Although Harper had regained her memory and all of her


    martial arts skills, the truth of the matter was that she couldn''t defeat Francis by herself. At best, their


    fight could only end in a draw. However, it was obvious that Francis wanted to kill her regardless of his


    own life. So it would be hard for her to hold on for an extended amount of time.


    "I hate you! How could you treat me like this? I treated you with utmost sincerity with all of my heart, but


    you fooled me over and over again. Harper, I hate you! I hate you with every fiber of my being!" Francis


    eximed, gritting his teeth with too much hatred.


    With a frown, Harper ignored his remarks and concentrated on the fight. She knew that she couldn''t


    lose focus for even a second. On the other hand, Becky had been hiding in the sidelines. Her eyes


    were filled with resentment for she didn''t expect that Harper would have treated Francis this way. She


    was determined to make Harper pay for what she had done.


    "Go to hell!" Becky eximed, summoning all of her strength while she dashed towards Harper.


    Because of her sudden attack, it was toote for Harper to withdraw her hands and deal with Becky. So


    she didn''t have any choice but to use her spiritual power to protect the center of her back.


    When Becky''s palm finally made contact with Harper''s back, Harper felt her blood surging. Despite


    being protected by her spiritual energy, she was extremely hurt. That was the final straw. Harper


    ceased in hiding her real strength. Instead, she burst out all of her spiritual power without dy,


    throwing Becky away from her. At the same time, everyone felt that the earth began to tremble and the


    Holy Mountain began to sway. They were all swept away by a strange force that they didn''t understand.


    The sudden change in the situation made everyone confused. The feeling of vibration under their feet


    was so surreal. It didn''t feel natural or even possible.


    "Is this an earthquake?" Miguel asked in surprise. They were on a mountain, so it would be hard for


    them to escape if an earthquake was really happening.


    Naturally, the Holy Maiden was different from everyone. Her face instantly turned pale. She then turned


    to Harper in disbelief and asked, "Why did you..."


    However, Harper couldn''t feel anything. She couldn''t even move any of her muscles. A strong force


    had grabbed her in a rush. She had used up all her spiritual power in order to resist the miracle force


    that she was too weak to resist.


    "Harp," Matthew called her. He rushed towards her as soon as he could stand steadily. However,


    before he could reach her, a powerful force threw him away. Harper was also tossed away by a gust of


    force.


    "Harp!"


    "Your Highness." Everyone watched as Harper rose from the ground. For a few seconds, she was in


    mid-air like a leaf being blown by the wind. Suddenly, it was like a force was dragging her.

 Chapter 764 She Was Devoured (Part Two)

    Chapter 764 She Was Devoured (Part Two)


    A lot of the people who were present tried to run after her, only to find out that she was being taken to


    the direction of the library. Harper tried her best to exert all of her spiritual power to fight against the


    force, but the more she resisted, the stronger the force became. When she noticed that she was about


    to bump into the wall of the library, Harper could not help but stretch her arms to protect herself.


    However, before her body could touch the wall, a door appeared out of nowhere on what had been the


    library''s wall a few seconds ago. The next moment, the strange force began to draw her into the library.


    "Matthew, save me!" Harper eximed while she felt extreme chills down her spine. She turned around


    to look at Matthew. But before he could reach out to touch her, she waspletely sucked into the


    library. In an instant, the library''s door had been closed and was restored to its peaceful stature. The


    door even vanished right before their eyes.


    Matthew struck the wall of the library with both of his fists, but the wall didn''t move at all. It even


    bounced back all of his strength, throwing his entire body away. When he reached the floor, he spat out


    a mouthful of blood. In a hurry, Jack and Fred ran to help him up.


    "Your Highness."


    Both the Holy Maiden and Lance were frightened by the sudden incident. It was for the first time that


    the library had devoured a person on its own ord. They wondered if it was the library that caused


    the trembling of the earth and the swaying of the mountain.


    "Open the door! If anything bad happens to my wife, I will definitely annihte the entire South


    Kingdom!" Matthew yelled to the Holy Maiden, which sounded like an order and a threat at the same


    time.


    The new prime minister of the Great Jade Kingdom was also dumbfounded with what happened. He


    had never imagined that a library in the South Kingdom could take people just like that. How could it


    just absorb Prince Matthew''s wife of the Bright Dynasty? It was even done in front of so many people. It


    all just seemed too incredible.


    "Am I dreaming? A person has been devoured by a room?!" Miguel asked.


    Kile subconsciously nodded and replied, "Yes, but I feel like I''m dreaming. Or has the world been so


    dreamlike that houses begin to eat people now?"


    In the chaos of it all, Francis took the chance and fled away in secret. Since Harper had been sucked


    into the library, Matthew had lost his focus. He was about to go crazy and none of the others paid


    attention to Francis either. It was a perfect chance for him to escape. He thought of going to the Birch


    Pass to meet with Luther and make hiseback.


    Turning to Matthew who looked extremely ferocious at the moment, the Holy Maiden slowly nodded her


    head.


    "Not everyone is allowed to enter the library!" Lance reminded her in an attempt to prevent Matthew


    from entering the library. What had happened earlier that day already went beyond his expectations.


    He even lost his sanity when Harper was sucked into the library. He had a feeling that something bad


    was going to happen and he didn''t know what to do.


    "Lance, if something bad happens to my wife, I swear on my life, the ck g Army will certainly


    destroy the Starry Pce. I dare you to try and not believe in my words!" Matthew said, emphasizing


    his every word through gritted teeth. The intent to kill was overflowing from his body. Even the flowers


    and nts around him were affected as they began to wither immediately. The Holy Maiden felt even


    more ufortable with the situation.


    "Your Highness, the most important thing is to save Her Highness!" Barry immediately reminded his


    master. If Matthew lost his mind, he might kill the envoys of the Wonder Kingdom and the Great Jade


    Kingdom by mistake. If so, the Bright Dynasty might be attacked by the joint force of the other three


    countries. By then, it would be difficult to save his own life, let alone his wife''s.


    Trying to suppress the violent intent to kill in his body, Matthew red at Lance before shouting, "Let


    her open the door!"


    Lance was frightened by how terrible Matthew looked at that moment. He had long heard that Prince


    Matthew of the Bright Dynasty was as terrifying as the king of hell. It was not until then that Lance


    believed it to be true. There was no doubt that Matthew was indeed as dreadful as everyone painted


    him to be.


    Nervously swallowing his saliva, Lance replied, "The door can be opened, but our South Kingdom won''t


    take any responsibility for any problem that you may cause inside the library!"


    "Cut the crap and just open the goddamn door!"


    Lance turned to the Holy Maiden and nodded at her. It was only then that the Holy Maiden turned


    around and walked to the library. With intricate gestures of her fingers, she mumbled some words in a


    low voice, waiting for the door of the library to open. However, the door still wouldn''t open after quite


    some time.


    Everyone was holding their breaths as they waited for the door. After some time, the Holy Maiden felt


    that it was inconceivable. She did the same gestures again, but nothing happened to the wall of the


    library. There was no sign of a door opening at all.


    "What''s wrong?" Lance asked in confusion.


    The Holy Maiden turned around and said in embarrassment, "The door can''t be opened."


    At that, Kile curiously asked, "This library belongs to your South Kingdom. If you can''t open the door,


    who else can? Right now, Princess Harper is trapped inside of it. You''re the only one who can open the


    door, but now you''re saying that you can''t do it. I wonder if you''re so furious with what happened earlier


    that you n to take this chance and kill the princess."


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Lance frantically responded, "Prince Kile, please speak with cautiousness! The library had never


    actively taken anyone before. Perhaps, Princess Harper did something to offend God and right now,


    she''s being punished."


    When he heard that, Matthew sneered, "God? If there''s even a broken nail on my wife when she gets


    out of there, let''s see if God can protect you!"


    At Matthew''s threat, the expression on Lance''s face froze. "Prince Matthew, as you can see, Princess


    Harper had been taken away into the library. And now, the door can''t be opened. It''s not because we


    don''t want to, but rather, we''re not able to."


    "Guards, destroy this library!"


    "No way!" Lance eximed, standing in front of Matthew with both of his arms raised in the air. "Prince


    Matthew, please calm down. Princess Harper is inside the library right now. If you destroy it, she''s


    going to be in danger! Just think about it!"


    Frowning tightly, Matthew asked, "Can''t I do anything but wait?"


    "Prince Matthew, don''t worry. It seems like nothing else unusual is happening to the library. It means


    that Princess Harper is safe. Let''s be patient, calm down, and just wait. I believe we can find a way


    very soon," the Holy Maiden said, trying tofort Matthew. In fact, she looked even more worried


    than Matthew, but nobody knew whether it was because of Harper or something else inside the library.

 Chapter 765 The Mutiny In Birch Pass (Part One)

    Chapter 765 The Mutiny In Birch Pass (Part One)


    After being forced into the library, Harper fell onto the ground with a thud. Instantly, a sharp pain


    coursed through her body. It was not until then that she realized she was inside the ce she had


    always wanted to enter!


    "Just my luck, I''ve been sucked into the library." Then, she carefully checked her arms and legs. "Well,


    not bad, not bad. My arms and legs are fine."


    In the midst of the emotions that overwhelmed her, Harper didn''t forget her ultimate purpose. The


    reason why she had always wanted to enter the library was to find the half Sacred Seal of the Qin n


    which had been looted by the South Kingdom. With this in mind, she rummaged through every part of


    the library in a rush. However, after a while of rigorous searching, she still couldn''t find any stuff like the


    seal!


    "Shouldn''t the seal be hidden here?" Harper grew more and more confused as the seconds went by. ''If


    it''s not hidden here, then where could it be? The Imperial Pce of the South Kingdom?''


    While she was thinking about these questions, a thought suddenly struck her. Another location where


    the seal might be would be the South Kingdom''s Treasury. If she still couldn''t find it in there, there was


    only one thing left for her to do. And that would be to kidnap Lance and force him into telling her the


    whereabouts of the seal.


    Next, Harper started to ponder on how she could get out. She remembered that she was sucked into


    the library from a door. However, when she carefully searched the secret mechanism to open the door,


    she couldn''t find it.


    "It''s strange. Obviously, I came in from here. Why does it seem like the door had disappeared?" For a


    moment, she carefully tried to remember how she got in and finally realized that she had been attacked


    by Becky so she had to use her spiritual power. Could this mean she had to use her spiritual power to


    get out as well?


    With this in mind and not having any other option for that matter, she unleashed her spiritual power to


    hit the wall. But when the power was about to reach the wall, it made a sudden turn and headed for the


    roof.


    In the direction where the spiritual power was headed to, she finally saw what she was looking for all


    this time. In the middle of the roof was the half Sacred Seal. "Lance, how can you be so cunning? You


    even put the thing on the roof! You must''ve thought whoever came here to steal something would only


    search at the things inside and wouldn''t even think of looking up."


    Without any hesitation, Harper flew and seized the chance to reach the seal. But when her hand was


    about to reach it, a force threw her off vigorously. For the second time that day, she fell on the ground


    with a thud. This time, however, she looked so embarrassed.


    Lying on the ground, Harper swallowed the smell of blood in her throat. Everything in here was so


    strange. First, she was drawn into the library for reasons she couldn''t understand yet. And now, she


    was thrown off from trying to obtain the seal. For a while, she couldn''t tell if the seal was the reason


    why she was sucked into the library.


    "Is my spiritual power the key to solving this problem?" Harper sat up and looked at the half Sacred


    Seal which had been iid in the ceiling. She gritted her teeth and decided to give it a try one more


    time. This time, she directly wrapped her hand with her spiritual power and went straight for the seal.


    Finally, Harper easily broke through the enchanted barrier surrounding the seal. The moment she was


    able to touch it, a smile lit up her entire face. Immediately, she took the seal off. Yet, as soon as the


    seal was in her hand, the whole library started to tremble and was about to copse due to the loss of


    the seal!


    "Don''t y tricks on me like this!" Harper anxiously murmured.


    Meanwhile, the Holy Maiden of the South Kingdom was still trying to open the door of the library. But to


    no avail, she just kept on failing every single time. It had been rumored that only the Holy Maiden and


    the royal family could open the library. But now, everyone was thinking that the rumor might not be true.


    Even after trying numerous times, the Holy Maiden or members of the royal family could not open the


    library.


    "This is very interesting indeed. The South Kingdom''s library in the Starry Pce can''t be opened by


    anyone in the entire kingdom," Kilemented. Then, hemanded the servants to bring a table


    and a stool. After this, he sat leisurely, drinking tea and eating snacks. All the others present were


    anxious, except for him. He looked very rxed, as if he was enjoying a drama.


    "Why don''t you shut up?!" Diana furiously eximed.


    Kile shrugged before saying, "Your husband killed Aiden, a high-level official of our Wonder Kingdom. I


    haven''t settled ounts with you yet. So Princess Diana, why don''t we talk about this matter first?


    Aiden was an important backbone of our kingdom. He had been carefully trained and loved by my


    father. Now, he was killed by your husband and you even tried to cover up his crime. It''s fair enough to


    say that you are also the one who killed him. So how do you n on dealing with this?"


    Upon hearing that, Diana opened her mouth in an attempt to say something. However, no words came


    out. In fact, she didn''t know how to deal with it at all. It was Francis who had nned the murder. She


    just offered him some help. But it seemed like the little she did would have serious consequences to


    her and their rtionship.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    Meanwhile, Matthew was losing his patience. "I''m giving you two hours. If you can''t open the door of


    the library within that time frame, you can just wait for me as I will tten every inch ofnd in the South


    Kingdom!" Matthew furiously threatened. His wife had been devoured by the library for half a day


    already. If the situation kept on being like this, no one knew what would happen.


    "Prince Matthew, I''ve tried my best." With a thinyer of sweat on her forehead and a pale face, the


    Holy Maiden had been summoning all of her strength. But no matter what she did, she still couldn''t


    open the door of the library. The usually obedient library was now fooling her like a naughty child and it


    just couldn''t be opened at all.


    "Do you think I care? The only thing that matters to me is getting her out of there!" Matthew replied in a


    rigid tone.


    All of a sudden, Fred appeared and whispered in Matthew''s ear, "Your Highness, something bad


    happened. Jack chased Prince Francis and found the prince went directly to the Birch Pass. And now,


    the army of the Birch Pass mutinied."

 Chapter 766 The Mutiny In Birch Pass (Part Two)

    Chapter 766 The Mutiny In Birch Pass (Part Two)


    Upon hearing that, Matthew didn''t show any expression on his face or even a bit of reaction. Fred


    thought that he hadn''t made it clear enough, so once again, he said in a soft tone, "Your Highness, the


    soldiers in the Birch Pass are having a mutiny. Luther killed two generals. And now, he''s leading two


    hundred thousand soldiers in a rebellion!"


    "I understand." The door of the library was still closed. With utmost concentration, Matthew continued


    to sit and stare at the exact spot where Harper vanished.


    The corners of Fred''s mouth twitched while he tried to think about the situation at hand. At the very


    most, he wanted to ask Matthew, ''Your Highness, did you really understand what I just said? If you


    allow me, I have more details about it. The riot broke out in the Birch Pass because Prince Francis was


    rushing there. Once he joins up with Luther, things will be rather tricky. Shawn alone can''t defeat


    the two. Although the three hundred thousand soldiers of the ck g Army have already been


    lurking around in secret, they are not powerful enough to defeat anyone without you as their chief


    commander. Therefore, the ck g Army is of little value to Shawn!''


    "Your Highness, Joshua won''t follow Marquis Shawn''s orders," Fred kindly reminded his master. He


    refused to give up on trying to get Matthew''s attention. He thought, ''If not a single soldier follows


    Marquis Shawn''smand, how can he fight against the two hundred thousand soldiers that are being


    led by Luther? He''s merely going to be drowned by the saliva of so many soldiers.''


    With a frown, Matthew said, "I perfectly remember that I gave him the right to act ording to his own


    judgment!"


    "Your Highness, I''m sorry but that doesn''t mean he couldmand our ck g Army."


    "Send him the ck g Token then!" Matthew impatiently ordered. He had to stay here, or he


    wouldn''t be able to forgive himself if anything bad happened to Harper.


    Looking at the direction of the library, Fred asked, "Your Highness, did you forget that the ck g


    Token is in the library as well?"


    Matthew immediately remembered that he had given the token to Harper before their wedding


    ceremony. It was her amulet and since then, she had always kept it with her. Back then, when his


    detoxifying process went wrong, to keep his mansion safe, Harper handed it over to Zack. Now, she


    was trapped inside the library, and certainly, she was carrying the token with her!


    Matthew gnashed his teeth ferociously. He was annoyed by how useless Shawn was with military


    concerns, because he actually allowed Luther and his soldiers to organize a mutiny. Now, Matthew had


    to go back to the Birch Pass to clear up this mess.


    "Your Highness?" Fred urged.


    "Are the twelve secret guards in here?"


    "Yes, Your Highness." Right then, twelve shadows appeared around him.


    "Guard this ce to protect Harper. If she gets hurt, I''ll hold you responsible." Then he stood up, turned


    to Lance, and said, "I temporarily allow my wife to be in your kingdom for a few days. I''m going to say


    this for thest time so you''d better remember. If anything bad happens to her, I will destroy your entire


    kingdom!"


    Lance didn''t respond. Meanwhile, Diana gritted her teeth while ring at Matthew. Ignoring her,


    Matthew briefly nced around the hall, looked at Miguel, Kile, and then at the library, thinking


    anxiously, ''Harp, wait for me. I''ll be back soon.'' After that, he immediately left with Fred.


    While waving his fan, Miguel stated, "Well, Prince Matthew has left. I''m exhausted, so I''m going back


    for a rest. Bye." Then he turned to Kile and asked, "Are you going to leave as well, Prince Kile?"


    "No, my beauty is still inside so I''ll stay here. I''m not leaving," Kile refused right away. Arms folded


    across his chest, Kile started to murmur to himself, "Beauty, you see, I have never given up on you.


    Only the people who once imed to love you are not here. It is only I who loves you and will never


    give up on you. When youe out, you just need to leave your husband and go back to the Wonder


    Kingdom with me."


    The corner of Miguel''s mouth unconsciously twitched. ''Such a shameless person Prince Kile is. The


    only one who is taking advantage of the couple''s peril is him. But the problem is, who should be


    responsible for what happened to Harper? Is it really not the South Kingdom''s doing?'' Miguel quickly


    analyzed the situation in his mind.


    He cast a few nces at the Holy Maiden and Lance and found the shock on their faces was real. It


    seemed like they didn''t do it on purpose. They, too, didn''t expect that Harper would be sucked into the


    library.


    With a smile slowly appearing on Miguel''s lips, York approached him and asked, "Master, if we''re


    leaving like this, aren''t you afraid that His Majesty will be mad at us if he finds it out?"


    Miguel sneered, "Be mad at us? You saw the fighting skills of that woman with your own eyes. Do you


    think you''re a match for her?"


    York carefully thought about it for a while. ''I don''t think I''m a match for Harper. When she was fighting


    against Francis, she was able to block another woman''s fatal attack! It goes to show that her martial


    arts skills and reaction time are quite superior. Thus, she wouldn''t have been defeated by the royal


    secret guards of the Bright Dynasty. Or if she were, it wouldn''t be easy for the guards.''


    "Master, do you mean Princess Harper broke His Majesty''s hand on purpose?" This was indeed a


    piece of surprising news to York. ''If that is the truth, this woman is extremely vicious indeed. She even


    plotted against others at the cost of her own life!''


    "She was sucked into the library. If the South Kingdom didn''t plot against her, she must''ve done it to


    herself. As for why she entered the library, her target could only be the Sacred Seal held by the royal


    family of the South Kingdom!" By then, the smile on Miguel''s face turned cold. "It is said that the blood


    of the Qin n is cold. I don''t know if her blood is the same!"


    York was shocked by his master''s cold and appalling smile. ''Every time master wants to kill a person,


    that same smile always appears on his face. But still, His Majesty cares about Princess Harper so


    much that if master were to do something to hurt her, His Majesty would be enraged.''


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Right away, York reminded Miguel, "Master, please think about His Majesty! If you recklessly did


    something that might hurt her, His Majesty would certainly throw away the friendship between the two


    of you."

 Chapter 767 The Library Collapsed (Part One)

    Chapter 767 The Library Copsed (Part One)


    A day had passed and yet the library door remained firmly shut with no one able to open it. As Lance


    returned to the Imperial Pce, the Holy Maiden stood guard from outside. Her face was solemn as


    she recalled what she had been told about the library. Only the Holy Maiden would be able to open its


    door. For years that had held true until Harper arrived here and changed everything. Now, the library


    was denying her ess no matter how hard she tried. She was clueless about what had changed. Still,


    she was certain that this weird phenomenon must have something to do with Harper.


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Diana didn''t leave the Starry Pce either. She nced at the Holy Maiden, taking pleasure in her


    misfortune. "Catherine, as the Holy Maiden, you seem to be quite ordinary. What? Can''t you even open


    the library door and go inside? If that''s the case, don''t you think it''s time for you to give up on being the


    Holy Maiden?"


    The Holy Maiden, on the other hand, merely turned a deaf ear to Diana''s teasing. All her concern was


    over the library. Over and over, she tried to form a connection. However, she just couldn''t feel a thing.


    Ever since Harper got sucked into it, the connection was severed.


    "Hey, Catherine, I''m talking to you! Would it kill you to reply?" Diana growled as she stomped forward


    and grabbed Catherine''s sleeve. Right then, the earth shook again. Diana failed to stay on her feet and


    was thrown a distance back. Catherine also fell to the ground because of the great shock. But she was


    better than Diana. She did not care about her own safety. Instead, her gaze shot straight to the library.


    The enormous library fell through the ground and sank beneath the earth right in front of them. In


    seconds, it had be nothing but a pile of ruins. Dust filled the air as the earth rocked. The entire


    South Kingdom was shaken up, its people growing jittery at the strange happening. Even Lance who


    had just fallen asleep woke from his slumber.


    "Your Majesty, something is wrong!" someone anxiously called out as he ran into the king''s quarters.


    Lance shot up from the bed at once and asked, "What happened? Why are you panicking like this?"


    "Something terrible happened at the Starry Pce!" replied the servant.


    Lance''s heart skipped a beat at the mention of the Starry Pce. "What? Did something happen to the


    Holy Maiden?"


    "No. The library waspletely destroyed. It''s a mess there. Princess Harper was trapped inside and


    has note out yet!" the servant said anxiously. If Matthew found out his beloved wife was buried


    inside, he would go crazy. The whole South Kingdom would have to face his wrath. It would be a


    disaster.


    Upon hearing that, Lance felt everything turned ck. He staggered, unable to steady himself.


    Fortunately, the servant beside him was quick to react and keep him from falling onto the floor. He


    understood the severity of the situation. Lance bristled as he gave out his order. "Go find her! She must


    be found and brought here to me, dead or alive!"


    "Yes."


    The entire Starry Pce was in chaos. After all, the library was an essential part of it and had now


    copsed, almost taking the rest of the pce with it. Broken white jade bricks and crystals scattered


    all over the ground. Taking in the destruction surrounding her, the Holy Maiden looked dumbstruck.


    Diana was also in a terrible state herself, as the incident had badly hurt her leg. Now the Starry Pce,


    which everyone revered, was in shambles. Diana was too horrified to say a word.


    "The Starry Pce is destroyed." the Holy Maiden stated in a rather calm tone, though her eyes held


    an array of mixed feelings. Her home for the past ten years was now wrecked, yet somehow a part of


    her was happy to know that. Why would she feel happy to see her home demolished? Probably


    because she had never wanted to live here, just as she had never wanted to be the Holy Maiden.


    Diana struggled to get up. The guards quickly regained their senses and came to help her and


    Catherine get out. More guards and servants began to clean up the debris while simultaneously


    searching for any trace of Harper.


    Kile had been feeling drowsy earlier, so he had headed back to his room to rest. Waking up from the


    earthquake in the middle of the night, he had the sudden urge to run away. However, he wasn''t quick


    enough and was struck on the head by falling zed tiles. When he appeared in front of the library''s


    ruins, his head was wrapped in thick gauze. He looked ridiculous.


    "Slow down, Your Highness!"


    "My beauty! Where are you?" Kile shouted as he jumped over the ruins in search of Harper. "My


    beauty, are you still alive? Please answer me."


    "Your Highness, be careful!" Kile''s servant cautioned as he followed him, fearing something bad would


    happen to him again. Kile had been very unlucky since he had arrived here. He was even sustaining


    injuries while still sleeping.


    "Why are you following me? Stop it! Go and search for my beauty instead!" Kile urged in an irritable


    tone, furious that they weren''t following his orders to clean up the ruins. Even he, the lofty prince, was


    helping out.


    Miguel had been resting when he heard about the chaos in the library. His first thought was that it was


    Harper''s fault. But it turned out that she was actually buried beneath the ruins.


    "Master, what should we do?" asked his servant, York.


    "Send a message to His Majesty and tell him that Lady Harper was imprisoned in the Starry Pce''s


    library and that the library copsed. Also tell him that she is trapped inside and no one knows whether


    she is dead or alive," Miguel stated as he calmed himself. He had thought entering the library was one


    of Harper''s tricks. While she was a cruel and cunning woman, she would never put her life in danger.


    She valued her life too much for that.


    "Yes, master," York replied at once. After he left, Miguel rolled down the window and looked outside.


    The passersby were all terrified at the sight of the pce. Lance worried about Harper who was still in


    the library. If anything terrible happened to her, the whole bnce of the four kingdoms would be


    smashed to smithereens!

 Chapter 768 The Library Collapsed (Part Two)

    Chapter 768 The Library Copsed (Part Two)


    "I didn''t expect that this world''s bnce would hinge on one woman!" Miguel murmured, a hint of


    sarcasm in his tone. "She can bring disaster to the world."


    "Anyone there?" he called out.


    "Yes, master."


    "Pay close attention to everything in the Starry Pce. Keep me updated on what''s going on there. I


    want to know whether Harper is alive or dead," Miguel ordered cidly. If Harper was dead, he must


    return to the Great Jade Kingdom as soon as possible to keep his emperor calm. And if Harper was


    lucky enough and survived, he would have another n ready. As soon as the thought came to him, he


    dismissed it with a shake of his head. There was no way that Harper was still alive. She was buried


    beneath the ruins after all. Even though she was versed in martial arts, he believed she could not make


    it out of this situation.


    "Yes, master."


    "Also, I will be going back. Make the necessary arrangements," he added, worry seeping into his eyes.


    It suddenly urred to him that with Harper dead, the Heavenly Books in the Great Jade Kingdom


    would probably be useless. All his efforts from the past few years would have been in vain. "Harper,


    you must be alive. If you die this easily, it will mean that I have overestimated you. Don''t disappoint


    me."


    Harper was buried in the library''s ruins. Once she had taken the half Sacred Seal, the library began to


    shake violently until it finally copsed. There had been no time for her to run out. Therefore, all she


    could do was hiding in the corner and avoid being hit by the flying debris and objects around her.


    Although the library lost the support the Sacred Seal afforded it, its solid foundation had helped her


    survive.


    Huddling in a small corner, she had to curl up to avoid being hurt again. The space was too narrow for


    an adult to stay in. Her efforts to push the rubble that hadnded on top of her had been useless.


    Eventually, she decided to settle down and wait for rescue.


    She took the Sacred Seal out from her pocket and studied it carefully with a sullen face. She


    murmured, "I almost lost my life for you. If Lance finds out that I destroyed his library and took you


    away, I''m afraid he wouldn''t let me leave alive."


    The Sacred Seal resembled an ordinary jade pendant. Harper transferred a bit of spiritual power into it.


    The seal seethed as a ring of light appeared out of it. The light then spread out and circled Harper, as if


    healing her. Looking at the enchanted barrier the seal had formed around her, Harper felt glorious. Her


    mind raced, and she pondered whether the seal was the base that supported the entire library.


    She wasn''t sure about her theory. Outside the library, the world was a mess. Lance was the first one to


    get to the heart of the mess. Looking at the ruins, he wore a glum face. The Holy Maiden, Catherine,


    stood next to the ruins, looking gloomy.


    "Your Majesty," Catherine greeted.


    "Did she do this?" asked Lance in a low voice.


    Catherine closed her eyes and nodded slowly. "Yes. She was the only one in the library and has


    spiritual power. I could feel the spiritual power on her is the same as that of our Holy Article. I think


    that''s why she was sucked into the library."


    Hearing that, Lance gnashed his teeth in hatred and said, "That means, even though the library


    copsed, she may be still alive."


    "I think the Holy Article will protect her," Catherine replied.


    "Stay on guard here and don''t let her take it out of the South Kingdom!" Lance warned as he lowered


    his voice. "You can kill her if necessary. We''re not afraid of Matthew''s ck g Army!"


    Catherine''s eyes lit up a little and some mysterious emotion shed in her eyes. Then she nodded in


    silence. The Holy Article was remarkably important to the South Kingdom. If Harper hadn''t moved it,


    the library wouldn''t have copsed. Now both the library and the Starry Pce were damaged. She


    knew that Harper was behind all of this.


    "I got it," she finally responded.


    "Did you find my beauty?" Kile asked as he popped up out of nowhere. His sudden appearance took


    both Catherine and Lance aback. They wondered whether Kile had heard what they were just


    discussing.


    As Catherine moved her fingers a bit to get rid of the prince, Lance grabbed her hand and stopped her.


    He then said to the prince, "Prince Kile, the guards are trying their best to search for her. If they find


    any trace of Harper, they will keep you informed."


    Kile, merely snorted and ran to the ruins. He gave orders to his guards and said, "Be careful when


    removing these stones! If you hurt her, I''ll break your arms!"


    "Your Majesty, he..." Catherine said with hesitation.


    "He is nothing but a pampered prince. Don''t worry," Lance said in a calm tone. "All I''m worried about


    now is Matthew. Although we don''t fear his ck g Army, I''m worried about what he''ll do once he


    hears this news and gets mad. I must be ready to counter his attacks. You should take care of things


    here."


    "Yes, please rest assured that I will do that. I won''t let anyone take our Holy Article from this ce!"


    Catherine said. Her voice was as cold as ice, fading away into the cold night wind.


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    With his back facing Catherine, Kile furrowed his brows. A murderous look shed in his eyes but


    disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. He schooled his expression to that of a yboy as he


    demanded his men to look for Harper again.


    "My beauty, don''t die here, or I will suffer a great loss!" Kile murmured anxiously.


    All of a sudden, a mysterious man appeared. "Your Highness," the man greeted, and then began to


    whisper in Kile''s ear. No one could hear what he was saying, but whatever he said had Kile grit his


    teeth as his face paled. He shifted his eyes to look at his men who were busy searching for Harper.


    "Ten of you stay here and continue the search. The others get ready and go back to the Wonder


    Kingdom with me. Father has ordered me to return and choose between some beautiful women he has


    selected for me!" Kile announced.

 Chapter 769 The Battle Of The Birch Pass (Part One)

    Chapter 769 The Battle Of The Birch Pass (Part One)


    At that time, the clearing of the library''s ruins was still in progress. After all the envoys from other


    countries had already left, the Holy Maiden asked her men to surround the library of the Starry Pce.


    Harper had excellent martial arts skills so they needed to be on their guard. No matter if she was dead


    or alive, they wouldn''t let her leave the South Kingdom with the Holy Article.


    Meanwhile, Harper was still trapped under the ruins. Although the spiritual power protected her, she


    wouldn''t be able to hold on for a long time. So she was trying really hard to find a way out while the


    people outside continued to clear the ruins. Finally, she used the spiritual power to find a weak spot


    with the intention of forcing her way out.


    In the meantime, the twelve secret guards had been hiding in the dark. They had sent the news the day


    the library copsed. Two days had passed, but they hadn''t heard back yet. They didn''t dare to take


    any action. They could only wait for the rescue from Lance.


    During this time, the Birch Pass was being controlled by Luther. Its terrain was easy to defend but


    extremely hard to attack. When Francis rushed back to the Birch Pass to meet Luther, the whole pass


    became a barrier, effectively blocking the ck g Army.


    "Your Highness, the ck g Army has already gathered outside the border. It''s very likely that


    Prince Matthew is already with the army by now." In fact, Luther was a little worried. Matthew''s ck


    g Army had invincible power and influence. Even if the Birch Pass was gifted with a natural barrier, it


    wouldn''t hold back the army for a long time. If Matthew were to push too hard, themon people in


    the Birch Pass would certainly be in danger.


    Francis crumpled the note that contained the news which he had just received. With a sh of pain in


    his eyes, he thenmanded, "Spread the news that the library of the South Kingdom copsed and


    Princess Harper hasn''te out from the ruins."


    "Your Highness, is this the right time to concern yourself about Princess Harper?" Luther asked. The


    astonishment was apparent on his face.


    "All Matthew ever talks about is how he loves her the most, right? I just want to see if he will abandon


    his three hundred thousand soldiers and go straight to the South Kingdom for Harper''s sake. Can''t you


    see? If he wants to reach the South Kingdom, he needs to pass by the Birch Pass first. The more


    worried and anxious he is, the more likely he''s going to act recklessly and if we''re lucky, he''s going to


    make the biggest mistake of his life."


    Luther immediately understood what Francis was nning to do. So he ordered his men to spread the


    news that Princess Harper was buried under the library and nobody knew whether she was still alive.


    Although he didn''t know whether Matthew had received the news, they could still disturb the morale of


    the ck g Army''s soldiers.


    Meanwhile, at the military camp of the ck g Army, Shawn looked very serious. They had just


    received the news that something terrible happened to Harper. The news had already been spread


    everywhere in the Birch Pass. And now, Matthew was on the edge of losing his mind, so Shawn was


    worried that the prince would be unable to control himself any longer, and decide to do something rash


    and impulsive which he might regretter on.


    After taking a deep breath, Shawn turned to Matthew and said, "Your Highness, just go to the South


    Kingdom. I can stay here and manage the army until you''re back with Her Highness."


    Matthew didn''t respond or move. He had left the twelve secret guards in the South Kingdom to protect


    Harper. It was the only reason why he had been able to leave her in there. But what he didn''t expect


    was for her to be buried under the library. At that moment, there were a lot of questions on his mind.


    ''What happened? Was the library''s copse an ident or a plot against us? And if it was a plot


    indeed, who was behind it?''


    "Your Highness?" Shawn tried once again but Matthew remained silent. Because of that, Shawn was


    bing more and more anxious so he tried tofort Matthew. "God will bless Her Highness. She''s


    going to be fine."


    "Bring me the distribution map. Raise the tent and ask the generals of the army toe here to


    discuss the matters at hand." Unexpectedly, Matthew was calm when he spoke.


    Joshua noticed that Matthew looked rather unwell but his tone was extremely calm. He stretched out


    his hand to poke Barry. "Is His Highness bing desperate because what happened to Her


    Highness is causing a huge impact on him?"


    Barry rolled his eyes at that. "What he''s doing right now is turning grief into motivation. He''s preparing


    to attack Prince Francis!"


    Joshua folded his arms on top of his chest and replied, "Prince Francis was brought up in the Imperial


    Pce. So he has a narrow perception about everything. I don''t think he knows what kind of person


    our prince is. By the way, I haven''t seen our princess yet even though she''s themander of the


    ck g Army. I can''t wait to see what kind of woman can make our prince weak in the knees."


    "A woman who stands shoulder to shoulder with His Highness," Barry said while his eyes gleamed.


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    "Really? So even if she''s by herself in the South Kingdom, she can protect herself and get out of


    danger?" Joshua asked while raising his brows.


    Barry was speechless. What should he say? Could he say yes? If their princess was waiting for them to


    save her... With these thoughts in mind, Barry shook his head. Harper was definitely not a woman who


    would just sit still and wait for her death. She was good at fighting back with so much rigor. Moreover,


    she was not a helpless woman anymore. However, the only problem was that the library copsed and


    she was buried under the ruins. No matter how powerful and empowered she was, it was inevitable


    that she was going to get hurt.


    "Joshua, we need to attack the Birch Pass before the sun sets tomorrow! Although His Highness is


    very calm right now, I know that he''s just trying to contain himself. If anything happens to Her Highness,


    the consequences will be unbearable for us," Barry suddenly stated.


    Upon hearing that, Joshua turned to look at Matthew who was discussing with Shawn about the


    strategies of their impending attack. The other generals were standing around them while listening to


    him. Even though Matthew looked very calm, Joshua could sense his uneasiness. After all, they had


    experienced a lot of difficulties asrades for many years. So he knew that the more worried and


    terrified Matthew was, the calmer he looked.


    "Ry mymand: prepare to attack the city!" At Matthew''s word, the generals of every troop left


    with the order.


    "Let me take the lead. I heard Luther''s an excellent general. Fighting against him is going to be a wish


    coming true for me." Shawn asked for permission.


    "Okay."


    Meanwhile at the other side of the war, Luther had a serious expression on his face. He had been


    looking at the army as they assembled outside of the city. While listening to the bugle ying the


    offensive tune, Luther said, "Prince Matthew is quite worried about Princess Harper. He is determined


    to force a siege."

 Chapter 770 The Battle Of The Birch Pass (Part Two)

    Chapter 770 The Battle Of The Birch Pass (Part Two)


    "General, would you like to ept the challenge?" the deputy general asked.


    "Who is the enemy''s general that will lead the first attack?" Luther asked in a low voice. He had never


    expected that he would one day stand on the other side, as a traitor facing against the army of the


    Bright Dynasty.


    "It is said to be General Shawn."


    When Luther heard that, his eyes shined a bit. ''So it''s him, '' he thought. With a smirk, he then


    commanded, "Give the order and get ready to fight."


    "Luther, close the gates and keep watch," Francismanded when Luther approached him.


    Upon hearing this, Luther turned around and looked at Francis with the same serious expression on his


    face. "Your Highness, the enemy''s leader in this battle is General Shawn," he said.


    Francis was taken aback by the unexpected news. He couldn''t believe what he just heard. Shawn, who


    was supposed to be in the north domain, hade to the south domain? When did he arrive? A lot of


    questions were on his mind but he only said one of them. "Why did hee here?"


    "Presumably, ever since Prince Matthew started preparing toe here, he has already chosen a


    person to be in charge of the south domain." Aplex expression shed through Luther''s eyes


    before he added, "I just didn''t expect it to be General Shawn."


    "No, it isn''t him. He isn''t the one whom Matthew has chosen!" Standing on the city gate tower, Francis


    looked at the dark clouds gathering in the sky. With an aura of destroying everything on its way, the


    clouds weren''t far from them. "Shawn ising here to make the first move."


    Luther was a person of great discernment. He instantly realized that there were two valiant generals


    from the north domain: General Shawn, and the rising neer, General Carlson!


    Carlson was a member of the royal family. He was Prince Allen''s son and the current emperor''s cousin,


    so he was the most suitable candidate to take charge of the south domain. Although Shawn''s family


    had done a great favor for thete emperor, they didn''te from the exclusive royal bloodline.


    "He indeed favors Lucas!" Francis eximed with a sneer. ''You have even figured out how to get rid of


    the malignant tumor hidden in the south domain. Do you really have no ambition, Matthew? If you


    don''t, why did you even train your soldiers? Why did you disobey the orders of thete emperor,


    making him afraid of you? If so, will Lucas tolerate you when he''s in power?''


    "Your Highness, please allow me to fight," Luther asked with utmost sincerity and a hint of desperation.


    If he could fight against General Shawn, he wouldn''t have regrets even if he died doing so.


    Francis closed his eyes when he replied, "Come back alive. Luther, right now, you''re the only one I


    have left. My brother Jason is gone, and she''s... You muste back alive."


    Luther didn''t respond right away for he wasn''t sure if he coulde back alive. He also didn''t want to


    disappoint Francis in giving him false hopes. "I will try my best," he said after a while.


    "Go ahead! Since it''s your desire to fight against Shawn, I won''t stop you. Yet, on one condition, you


    muste back alive!" There were a lot of things that Francis was feeling¡ªmisery, destion, and


    most of all, he felt abandoned. Except for Luther, there was no one around him who kept on supporting


    him. It was for this reason that he didn''t want to lose the man.


    "Yes," Luther briefly responded before he left in a rush.


    In no time, Luther led the troops to the battlefield while Francis stood on the gate tower to watch


    everything. It was in July and the sun was burning so bright that it caused pain to everyone''s skins.


    Becky approached Francis and held an umbre for him. "Your Highness, the sun is scorching here.


    Why don''t we go inside for now?"


    Francis shook his head and thought to himself, ''This battle is particrly important. Matthew is very


    adamant and even a little desperate to defeat the Birch Pass so he can go and rescue Harper. But


    that''s not going to happen for I will keep him here for as long as we can. He wants to save her? There''s


    no way that''s going to happen!''


    When the two armies came face to face, Shawn who was in a military uniform did not look like a mere


    schr anymore. No one would associate him with the word "frailty" now. He was a powerful soldier


    dressed in the grandest military uniform. However, once he removed his military uniform, he looked like


    a modest gentleman and a weak schr. But whether he was a soldier or a schr, no one dared to


    look down upon him.


    "General Shawn."


    "General Luther.


    I hope that we won''t regret anything after this battle," Shawn inly said with a calm expression on his


    face.


    "General, I would like to ask you not to show any mercy, please. I have admired you for a long time. For


    this battle, I won''t hold back," Luther stated with a smile.


    "You didn''t have to ask. I don''t n on showing any mercy. Come on!"


    The fight, however, ended up in chaos filled with swords and blood. Both of them were well-known


    generals at a young age. One of them was from a prestigious and wealthy family of a marquis and had


    a rich life since he was a child, while the other was from an orphanage and had to go through so much


    just to survive. Both of them had richbat experience and were very good at fighting on horseback.


    Indeed, they were equals both in skills and abilities.


    With so much emotion written all over his face, Shawn thought, ''If you didn''t rebel against the country


    with Prince Francis, I wouldn''t have hesitated to be friends with you.'' He then said, "Luther, if we were


    not enemies, I would like to be your friend."


    Luther gave him a warm smile. "General, with those words, I could die without regret. But unfortunately,


    I have to keep my promise to His Highness."


    What happened next seemed to go by in a second. As soon as Shawn''s sword was ced back into its


    sheath, Luther fell from his horse and immediately reached the ground. Before he died, a satisfied


    smile appeared on his face. ''Your Highness, I''m sorry that I can''t keep my promise. You have to move


    on by yourself, '' he thought.


    Standing on the gate tower, Francis saw when Luther fell down from his horse while his soldiers were


    being executed left and right. A teardrop fell from his face. From the moment he heard Luther''s request


    to fight, he perfectly knew that this general had made up his mind to fight until his death. The general


    didn''t want to have any more fight. After all, it was against his people that had been hisrades once!


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    "Luther, farewell."

 Chapter 771 Try Murdering Her Own Sister (Part One)

    Chapter 771 Try Murdering Her Own Sister (Part One)


    At the end of the battle, the Birch Pass seemed to be washed with blood. It ended with Luther losing his


    life and Shawn getting severely injured. Shawn had been lying on the bed almost to the point of being


    lifeless. His face writhed in pain as he struggled to get up. Just then Joshua knocked the acupuncture


    point in Shawn''s neck. As a result, thetter passed out and was forced to have a rest.


    "The ck g Army still has me, so you don''t need to strain yourself so much," Joshua said in a low


    yet decisive tone, ncing at Shawn who was in sleep. Joshua then, turned to Mathew and asked,


    "Your Highness, shall we continue to attack?"


    Mathew tapped his index finger on the table unconsciously as he said, "Yes, continue attacking the


    pass. Use the best of the crossbows and alsounch fire attacks."


    Upon the order, Joshua''s eyes lit up in excitement. He said, "Yes, Your Highness. I will make all the


    necessary arrangements right away."


    The ck g Army was well equipped with upgraded armaments and improved crossbows. However,


    from where these advanced and upgraded crossbows came, was a secret that Mathew kept only to


    himself. Joshua had no idea about it.


    Francis was shattered after Luther''s death at the battle, but he did not have the luxury to grieve


    Luther''s death. He gathered himself up to address his men. He instructed his men to close the main


    gate of the Birch Pass and refused to carry on with the fight. Francis assessed that no matter how


    powerful the ck g Army was, they could not climb up the wall of the pass with bare hands.


    But what happened next frightened Francis to the core. The ck g Army started shooting arrows


    with fire jet inside the pass. After this, Mathew''s motive was clear. All he wanted was to destroy the


    entire Birch Pass and put an end to the lives of the people who lived there without even leaving a burial


    ce for them.


    "Matthew Jun!" Francis muttered through his gritted teeth, clenching his palm into a tight fist. It was as


    if all hell broke loose inside the Birch Pass as the fire wreaked havoc. The already blood washed pass


    was almost lit up in the fire. People were seen running around desperately to save their lives. Houses


    were getting torched one after another as the arrows with fire jet fell on them. It was as if the entire


    town was set aze. People wanted to run out of the pass but failed as the gate of the pass was


    closed down. With the fire engulfing all the things and quickly approaching the people, it seemed to be


    fated to get subjected to the fire.


    "Your Highness, what should we do now? Matthew Jun seems to have gone mad. Now that he


    launches fire attacks, there is no doubt that he wants to burn everything alive inside the Birch Pass into


    ashes so he can upy this ce without the slightest resistance. I suggest we retreat right away. As


    long as you''re alive, you will still have another chance!" Becky urged anxiously. It was alreadyte. If


    they dyed any further, they would lose theirst chance to escape.


    Francis felt annoyed and resentful. He had heard that Matthew was cruel and ruthless, but it was not


    until today that Francis had experienced his wrath. The Birch Pass was home to the nationals of the


    Bright Dynasty, with a small section of merchants of the South Kingdom sharing the space with them.


    And now that Matthew didn''t hesitate to set the entire city on fire, he was not only challenging Francis


    to open the gate but he was also ready to wage a war against the South Kingdom.


    "Your Highness, please make haste. It will be toote if you don''t leave right now!" Becky sounded


    rather vexed at this momentary indecisiveness on Francis''s part. "Your Highness, will it be eptable


    to you if you lose your life here and Harper remains alive?"


    Francis'' pupils moved at the very mention of Harper. He creased his eyebrows and looked at Becky


    from the corner of his eyes and asked, "Is Harper still alive?"


    "I''m sure she must be alive. That woman is so cunning and contriving. There is a saying that evil


    people have a long life. She must be safe and sound now. Perhaps she is hiding somewhere and


    waiting to see you get burnt to death at the Birch Pass." Becky yed it smart. She knew that the only


    person who could make Francis move out of his obstinacy was Harper. Even though his mind would be


    filled with hatred, at the least, his life could be saved. As long as he was alive, there was hope for them


    to strike back.


    After a moment of silence, Francis moved his lips and decreed, "Retreat!"


    As Francis left, he took only secret guards with him. After Luther''s demise and now, Francis'' retreat,


    there was no one to lead the two hundred thousand soldiers. They became disorganized and


    disoriented. After a span of chaos, they decided to open the gate and surrender.


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Matthew sat upright on the horseback and looked down at the countless soldiers standing submissively


    in front of him. In a cold voice, he ordered, "Everyone in the Birch Pass, listen to me. Put out the fires


    as soon as possible. Anyone who dares to run away will be punished for the crime of treason!"


    The soldiers were already petrified after being deserted by Francis in the middle of the battle. In such a


    situation, Matthew''s voice seemed to be pacifying them out of the terror. They calmed down and began


    to put out the fires in an organized manner. Slowly, the civilians in the entire town volunteered to join


    the team of firefighters. No one dared toin that Matthew had set fire into the pass.


    "Your Highness, what next?" Joshua asked.


    "I will take fifty thousand troops with me to the South Kingdom. And I''ll hand over the Birch Pass to you


    and Shawn. You will take charge of manualbor and he will take charge of intellectual activities here,"


    Matthew said in a cold voice. "And I''m going to take my wife back." The prince''s eyes softened for a


    fraction of a moment as he uttered the words.


    "Yes, Your Highness," Joshua affirmed.


    In the Starry Pce, the earth seemed to tremble under the feet and the mountain swayed once again


    as if it would bring the sky down. But no building copsed this time. Instead, it seemed as if someone


    was crawling amidst the ruins. This was precisely the factor that shook the foundation of the Starry


    Pce from its very root.


    As soon as Harper crawled out of the rubble, she saw a lot of people around her with daggers in their


    hands. They approached her with murderous looks on their faces, ready to chop off her head at the


    very first opportunity. Standing in front of these people were Diana, the princess of the South Kingdom,


    and Catherine, the Holy Maiden of the South Kingdom.


    Harper looked rather disheveled, but she still managed to get up on her feet gracefully. She dusted off


    her clothes and folded her messy hair into a bun. Then she roved her eyes around and tried to find the


    familiar face somewhere in the crowd. Yet, she didn''t find any trace of Matthew or the envoy of any


    other country.


    "Your Grace, Princess Diana, why are you acting like that?" Harper asked after letting out a cough. Her


    voice sounded rather chocked from the dust as she continued, "Is this how your South Kingdom treats


    a guest?" Harper pulled her act together and took a dignified poise as she faced Diana and


    Catherine.

 Chapter 772 Try Murdering Her Own Sister (Part Two)

    Chapter 772 Try Murdering Her Own Sister (Part Two)


    "Guest?" Diana moved her eyes vengefully on Harper from head to toe and sneered at her. "What kind


    of a guest would destroy the host''s pce in this way?"


    Harper remained unmoved by Diana''s disrespectful remark. Rather, she refuted, "In fact, it is me who


    should be asking this to you. I was invited to attend the Worship Ceremony in your country. However,


    during the ceremony, I was framed to assassinate Prince Kile of the Wonder Kingdom. Later somehow


    I got locked up in the library where I was almost about to lose consciousness out of starvation. As if


    that was not enough, even the library copsed. Had it not been for my luck being by my side, I would


    have died and crushed under your pce. Don''t you think the South Kingdom should exin


    everything that I have suffered to me?" Harper reasoned with the two eminentdies. She had always


    been very smart in proving her point. Since neither side had any evidence of what really had happened,


    she could very conveniently narrate her version of the story.


    Catherine took a step forward and said, "Lady Harper, please give the Holy Article of our country back


    to me."


    Looking straight at Catherine with meaningful eyes, Harper said, "Your Grace, haven''t you used the


    Holy Article of the South Kingdom as a gift? Look, I haven''t received any gift from you. Why are you


    expecting to take the Holy Article back from me?"


    "Lady Harper, please stop beating around the bush. If you hadn''t touched the Holy Article of the South


    Kingdom, the library would not have copsed in the first ce," Catherine said, narrowing her eyes on


    Harper. Her face hardened and her eyes exuded a lethal stillness. For the first time, she was so


    exasperated to see how shameless Harper could be.


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    "Your Grace, could you please tell me how the Holy Article looks like."


    "It''s a jade pendant," Catherine answered calmly, staring at Harper. "Lady Harper, please give the jade


    pendant back to me now."


    Harper gave an impish smile at Catherine and took out several jade pendants from her clothes. Then


    she went on introducing the jade pendants to Catherine and Diana one by one. "This is the jade


    pendant I was given by the royal family on my wedding day. This one is a gift from my husband when


    he was in a good mood one day. This is the one that my mother left to me. This one, I bought from a


    store. Which one do you want, please?"


    Catherine narrowed her eyes and replied in a colder voice, "Lady Harper, I don''t want to fight with you."


    Seemingly helplessly, Harper put away all the jade pendants and looked at Catherine with a rather


    bemused expression. "Your Grace, you''re too unreasonable. I was identally sucked into the library


    in your South Kingdom for some unknown reason. Then the library copsed, which almost killed me. I


    had a hard time getting back my life, but you''re questioning me about something that I have absolutely


    no clue about. Don''t you think you''re going too far?"


    "Going too far?" Diana opened her mouth at this point. "I don''t think so!"


    Taking a step forward, Diana warned, "Harper, get one thing very straight and clear. Today, if you don''t


    give the Holy Article back to us, you will not be able to step out of the Starry Pce!"


    Harper''s eyes flickered for once. At a lightning speed, she made a swift move and grabbed Diana''s


    neck. Then she pricked Diana at her acupuncture point with a needle. Immediately, Diana could not


    move her limbs. She just stared at Harper in utter disbelief.


    "Princess Diana, don''t move. I know you are deft at using poisons on others. Pardon me for using this


    little trick on you. Your Grace, could you please tell your people to step aside?" Harper said, seizing


    Diana as a hostage. "Otherwise, your beloved younger sister might have to lose her life."


    Catherine froze at the spot. She shifted her gaze from Harper to Diana. Diana never looked so helpless


    in her entire life. She seemed unwilling to give in. Her eyes welled up. She could never imagine that


    she would fall into Harper''s hands in this way without any ability to fight back.


    "Cut the crap, Harper. You can kill me if you want to, but you can''t threaten... Ouch..." Diana''s face


    winced in pain.


    Harper tightened her grip on Diana and narrowed her eyes as she nced at the soldiers around her. A


    sly smile lurked at the corner of her lips as she said in a sardonic tone, "Princess Diana, you might be a


    princess in the South Kingdom, but for me, you''re not even as significant as an ant. Even if I kill you,


    Lance would not be able to do anything to me, because I have the entire Bright Dynasty, the three


    hundred thousand troops of the ck g Army, and Matthew as my support. You see, I won''t get hurt


    even if I kill you right here, right now. So, dare not provoke me. You may be useful for now. But if you


    make me angry, I will definitely disable you for the rest of your life."


    Diana''s face changed into a ghastly expression. She felt ashamed and angry at the same time because


    Harper had spoken about the exact thoughts that were there in her mind at the moment. She had


    nned to threaten Harper with her identity as the princess of the South Kingdom. But she had


    forgotten that Harper had a more powerful background than her. If Harper used her power on Diana,


    she would be nowhere.


    "Harper Chu, just give the Holy Article back to me and release her. I promise I will let you go after that,"


    Catherine said slowly in an assuring tone. Although she didn''t want to save Diana, yet she was


    conscious about having so many people around them. If Lance got to know that she did nothing to save


    Diana, it would leave a bad impact on her position.


    Harper let out a smile and shook her head, saying, "Your Grace, ask your people to get out of the way.


    Don''t try my patience."


    "Just give me the Holy Article!" Catherine insisted.


    "Okay. If you insist on being obstinate, then I don''t have much of a choice here." Harper''s eyes glinted


    angrily as she shook her head. Then she called out, "Twelve secret guards, make the way for me to


    leave!"


    "Yes." Twelve shadows jumped out of the dark in the blink of an eye and brandished their swords


    towards the soldiers of the South Kingdom. With just one sway of their swords, they beheaded the


    soldiers of the South Kingdom. In the meanwhile, Harper walked outwards holding Diana in her tight


    stranglehold. The ordinary soldiers of the South Kingdom were no match for the secret guards at all. In


    the blink of an eye, their heavy siege fell apart and Harper took Diana out of the siege circle. Catherine


    made a swift move and quickly blocked the way in front of Harper. However, much to Harper''s surprise,


    this time Catherine hurled a fierce five-finger attack on Diana, who was under Harper''s grip.


    Diana looked at Catherine with helplessness and disbelief in her eyes. What was her elder sister up to?


    Was she going to kill her?


    Harper waspletely taken aback by this unprecedented action on Catherine''s behalf. Yet she was


    prompt enough to move Diana to dodge the attack from her critical position. As a result, Catherine''s


    five fingersnded on Diana''s shoulder instead of her chest. Diana screamed out in pain. Catherine


    pulled out her hand and hurled the attack to kill Diana once again. Just in time, a figure flew out from


    the dark and kicked Catherine. As she defended herself from the figure, Harper found a chance to


    escape.


    "Hurry up!"


    The moment Harper saw it was Howard, she was overjoyed. She held Diana tightly and escaped with


    Howard covering her retreat. The twelve secret guards retreated one by one and caught up with


    Harper.


    "Stop them! Don''t let them climb down the mountain!" Catherine shouted. Her voice trailed off as


    Harper flew out with all her might. Moving out of the Starry Pce, Harper felt something was moving


    in the dark. Furthermore, they were met with heavy blockage all the way down the mountain. Trying to


    make way forcibly would bring about great losses for them. However, through all these obstacles, one


    thing that kept lingering in Harper''s mind was why Catherine wanted to kill


    Diana.

 Chapter 773 Forced Into The Labyrinth Swamp (Part One)

    Chapter 773 Forced Into The Labyrinth Swamp (Part One)


    After briefly ncing at Diana who was bing paler by the second, Harper quickly looked in the


    opposite direction. From where they were situated, there were two roads that she could see. One was


    the road where they hade from as they left the Starry Pce, and the other was the road behind it.


    But the road in front of them led to the South Kingdom''s Labyrinth Swamp which was extremely


    dangerous. Up until then, it was said that no one could get out of there alive.


    Moreover, the Holy Mountain served as a natural barrier, blocking the swamp from flowing to the South


    Kingdom. Harper thought that no matter which road they chose, it would be extremely difficult to


    survive. Entering the swamp would mean risking their lives. On the other hand, if they went down the


    mountain, the situation wasn''t any better.


    When Howard finally caught up with Harper, he was surprised to see that she had stopped walking. So,


    he anxiously asked, "Why did you stop?"


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    "It wouldn''t be wise to go down," Harper stated in a soft tone while looking at the road which


    descended to the foot of the mountain.


    Howard frowned and immediately responded, "Don''t worry. Even if it meant fighting our way out, we''ll


    definitely find a way for you!"


    "We don''t have to fight head-on. I''m afraid that the army in the imperial capital has been waiting for us


    at the foot of the mountain. If we go down, we will have to defend ourselves from countless enemies.


    By then, we will be too exhausted and even killed." Harper turned to the other direction where weeds


    had overgrown and few people had been there, because it was the notorious Labyrinth Swamp.


    "Everyone,e with me. Let''s enter the swamp!"


    "You''re crazy!" Howard eximed while quickly blocking Harper''s way. "Do you know how dangerous


    the swamp is? Once you enter it, you won''t be able toe out alive!"


    However, Harper looked very calm. "The worst possibility is death. But, I really think that we have at


    least a chance of survival there. On the other hand, if we go down the mountain and force our way out,


    there is not a bit of that chance and we will certainly die. Catherine is not going to let us leave the


    South Kingdom alive."


    "But you can''t just walk into death!"


    With utmost gentleness, Harper said, "Brother, trust me."


    For a moment, Howard looked extremely moved. His eyes started to get red when he heard the word


    "brother" from his sister. He couldn''t remember how long it had been since she had called him like that.


    All the tension and strain vanished into thin air with the single word. He turned around to avoid anyone


    from seeing his embarrassment, because he didn''t know how to react to suddenly being called


    "brother".


    Gathering up all of hisposure, Howard eximed, "Let''s go!" He then took the lead in entering the


    Labyrinth Swamp. Leaving Diana to the secret guards, Harper followed his brother. Meanwhile, when


    Catherine, the Holy Maiden almost caught up with the runaways, she saw a group of people


    disappearing at the end of the road.


    She sneered, "You have a way of surviving, but you didn''t choose it. You''re asking for death! Harper,


    now that you entered the Labyrinth Swamp, you wouldn''t be able toe out alive. However, you''re


    doing me a favor. With this decision, I don''t have to stain my hands and kill my sister. So thank you for


    that!"


    The captain of the guards approached Catherine in a rush. When he noticed that Diana was not with


    her, he asked, "Your Grace, may I know where did Princess Diana go?"


    With eyes that started to be red, Catherine solemnly said, "Diana... She had been taken away by


    Harper. Thetter was escaping so quickly that she didn''t pay attention to the route and led a group of


    people to the Labyrinth Swamp."


    In an instant, the captain turned pale with fear. Everyone knew the dangers that came with the


    Labyrinth Swamp. Even if the most powerful shaman were to enter the ce, they wouldn''t be able to


    find a way out. Princess Diana would certainly die if she had been taken in there!


    "I need to go back to the pce and report this unfortunate event to His Majesty."


    With a worried expression on her face, the Holy Maiden added more fuel to the fire. "And, Diana had


    been hurt by Harper. The Labyrinth Swamp is shrouded in heavy miasma. I''m afraid... I''m afraid the


    situation is extremely hopeless. Please tell His Majesty what exactly happened to Diana and make sure


    that he is well prepared for any disastrous situation that may ur. Besides, the Holy Article had been


    stolen by Harper."


    "Yes, Your Grace."


    Meanwhile, back in the royal pce of the South Kingdom, Lance was anxiously pacing back and forth.


    He just received a war report from the frontlines. The Birch Pass had fallen under the control of


    Matthew. In a few days, he had taken control of the pass. It was a clear indication of how terrible yet


    capable he was. The two hundred thousand soldiers of the south domain werepletely defeated in


    a few days. Also, their leader Luther had been killed in the battle while Francis had escaped. Now,


    every inch of the Birch Pass was entirely in Matthew''s hands!


    What made Lance even more annoyed and unbearable was that after Matthew took the Birch Pass, he


    led fifty thousand soldiers of the ck g Army and marched to the capital of the South Kingdom!


    Along the way, he and his army moved forward with vigorous momentum. The army of the South


    Kingdom could not stop them at all. If things went on like this, the entire South Kingdom would be


    conquered in a short time! A few days ago, when Matthew left the capital, he emphasized that if


    something were to happen to Harper, he was going to destroy the entire kingdom. It seemed like he


    was staying true to his word.


    "Your Majesty," the captain of the guards greeted Lance.


    "Is Princess Diana back?" Lance asked with great concern.


    The captain instantly looked sullen. "Your Majesty, something bad happened to Her Highness. Prince


    Harper ran out of the ruins and escaped. She held Princess Diana as a hostage and severely injured


    her!"


    "She''s crossed the line!" With one tremendous banging of Lance''s fists, the tables were smashed into


    pieces. "This couple is outrageous! Where is the Holy Maiden? Is she all right?"


    "Fortunately, Her Grace is fine. She wanted to rescue Princess Diana. So, she chased Prince Harper


    as far as she could. But Prince Harper and herpanions were so startled that they chose to walk


    inside the... the Labyrinth Swamp with the seriously injured Prince Diana." As soon as the captain


    finished speaking, Lance staggered and copsed into his chair. The eunuch next to him quickly helped


    him up.


    "Your Majesty, please take care!"


    Lance felt that he was both sad and furious and that blood was about to burst out of his mouth. He


    didn''t know if he should swallow the blood or spit it. Then, he heard the captain continued, "I''m sorry,


    Your Majesty, but you need to know about this. The Holy Maiden said that the Holy Article had also


    been taken away by Princess Harper."

 Chapter 774 Forced Into The Labyrinth Swamp (Part Two)

    Chapter 774 Forced Into The Labyrinth Swamp (Part Two)


    Unable to hold it back any longer, Lance spat out the blood in his mouth. The eunuch and the guards


    became frightened. "Shamans! Call the shamans right this second."


    The situation in the Imperial Pce was nothing short of chaos. While Lance was spitting blood, a lot of


    shamans came to the pce in a hurry. Meanwhile, Matthew with his troops, was attacking the cities of


    the South Kingdom. It was reported that the Starry Pce had been destroyed. All of the people in the


    South Kingdom were hysterical. If Lance became seriously ill, the kingdom would be ruined soon


    enough!


    "Shaman, how is the emperor?"


    Being summoned by Lance, all the officials of the South Kingdom rushed to the pce. Their kingdom


    was in grave danger at that time. If anything bad happened to Lance who was an important pir of the


    entire kingdom, it would suddenly turn this chaotic situation into a hopeless one.


    "His Majesty spat blood and then fainted due to excessive rage. He is fine now. He has already woken


    up, but he can''t be stressed out or provoked. His Majesty calls for all of you," the shaman announced.


    "Okay," the officials stated in chorus.


    All of them walked into the room one by one. Meanwhile, Lance leaned against his bed with a pale face


    and said, "You are all here."


    "Your Majesty."


    "You already know the current situation of our kingdom. Matthew with his ck g Army is now


    heading towards the south and soon they will arrive at our capital. To put it inly, it''s going to be hard


    for our soldiers to resist. I''m afraid it won''t be long before the South Kingdom falls." Lance coughed


    twice before he continued, "I didn''t expect that it would turn out to be a big mistake to invite the envoys


    of the three kingdoms to attend the ceremony."


    "Your Majesty, Prince Matthew will certainly retreat after we hand over Princess Harper to him," an


    official responded right away. ''Why is Prince Matthew attacking the South Kingdom? It was all because


    of Princess Harper,'' he thought. The officials were all thinking that before Prince Matthew and his army


    coulde to the kingdom, he needed to know that Princess Harper was safe and sound. As long as


    she was fine, they didn''t have to worry about Prince Matthew''s invasion.


    When Lance heard that suggestion, a hint of hatred appeared in his eyes. "Speaking of Harper... She


    kidnapped Diana and strayed into the Labyrinth Swamp with her."


    The faces of all the officials turned pale as soon as they heard the news. They couldn''t believe the grim


    reality that they were facing. Once a person went into the swamp, their corpses couldn''t even be found.


    No one had ever entered the swamp ande out alive to tell about it. What was more, a lot of highly


    skilled shamans once tried to enter the swamp, looking for secret medicines to make those long-lost


    secret remedies. However, their efforts were in vain as they had nevere back. Even as a member


    of the South Kingdom, they couldn''t resist the miasma inside the swamp.


    The prime minister was now in a panic. "What? What should we do now? Princess Harper went to the


    Labyrinth Swamp herself. It''s not our responsibility, right?"


    Lance bitterly smiled and asked, "Do you think Matthew is a reasonable man? If she had been fine in


    our kingdom, why would she have risked going to the Labyrinth Swamp?"


    The crowd looked at each other in dismay. How could they know what Harper was thinking? She was


    the one who dared to go to the swamp on her own! Was she courting death? They wouldn''t know.


    Besides, why did she hold the princess as a hostage and took her to the Labyrinth Swamp?


    "Your Majesty, why did Princess Harper abduct the princess and run to the Labyrinth Swamp with her?"


    The expression on Lance''s face dramatically changed. In order to take back the Holy Article of the


    South Kingdom which had been stolen by Harper, he had sent guards to surround the Starry Pce.


    Harper abducted his daughter so that she could escape. On her way out, she was so agitated that she


    must have chosen to enter the Labyrinth Swamp on a whim!


    "She took away our kingdom''s Holy Article and tried to flee with it. But she took the wrong way and


    entered the Labyrinth Swamp." Lance chose his words carefully so he could shift the me on Harper.


    If Matthew looked into the matter, the South Kingdom would evade the responsibility as well. In the


    worst-case scenario, he could give ten beautiful women to Matthew as the recement and each of


    them would be more beautiful than Harper!


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    All of the officials were keen and immediately understood their king''s actual intention. To put it bluntly,


    Lance wanted to take the Holy Article back from Harper, but she refused. So, he sent people to siege


    and force her into the Labyrinth Swamp, but they couldn''t expose their king''s lie. They also had to help


    him make the lie believable.


    "Prince Harper shouldn''t have stolen the Holy Article of our kingdom. If she had just been honest and


    told us that she wanted to borrow it from us, she could''ve just said so. Why did she have to do that?


    Now, she lost her way and found herself in the Labyrinth Swamp. How could we exin this entire


    situation to Prince Matthew?"


    Lance''s eyes lit up as soon as he heard that. "Yes, that''s it! Harper got lost and went into the Labyrinth


    Swamp. It has nothing to do with us!"


    The officials all nodded in agreement. It was Harper''s fault. She was unfamiliar with this ce and she


    even stole a valuable thing belonging to the South Kingdom. She seeded in taking the Holy Article


    but in return went into the Labyrinth Swamp. This time, even if God was with her for help, it would be


    impossible to save her from the dangerous swamp!


    "Your Majesty, then, Princess Diana¡ª" One official tried to bring it up, but couldn''t finish his sentence.


    At the mention of Diana, the smile on Lance''s face vanished in an instant. In terms of spells and poison


    making, his treasured and younger daughter Diana was as good as her elder sister Catherine. He had


    always been fond of his younger daughter more. He didn''t expect that in his old age, there was a


    possibility that his younger daughter would die before him. Harper forced Diana to enter the Labyrinth


    Swamp so her life was in grave danger. Harper, herself wouldn''t even be able to protect herself. How


    could she protect his beloved daughter?!


    "You may leave now. I want to be alone." Lance waved his hand, gesturing for the officials to leave. At


    that moment, he seemed to have grown old, not an aloof and proud king, but an old man who had lost


    his beloved daughter. "Diana, my daughter, I''m sorry."

 Chapter 775 The Deadly Adventure (Part One)

    Chapter 775 The Deadly Adventure (Part One)


    As they stood at the entry point of the Labyrinth Swamp, everyone looked ahead with a lot of fear in


    their heart. The obscure stretch thaty ahead of them and the sickening odoring from the swamp


    made them feel like going back. At that moment, Harper handed over an antidote pill to each one of


    them. These pills were meant to protect people from the miasma that pervaded inside the Labyrinth


    Swamp. Taking the pills in their hands, all her followers nced at Harper. The resolute look on her


    face indicated that no matter how bad the path was, there was no turning back. Harper gave a pill to


    Diana as well. If she did not take the antidote pill, she would die inhaling the poisonous gas within a


    matter of two hours.


    Diana looked at the antidote pill in her hand with a frown and said, "There is no use of taking this


    antidote pill. It will not work here. The Labyrinth Swamp is a dead end. Nobody can get out of it alive.


    The miasma in the swamp is more than ten times stronger than outside. Since I will die anyway, it


    doesn''t matter whether I take it or not."


    Harper got irked at Diana''s remark. She grabbed Diana''s chin and forced her to swallow the pill. "Now


    that I have made up my mind to enter the Labyrinth Swamp, it means I''m not afraid of this ce no


    matter what lies ahead."


    Laughing grimly, Diana said, "You outsiders have no idea how dreadful the Labyrinth Swamp is. Even


    the best shamans in the South Kingdom can''t survive the deadly poisons here. Even if you..."


    Diana paused as soon as she remembered who she was talking to. She was reminded that Harper''s


    blood could kill even the most poisonous creature. Hence, Harper might be braced against all the


    poisonous elements in the Labyrinth Swamp. Maybe she could survive. But that did not apply to others.


    "I understand that your special physical abilities can protect you from the dreadful miasma in the


    Labyrinth Swamp. But what about the poisonous insects and fearful beasts? How will you save yourself


    or us from them?" Diana''s face looked pallid and ghastly. Catherine''s attack not only injured her


    shoulder but it impacted her internal organs as well. Although Harper had administered the necessary


    pills to treat her internal injury, her face still looked exhausted out of pain and fatigue.


    "Let her walk by herself," Harper ordered the secret guards who had been supporting Diana. Then, she


    took a nce at Diana and added, "Your lives are more important than her. If she wants to die, just let


    her be. No need to care so much about her."


    "What do you mean, Harper Chu?" Diana refuted immediately.


    "Humph!" Harper snorted. "Look at you! I don''t feel pity for you. Catherine injured you so badly. In fact,


    she tried to kill you. But that doesn''t make any difference to you. Instead of turning vengeful towards


    her, you are tirelessly courting death since we have left the Starry Pce. I never imagined it was this


    easy to bully you."


    "I don''t know what you are talking about," Diana argued, setting her eyes on Harper''s face, as her


    brows stitched into a tight frown.


    "There have been countless attempts of murder on me. Sometimes there were people from my own


    family and sometimes there were enemies in the guise of friends. But look at me. I have never denied


    myself the chance to live my life to the fullest. When others want me to die, I try to be alive more than


    ever. I will not only live but also live a better life than anyone else," Harper said with gritted teeth,


    grabbing Diana''s cor. "If I was in your ce and my elder sister wanted to kill me, I would not ask for


    death to fulfill her wish. Instead, I would make her feel more miserable than death!"


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    There was pin-drop silence as Harper spoke. She seemed to be wanting to ignite the fire within Diana.


    All the secret guards stood in silence. Only Howard''s eyes flickered slightly. Every word that Harper


    uttered was true. When she was in the Chu n mansion, everybody else except her grandmother,


    wanted her to die. However, she fought back each time. Not only did she defend her own life but she


    had pushed all the people who wanted her to die in hell.


    "What are you saying? Catherine is my biological sister. Blood is thicker than water!" Diana said.


    "Huh!" Harper snorted again. "Even my biological father tried to kill me, let alone sisters. Besides, does


    affection between sisters really exist in a royal family?" Harper looked into Diana''s eyes with a


    formidable look on her face and then, in an instant, released her grip on Diana''s cor. Unprepared for


    this sudden stance, Diana fell on the ground with a thud. "Go away if you want to die. I don''t want to


    see your face again," Harper said, turning her back at Diana.


    Diana looked up at Harper''s back. Harper''s strong and broad shoulders seemed to be proving every


    word she said. Diana could not help but feel moved and her eye softened. Diana thought to herself, ''I


    don''t owe anything to Catherine. On the contrary, Catherine had taken the position of the Holy Maiden


    from me.'' Since their childhood, whenever they had amon liking towards something, Lance had


    never hesitated to give it to Catherine. If at all anyone owned me anything, it was Catherine. Yes!


    Catherine owed a lot to her. But Catherine always made it look like she had made a lot of sacrifices.


    With such thoughts in mind, Diana made up her mind that she would stay alive and get out of the


    Labyrinth Swamp, so that she could get even with Catherine.


    "No! I''m not going to die. I''ll go out of the swamp alive to get back at Catherine!" she announced in a


    resolute voice.


    However, Harper did not look back at her. Instead, she gazed ahead at the Labyrinth Swamp. The


    swamp was filled with heavy miasma making the visibility blurred. "Go ahead. Be careful along the way.


    Take care of each other," she ordered in a low yet stern voice.


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    Harper led the group by taking very slow and calcted steps into the Labyrinth Swamp. Howard


    followed right after her. Harper took each step with much caution. Once inside the Labyrinth Swamp, it


    was very difficult to make out whether your next step wouldnd on the ground or into the swamp.


    Harper decided to use her flying skills. The Labyrinth Swamp was overwhelmed by the thick miasma.


    Even the slightest carelessness could lead to death.


    After walking at a stretch for six hours, they sat down to take a rest. In the meantime, they even got


    drenched in a spell of heavy rain. Despite her injury, Diana tried her best not to fall behind. At the


    moment, she was sitting on the ground, gasping for air and her air of being a nobledy had just


    disappeared from her face.


    Howard was found to twist his body every now and then, furrowing his brows. It seemed as if he felt


    quite ufortable. But due to his good upbringing, he restrained himself from scratching his body.


    Nevertheless, he looked awkward.


    "What''s wrong?" Harper asked politely.


    Howard squeezed his eyes and said in a suppressed voice, "I feel painful and itchy on my back."


    Harper was taken aback by his answer.


    "Take off your clothes. Let me take a look," Harper said immediately.


    Howard was rendered speechless as Harper made haste to unfasten his waistband. He stood still while


    his mind was in turmoil. He wanted to say that it was improper for a man and a woman to touch each


    other''s bodies even though they were siblings. But almost immediately, he remembered that there was


    no blood rtionship between him and Harper. Lost in his thoughts, Howard could only hear gasps one


    after another.

 Chapter 776 The Deadly Adventure (Part Two)

    Chapter 776 The Deadly Adventure (Part Two)


    "What''s wrong?" asked Howard.


    "Oh my God!" Diana turned her head away immediately and began to retch.


    From the reaction of the people around him, Howard finally realized that something was terribly wrong


    on his back, but he couldn''t see anything. He could only see the horror in the eyes of others as they


    stared at his back with their dted pupils. "What on earth is wrong, Harper?" he asked anxiously.


    "Fire starter!" Harper instructed the secret guards, ignoring Howard''s question, as if she did not feel it


    was important to answer him at the moment. Harper stretched out her hand. Without wasting a


    moment, one of the secret guards handed her a fire starter. Harper blew the fire starter to light a fire


    from it. Then she put it straight to Howard''s back. His back was covered with blood-sucking insects.


    The scene was so gory and bloodcurdling that it made everyone go speechless. It seemed as if the


    insects had been on his body for a long time because they had sucked so much blood that they had


    bloated. Their skin had be thin as if it would break out any moment to let out the excess blood.


    "Your Highness, what kind of insects are these?" asked a secret guard in a trembling voice.


    "These are leeches. I should have been more cautious. I had forgotten that such hot and wet ces


    like swamps are infested with such bloodsucking insects. All of you, check each other''s bodies for such


    leeches. If you find them, don''t try to pull them out with your hands. Instead, you should burn them with


    fire. When they feel hurt, they will fall from your body. Otherwise, their poisonous tentacles will be left in


    your body. And if that happens, even I won''t be able to save you."


    The secret guards were left aghast to witness the dense covering of leeches on Howard''s back. They


    had goose bumps all over their bodies and their faces turned pale the moment Harper asked them to


    check each other. Immediately, they gathered in small groups, took off their upper clothes quickly, and


    checked on each other. Leeches were found on the bodies of quite a few of them. Fortunately, there


    were not so many as they were found on Howard''s back.


    When Howard saw the leeches falling to the ground from his back, he was freaked out too. Had it not


    been for Harper who had made him take off his clothes to check if there was anything wrong with him,


    Howard wouldn''t have even realized until all his blood was sucked away.


    After getting rid of the leeches on Howard''s back, Harper passed a general instruction for everyone


    without considering anything. She said, "Take off your pants and check your whole bodies to see if


    there is any leech left elsewhere. Take off all your clothes and shake them for a few times, to make


    sure that there is no leech left on your clothes as well."


    "Yes, Your Highness,"


    the twelve secret guards answered in a unified voice. But Howard felt too embarrassed to take off his


    pants in front of Harper. After a moment of hesitation, he said, "I will check myself with the secret


    guards. After all, you are a female."


    Harper stared at Howard for a moment and then realized that what he said was right! It was not until


    then that Harper realized the gender difference between Howard and her. She had almost forgotten


    that she was a woman. Immediately, she turned away and walked to Diana. "Take off your clothes," she


    said.


    There was no leech on Diana''s body. Perhaps that was because she practiced voodoo arts every day.


    As a result, low-grade poisonous insects such as leeches dared not get close to her. However, arge


    part of her skin was exposed to the air, so she was likely to be bitten by some poisonous insects.


    Harper thought that it would be more troublesome if she was bitten by some unknown poisonous insect


    and got infected.


    "Brother, take off your coat and give it to her!" Harper waved her hand pointing towards Diana. She


    gestured Howard to make haste. Among all the men present there, only Howard wore a coat. The


    secret guards wore tight clothes, which made it easy for them to make a quick movement.


    After the leeches had been removed from Howard''s body, his back was left dripping with blood. When


    he heard Harper''s order, he took off his coat immediately and threw it at Diana.


    "No... Err... I don''t need..." Diana stammered as the coatnded on herp before she could even


    refuse properly.


    "There are too many poisonous insects here. And you have too much of your skin exposed to the air.


    You know better than me what will happen if you get attacked by the poisonous insects of the swamp,"


    Harper exined to Diana in a stern voice. Harper then took a bottle of medicine and threw it to the


    secret guards. She took another bottle in her hand and approached Howard. "Apply it to your wound,"


    she ordered.


    Howard reached out his hands for the medicine. Harper looked at him in a meaningful manner while


    handing over the medicine to him. "Can you apply it by yourself?" asked Harper.


    Howard turned towards the secret guards with the hope that he could avoid being touched by Harper


    once again. However, to his dismay, he found that none of them was avable to help him apply the


    medicine. Having no other option left, he turned back and allowed Harper to apply the medicine on his


    back. Harper applied the medicine in a very rough and violent way. Howard squirmed his face in pain,


    but dared notin. After all, it was only because of his own negligence that he hadnded up in


    such an awkward situation.


    When they finally settled down after dispelling the insects and applying medicine on the wounds, the


    secret guards took out the dry food they were carrying with them. But to their utter disappointment, they


    found that the food had gone bad after getting wet in the rain and could no longer be eaten. They


    turned to Harper and said, "Your Highness, please wait for a moment. We will find something to eat."


    "No, that''s not necessary," Harper said, shaking her head. She looked around the ce, then


    continued, "No need to wander around in this ce. Otherwise, it''s easy for you to get lost in such aThis content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    dense swamp. Just look around in the nearby ces. If you can''t find anything to eat nearby, you can


    take pills for the time being."


    Upon Harper''s words, the corners of the shadow guards'' mouths twitched. They resisted the urge to


    exchange looks with each other in front of Harper. They doubted that the pills could satiate their


    hunger. Harper looked at them in their eyes in a way as if she could read their minds. Then she threw a


    bottle of pills to each of the secret guards and said, "Take one pill three times a day. You won''t feel


    hungry."


    No matter how convincingly Harper said that the pills would satiate their hunger, it was hard for them to


    believe in what she said. Yet, they obeyed her orders because they dared not question her. After they


    swallowed the pills, they were indeed taken aback by the sheer magic of the pills. Neither did they feel


    tired nor heavy. Rather, they felt as if they just had a full course meal that made them more energetic


    than before.


    A faint smile appeared on Harper''s lips to see all the secret guards satiated after taking the pills. Then


    she moved her gaze towards Diana. Her eyes fell on Howard''s coat in Diana''s hand. "Tie your neckline,


    cuffs, and legs tightly to prevent anything from getting into your clothes." Harper cautioned Diana.


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    Diana put on the coat of Howard''s, which hung loose on her body, making her look a little funny. But


    she thought that it still was better than having her skin exposed to the air in this ghastly swamp. As


    Diana pulled the coat a little tighter around her body, she could not resist being curious about why


    Harper hadn''t checked on her own body.


    "Don''t you want to check on yourself? I can help you!" asked Diana.


    "No poisonous insect can get close to me," Harper said as her face broke into a wide smile.


    Hearing that, Diana immediately remembered that a drop of Harper''s blood could propel death for the


    most poisonous insect. All the insects inside this swamp would not evene close to Harper,


    because the stronger the venomous creatures were, the better equipped they would be to identify what


    was harmful to them.


    With such thoughts in her mind, Diana turned her face away from Harper and mumbled, "Monster!"


    Harper heard that, but she simply pretended not to. All of a sudden, she shot three silver needles in the


    same direction at the same time. The secret guards, Howard and Diana turned towards the direction in


    which the needles were shot. The needles ended up piercing the bodies of two thick poisonous snakes


    who were struggling in pain. Harper had hit them in their hearts in one go.


    "Here! We have our supper now," Harper said in a serious tone. "Let''s have the snake meat soup this


    evening."

 Chapter 777 A Surge Of Ants (Part One)

    Chapter 777 A Surge Of Ants (Part One)


    The secret guards carefully watched while Harper skillfully cut off the poisonous snakes'' heads.


    Without a hint of hesitation or disgust, she then peeled their skin and cut their stomach. Such a


    beautiful woman was butchering such a dangerous animal but they didn''t think that she was rugged at


    all. Instead, they felt like she was gant and heroic. It actually made her even more charming.


    "Two snakes are not enough for us. There''re fifteen of us!" Diana eximed while she approached


    Harper. The snakes were poisonous with very sharp teeth. Their toxins were concentrated in their


    head. So as long as their heads were cut off, the whole team didn''t need to worry about being


    poisoned.


    "Enough!" Harper replied while she took out a small tripod from her pocket. When she refined pills in


    the Birch Pass, she found out that the tripod could change size after being infused with spiritual power.


    She had already experienced going to another world and being reborn, so she was kind of used to this


    kind of thing. She didn''t think that it was strange at all.


    But the others were not like her. For the first time, they just witnessed how an object went from a small


    one to arge one. They could only look at Harper in awe and worship.


    "We don''t have any water. The water here is not safe for drinking," Dianained once again,


    reminding Harper that everything around them was poisonous. Even the rain from the sky was toxic


    because of the miasma.


    "Who said there''s no water?" Harper rhetorically asked while her eyes fell on a lush tree. The tree was


    very thick, and its leaves were big and appealing. She pulled out the dagger and stabbed it into the


    trunk a few times. Soon enough, the tree''s sap came out. She put the tripod under it so it could collect


    the sap.


    Diana''s eyes widened in shock. "Harper, did they throw you into this Labyrinth Swamp while you were


    growing up because your father didn''t love you?"


    "Some of the ces I''ve been to are even more terrible than the Labyrinth Swamp, but I still managed


    to survive." After that, Harper picked some wild grass nearby while the sap was being collected. Diana


    had a very keen eyesight and realized that the herbs that Harper was picking were not wild ones but


    precious medicinal herbs. Any of those would cost a fortune!


    "Oh my God! This is the Heavenly Spirit Herb. I can''t buy this outside no matter how much I pay. This


    is..." With that, Diana''s eyes lit up. She wanted to snatch the herbs from Harper, but thetter was


    already walking behind her to go to the other side. Harper asked someone to start a fire and put the


    chopped snake meat into the tripod to make soup. The tripod was almost filled with sap. So the twelve


    secret guards were sent to collect the sap and fill up their water bottles. Howard was helping Harper


    with cooking, but he was thinking, ''When did Harpere to the Labyrinth Swamp? Moreover, is there


    really another ce more dangerous than this swamp?''


    Diana could only stare at the valuable medicinal herbs in Harper''s hands which had been out of stock


    in the market for so long. They were considered treasures but right now, they were being boiled as


    ingredients to make soup. She couldn''t hide her disappointment while she sighed deeply. If she could


    keep these medicinal herbs, she could refine so many rare pills by them. Yet, they were being cooked


    into a pot of snake meat soup by Harper. This must be the most expensive soup in the world!


    When the snake meat soup was ready, Diana started eating. She was still upset about it. But after


    eating the first mouthful, she actually felt good. After the second, she feltfortable. After the third


    mouthful, she suddenly felt that it was worth it to cook all of the herbs into the pot of soup. She had


    never eaten snake meat soup as delicious as the one she was eating.


    "Harper, you know, if you cook and start a business, you''re going to be sessful!" Diana said,


    gobbling a big portion of soup.


    Harper only rolled her eyes. "Why should I be a cook when I can be a princess living an extravagant life


    without doing anything?"


    "Agree. How can Her Highness be a chef?" the twelve secret guards stated in chorus. Then, one of


    them said, "For me, it''s such an honor and privilege to have a chance of eating some food which is


    cooked by Her Highness. It''s so delicious. It''s a pity that His Highness is not here."


    At the mention of Matthew, Harper''s eyes softened in an instant. She was forced to enter the Labyrinth


    Swamp. And even before that, it had been days since theyst saw each other. She didn''t know how


    he was and whether he was able to settle the dispute in the Birch Pass. She could only hope that he


    would find it in him to be calm if he found out that she had entered the swamp. Harper thought that


    hopefully, he had enough trust in her abilities to survive this ce.


    When Howard saw the change in Harper''s expression, a touch of sadness flitted across his eyes.


    "Shall we rest here for tonight?"


    "Yes, we''ll settle in here for now," Harper responded while she put down the wooden bowl. It was made


    from the material around them by the secret guards so they could eat the soup.


    Harper scattered some powder on their surroundings. She then took out the Sacred Seal, infused


    spiritual power into it, and enclosed all of them in an enchanted barrier. "Well, partner up with


    somebody in the group so we can take turns in sleeping and standing guard throughout the night. Let''s


    sleep early. We need all the strength we have to continue our journey tomorrow morning."


    That night, everyone slept well. However, when they woke up, they found a bunch of poisonous insects


    outside the enchanted barrier. Seeing the piles of dead insects, the small team felt creepy. They were


    thinking the same thing. Without Harper, they wouldn''t have survived the Labyrinth Swamp for a day,


    even if they were skilled in martial arts!


    "Your Highness, what direction should we go to?"


    Harper stretched out her hand and pointed in a direction. "That way."


    "The Labyrinth Swamp covers a veryrge area, so it will be a waste of time to pass through it. Do you


    know the way out?" Diana asked with evident doubt.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    "Before I came to the South Kingdom, I have studied a lot of its map. It says that the Labyrinth Swamp


    connects the South Kingdom to the Great Jade Kingdom. In addition, it leads to another


    ce."

 Chapter 778 A Surge Of Ants (Part Two)

    Chapter 778 A Surge Of Ants (Part Two)


    "And what ce is that??"


    "Phoenix City!" Harper eximed. She then stared at each one of the group and slowly exined, "If


    we want to reach the Great Jade Kingdom, we have to pass through the whole swamp. Although I have


    prepared a lot of medicinal materials, and we can also get some from here, it''s still very dangerous to


    cross the swamp. So we have to go to Phoenix City. From there, we will return to the Birch Pass."


    "How far away is the swamp from Phoenix City?" Diana asked, now with curiosity. She had always


    known about the existence of Phoenix City, but had never been there. It was not only because of its


    special location, but because the people from the South Kingdom were forbidden to enter that city!


    Looking into the distance, Harper answered, "It''s three hundred miles away from here. With our current


    pace, we should be able to get out of the swamp and enter the domain of Phoenix City tomorrow


    evening. But I''m afraid that it''s not easy to get into it."


    Harper started walking and Diana silently followed her while rubbing her nose. In the past, the South


    Kingdom had a conflict with Phoenix City. So the lord of the city refused to let the people from the


    South Kingdom enter it. Diana knew that it would be difficult for Harper to take her into the city.


    "Harper," Diana called out. After thinking about it in silence, Diana thought that it was necessary to tell


    Harper about it.


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    "What is it?"


    "If you take me with you, the people in Phoenix City won''t allow you to enter." In fact, Diana was


    worried that Harper would abandon her. However, ever since they had entered the swamp and she got


    the chance to spend time with her, Diana realized that she couldn''t really hate Harper. She then added,


    "There is a conflict between the South Kingdom and Phoenix City. Because of that, people from my


    kingdom are forbidden to enter their city."


    However, Harper didn''t mind the revtion. She only smiled and said, "Don''t worry. Once we''ve passed


    through the Labyrinth Swamp, just don''t say you''re from the South Kingdom. After all, they have to let


    us in. The Labyrinth Swamp has always been a dangerous ce in the past few years. It has been


    serving as Phoenix City''s defense. So even if you killed their family in the past or even if you''re from


    the South Kingdom, they would still have to invite you in. Ultimately, if someone can cross the swamp


    and reach their city in one piece, the lord of their city will be troubled."


    Diana thought it over and nodded in agreement. "In particr, I''m a princess of the South Kingdom.


    The people in Phoenix City might think that our kingdom has developed some strategies and found a


    way to cross the Labyrinth Swamp. They might believe that we want to do something brutal to their city.


    Instead of inviting us in, I''m afraid that they''ll kill us on the spot."


    "That''s a problem. If we were killed on the spot, we would die with false usations since we''re


    innocent. Perhaps, we could find someone to help us," Harper said, bing more serious.


    While they continued their journey, Howard did not speak a word. Since he had been spending time


    with Harper for long, he had uncovered more and more secrets about her. At first, he thought that


    Harper was a meek woman whose ce was just at home. It turned out that she was so ruthless that


    she even led to the death of all of the women in the same house. Later, he found out that Harper had


    forced Charles to hand over the master''s token and let her take control over the secret guards of the


    Chu n. Then, he discovered that she was even skilled in martial arts. Now, she was more powerful


    than before. He had never expected that she could be so strong that she could lead people to cross the


    Labyrinth Swamp which nobody had ever aplished. She perfectly matched the name which Diana


    had called her, a "monster"!


    He then suddenly looked at her back in confusion and wondered if this powerful and admirable woman


    was really the Harper that he had known all along.


    "Harper, do you still remember that time when Felicia pushed you into theke? You were so young


    back then," Howard abruptly asked.


    "Do you mean what happened when Uncle Daniel was still at home? Hailey tricked Felicia into pushing


    me into theke and I dragged you down in the process. So you almost got drowned as well," Harper


    asked without looking back at him.


    "Well, that time, you could have chosen not to save me."


    Harper sighed before responding, "I didn''t want to save you, but Uncle Daniel said we were brothers


    and sisters so we had to love one another. I wanted to make him happy, so I had no other choice but to


    save you."


    Howard smiled at that. "You were always obedient to Uncle Daniel at that time. But every time you saw


    Father, you would look upset. You thought that Father favored Hailey and Felicia more. You were


    always against him and would go out of your way to annoy him."


    "No matter what I did, he didn''t like me. And I didn''t like him, either. So it''s only fair," Harper indifferently


    stated, as if she wasn''t talking about her father but some stranger.


    Howard suddenly remembered that their uncle Daniel was good at martial arts. So how could Harper,


    who had been brought up by him, be so incapable? She seemed to be weak and foolish over the years.


    However, she was just faking it. Just because Daniel went missing, her behaviors had dramatically


    changed. Charles didn''t care about her at all, while the other members of Chu n never thought


    about that, so they failed to notice that.


    "Harper, do you still remember Uncle Daniel?"


    Harper suddenly stopped walking without any warning. Diana, who was closely following behind her


    couldn''t stop in time, so she hit Harper on her back. "Why did you stop?"


    "We''re in trouble!" Watching a ck tide in front of them, Harper swallowed. "Everyone, gather around!"


    At Harper''smand, the twelve secret guards rushed to her and surrounded her. She took out the


    Sacred Seal, made an enchanted barrier, and enveloped everyone in it. Only then did the others clearly


    see the dark wave. In a much closer look, it turned out that the wave was countless ck ants.


    Everything that the ants passed, they would only leave bones and nothing else. In an instant, their


    enchanted barrier was surrounded by the dark surge of ants.

 Chapter 779 A Trustworthy Leader (Part One)

    Chapter 779 A Trustworthy Leader (Part One)


    The unperturbed silence inside Lance''s bedroom was broken by the sudden appearance of Matthew.


    Lance was baffled to see the prince right in front of his eyes. He had been told that the ck g Army


    was far away from the capital of the South Kingdom. But how could the prince reach his pce so


    soon? He was so intimidated and petrified to see the unexpected visitor that he almost lost his speech.


    "Prince... Prince Matthew, why did you break into my pce at this unearthly hour of the night? What


    are you up to?" Lance stammered. His throat became dry and his tongue felt heavy as he tried to


    speak. He did not have a son and had only two daughters. His elder daughter was the Holy Maiden of


    the South Kingdom and his younger daughter, Diana, was forcibly taken into the Labyrinth Swamp by


    Harper. He was afraid that Diana would not be able toe out of the swamp alive. And that was why


    he had been cursing Harper in his mind. And now, even her husband had barged into his pce in the


    middle of the night. ''What a shameless couple they are! Today, only because of his wife, my heir to the


    throne is in danger. And now this man shows up in my pce unwarranted in this way to scare me,''


    Lance thought to himself.


    There was an uncanny silence at the moment inside the pce. Matthew sat quietly at the table, slowly


    wiping bloodstains from the sword. Lance swallowed hard, looking at the fresh blood on Matthew''s


    sword.


    "I am here to take my wife back. But you seem to have forgotten what I said before I left," Matthew said


    in a low and cold voice. His voice sounded lethal. It sent a chill all across the room. Lance felt as if the


    temperature of the room had fallen and started to shiver. Though spoken in a low voice, Matthew''s


    words reverberated to the core of Lance''s heart.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    "Lady Harper... Lady Harper has gone to the Labyrinth Swamp!" Lance managed to find his voice once


    again. He added in a trembling voice, "I have no idea why did she go there."


    The very mention of the swamp felt like a blow on Matthew''s chest. He sprang upright on his seat and


    asked, squinting his eyes, "The Labyrinth Swamp?"


    "Yes, the Labyrinth Swamp. It is believed that the swamp is the home to many wonderful medicinal


    herbs that are not easily avable in the market. I think Lady Harper entered the swamp in search of


    some rare medicinal herbs. And the worst part is that she also took my daughter with her." Lance


    somehow managed toe up with a convincing exnation. He deliberately covered up the fact that


    they had forced Harper to enter the Labyrinth Swamp. Instead, he put it in a way that Matthew would


    think that Harper had entered the Labyrinth Swamp to look for medicinal herbs out of her own free will


    and nobody of the South Kingdom had anything to do with that.


    Matthew had heard of the Labyrinth Swamp before. It was infamous for being life-threatening in many


    ways. There was a very high level of poison in almost everything inside the swamp. Then some


    extremely dangerous insects and animals were waiting to feast on the flesh and blood of an intruder.


    And above all, the poisonous miasma filled every bit of the swamp. Apart from these, several other


    dangers were lurking in every nook and corner that they might not have even heard of. Even the


    strongest shamans in the South Kingdom dared not enter the notorious swamp. They would only


    wander around the edge of it at the most because the poisonous miasma in the swamp was a hundred


    times stronger than the poisonous miasma that existed outside. If anyone entered the swamp and even


    if he or she seeded in fighting the poisonous miasma, he or she could still die due to any other


    hidden danger.


    "Did Harper go to the Labyrinth Swamp of her own?" Matthew asked. He could not believe in Lance''s


    wordspletely.


    "Yes, Lady Harper went there out of her own free will. We tried our best to dissuade her. But she was


    obstinate. Moreover, she even took my daughter along!" Lance said in such a solemn tone that it


    sounded quite convincing. However, Matthew knew in his heart that Harper hade to the Starry


    Pce in search of the Sacred Seal. There was no reason for her to risk her life by entering the


    Labyrinth Swamp on her own. The only possible exnation could be that she had been forced by


    someone else into the swamp.


    "If that is the case, I won''t make things difficult for you," Matthew said slowly. After hearing what he


    said, Lance heaved a sigh of relief. "I will attack a city of the South Kingdom every two days. I won''t


    stop unless I see my wife!" Matthew added in a menacing voice.


    Just when Lance had thought that he had managed to give a convincing exnation about Harper


    being missing from his pce, Matthew''s words made his heart leap into his mouth once again. Even


    after he made it clear to Matthew that Harper had gone to the Labyrinth Swamp out of her own will and


    that she had even taken his daughter to such a dangerous ce, Matthew was still threatening to


    invade the territory of the South Kingdom. It was not until at that moment that Lance finally understood


    that the prince would invade his kingdom no matter what.


    To avenge what happened with Harper was just a fair pretext. Lancemented his stance when he


    used to get involved in the affairs of the Bright Dynasty. He should have withdrawn at least after


    Harrison''s copse. But, he didn''t. At that time he reaped the benefits of his alliance with Francis. And


    now, he had to pay for it.


    Long after Matthew had left his pce, Lance was still sitting upright on his bed and thinking about his


    past deeds that had brought about this doomsday to the South Kingdom. And as far as Harper was


    concerned, she had been inside the Labyrinth Swamp for three days now. Nobody had ever survived


    inside the swamp for that long. Even if he sent his men to find her, they might juste back with her


    dead body. He sat thinking until he dropped on the bed out of sheer fatigue and fell into sleep.


    Walking out of the imperial pce of the South Kingdom, Matthew headed straight towards the Starry


    Pce. He had to find out whether Harper had really entered the Labyrinth Swamp. As he hurried into


    the Starry Pce, he was stopped in the midway by the Holy Maiden.


    "Get out of my way," Matthew stormed at the very sight of her.


    "Stop! You can''t go there!" Catherine said it loud and clear as she blocked Matthew''s way. "The


    Labyrinth Swamp is extremely dangerous. Even the best of your martial art skills will not be of any use


    there. It is a pit of death infested not only by poisonous insects and fierce beasts that in it, but also


    many other kinds of danger!"


    "Just get out of my way, I said!" Matthew shrieked fiercely, ring at Catherine.


    But Catherine was unwilling to rest herurels. She continued to reason with him. "Prince Matthew, it


    has already been three days since Lady Harper entered the Labyrinth Swamp. There is no chance for


    you to find her. Moreover, you might risk your own life if you go there. Are you going to give up your life


    for a woman?" Matthew did not give a damn to Catherine''s words. He walked past her and took brisk


    steps to reach the Labyrinth Swamp as soon as he could. He had a gut feeling that if Harper had really


    entered it, she must have left a message for him. With bated breath, he walked closer to the swamp to


    find some sign that would assure him of Harper''s safety.

 Chapter 780 A Trustworthy Leader (Part Two)

    Chapter 780 A Trustworthy Leader (Part Two)


    "Prince Matthew!" Catherine shrieked aloud to stop him. After being pushed aside by Matthew,


    Catherine almost stumbled on the ground. She gathered herself up somehow and followed him.


    "Please stop. You can''t go in. The miasma is too thick inside. You will die if you inhale too much such


    poisonous miasma!" Catherine continued to warn Matthew.


    However, thetter seemed to have turned a deaf ear to her warnings. Atst, she had no choice other


    than chasing after Matthew towards the Labyrinth Swamp. Matthew halted as he reached the edge of


    it. Catherine too came and stood right behind him. Matthew''s eyes were fixed on an unimpressive


    stone which disyed a line of strange characters. Matthew squatted down slowly and observed the


    characters carefully. All of a sudden there was a spark of joy in his eyes and his lips spread into a


    comcent smile. Then he turned around and walked away without looking back. From beginning to


    end, he didn''t even spare a nce at Catherine.


    Catherine stood still at the edge of the Labyrinth Swamp, staring at the line of strange characters.


    ''What could this line of characters point towards?'' she thought to herself. At first, Matthew seemed to


    be all set to enter the swamp even at the risk of losing his life, but when he saw this line of characters,


    he turned around and left! Was this an indication that Harper could get out of the swamp?


    "No way!" Catherine screeched, shaking her head from side to side. "How could it be possible? It''s


    impossible! Harper can nevere out of the Labyrinth Swamp alive. The strongest danger in the


    swamp is not just the poisonous insects or the miasma, but the flood of beasts. No one can survive the


    flood of beasts. Whenever that happens, it leaves no trace of human existence. The beasts would not


    even spare her bones. There is no way she cane out alive!"


    In the meanwhile, inside the Labyrinth Swamp, everyone''s face looked ghastly and pallid after being


    swept over by the flood of ants. It even weakened their enchanted barrier to arge extent. There was


    a sudden influx of ants as that continued for more than an hour. It seemed as if all the ants inside the


    swamp had gathered to attack them. Finally, as the flood of ants ended, all of them felt as if they had


    got a new lease of life.


    "If it weren''t for you, Harper, we all would have be the food for the ants," Diana said to Harper.


    Slowly her rebellious attitude towards Harper was changing into a mark of appreciation and gratitude.


    Diana could feel her knees trembling due to weakness. After the horrendous flood of ants passed, all


    the trees in the Labyrinth Swamp had been reduced to dust. It was an indication of how terrible the


    flood of ants was. It was next to impossible for any human being to be able to resist the attack of so


    many ants at the same time.


    Even Harper''s face looked pale this time. Perhaps excessive use of her spiritual energy had left her


    exhausted. Hence, she sat quietly on the ground and closed her eyes to adjust her breath. The secret


    guards were deputed to take care of Harper''s security. Diana sat aside and stared at Harper. By this


    time, she was inplete awe of Harper.


    "Howard, don''t you feel stressed to have such a powerful younger sister?" As Diana found Harper busy


    in reviving her vital strength, she turned her attention towards Howard with a hope to have a chat with


    him.


    However, Howard neither inclined nor had the luxury to indulge in a chat with Diana. He had to be


    vignt. They had already been through a lot. But their struggle had not ended yet. The Labyrinth


    Swamp seemed to be even more alive and ready to throw more life-threatening challenges at them.


    More so, Harper had be exhausted at the moment. If he let down the guard for a single moment,


    all of them would be dead.


    The twelve secret guards felt ashamed of themselves. It was their job to protect their master. But all the


    martial arts skills that they had mastered since their childhood turned out to be useless. None of their


    skills helped them in this situation. Each one of them was afraid of facing Matthew. They thought he


    would despise them if he knew what was happening inside the Labyrinth Swamp.


    However, the secret guards were not to be med. The Labyrinth Swamp was too powerful a ce


    even for spiritually advanced and ster martial arts practitioners. Even though the secret guards were


    a notch above the ordinary people and were extremely proficient in their craft, their levels of proficiency


    were still not good enough tobat the challenges thrown at them inside the swamp. The only person


    who could take such challenges head-on was Harper. In fact, it wasudable how she seemed to have


    adapted to the swamp so well.


    Surrounded by the secret guards from all sides, Harper sat adjusting her breath for quite some time.


    Then she opened her eyes slowly and said in a very low voice, "Keep going. The deeper we go into the


    swamp, the more dangerous it will be. We have to make haste and leave the swamp as soon as


    possible."


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    Then they started making their way through the swamp as fast as they could without halting for a single


    moment. The deeper they went, the more poisonous insects and other dangerous elements they saw.


    All were intimidated by the dangers they faced at every step except for Harper. She seemed to be


    undeterred even in the face of the most lethal situation.


    "Your Highness, please go first. We..." one of the secret guards suggested, but Harper stopped him in


    the midway.


    "If I leave, you all will be dead in a matter of few moments!" Harper was the true leader who knew how


    to keep everyone safe under her protection. She disyed the deftness of a warrior, quick decision


    making skill of a minister, andpassion towards her subjects. She went around, checking each one


    of the secret guards and found that some of them had been bitten by poisonous insects which made


    the effects of the antidote pills weaker.


    Harper became worried. It was indeed an rming situation for them. And if things went on like this, it


    would slow down their pace. The longer they stayed in the Labyrinth Swamp, the more dangerous it


    would be for them.


    Harper remained thoughtful for a while. Then all of a sudden, she took out a dagger and slit her palm.


    Then she smeared her blood on the shoulder of everyone else. "Energetic ones support the poisoned


    ones," she said. "My blood can support you for two hours and prevent you from being attacked by


    poisonous insects. During the two hours, we should hurry. Don''t forget to pay attention to your feet.


    Don''t fall into the swamp. Nobody knows what is hidden in the swamp," Harper cautioned her followers.


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    Howard took out a handkerchief from his pocket and bandaged Harper''s hand with it. Then he ordered


    others to carry on with their journey. They still had more than a hundred kilometers to cover before they


    could reach the Phoenix City. But going by their current pace, they would still have to pass one full day


    and night inside the Labyrinth Swamp. In the night, Harper could use the enchanted barrier to protect


    the whole team. But in the daytime, the only thing that could protect them from the attack of insects


    was Harper''s blood. And that would mean risking Harper''s life due to excessive blood flow.


    "Please take care of yourself, Harper. If you fall, none of us would be able to go out of this swamp


    alive," Howard said tenderly.


    Harper was chewing Blood-generating Pills. Hearing Howard''s words, she put a handful of Blood-


    generating Pills in Howard''s hand and said, "Take them. They can help increase blood. You also lost a


    lot of blood."


    Howard looked at the pills in his hand and silently put them into his mouth. Harper used highly


    upgraded pills that were not avable to the other. Besides, it was rare for her to give her pills to others


    so generously.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    Hearing their conversation, Diana came forward to ask for some Blood-generating Pills for herself as


    well. She said that even she had lost excessive blood since she had been injured by Catherine, so she


    needed nutrition too. In this way, as they moved ahead, all of them shared the Blood generating Pills


    among each other.


    "Harper," Diana called out as she hobbled on the path. Over the past few days, blood blisters appeared


    on her feet, leaving her in pain.


    "What''s the matter?" Harper turned around and asked in a concerned voice. Even after they had faced


    so many challenges in the dangerous swamp, the profoundness of Harper''s voice was not lost. Her


    strong leader-like voice still sounded clear and devoid of cruelty or uneasiness. It gave strength to her


    followers and made people feel peaceful as if everything would be fine as long as she was there with


    them.


    "If I can get out of this ce alive, I will take you as my teacher!" Diana said with a smile.

 Chapter 781 Taming The Holy Beast (Part One)

    Chapter 781 Taming The Holy Beast (Part One)


    Looking at the solemnness on Diana''s face as she spoke those words, Harper couldn''t help but be


    amused.


    "You want to take me as your master?" with a burst of crispughter, Harper asked. "But why?"


    "I want to learn how to refine medicine from you!" Diana replied earnestly. Impressed by Harper''s depth


    of knowledge about medicines, she felt that she still had a long way to go to get close to the proficiency


    that Harper had mastered. Also, she knew that Harper could be able to activate the Holy Article of the


    South Kingdom. Hence, there was no doubt that she could learn a lot from her.


    "I see. But I won''t ept you as my disciple," Harper refused without hesitation. She was aware that


    sooner orter, the South Kingdom and the Bright Dynasty would start a war. If she took Diana as her


    disciple, she was sure to fall into a dilemma.


    Even after being refused by Harper, Diana mumbled confidently, "Whether you agree or not, I will follow


    you from now on!"


    Harperughed as she heard that but refrained from reacting to Diana''s words. She smirked in her


    heart thinking that at the moment it was still uncertain whether they could get out of the swamp and


    reach the Phoenix City safely and how the people would react if they saw theme out of the


    Labyrinth Swamp. Just like that, as one thought led to another, Harper started imagining the possible


    reactions from the people of the Phoenix City. Would there be fear in their eyes for Harper and her


    followers? Or would there be apuse for them?


    "Growl!" All of a sudden, the silence of the Labyrinth Swamp was shattered by a roar that could be


    heard at a distance. The roar reverberated in the whole swamp, making the ground tremble. Harper


    furrowed her brows and eximed, "What is it this time?"


    Diana hid behind Harper automatically. With a trembling voice, she remarked, "I am telling you, it''s not


    a good thing. I have heard of a Holy Beast that stays in this Labyrinth Swamp. It is terribly ferocious, to


    say the least. Every time someonemits a crime in the South Kingdom, he will be thrown into this


    swamp to feed the Holy Beast. But I have also heard that unless the Holy Beast is summoned, it does


    note out."


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Harper turned to Diana with a frown and sneered. "No, it has been summoned! Did you forget how we


    entered this swamp?"


    "Of course! How could I forget that? You brought me here!" Diana snapped back. Had it not been for


    Harper who pulled her into the swamp, Diana would still be the princess of the South Kingdom and live


    a luxurious life instead of being so miserable.


    Harper gave her a cold look at her and said, "If I didn''t take you away, you would have been dead by


    now. Even then, it was none other than me who would have been med for your murder. Either way, I


    had to bear the brunt for whatever happened to you. Hence, I don''t mind taking you along with me."


    The smile on Diana''s face faded, giving way to a ghastly expression. The ground under their feet


    started to shake vehemently. Feeling a stagger, Diana was about to fall on the ground. Harper


    hastened to grab her immediately and pulled her back. "Be careful!" Harper shrieked.


    Diana was still in a state of shock. She regained herposure and stabilized herself on the ground


    and said, "That thing seems to being towards us." She looked at Harper with a desperate look.


    Her face had be pale as if all the blood had been sucked out of her face.


    "Yeah, I felt it." In an instant, the whole forest seemed to be copsing in front of their eyes. All the


    poisonous insects and snakes retreated. Every living thing in the vicinity was shaken and petrified.


    Harper waved her hand and said, "Everyone, just get dispersed right now and protect yourself."


    "No, Your Highness, we can''t leave you alone. We must protect you!"


    Harper screwed her eyes and replied coldly, "Trust me; I will be very d if you don''t cause me any


    trouble." The expression on everyone''s face froze at what she said. Indeed, they had been more of a


    trouble for her. Ever since they entered the swamp, it was Harper who had been exhausting her


    spiritual power to protect the secret guards. Now, after getting such a strict instruction from Harper, they


    could not make out whether they should hide separately, or guard Harper until their death.


    "The task of the secret guards is to obey orders!" Howard reasoned in a low voice. "Everybody, scatter


    away. Hide yourself. Don''t make trouble for Harper."


    After that, Howard was the first one to separate from the group and hide. The guards followed suit


    instantly as they realized that he was right.


    "Your Highness, please call us whenever you need us," the leader of the guards said before he left.


    "Take her away!" Harper said as she pushed Diana towards a guard. The guard caught Diana and


    disappeared from the vicinity, leaving the entire space for Harper. With a violent tremor, the menacing


    beast showed up out of nowhere and stopped in front of Harper. The reverberation of its appearance


    not only shook the ground but also created a whirlwind. The strong wind blew into Harper''s hair, turning


    it into a mess, and also made her clothes fly!


    "Howl!" The beast roared as it stared at Harper. Thetter looked like a tiny ant in front of the beast, as


    if the beast could finish her off with just a pat on her. It stretched out its ws and blew it hard on


    Harper to finish her off. Yet, when its ws ended up crashing with the enchanted barrier that was


    protecting Harper, its mighty blow could not even make the least impact on the barrier.


    The beast attacked once again, applying a bigger force, but still could not break the enchanted barrier.


    It got furious and went on pouncing its ws ferociously again and again. But all this hardly made any


    difference. Its forceful impact could tremble the barrier little but failed to breach it in any way. This left


    the beast rather confused. It poked the barrier with its w and realized that it couldn''t break it at all.


    Then it looked at the person standing inside the barrier with her arms folded in front of her chest,


    looking right into its eyes with a cold expression.


    Harper gauged at the ferocious beasts standing in front of her. It had purple skin and an appearance


    that was a mix of a lion, tiger, leopard, and a superrge fox. It was a weirdo that disyed the traits of


    all the four animals.


    "Who are you?" Harper asked. She looked into its eyes without the slightest traits of being intimidated.


    She was rather curious to know about this mixed breed. She knew that she was too small tobat


    with such a huge animal. Hence, she adopted nonchnce as a way of self-defense. She sat down on


    the ground in a rxed manner, popping the energy pills into her mouth, as if she was least bothered


    about the intimating gestures of the beast. The pills helped to replenish her physical strength, while her


    casual attitude made the beast rather baffled.


    How could an entity as tiny as this petty human not be intimidated in the presence of such as menacing


    beast! The beast opened its bell-like eyes and fixed its attention on the pills, while its mouth was


    drooling all the time.

 Chapter 782 Taming The Holy Beast (Part Two)

    Chapter 782 Taming The Holy Beast (Part Two)


    Harper kept throwing the pills into her mouth. Whenever she picked a pill, popped it into her mouth and


    munched it, the beast followed her action, then flung its head against the barrier and opened its mouth


    as if it hoped that the pills would be thrown into its mouth.


    Harper was rather amused by this gesture. Out of curiosity, Harper wrapped the pill with her spiritual


    energy and flung it out of the barrier. The beast chased after the pill and swallowed it in one gulp. When


    it came back to the barrier, there was a remarkable change in its demeanor. Its attacking and


    intimidating stance had given way to a rather subdued attitude. It sat obediently like a huge dog,


    stretching out its mouth and waiting for its master to feed it again.


    The sudden change in the beast''s reaction piqued Harper''s interest. She wrapped the pills with her


    spiritual energy and threw them out of the barrier one by one, teasing the beast. Yet, the beast


    cooperated perfectly to take the pills. A few moments passed like that and both of them seemed to


    have started enjoying the game. Howard, Diana, and the rest of the guards were all petrified at what


    they saw.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    "That''s the ferocious beast!" Diana mumbled with her eyes wide open in amazement. "How can


    someone tease it like that?!"


    Even the guards were left baffled. Was this the same heinous beast that would engulf any human


    within its reach? No, it couldn''t be called a beast at all. Its behaviors made it look more like a dog. To


    be more precise, it was like a silly dog that was being confused and teased by Harper!


    Looking at the beast who was devouring the pills joyfully, Harper recalled the stories she had read in


    the library. Remembering an old trick, she cut her finger, coated the pill with her blood, and threw it


    outside the barrier. The beast swallowed it without hesitation!


    However, nothing unusual happened to the beast. Harper wondered if it was because there was too


    little blood on the pill. Hence, she went on to make several such pills dipped in her blood and threw


    them out. The beasts ate them all and kept burping.


    "All allusions are deceptive!" Harper said, shaking her head from side to side. She then touched her


    wound with her spiritual power. Slowly, the blooding out of the wound disappeared and the cut in


    her finger healed. Right at that moment, something strange happened. Several purple lights appeared


    on the beast''s forehead. At the same time, Harper felt a sharp burning paining from the back of


    her waist. Then all of a sudden, she felt as if a force had been injected into her body. If it were not for


    the spiritual power inside her body running automatically to guide this force, she would probably have


    exploded!


    The people hiding in the distance could only see the dazzling purple light. Slowly, when the purple light


    dissipatedpletely, there was no trace of the fierce beast. And Harper was lying on the ground


    unconscious.


    "Harper!" Howard called out in horror and rushed towards his sister. But he could not reach Harper. He


    shed with a purple light and got flung into the air. It took him a few moments to get back on his feet.


    After that, he looked closely to see that Harper had fainted, and there was a little purple beast standing


    beside her, with two legs, two palms akimbo, as if it was roaring something to him.


    "What''s this?" asked Diana. She and the guards were left confused. "Where is the giant beast?" They


    looked all around to find the ferocious beast but all their eyes could see was a small purple beast


    standing by Harper''s side, posing to be her guard.


    The little beast fiercely red at them, and then sat on the ground. It was funny to see its obsession


    with Harper. It wouldn''t allow anyone to approach her. If anyone approached, it would immediately shot


    fire towards them. The fire was exceptionally strange as its color was purple!


    Almost two hours passed like that until Harper woke up on her own. The moment she opened her eyes,


    she saw a little beast staring at her brother and the others. Harper picked the little beast up quickly.


    The beast was still angry with Howard and the others. As it was picked up, it turned its head with


    displeasure. Yet, when it saw Harper was holding it, it burst intoughter and stretched its paws, as if it


    wanted a hug.


    "Where did thise from?" Harper asked as she carried the beast and dangled it in front of her


    companions. Herpanions were left bewildered. Their eyes were filled with questions. They looked


    at the strange beast and wondered, ''Don''t you know where ites from?''


    "Harper, there was a wave of purple light that broke out all of a sudden. When the light dissipated, the


    ferocious giant beast was nowhere to be seen. Then you passed out and this little beast was by your


    side. It did not allow anyone of us to get close to you." Howard gave a brief ount of what he had


    seen, expecting to get a moreprehensive exnation from Harper.


    Even Harper seemed to be at a loss for a moment. She rubbed her head, and suddenly remembered


    something. Then she took the beast in front of her and said, "Are you that ferocious beast?"


    Strangely, the little beast kept nodding its head. It even licked its mouth greedily as if wanting to be fed


    with more pills.


    Harper loosened the grip of the beast. Consequently, it dropped on the ground. Yet, it was very agile,


    bounced onto Harper''s shoulder and rubbed against her neck! Its arrogant look made Howard rather


    irritated. In fact, he resisted the urge to give it a good beating.


    The corner of his mouth twitched as he felt that this little beast was just like Harper''s husband,


    Matthew, trying to make a deration of his ownership of Harper. Strangely, even the beast''s


    expression was simr to Matthew''s.


    After rubbing Harper''s neck for a while, the beast found that Harper didn''t give it any pills. Then it


    poked at Harper with its paw. Looking at the eagerness in its eyes, Harper smiled and threw out a pill.


    The beast leaped to catch it and then jumped back to her shoulder.


    The remaining stretch of the swamp felt like a joyful stroll for them. Harper remained busy having fun


    with the beast. Diana watched them ying and was tempted to y with the beast as well. She


    asked, "Harper, would you mind if I borrow it and have some fun?"


    Looking at the little beast on her shoulder, Harper said, "She wants to y with you. Go, y with her."


    The little beast seemed to understand Harper''s words and looked at Diana from the corner of its eyes.


    Diana stretched out her hand with a smile, waiting for the little beast to jump on her arms. But to her


    surprise, the little beast snorted with its nostrils and turned its butt to Diana. It seemed that it despised


    her.


    Diana was petrified to be treated like that by a small beast. She was the princess of the South Kingdom


    after all! What the hell was wrong with this world? First, Harper bullied her. And now, even the little


    beast picked by Harper was bullying her!

 Chapter 783 A Confidante In Phoenix City. (Part One)

    Chapter 783 A Confidante In Phoenix City. (Part One)


    In a very short time, Harper had developed a fondness for the little beast she picked up from the


    Labyrinth Swamp. Because of its purple body hair, she named it Purple. However, the name seemed to


    have displeased the beast. It disheveled Harper''s hair and did not leave her until she changed its name


    to Patrick. And once it had its way, it continued to poke on her shoulder happily.


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    Harper''s hair was in aplete mess and looked like a bird''s nest. Seeing this Diana was no longer


    upset about being despised by Patrick. The beast did not hesitate to bring its own master to a bad state


    like this. So it was no big deal that it disliked Diana.


    Looking at the terrible state of Harper''s hair, Howard suddenly gave her ab and said, "Take this


    andb your hair." Nobody knew where he got it from. Even Harper was surprised the most to find a


    comb from Howard and in a ce like the Labyrinth Swamp.


    Harper took theb and startedbing her hair. Shebed andbed her hair for a long time


    but failed to tie it into a bun. Finally, she pulled a silk ribbon from Diana''s head and tied her long hair


    into a ponytail.


    "You don''t know how to make a bun?" Howard asked raising his brows. He was surprised to see that


    the brave and invincible Harper, whom he had always known to be an all-round expert could not even


    tie her hair into a bun! How was it possible that she didn''t know the simplest way to tie up the hair? Had


    she neverbed hair for Matthew?


    "Hmm," Harper replied as briefly as she could. She was unwilling to talk about the reason why she


    didn''t know how to tie up the hair into a bun. Ever since she came to this world, she could never


    understand theplicated steps that went into making different hairstyles. Then she got married to


    Prince Matthew. Though she spent most of her time with Matthew, she always had Forsythia to help


    her in making different hairstyles. As a result, she never had to tie her hair on her own. Hence, indeed,


    one thing that the all-round expert Harper did not bother to master was tying her hair into a bun.


    "Come, let me tie up your hair," Howard said tenderly like an indulgent brother.


    "No, thanks. I am fine with this for the time being," Harper said as she returned theb to Howard.


    "It''s strange. We haven''t met any more poisonous animals on the way," Harper eximed, taking a look


    around the swamp.


    Hearing Harper''s words, Patrick folded its arms on its chest and lifted its chin to look up into the sky, as


    if it was trying to say, ''It''s all because of my power. You should worship me.'' However, much to its


    dismay, no one noticed its proud gesture. It was a hard blow to Patrick''s ego. It threw a few nces at


    Harper with a lot of expectations. But when it failed to get the slightest mark of acknowledgment from


    Harper, it turned its butt against her head to vent its dissatisfaction.


    "Here we are!" Harper said as she halted and looked ahead with a sparkle in her eyes and a


    comcent smile on her face. The followers stopped as well and looked at the border that was not very


    far away. Their eyes reflected the bright daylight thaty right across the border of the swamp. They


    almost burst into tears of joy. They had stayed in the Labyrinth Swamp for seven days, and during that


    period they had no water to even take a bath. The stretch of seven days had been so terrifying that at


    every step, they had the fear of being dead. They had to be alert and vignt all the time because even


    one moment of negligence could cost them their life. Now standing close to the exit point of the swamp,


    they were indeed overjoyed.


    "The first thing I will do is take a shower!" Diana remarked.


    "Stop having that thought. We still have a lot to do before we can indeed go for a shower!" Harper said


    as she nced at Diana. "After stepping out of the swamp, the first thing we need to do is find a way to


    enter Phoenix City and also go out of it secretly, before the people in the city find us."


    "Can we really make it?" Diana believed that it was impossible. She had heard a lot about the guards in


    Phoenix City who were infamous for being fierce to intruders. And the idea of entering as well as


    leaving the city without being noticed by anyone was no less than daydreaming.


    Aftering out of the Labyrinth Swamp, Harper and her followers breathed the fresh air. They looked


    up at the bright and clear sky. It had been seven long days! But now that they were out of the swamp,


    they were still not able to walk free because they were in the vicinity of Phoenix City. To avoid being


    caught by the city guards, Harper and her followers hid at the edge of the swamp. After a while, Harper


    released a signal to get in touch with somebody. Diana was amazed. ''Did this woman have a helper in


    Phoenix City as well?'' she wondered.


    "Master, who are you trying to get in touch with?" Diana approached her and asked curiously.


    Harper snapped back giving a cold look at her. "Who is your master?"


    "You." With a bright smile on her face, Diana knelt in front of Harper and said, "Master, please ept


    me as your disciple."


    Harper was left baffled but before she could say no to Diana, a shrill voice of a woman cut through. "So


    this is the reason for you to call me here in a hurry? To see you ept a disciple?"


    Startled by the voice, all of them turned around. All of a sudden, a woman in a red dress appeared in


    front of them. She was holding a whip in her hand and had a very shrewd and authoritarian look on her


    face. Looking straight at Harper, she said, "So, Harper Chu, are you seeking refuge here? Or is it


    because that bastard, Matthew Jun kicked you out as he can''t afford to provide for you anymore? And


    now you havee to me for taking you in?"


    Harper''s face darkened and she felt helpless. Somewhere in her mind, she knew this wasing.


    However, at this moment she had no other choice than to put up with the gloating of this woman. "Do


    you think that''s even possible?"


    "Why not? It is very much possible. You are such a mean woman. How many men in the world can


    tolerate you for a long time?" said the woman as she arched her eyebrows and looked at Harper from


    the corner of her eye. Then the woman slowly approached Harper and stood in front of her, gaping at


    Harper from head to toe. Then she pouted her lips and shook her head. "Tut, tut, I have never seen you


    in such a mess. What kind of trouble did you get into this time?"


    "We all have been in the Labyrinth Swamp for thest seven days," Harper said in a calm tone.


    "You havee out of that Labyrinth Swamp?" the woman asked, pointing her finger towards the


    swamp. Her face changed dramatically at the very mention of the swamp.


    "Yes," Harper affirmed.


    "From where did you get in?" the woman probed.


    "From South Kingdom," replied Harper.


    The woman took a deep breath and circled Harper. She had a frown on her face and seemed to be


    evaluating the truth behind Harper''s statement. Harper remained still. Even though she looked terribly


    embarrassed, she wasn''t hurt. The woman said, "You''re kidding me. No one has evere out of the


    swamp alive."

 Chapter 784 A Confidante In Phoenix City. (Part Two)

    Chapter 784 A Confidante In Phoenix City. (Part Two)


    "Why? So many people have juste out of the swamp alive. They are standing right in front of you!


    Can''t you see that?" Harper pointed at Howard, Diana, and the secret guards. They all looked terrible,


    yet they had all managed toe out of the swamp alive. And that in no way was a small


    achievement.


    Hearing that, the woman was left aghast, speechless for a while. She kept staring at Harper with her


    eyes wide open and her jaw dropped for a long time. Then she swallowed hard and eximed,


    "Woman, you are incorrigible. And even your husband allowed you to get into the notorious swamp! He


    definitely doesn''t care for you!" The woman heaved a sigh and shook her head from side to side.


    "I was forced into the swamp by the Holy Maiden and the king of South Kingdom. Matthew had been


    leading the army at the Birch Pass. I asked you toe here because I want you to figure out a way to


    secretly take us out of Phoenix City. We have to be very careful so that nobodyes to know about


    us. I want to reach the Birch Pass." Harper came straight to the point.


    "Why don''t you go inside to have a look? You have already arrived at the gate." Harper''s deeds had


    always been a notch above the normal people. And this time, she had created another benchmark for


    herself by traveling through the Labyrinth Swamp along with fourteen people and without a single


    casualty. Now, she had entered yet another forbidden territory and even wanted to sneak out of this


    ce without anyone in the citying to know about it. The woman was shocked. "Aren''t you


    afraid..."


    "No, I''lle back when I''m done with my work." Harper shook her head with the same firm look on


    her face. "Also, don''t tell anyone that I have crossed the Labyrinth Swamp!"


    The woman looked helpless. After a while, she heaved a sigh and said, "Okay, it''s up to you. Do you


    want me to find a ce for you to wash and change your clothes? Your clothes stink."


    "Yes, yes, please... I want to get washed since a long time ago," said Diana. This was something she


    had been wanting to do for a long time. Her face waspletely smeared with mud. Seeing her


    condition, no one could say that she was a princess of South Kingdom. And the woman''s attention was


    on Harper. She did not pay much attention to Harper''spanions. Hence, she didn''t even notice that


    Diana was from South Kingdom.


    "Well, you all can go to my residence to freshen up. But it will be too dangerous if so many people enter


    my house at the same time. Hence, my advice is that you break up into small groups ande in


    slowly at an interval. Later, we all can meet in the courtyard."


    "Okay!" Diana said, nodding her head.


    The woman, then, turned to Harper and put one arm around her neck. She said, "Youe with me.


    You have to tell me everything that happened in the Labyrinth Swamp. What made you think that you


    could cross the swamp and reach Phoenix City? Were you not scared of losing your life for even once?


    How could you do this? And how was it to be inside the swamp? Have you met anything extremely


    terrible on the way? How are you feeling now? Have you resolved never to enter the swamp ever in


    your life?"


    "Yes it was certainly overwhelming. But I''ll go inside the swamp once again after I finish my work. There


    are lots of spiritual herbs inside it," Harper answered in a solemn tone with an absolute no-nonsense


    expression on her face.


    Hearing Harper''s reply, the woman was rendered speechless. She stared at Harper with her eyes wide


    open. Harper made it sound as if the swamp was just another botanical garden to take a stroll and pick


    the medicinal herbs from it. The woman asked, "Has the swamp be free and easy to enter?"


    "No, it''s not like that. But I think, I can manage to go in," Harper replied, sounding all the more


    confident. She pondered for a while and recalled all the virtues she had with her that helped to protect


    her inside the swamp. She had the Sacred Seal to protect her from themon poisonous animals


    which could not get close to her only because of that seal. And if she passed through the swamp next


    time, she would be more confident. Now she knew all the pits and holes inside the swamp. Thus,


    as long as she was careful not to fall into the swamp, she believed that she would be safe.


    "I have heard that the Labyrinth Swamp is guarded by the Holy Beast. Have you encountered it?"


    asked the woman.


    The very mention of the Holy Beast made Patrick stand up and expand its chest. It raised its head


    towards the sky as if trying to say, ''Yes. I am the one you are talking about. Come to worship me.''


    "No, I didn''t," Harper said indifferently. Utterly disappointed, the Holy Beast almost fell off her arm.


    Harper picked it up hurriedly to avoid its close contact with the ground.


    "Really?" asked the woman. She could not believe what Harper said. Although the Holy Beast was only


    a hearsay, if anybody ever entered the Labyrinth Swamp, he or she had note out of it alive.


    asionally roar of some fierce beast could be hearding from the swamp. The old people


    exined that someone must have broken into the swamp and infuriated the Holy Beast. The Holy


    Beast was punishing the sinner. But Harper said she didn''t see it!


    "I also heard there is a surge of ferocious beasts in the swamp. It''s quite terrible. Wherever they go,


    they engulf everything thates in their way!"


    "Yes. We experienced a surge of ants once, which was quite horrible. Indeed, it was quite a feat to


    survive the flood of ants." Harper could still feel her heart tremble when she thought of the dense mass


    of ants crossing them. The flood of poisonous insects seemed to be a usual urrence at the swamp.


    "Oh my God! How did you survive the surge of ants?" The more indifferent and cool Harper sounded in


    replying to the women''s questions, the more it was piquing her curiosity. Now the woman was getting


    increasingly desperate to see Harper naked, so as to check what her body was made of. How could


    she bring so many people safely out of the swamp even after encountering a surge of ants?


    "Stop it now, Daphne!" Irked by her non-stop queries, Harper rolled her eyes at the woman. The


    woman who had just been introduced as Daphne was the daughter of the old lord in Phoenix City.


    Daphne Feng and Harper were sworn sisters. The former had a rather irritating personality that was


    despised by everyone. She always took pleasure in other''s misfortune. If she found that Harper was in


    trouble, she would first make fun of her before rescuing her.


    "I''m just curious," Daphne Feng defended herself. She led Harper into her residence and asked the


    servants to prepare hot water for her to take a bath. Giving Harper her clothes for changing, she said,


    "My brother keeps talking about you. Are you sure you don''t want to go to the lord''s mansion even for


    once?"


    "No. Please extend my greetings to them." Harper put Patrick down. Then she turned around and took


    a bath behind the screen. When it heard the sound of the sshing water, Patrick''s eyes lit up. It tip-


    toed towards the screen, careful not to be noticed by anyone. However, it could not evade Daphne


    Feng''s eyes who noticed it just in time. She had noticed earlier that the purple beast followed Harper


    everywhere she went. Daphne Feng then squatted behind the little beast without making a noise and


    poked its tiny head with her finger.


    Much to her surprise, the little beast turned around like a human being, raising a finger to its mouth,


    and motioned for her not to make a sound. The drooling look on its face immediately reminded her of a


    lustful man. She pped on Patrick''s head immediately and it fell on the ground.


    "Patrick, if you dare to act recklessly, you will not be able to take any pill," Harper cautioned the little


    beast from behind the screen in a stern voice.


    When the beast heard Harper''s voice, the purple light instantly disappeared from its fingertip. It gave a


    ferocious re at Daphne Feng and ran around the corner of the wall. Daphne Feng didn''t even know


    that she could almost have been killed by this beast.


    She nced at Patrick and couldn''t help but be amused by its antics. She then turned to the screen


    and said, "Harper, your little beast is rather lustful. I can''t believe it wanted toe in and peeped at


    your bath!"


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    Harper didn''t mind it and smiled. "It''s just a beast. You don''t need to take it to heart. Oh, the thing is, the


    political situation of the south domain has changed. If everything goes well, the royal family will take


    control of the Birch Pass. I have got the Sacred Seal of South Kingdom." Harper updated Daphne


    Feng.


    "I see. Be careful when you go outside."

 Chapter 785 The Young Master Of Phoenix City (Part One)

    Chapter 785 The Young Master Of Phoenix City (Part One)


    Harper and herpanions were only in Phoenix City for a brief amount of time. Simr to the way


    they entered the city in secret, they silently left, as if they were just mere passers-by who had a cursory


    nce at the city.


    Meanwhile, Diana felt that it was so unreal that she had actually entered the city and came out of it in


    one piece. It was so surreal that she felt like she was stepping on cotton while they were on their way


    out.


    "Master, we dide out of the Labyrinth Swamp alive! Not only that, we also managed to pass


    through Phoenix City! I can''t believe it!" Diana eximed while pinching her face. She was beyond


    ecstatic that it seemed like she couldn''t feel the pain from her pinch.


    Upon hearing her words, Harper pinched one of Diana''s legs really hard. This time, the pain was so


    harsh that tears almost came out from Diana''s eyes. "Do you believe it now?" Harper asked.


    Harper loosened her grip on Diana''s leg after seeing that Diana was slowly nodding her head. Harper''s


    pinch hurt so bad that Diana started to gently rub her leg to ease the pain. In fact, tears were finally


    welled up in her eyes.


    Then, Harper climbed on top of her horse and got ready for their journey to the Birch Pass. But before


    she rode away, she turned around and looked at the gate tower. Almost instantly, she saw a familiar


    figure. Even if she couldn''t see the person clearly because she was too far away, she immediately


    recognized him.


    Standing beside Daphne was a handsome man. She trembled a little and muttered, "Darren, why are


    you here?"


    At that point in time, Harper happened to meet Darren''s eyes while she looked back at the gate tower.


    She noticed that Darren''s lips were moving as if he was saying something to her. But even thoughThis content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    Daphne was standing right next to him, she wasn''t able to hear or recognize what he was saying.


    However, Harper nodded her head evidently, like she understood his words. Without wasting another


    second, she then galloped into the distance.


    "Darren, I didn''t mean to hide it from you. Harper told me not to bother anyone..." Daphne''s voice


    trailed away as if she was too afraid or embarrassed since she did something wrong. The truth of the


    matter was that nothing in Phoenix City could be hidden from Darren. He didn''t show up because he


    was well aware that Harper didn''t want him to.


    "Did she enter the city from the Labyrinth Swamp?" Darren gently asked. His voice was so soft and


    charming that it was so easy to make people disregard any precaution that they had.


    Daphne opened her mouth but she didn''t respond to his question right away. She was considering


    whether she should betray Harper and tell her brother the truth orpletely hide it from him. After


    weighing her decision for a few seconds, she ultimately decided to tell Darren the truth. "Yes, she was


    forced by Lance and the Holy Maiden to enter the Labyrinth Swamp. She had no other choice but to


    get out of the swamp through our Phoenix City. Right now, she''s headed for the Birch Pass. She told


    me not to tell you because she didn''t want you to worry about her.


    Instantly, there was worry in Darren''s eyes when he said, "Did she... get hurt?"


    Daphne sighed. "Don''t worry. That monster is fine. All of herpanions were injured, but she wasn''t.


    She doesn''t have any wounds except for a few bruises on her hands. She traveled across the


    Labyrinth Swamp and was unharmed. I''m almost sure that she''s the only one who can do that."


    Darren was not pleased that Daphne called Harper monster. "She is not a monster!" he eximed.


    "Okay, fine, she isn''t. She''s a goddess." While rolling her eyes, she added, "I don''t know what''s wrong


    with her. How could she choose Matthew over you? You''re such a great man. What''s so good about


    her husband anyway? You''re so much better than him!"


    Darren didn''t respond. He always believed that Harper did it for a reason. In the beginning, it might


    have been because she was forced to marry him. But Darren thought it wasn''t necessary for Harper to


    stay with Matthew any longer. As a matter of fact, Darren didn''t want to think about it any further. If it


    wasn''t for Daphne, he wouldn''t have started to think about it again.


    "You know you talk too much. By the way, I heard that you''re getting quite close with Rufus. I was


    informed that you had some people tied him up and delivered him to our mansion. I was too busy back


    then so I didn''t ask you about this. Why didn''t you tell me about your rtionship with him? Why did


    you bother to kidnap him in our city?" Darren''s voice was still very gentle while his eyes were full of


    concern. But even then, it made Daphne a little uneasy.


    "Darren, Rufus and I... We... we''re just friends!" Daphne stammered. "Yes, that''s right. We''re just


    friends."


    "Well, if the two of you are indeed just friends, you can invite him toe over. But why did you kidnap


    him?" Darren asked while they made their way downstairs.


    The expression on Daphne''s face changed, but she quickly turned it back. "He doesn''t know how to


    appreciate a nice gesture, so I used some unconventional ways."


    "What do you mean? Are you telling me that he doesn''t like you?"


    Daphne gave him a stern look. "Humph! He doesn''t like me? No, I don''t like him. He''s such an idiot! I''ve


    forgotten about him already!"


    Darren looked at her from the side of his eyes. Daphne looked much calmer than before and it seemed


    like she didn''t feel embarrassed at the question anymore. "Do you really not like him?" he asked.


    Daphne snorted and said, "I''m not that stupid or worse, desperate. I don''t like someone who doesn''t


    like me. Harper once said that we can like whoever we want. It''s our choice after all. But we can''t force


    anyone to like us back. What''s more, it doesn''t mean that I have to be with someone, simply because I


    like him."


    "You don''t have to be with someone even if you like him..." Darren murmured. He was a little surprised.


    "That''s right. Who says that I have to be with Rufus because I like him? Yes, I like him. But he doesn''t


    like me and I would never force him to be with me. In the future, I will try harder to pursue the one I truly


    love. Besides, Harper said that having a crush on someone is too shallow. That feeling is very different


    from love. She wants me to find someone I love who loves me back. And we can spend our lives


    together." Daphne''s voice suddenly became gentle when she continued, "Darren, you like Harper,


    right?"

 Chapter 786 The Young Master Of Phoenix City (Part Two)

    Chapter 786 The Young Master Of Phoenix City (Part Two)


    Darren didn''t respond. Although he was with Harper for such a short time, he thought that they were


    close friends. The word "like" wasn''t enough to express his feelings for her, but he wasn''t sure if he had


    fallen in love with her. It was ratherplicated. He was eager to see her, but at the same time, he


    didn''t want to see her. So he didn''t know what his exact feeling towards her was. He couldn''t


    understand himself. It was all too chaotic for him. Dealing with his emotions was in fact, a struggle.


    "Maybe," he briefly replied. He wasn''t lying. He wasn''t sure whether he really liked her or not, whether


    he loved her or not. But it didn''t matter at all. She was now another man''s wife and it seemed like they


    loved each other very much. He had no other choice but to silently bury his love in his heart.


    Meanwhile, Harper had been silent since she and herpanions left Phoenix City. Howard


    suspiciously looked at her. He then briefly looked at Diana while he swallowed what he wanted to say.


    After leaving Phoenix City, the twelve secret guards hid themselves once again, leaving only Howard


    and Diana with Harper.


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    "Master, what''s wrong? You''re so quiet." As a very talkative person, Diana, who didn''t look like the


    princess of the South Kingdom at that time, kept on trying to start conversations at random while they


    were on the way. But even though she had spoken so much, Harper wasn''t responding at all.


    After some time, Harper finally sighed and said, "Well, I should have at least visited him."


    "Who? Who are you talking about?" Diana curiously asked, as if she was so eager to discover the


    hidden secret. Howard was also interested, but he wouldn''t dare to ask Harper. Then, he kept on


    wondering who the man on the gate tower of the Phoenix City was.


    Rubbing her face, Harper replied, "Let''s go. We have to reach Birch Pass as soon as possible so we


    can meet with Matthew. The reason that the Holy Maiden attacked you is that she wants to take over


    your power. I''m afraid that she might have taken over the South Kingdom by now."


    "That''s impossible. The Holy Maiden can''t participate in any official affairs," Diana stated while shaking


    her head.


    "The Starry Pce already copsed. There''s no Holy Maiden in the South Kingdom anymore.


    Perhaps, the fall of the pce has given her a great opportunity to kill you. Otherwise, I just don''t


    understand why she wanted to kill you," Harper seriously said.


    "What?" Diana didn''t know how to respond to that. If Catherine wanted to kill her, there must be some


    reason. She had considered that Catherine was upset with her because she didn''t appear at the Holy


    Maiden selection back then. But it seemed like it wasn''t the reason. Catherine possibly had other ns.


    "I thought that sisters going against each other only happens in the Bright Dynasty and the Great Jade


    Kingdom. I didn''t expect that it''s also possible in the South Kingdom," Harpermented.


    "If Catherine is aiming for the throne of the South Kingdom, what would you do?" Harper asked while


    tilting her head.


    After a moment of silence, Diana said, "It''s not that easy to be the queen of the South Kingdom. If she


    can handle the position, she can have it. I don''t care about the title that much."


    Upon hearing what Diana had to say, Harper had apletely new perspective about her. Harper


    didn''t expect that Diana would say that because she thought that Diana would simply say that


    Catherine would never get the throne.


    "Don''t you want to be the queen of the South Kingdom?"


    "What''s so good about being a queen? You have a bunch of officials constantly telling you what you


    have to do and what you can''t do. As a queen, you have to sleepte at night and get up early to


    handle numerous official affairs. It''s like a constant cycle of a strict schedule every single day. But as a


    princess, you can go to brothels, gamble, pick a fight, or pay a visit to other countries. Do you think a


    queen can do all of this kind of fun stuff?" Diana sharply said.


    With a smile, Harper responded, "No, I don''t think so. I actually agree with you. Being a prince is more


    fun than being an emperor. It''s a tough task to be an emperor. In fact, an emperor can''t even marry


    whoever he wants. He has to marry women from different kingdoms to forge strong alliances and


    establish power." Harper actually despised the idea of being the king or queen of a kingdom.


    "So, Prince Matthew doesn''t want to be the emperor?" Diana asked.


    Harper smiled but she didn''t answer. She didn''t know exactly why Matthew didn''t want to be an


    emperor. But she understood that the responsibility of an emperor was too heavy, and she was the only


    one he wanted to take responsibility for.


    Diana mumbled, "Men love the throne, don''t they? A prince who doesn''t want to be an emperor is not a


    good prince. The princes in the Bright Dynasty always fight with each other. Aren''t you afraid that the


    current emperor will soon take control of the entire kingdom and then get rid of Matthew and you?"


    "We aren''t afraid of him. If he thinks that our mere existence is a threat to him, we can simply hand


    over the power to him," Harper nonchntly stated. It was clear that she didn''t care about power that


    much. Meanwhile, Howard was surprised by her words. He thought, ''If Matthew were to give up his


    power, who would maintain his tasks in the Bright Dynasty?''


    "Without Prince Matthew, the Bright Dynasty will no longer be a threat to the other kingdoms.


    Consequently, the Great Jade Kingdom will be the most powerful one. I don''t think Lucas will be


    that stupid," Diana stated. At that moment, the world was divided into four parts. The South Kingdom


    and the Wonder Kingdom were in a weak position. The Great Jade Kingdom and the Bright Dynasty


    were racing against each other, bridle to bridle. The Great Jade Kingdom had Rndo while the Bright


    Dynasty had Matthew. If the Great Jade Kingdom were to lose Rndo or the Bright Dynasty were to


    lose Matthew, the other kingdom would quickly be the most influential one.


    "Is there someone you''re forgetting who we can''t underestimate either?" Howard suddenly asked.


    "Who?"


    "The young master of Phoenix City, Darren Feng!"

 Chapter 787 The Return (Part One)

    Chapter 787 The Return (Part One)


    For a brief second, the expression on Harper''s face changed when she heard Darren''s name.


    However, no matter how short the change was, Howard still noticed it. He thought that the man who


    saw her off was certainly Darren, the young lord of Phoenix City. Also, the young lord must be well


    acquainted with Harper. Otherwise, why did hee to see her off in person? Howard had been very


    much aware of how many things he didn''t know about Harper. But now, he was more confident that he


    really didn''t know Harper at all.


    Diana had also heard of the young lord of Phoenix City before, but she didn''t know much about him.


    However, she thought that this man was also a significant person, no inferior to Rndo and Matthew.


    Phoenix City had always kept to themselves. They didn''t bother anyone or even show off whatever they


    had. It was for this matter that only a few people knew about Darren''s name.


    "Harper, we should have some rest. We''ve been traveling for a very long time," Howard suggested. He


    wanted to know the extent of her rtionship with Phoenix City. But he knew better than anyone that


    no one could force her if she didn''t want to talk about it. There was probably a good chance that he


    couldn''t find out anything about their rtionship.


    Harper turned back to face them and immediately saw that both Howard and Diana looked tired. They


    weren''t able to restfortably while crossing the Labyrinth Swamp. And they began to move forward


    after having a short break in Phoenix City. Everyone was actually exhausted at that point.


    "We''re only ten miles away from a small town. We can stay and rest in an inn there; it will be more


    comfortable and safe." Upon reaching the said inn, Harper looked into the distance, only to find out that


    they weren''t far away from the Birch Pass. However, the problem was that if they continued any longer,


    their bodies wouldn''t be able to stand it anymore. ''So close, yet so far,'' Harper mumbled to herself.


    After everyone had entered the nearest inn, Diana immediatelyy down on her bed, refusing to move


    for the next few hours. In the past, she had always thought that the women from the Bright Dynasty


    stayed at home and never went out at all. For as long as she could remember, she had always looked


    down on them. Now that she met the valiant Harper who waspletely not a normal woman, she was


    convinced otherwise. After crossing the Labyrinth Swamp, Harper was even motivated to travel day


    and night. Even Harper didn''t treat herself as a human being.


    Meanwhile, there was tension in the Birch Pass. Shawn turned his attention to Matthew who was


    practicing his swordsmanship on the training ground. He silently hid himself on the sidelines. "Why are


    you hiding yourself, Marquis Shawn? Go and persuade His Highness to stop what he''s doing. If he still


    doesn''t eat or drink, he''ll certainly die a terrible death." A voice was suddenly heard beside him.


    Shawn quietly stepped back, only to find Joshua behind him. He asked, "Well why don''t you do it?


    Don''t forget, I''m still injured."


    Then, Shawn covered his wound and added, "Get out of my way. I need to go back and lie down. I


    think my wound just opened up."


    Joshua held Shawn''s arm and said, "How shameless you are, Shawn! I just asked you to persuade His


    Highness to take care of himself a little better. You''re not even going to the battlefield. Why are you so


    afraid?"


    "I would rather go to the battlefield!" Shawn firmly eximed. Anyone could tell that Matthew was so


    enraged, he could kill someone with one blow. It would only be wise not to disturb him at that time.


    Shawn thought that if Matthew were to beat him up and he''d be injured once again, he wouldn''t know


    how he could live in the future!


    "But His Highness..." Joshua tried once again.


    "No matter what you say, I won''t go!" At that, Shawn left and walked towards the crowd. Ever since


    Matthew came back from the South Kingdom, he had been like this. It was apparent that a huge factor


    was because he wasn''t able to see Harper in the South Kingdom. They could only assume that


    whatever news he found out about Harper, it wasn''t that bad. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have been calmly


    practicing swordy on the training ground, as if he was getting ready to kill anyone in his way.


    "How long has Lady Harper been missing?" Shawn asked the deputy general next to him.


    "It''s been nearly half a month. I heard that ¡ª" Before the deputy general continued talking, he looked


    around. When he didn''t see anyone, he added in a low voice, "I heard that Lady Harper entered the


    Labyrinth Swamp and His Highness wanted to go in and follow her. But someone stopped him. I don''t


    know who or how that person was able to do that. So right now, all he can do is vent his anger on the


    training ground."


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    The expression on Shawn''s face dramatically changed. "The Labyrinth Swamp! Are you kidding me?


    Lady Harper went into the Labyrinth Swamp? Is she courting death? This is bad. I have to take people


    with me to find her!"


    "Marquis!" The deputy general quickly grabbed Shawn''s arm and said, "How are you going to find her?


    Even if you take one hundred thousand soldiers with you, the army will bepletely annihted. What


    are you going to do then?"


    Shawn was finally able to calm down, but he still felt uneasy. He knew how horrible the Labyrinth


    Swamp was. The miasma in the swamp was much stronger and poisonous than that in any other ce


    in the South Kingdom. Even the shaman from that kingdom didn''t dare to enter the Labyrinth Swamp. It


    was reported that there were a lot of poisonous animals and terrifying beasts that were unknown to


    humanity.


    "But it''s not a good idea to just wait here as well!"


    "There''s nothing we can do but wait! That''s the reality!" The deputy general immediately started to


    regret telling Shawn about the matter. He thought that Matthew''s reaction was unusual enough.


    Unexpectedly, the marquis'' reaction was even more excessive.


    "You may leave now. I want to be alone for a while." Shawn''s mind was in a mess. He unconsciously


    went upstairs to the city gate tower and looked into the distance, as if this could calm him down.


    Not long after that, three horses which were running very quickly came into view. Thinking that they


    were random travelers, Shawn didn''t pay much attention to them. He stared at them for a moment and


    then looked away. After a while, he looked at the three horses once again. Now that they were much


    closer, the riders on top of them were bing more recognizable. He was surprised to see that he


    actually knew the person on the horse leading the group, even though she was wearing men''s clothing!


    In an attempt to see the riders much clearer, Shawn stretched out his neck. He rubbed his eyes in


    disbelief and looked at the horse which was running towards him. Then he turned back to make sure


    that it wasn''t in the direction of the South Kingdom. He looked back once again to confirm that the one


    who was taking the lead was none other than Princess Harper!

 Chapter 788 The Return (Part Two)

    Chapter 788 The Return (Part Two)


    "Open the gates! Open the gates!" Shawn screamed at the top of his lungs. As fast as he could, he


    turned around and ran downstairs to wee her at the gate.


    When Harper saw that the gates of the city were slowly being opened, a smile appeared on her face. "I


    didn''t expect that they would find out so soon that we''reing towards them. But how did they know


    that I would enter through this gate?"


    It was not until they approached the gate that Harper recognized the person standing on the hanging


    bridge. She stopped the horse and greeted him with a smile, "Hi, Shawn. It''s been a long time."


    "You have no idea how much you made all of us worried." Shawn could only stare at the person on top


    of the horse. Her skin was a little dark; she was thinner than thest time he saw her, but still so full of


    energy. His eyes gleamed with happiness. "If you hadn''te back at this moment, His Highness


    would have starved himself to death."


    "Well, I''m back now," Harper said, her eyes lighting up.


    While Shawn and Harper were catching up at the gate, Jack suddenly broke into the training ground.


    He then eximed, "Your Highness, Her Highness is back."


    Matthew suddenly stopped. The sword flew out of his hand and went directly into the door which


    Joshua was leaning against. The de of the sword was still trembling and it almost pierced through


    his head!


    With one hand covering his mouth, Jack patted his chest to calm himself down. Fortunately, he was


    standing at a very good angle. A gust of wind blew his hair and Matthew approached him. "Where is


    she?"


    "At the gate¡ª"


    Before Jack could finish his words, Matthew had already disappeared from his sight. He watched as


    Matthew ran towards the other gate. "Your Highness, you''re going in the wrong direction..."


    The corner of Joshua''s mouth twitched and he put his arm around Jack''s neck. "Let him go. Let''s go to


    the east gate to wee our princess!"


    When he saw Harper, Joshua couldn''t believe that the pretty woman in front of him was theirdy. She


    had nice lips and white teeth as well as the most charming eyes. No one could imagine how such a


    weak-looking woman was able to tame their mighty prince.


    "Your Highness?" Joshua asked, a little unsure.


    Looking at the man in ck whose face was full of confusion, Harper smiled. "You must be Joshua. I


    heard a lot about you from Matthew."


    Upon hearing this, Joshua breathed a sigh of relief. "I''ve always heard them talk about you, but I never


    got the chance to see you in the flesh. Now that I''ve met you today, it''s going to be hard not to


    recognize you from now on."


    "Do you think I''m actually fragile? Did I disappoint your expectations?"


    Joshua immediately shook his head. "No, it''s not like that. In my imagination, you''re elegant, noble, and


    admirable. I had always thought that you were someone to be worshiped, but I didn''t expect you to be


    so easy-going."


    "Noble and admirable? You''re talking about Matthew." Then, Harper added in a low voice, "I guess I''m


    easy-going because I am forced by him to behave like that."


    With that, Joshua grinned. "Your Highness, pleasee in. Don''t stand in here anymore. His Highness


    mistakenly ran to the other gate to pick you up. It will need some time before hees to his senses."


    "Okay, that seems like a great idea. Let''s enter the city first." When Harper heard that Matthew had


    gone to another gate to pick her up, she immediately understood that someone must have deliberately


    made a fool of him. She didn''t say anything. Once Matthew realized what they had done, he would


    teach them a lesson and when that time came, she wouldn''t be able to help them either.


    Matthew ran as quickly as he could to the west gate, only to find that there was no one outside. He


    grabbed a soldier who was guarding the gate and asked, "Hasn''t my wife returned already? Where is


    she?"


    The guard was extremely confused. "Your Highness, there is nobody at the west gate. I haven''t seen


    Her Highness either."


    The expression on Matthew''s face instantly turned dark. He carefully recalled Jack''s words. He said


    that Harper had returned and was at the gate, but he didn''t mention which gate. Matthew


    subconsciously thought it was the west gate because it was near the South Kingdom, but he didn''t


    expect that Harper would return from the east gate. So he immediately rushed to the east gate without


    even stopping to breathe.


    When he reached the east gate, there was still no one to be seen. The guards bowed to him as soon


    as they saw him.


    "Where is my wife?"


    "Your Highness, Princess Harper went to the military camp to look for the general."


    As soon as the guard finished speaking, Matthew went straight to the military camp. But he found out


    soon enough that his wife had left for the general''s mansion because she didn''t see him here!


    "Good for you, Joshua!"


    Matthew stated while gnashing his teeth again and again. He swore to himself, ''Jack, Joshua, wait and


    see. After I settle everything with Harper, I''ll teach you a good lesson that you''ll never forget until you


    die.''


    After the long journey, Harper was very tired. Joshua and the others knew that Matthew would soon


    come to the general''s mansion. So as soon as they escorted Harper back, Joshua quickly left in secret.


    If he didn''t leave, he would be in trouble because Matthew had gone to several ces for nothing and


    he would certainly be exasperated. Joshua knew that it was the right time and probably the only time


    for him to flee.


    When Matthew arrived at the general''s mansion, Forsythia happily greeted him. "Your Highness, Her


    Highness has returned."


    Without stopping to greet her or to breathe, he went to the house where he had been staying. Half a


    month had passed since theyst saw each other. He felt as if it had been a century and he couldn''t


    wait another second to see Harper.


    At that moment, Harper was taking a bath. So when he burst in without any warning, she was taken


    aback. "Matthew, I... Hmm..."


    Matthew passionately kissed her on the lips to stop her from talking. A kiss could express everything¡ª


    longing, sorrow, happiness... He knew that he wouldn''t believe that she was back to him until he held


    her in his arms.


    The kisssted for such a long time that Harper was almost out of breath, so Matthew finally let her go.


    He eagerly looked at her face and spoke in a hoarse voice. "Harper Chu, I... What should I do with


    you?"This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

 Chapter 789 Secret Plan (Part One)

    Chapter 789 Secret n (Part One)


    Not many people in the Birch Pass were aware of Harper''s return. Yet there was a remarkable change


    in the atmosphere there. It was as if, all of a sudden, the gloomy air around the city was lifted. Both


    Jack and Joshua were still hiding in the military camp. They didn''t dare to show up in the general''s


    residence out of the fear that Matthew would settle ounts with them sooner orter.


    It was morning. The first ray of the sun made its way through the window to touch Harper''s closed


    eyelids. She opened her eyes to the peace and coziness of her bedroom after a long time. Matthew


    was sleeping peacefully right beside her. Acent smile appeared on Harper''s face. Even


    Matthew had such a restful night after a long time. Harper stretched out her hand and slowly moved her


    index finger along his jawline. Just then, Matthew grabbed her hand and nted a kiss at the back of


    her hand. "Good girl, don''t be naughty," he said with a mischievous smile.


    Harper smiled back at him. "I''m nning to go to the imperial capital of the South Kingdom," Harper


    said after waiting for a few moments.


    "No way," Matthew snapped back immediately. How could he agree to what Harper said? She had just


    been back from the jaws of death in the Labyrinth Swamp! Thest time when Harper went to the


    South Kingdom, there were a series of unfortunate events that pushed him to the limit. He believed that


    Harper would not risk her life on her own, otherwise, he would have apanied her. First, the news


    of the library copsing on her made him rush to the South Kingdom. Initially, he was told that she got


    buried. Then on his way, he learned that she was fine. Hardly had he heaved a sigh of relief that he got


    to know that she had entered the Labyrinth Swamp. If things went on like this, he was afraid that he


    would be scared to death.


    However, Harper looked resolute with her n. "I have to take care of the business in the South


    Kingdom. After all, with so many enemies all around, it''s not a good time to enjoy afortable and


    easy life in the Birch Pass," Harper exined.


    "Leave everything to me," Matthew said in a reassuring way, stroking Harper''s hair. There was no way


    that he would allow his wife to take any risk again. It was a matter of luck that she could get out of the


    Labyrinth Swamp safely. But even luck did not favor all the time. He could not bear to lose her.


    Harper''s eyes grew darker, and she became quiet. Matthew got up from the bed and put on his clothes


    quickly. "I''ll take down the South Kingdom as fast as I can," he said. They indeed needed to have a


    strong hold over the South Kingdom, or else the matter could go out their hands. But Matthew did not


    have the heart to allow Harper to go there alone. Hence, he decided to take the matter in his own


    hands.


    "And then?" asked Harper. Harper rolled over on her belly and rested her chin on her hands, staring at


    him calmly. "What about the Great Jade Kingdom or the Wonder Kingdom? Do you think they will sit


    quietly and watch you take down the South Kingdom?"


    "I''m not afraid of them," Matthew replied confidently.


    "But if the Bright Dynasty doesn''t exist, how will we protect the people we care about, Matthew?"


    Harper asked slowly. "Now the South Kingdom is not our enemy. We can cooperate with them." As


    Matthew heard her speak, a stiff frown slowly appeared on his forehead.


    Matthew agreed to every bit of what Harper said. Yet, he remained silent. He simply didn''t want her to


    put herself in danger again. After all, the South Kingdom was infamous for being dangerous and


    unpredictable. There were some uncertain elements hidden at every turn of the way. Matthew feared


    that if Harper went there, she would be in danger again.


    "No matter what you say, I won''t agree," Matthew said in a stern voice.


    "Do you want me to be a caged canary?" Harper asked in a low voice. "So what are your ns? After


    you''re fed up with me, will you forsake me?"


    "I won''t do that! How can you even think like that?" Matthew turned to Harper and replied instantly.


    "Then please listen to me. I don''t want to be a canary trapped in a cage." Even while convincing


    Matthew, Harper had a very firm voice. She looked at her husband with her calm and decisive eyes.


    "Besides, I have made up my mind to go to the South Kingdom. I am just informing you and not asking


    for your opinion."


    Matthew looked into Harper''s eyes. The fiery determination that she exuded was rare to be seen in any


    other royal woman. Matthew was silent for a moment. Harper had always been obedient because he


    had never touched her bottom line. He had seen how obedient she was as a wife, and also how bold


    and ruthless she was when facing her enemies. But he had forgotten that she would not allow others to


    rule her life.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    "What if I break your wings one day? What would you do?" Matthew asked, looking intently into


    Harper''s eyes.


    Hearing his words, Harper didn''t get mad. Instead, her face broke into a charming smile. Then she said


    firmly, "You won''t! I know it for sure."


    "How can you be so confident that I won''t do that to you?" Matthew asked, sounding a little annoyed.


    Somehow, the very thought of Harper going to the South Kingdom was very unsettling for him. On top


    of that, Harper''s obstinate nature was beyond his control!


    "Because you are the man I love! No one knows you better than me," Harper said in a proud tone. "And


    as much as I know, you don''t need a canary in the cage. Instead, you want an eagle that can soar high


    in the sky."


    After this, Matthew could not make out whether he should love or hate Harper. He said, "You are not an


    eagle. You are a flying phoenix. Even if I break your wings countless times, you will be reborn over and


    over again."


    Harper stretched out her hands like an indulgent wife. The conversation seemed to be moving towards


    the point that Harper wanted it to go. Matthew heaved a sigh and said, "You can go to the South


    Kingdom under one condition¡ªI wille with you!"


    "Don''t you care about what''s going on in the Birch Pass?" Harper asked with a smile.


    "I don''t need to stay here. Joshua and Shawn are here to take care of all the business," Matthew said,


    taking Harper in his warm embrace.


    "In this case, I will need to bother you to take a trip with me," Harper said lovingly.


    "Humph, if I''m not going with you, won''t you go there on your own?" Matthew looked into the deep and


    bright eyes of the woman he was holding in his arms. He knew he was too indulgent towards her. Yet,


    he could do nothing about it as he couldn''t say no to her. Even though Matthew was aware that she


    would put herself into danger and no matter how much he wanted to keep her safe, he always found


    himself giving in to her wish just because he could not bear to make her sad.


    "I put you ahead of everything else in my life," Harper said, nestling her head against Matthew''s chest.


    "Are you not satisfied with it, darling?"


    "Hmm. But that is how it is. Isn''t it? Women always put their husbands first. They obey, admire, and


    respect their husbands. But in your case, it''s different. When you feel happy, you spoil me. But when


    you are unhappy, you always leave me alone. Can you show me one wife who treats her husband like


    that?" Matthew''s words exuded a mix of humor and annoyance. In fact, he could never understand


    what kind of person his wife was. But he was so deeply in love with her that he epted her the way


    she was.

 Chapter 790 Secret Plan (Part Two)

    Chapter 790 Secret n (Part Two)


    Harper smiled and replied, "Yes that is how it is in most of the cases. Men are used to treating their


    wives that way. When they are happy, they spoil their wives, but when they are angry, they treat their


    wives indifferently. Then, why is it considered wrong if a woman behaves in the same manner? Since


    you want a wife who should be an equal partner, my temperament and personality should also match


    with yours. Otherwise, how will I be a suitable ally to my handsome and unparalleled husband?"


    "Now, that sounds good. Rather, I should say, that sounds much better than the sweet words you said


    to me in the past," Matthew said. He kissed her hair and held her closer to his chest.


    Hearing that, Harper smiled happily. She remembered that she was asked to say "something nice" to


    her husband. And she tricked him by saying "something nice" repeatedly, but she gave up on it very


    soon.


    "If you like to hear nice words, I will say them to you every day. I promise the nice words will be


    different each day and you will never get bored of them." Harper chuckled, rubbing her nose on


    Matthew''s chest.


    "All kinds of ''something nice''?" Matthew asked as he lifted Harper''s face to nce into her beautiful


    eyes.


    "You are so smart!" Harper remarked. Of course, she would just repeat the "something nice" to him. It


    would give her a headache if she had to think of new nice words to praise him every day. No matter


    how unique she tried to be, allplimentary words would be used up sooner orter.


    "And how cunning you are!" Matthew pointed at the forehead of Harper. "You are yet to tell me how you


    managed to cross the Labyrinth Swamp. Will you tell me now?"


    "It was easy. I used this," Harper said in her usual nonchnce and took out the Sacred Seal. It was


    the same seal that she had taken from the library of the South Kingdom. "This seal saved my life even


    when the library copsed."


    Matthew watched with his eyes wide open as Harper continued, "This looks like any other jade


    pendant. Is it very powerful?"


    "It can open an enchantment barrier," Harper added. She went on to demonstrate the power of the


    Sacred Seal to Matthew. As soon as the spiritual energy was put into the Sacred Seal, there was a


    sudden emission of a soft light that kind of wrapped around the couple. Matthew watched the soft light


    with awe in his eyes.


    "Is this also a secret skill of the Qin n?" Matthew asked.


    "I don''t know, but since I am able to use it, it means that it has something to do with the Qin n. But


    we know too little about the Qin n," Harper remarked. She let out a sigh and continued, "The more I


    know about this Sacred Seal, the more I feel that the destruction of the Qin n is not that simple. As


    they were really powerful, how could they be easily ughtered?"


    "No matter how powerful they were, they were bound to have some weakness," Matthew said in a


    suggestive tone. "Don''t get too worked up with this. The more anxious you are, the more mistakes


    you''ll make. Take your time, and the truth will be revealed sooner orter."


    "Yes, you are right." Harper nodded. "Do you know why I entered the Labyrinth Swamp?"


    "I am sure you must have been forced into it," Matthew said decisively. He believed it must have been


    a helpless situation for Harper that made her enter the Labyrinth Swamp. She would never go there out


    of choice. After all, she was not a fool. She knew how dangerous it was.


    A gleam of shimmer flickered in Harper''s eyes. "I was attacked by Catherine, the Holy Maiden. At that


    time, I had no other choice but to enter the Labyrinth Swamp."


    "The Holy Maiden?" Matthew furrowed his brows as he vaguely remembered being encountered by a


    woman when he went to the South Kingdom in search of Harper. That woman even tried to stop him


    from going close to the Labyrinth Swamp. But he didn''t notice her. At that time, his only concern was to


    find Harper.


    "Well, I had always underestimated this Holy Maiden. I just thought she had the same hobbies as me,


    but I didn''t expect her to be so scheming." A stiff frown settled on Harper''s forehead as she spoke


    about Catherine. Harper then thought of how ruthless Catherine was. Thetter didn''t hesitate even for


    once before hurling a death stroke to her own sister Diana. She was indeed more vicious than Harper''s


    half-sister Hailey.


    Matthew brushed it aside and said without much interest, "Well, I can''t remember meeting such a


    person. And even if I met her, I did not pay attention to her."


    "Have you ever been to the South Kingdom before?" Harper asked curiously. Suddenly, a possibility


    urred to Harper.


    Matthew nodded and replied, "Yes. I went to the South Kingdom ten years ago. The former emperor


    asked me to take the Sacred Seal of the South Kingdom. Unfortunately, although I entered the library, I


    could not break through the security mechanism of the library. I ended up getting hurt and couldn''t get


    the Sacred Seal. From then on, I have never entered the library."


    "Did you happen to meet Catherine when you went to the library back then?" Harper probed.


    Matthew scrunched his forehead and thought carefully but failed to recollect anything significant from


    that time. "No, I don''t remember seeing any girl even at that time. And even if I met her before, I didn''t


    care to remember. Obviously, who would care about a person we have met only once?"


    "Oh! She is quite a beauty! Certainly not the type to be forgotten so easily!" Harper remarked.


    "The Holy Maiden of the South Kingdom was just a teenager ten years ago. Who knows whether she


    will be beautiful or not?" Matthew snorted. "And even if she is a drop-dead gorgeous, haven''t I seen


    enough beauties in my life? What''s the big deal about her?"


    Harper felt sorry for the Holy Maiden as thetter had a huge crush on Matthew. She recalled how


    Catherine tried to break the ice with her. At the very beginning, she had worn in clothes and


    appeared in front of the tavern that the couple lived. Slowly, she starteding to Harper and became


    pally with her. Later, she invited her to the Starry Pce. Her only aim was Matthew. But since Matthew


    had no impression on her at that time, Harper didn''t realize such a secret crush at all.


    "It will be an interesting trip to the South Kingdom this time." A trace of excitement shed in Harper''s


    eyes. "Darling, you can ask someone to take Diana back to the South Kingdom secretly. I believe


    Lance must be very d to see his precious daughter alive."


    "Speaking of Diana, I have a question. Since when are you being so close to her? I even heard her


    calling you master," Matthew asked. He didn''t know much about Diana, but he could sense that she


    was an extremely cunning opportunist.


    "Well, all thanks to the Labyrinth Swamp. While I was dealing with the challenges in Swamp, she got a


    clear view of my powerful strength. She was so impressed by my strength that she wanted to be my


    disciple. Since then, she has been calling me master. But I haven''t agreed to ept her as my disciple


    yet," Harper answered casually. "I just saved her from danger as I did for the others."


    Matthew nodded as he got the rity of the matter. He suggested, "Darling, it''s a good idea to take her


    as your disciple. We can help her to climb up to a high position so that the South Kingdom and the


    Bright Dynasty can form a temporary alliance," Matthew added slowly. "Even if the peace will be short-


    lived, it is still worth it."


    "Okay, so be it," agreed Harper.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

 Chapter 791 I Want The Throne (Part One)

    Chapter 791 I Want The Throne (Part One)


    Understandably, Diana was beyond annoyed when she was taken away from her bed in the middle of


    the night. It had been intensified by the fact that Harper had yet to ept her as her disciple. She was


    very upset with Howard who was taking her away.


    "Howard, do you really think you can just treat me like this because you''re my master''s elder brother?


    Well, you''repletely wrong. I only have to show respect for my master, not you. If you dare to


    continue being rude to me, I''ll certainly make you regret it!" Diana eximed while waving her hands in


    the air.


    "Your master or my sister, whichever you prefer, told me to escort you back to the South Kingdom, so


    you can be reunited with your father as soon as possible. At this moment, almost the entire kingdom is


    under Catherine''s control. Are you sure you want to continue staying at the Birch Pass? If you do, you


    may have to face a lot of consequences. Some of these might include the death of your father and


    Catherine inheriting the throne. You know what will happen after that. As the true heir of the South


    Kingdom, your mere existence is going to be a threat to her. Wherever you are in the world, she''s going


    to hunt you down," Howardprehensively exined. As soon as he loosened his grip on her, Diana


    fell on the ground.


    She didn''t scream for pain but instead, wore a frown on her face. "Do you really think that Catherine will


    kill my father? That''s impossible!"


    "Why is it impossible? It''s clear that she wants the throne. Now, based on what she knows, the official


    heir to the throne, which happens to be you, is already dead. And once your father dies, the throne


    would naturally pass on to her. It''s up to you whether you want to go back or not. If you don''t want to


    leave, I''m going back to sleep," Howard said while he got on his horse.


    "Then go! Right now!" Diana said. Then she got up from the ground and rode on the horse with so


    much ease that it impressed Howard very much.


    Meanwhile, in the South Kingdom''s pce, Lance was severely unwell that he couldn''t get up from the


    bed. The courtiers had no choice but to ask the Holy Maiden to check on him and possibly treat him. At


    that moment, the government affairs were being taken care of by two first rank ministers, a civil minister


    and a military minister.


    Due to the copse of the Starry Pce, Catherine had been temporarily staying in the Royal Pce.


    As a matter of fact, Lance was not sick. He had actually been poisoned by Catherine for the purpose of


    usurping the throne of the kingdom. Even though Lance knew that Diana had very little chance of


    surviving the Labyrinth Swamp, he still refused to hand over the throne to Catherine. Out of rage and


    resentment, Catherine had secretly given the venomous insect poison to Lance.


    "Your Majesty," Catherine greeted. At that moment, there was nobody else in Lance''s bedroom except


    the two of them. Since Lance couldn''t move at all, the only thing he could do was to open his eyes to


    stare at Catherine. In his eyes was apparent sadness.


    "I won''t let you have the throne," Lance slowly said. There was no way that he would allow Catherine to


    destroy the South Kingdom.


    "If you don''t want to give the throne to me, then to whom will you give it, Your Majesty?" Catherine


    asked with a smile on her face. She then approached the table beside the bed and started pounding


    medicinal materials with a pestle. "Are you going to give it to Diana? But she''s already dead. Do you


    want to know why I''m so sure?"


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    "You... you summoned the Holy Beast."


    "Your Majesty, you''re so smart! Well, it''s our kingdom''s policy that anybody who hasmitted a


    serious crime will be thrown into the Labyrinth Swamp and eaten up by the Holy Beast. So do you think


    that Sister Diana is still alive? In fact, I had never thought of treating you this way until Harper Chu


    reminded me," Catherine said, a very gentle smile still on her face.


    "Lady Harper?" Lance asked. Perplexed, he could not understand how Harper had anything to do with


    this. Was it possible that Catherine had colluded with them?


    Catherine stopped pounding the medicinal materials and looked at her father. With a stern expression


    on her face, she replied, "Yes, she told me the story of how her father had never treated her well. In


    return, she made him lose everything so he didn''t have any other choice but to live the rest of his life in


    remorse. Your Majesty, I also hope that you can taste the loneliness that I''ve experienced over the past


    years."


    "As the Holy Maiden, you enjoy the admiration of themon people and even possess prime rights


    which are exclusive to you. All of those are not enough to satisfy you? You and Diana are sisters.


    You''re forever bonded by blood! Why did you do this to her? Why did you take her life so brutally?"


    Lance asked in a harsh tone.


    "Sisters?" Catherineughed so frantically that she almost burst into tears. "Can a younger sister


    betray her elder sister? Is that what sisters are supposed to do? If she didn''t refuse to be the Holy


    Maiden at thest moment, I wouldn''t have needed to bear the responsibility of that godforsaken


    position! I grew up by myself in the Starry Pce. Do you know what that feels like?"


    "Catherine, you should think about what happened more carefully. You should ask yourself: Has Diana


    ever owed anything to you over the past years? Yes, she often went to the Starry Pce to quarrel and


    fight with you. But do you really think she''s irresponsible and improvident? Anyone who bes the


    Holy Maiden needs to be separated from all of her rtives and friends. Diana was afraid that once you


    became the Holy Maiden, you wouldn''t recognize her as your sister anymore. She was also afraid that


    you would feel lonely. It was for these reasons that she made it a routine to visit the Starry Pce,"


    Lance stated while tears welled up from his eyes.


    There was not a single emotion on Catherine''s face while she quietly stared at Lance. "So what? I will


    never forget whose fault it was that I be the Holy Maiden in the first ce. If she didn''t throw the


    responsibility at me, she wouldn''t need topensate all these years. She''s selfish!"


    "It wasn''t Diana''s fault! She didn''t want that to happen to you. She wanted to be the Holy Maiden at that


    time¡ª"


    "Enough!" Catherine furiously eximed, cutting off her father. "I only know that I was the one who was


    forced to be the Holy Maiden at that time."


    When he saw how enraged Catherine was, Lance didn''t know what to say. He couldn''t argue the facts


    with her anymore. It was neither his nor Diana''s idea for Catherine to be the Holy Maiden.


    "I didn''t know you resented being the Holy Maiden so much. I remember that I had asked for your


    opinion in advance and you said you were willing to take on the position," Lance finally said. His voice


    sounded somewhat illusive, as if he was trying his best to recall the past.


    With a bitter smile, Catherine asked, "Was I allowed to refuse? Everyone knows that it''s a great honor


    to be the Holy Maiden, but I never wanted it for myself. At that time, I liked someone very much and all


    I wanted was to marry him when I grew up. But all my dreams about the future were destroyed. The


    Holy Maiden should have been Diana. But you preferred her over me, so you forced me, like a


    sacrificialmb. I couldn''t understand. I''m also your daughter, right? How could you have forsaken me


    this way?"

 Chapter 792 I Want The Throne (Part Two)

    Chapter 792 I Want The Throne (Part Two)


    Lance opened his mouth to say something but in the end, he didn''t. For the next moments, he kept


    silent. What had happened in the past couldn''t be changed no matter how hard he tried, and he


    couldn''t choose to change anything even if he were able to do so. Perhaps, the position of the Holy


    Maiden shouldn''t have existed at all.


    "You don''t have anything to say?" From Catherine''s perspective, the silence of Lance was


    acquiescence to what she was using him of. Instead of having any sort of satisfaction, she became


    even more furious. "Now that you''re feeling guilty with what you did to me, there''s one thing you can do


    to try and make it up to me. Write an imperial edict to appoint me as the heir to the throne. I want the


    throne of the South Kingdom."


    "You don''t know how to rule a country."


    "I never said I want to rule the South Kingdom. What I need is merely the position of Queen. He has a


    very prominent status. If I marry him as a queen with our entire territory as my dowry, he''ll definitely be


    willing to marry me," Catherine said in a low voice.


    "He? Who are you talking about?" Lance asked, very much confused with Catherine''s statement.


    "Prince Matthew Jun."


    Lance looked at Catherine in total disbelief. He had never expected that the man Catherine fell in love


    with was Matthew. He was well aware of what kind of person Matthew was. Even if Catherine was the


    empress of the Bright Dynasty, Matthew wouldn''t even look at her for a brief second, let alone if she


    was the queen of the South Kingdom. Matthew was no less arrogant than an emperor. And so far, there


    had been only one woman who got the chance to be by his side, and that was Harper.


    "He has a wife!"


    "Your Majesty, have you forgotten that Harper entered the Labyrinth Swamp, together with Sister


    Diana?" Catherine said while cing a nk imperial edict in front of him. She then helped Lance in a


    sitting position before saying, "Your Majesty, the time hase for you topensate me."


    Instead of writing the imperial edict, Lance calmly stated, "Even if you give him the entire territory of the


    South Kingdom as a gift, Matthew wouldn''t even take a look at you. Don''t you know that Matthew and


    his wife love each other very much?"


    "Do you think I''m stupid? I know that. That''s why Harper needed to die. Otherwise, why do you think


    she was taken by the library for no reason? In addition to her own spiritual energy, I was responsible for


    the other half of it," Catherine said with a broad smile on her face.


    "Did you have anything to do with the copse of the library as well?" Lance asked in disbelief. He


    didn''t think he could be more surprised that day. The library was an important ce for the South


    Kingdom, but Catherine had the nerve to destroy it, just so her plot against Harper coulde to


    fruition.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    "The copse of the library had nothing to do with me, but it happened just as I expected. My original


    n was to lock Harper in the library so I can use the mechanism inside to kill her. After all, a lot of


    people who had trespassed into the library had been killed. I thought that Prince Matthew would


    destroy the library out of rage because of Harper''s death. Although things didn''t go as I had nned, it


    was fine as long as the result is the same," Catherine slowly said.


    "Then, why did Harper take Diana into the Labyrinth Swamp?" Lance asked, still confused with the


    revtions.


    "Because I tried to kill Diana. Perhaps, Harper didn''t want to be used of killing her. Or perhaps, she


    thought it would be helpful to her if she took Diana as a hostage or as a bargaining chip. Anyway, if she


    didn''t take Diana away, I would have still killed her. What Harper did was unnecessary, to be honest,"


    Catherine said while shrugging, as if she was talking about a trivial matter.


    Lance thought that the whole world had just been thrown upside down. He felt dejected, defeated, and


    distressed. He had thought that it should be Harper who wanted to kill Diana. But it turned out that


    Catherine had been nning to kill her sister all along. He asked, "Catherine, when did you be so


    cruel?"


    With a deep-rooted hatred bursting out of her eyes, Catherine responded, "From the moment you sent


    me to the Starry Pce. Do you know what kind of life I had in there? I have been forced to practice my


    poison skills every single day. Whenever I hurt myself, I had to endure it all alone. When I''m afraid, I


    had to endure it. When I feel lonely, I still had to endure it. No one cares about whether I''m alive or


    dead. You don''t care about me, nor does anybody else in this entire kingdom!"


    "No, that''s not true..." Lance felt helpless. As the Holy Maiden, Catherine certainly had to work harder


    than ordinary people. The purpose of the training which she had received was to make her stronger.


    Lance hadn''t expected that those lessons would make her hate them more.


    "Write the imperial edict and make me the heir to the throne right now!" Catherinemanded, putting


    the brush pen in Lance''s hand. "Now that Diana is dead, I''m your only daughter. You have no choice


    but to give the South Kingdom to me!"


    However, Lance refused to yield. He no longer said anything but still, he didn''t write the edict as


    Catherine ordered him to do. He was determined not to give the South Kingdom to her. Her mind was


    filled with hatred, so Lance thought that she would be incapable of being kind to the people of the


    South Kingdom. Moreover, Matthew would never marry her just because she became the queen. On


    the contrary, once he found out that Catherine had something to do with Harper''s death, he would


    probably destroy the South Kingdom in a fit of rage.


    "Hurry up!" Catherine eximed in rage.


    Lance only closed his eyes and did nothing despite Catherine''s upromising and ruthless attitude.


    In return, she was even more enraged by Lance''s stubbornness. Without a bit of hesitation and regard


    for her father, she instigated the poison in his body. Lance instantly widened his eyes in pain, unable to


    make any sound.


    "Your Majesty, to relieve yourself of the pain, you''d better write down the imperial edict as I said.


    Otherwise, you''re going to be in hell every single day!"


    Lance clenched his teeth and closed his eyes once again, cold sweat trickling down his forehead. But


    still, he didn''t make any sound. He thought that he had already made a grave mistake before, so if he


    was going to die anyway, he couldn''t allow himself to make another one.

 Chapter 793 The Father And Daughter Met (Part One)

    Chapter 793 The Father And Daughter Met (Part One)


    Due to the imperial capital''s high security, Howard and the rest could not enter. Naturally, they turned to


    Diana for help. She was the princess of the South Kingdom, after all. She had grown up here, so


    Howard believed she must be aware of some secret passage to get into the capital.


    "Why are you looking at me? I don''t know what to do now either." Diana shrugged. She had been busy


    in her time here, spending every day here either practicing martial arts skills or fighting with Catherine.


    When she wasn''t doing that, she would hang out with the men. So she had no time to think about


    anything else.


    "Don''t tell me you are a mere figurehead and don''t know anything about your kingdom''s secret


    passages," Howard said. In his opinion, there was no way this cunning woman wouldn''t have a back-up


    n ready.


    Diana gave another shrug. "Of course, I am not a figurehead. It''s not impossible to break into the city.


    And we can''t just walk in with everyone watching. We must find a way to go unnoticed, otherwise, we''ll


    be found out."


    "Do you want to go into the city on your own?" Howard asked in confusion.


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Looking at the towering walls, Diana said, "I have to get into the Imperial Pce to confirm that my


    father is safe. If what my master said is true, that Catherine will kill my father, then he must be in


    danger. I must check on him."


    "What if he''s already dead?" Howard asked.


    "No! My father is still alive! Don''t talk nonsense," Diana stated affirmatively. "Catherine wants to im


    the throne. There are only two ways that could happen. The first is for my father to issue an imperial


    edict iming that she would seed to the throne. The second is for her to get the South Kingdom''s


    imperial jade seal. However, the seal is in my hand now. Therefore, her only option is to get an imperial


    edict out of my father. Until my father writes it, he''s safe. But I suspect that she must have tortured


    him."


    Upon hearing that, Howard frowned and said, "I won''t let you go in there alone. Harper asked me to


    keep an eye on you."


    Diana red at Howard impatiently, saying, "Well, do whatever pleases you. If you want to follow me,


    just follow."


    The Imperial Pce was not that heavily guarded. That was probably due to Catherine believing that


    both Harper and Diana had already died. Those who entered the Labyrinth Swamp didn''t have the


    slightest chance of living.


    After Diana sessfully made her way into the pce, she was relieved to find the guards sox. "The


    guards are cking. That''s in our favor."


    "Maybe it never urred to Catherine that you could survive. She would have had the entire pce


    under lockdown if she had suspected for a second that you were alive. It would have been so heavily


    guarded that even a fly would not have been able to get in," Howard sneered, "So you should thank


    Harper for getting you out of the Labyrinth Swamp alive!"


    Diana, however, merely nced at him with contempt. "Shut up. Harper, Harper, Harper! Please, don''t


    talk like you''re close! She is my master now. Oh, one more thing, you are not even her biological


    brother. Why are you acting so proud?"


    "Don''t you want to see your father?" Howard threatened as he narrowed his eyes with displeasure. He


    wasn''t beyond pushing her out of hiding if she continued her insolence.


    Diana could only grit her teeth. She replied viciously, "Shame on you! How dare you bully me like this!


    After everything is over in the South Kingdom, I will surely..."


    "What will you surely do after everything is settled here?" Howard asked threateningly.


    "I will surely pay you back for your help!" Diana said with a smile. She was the type to acknowledge the


    facts of the situation and react ordingly. She learned this from Harper. Whenever she was in a


    critical situation, she would stand back and y nice. Diana would square ounts with Howard once


    her stance improved.


    Howard looked at her with suspicion. He knew she wasn''t being honest, but it wouldn''t serve him to


    fight her now. "I will stand guard outside the room. You can go inside to see your father now. But be


    quick!"


    "Okay."


    Because Diana disguised herself as an Imperial Pce maid, no one recognized her. Catherine


    wouldn''te to torture Lance during the day. So Diana thankfully didn''t face any problem entering the


    pce.


    There were two guards standing at the gate of the pce where Lance lived. With a slight move of her


    fingertips, they fell to the ground and passed out. After she entered the room, she put the medicine


    bowl she was holding down on the table and rushed to the bedside. "Father, Father, I am Diana.


    Father," she called in a low voice.


    Hearing someone call him, Lance attempted to open his eyes. But he couldn''t recognize the face in


    front of him. Yet, the voice was very familiar. He asked with uncertainty, "Diana?"


    "Yes, Father, it''s me, Diana. I get out of the Labyrinth Swamp alive. In fact, it wasn''t only me who made


    it out, but everyone that had entered the Labyrinth Swamp is alive," Diana said tedly. "Father, how


    are you doing? Is Catherine torturing you?"


    Lance touched his daughter''s face tentatively, unable to believe that someone hade out of the


    Labyrinth Swamp alive. "How did you get out?" he asked.


    "Harper led us out," Diana said excitedly. "She took us out by using the Holy Article of our kingdom. It


    was the only way to avoid being attacked. Father, there shouldn''t be any conflict between the South


    Kingdom and the Bright Dynasty anymore!"


    Now Lance was certain that the girl in front of him was indeed his daughter. "Catherine wants to


    be the South Kingdom''s queen and marry Matthew, with the entire South Kingdom as her dowry."


    "What? No way! That''s absurd!" Diana refuted back immediately. "Matthew would never fall for any


    other woman as long as Harper is still alive. That woman is terrible. Father, you know what? Harper


    never relies on Matthew. She is almost as powerful as him!"

 Chapter 794 The Father And Daughter Met (Part Two)

    Chapter 794 The Father And Daughter Met (Part Two)


    Lance''s eyes widened in shock. "Really? But she is just a woman! How could she be so powerful?"


    "There is something else you might not know about. She is a close friend of Daphne, the youngdy


    from Phoenix City!" Diana told him. She was not a stupid woman. Even though she was ridiculous and


    pretended to be worthless, she never forgot that she was the princess of the South Kingdom.


    Lance''s eyes widened in disbelief when he heard his daughter''s words. Suddenly, a member of a


    certain n came to mind. His pupils contracted violently. He couldn''t help but swallow and then asked,


    "Who the hell is Harper?"


    "She is Matthew''s wife!"


    "Who was she before she became Matthew''s wife?"


    "She was Charles'' daughter, who was not favored and even tortured by her whole n." Diana told


    Lance what she had found out about Harper as she had vetted her.


    "Do you know her mother''sst name?" Lance asked as his body trembled violently, a thought crossing


    his mind.


    "Yes. Herst name is Qin," Diana blurted out.


    Hearing that, Lance struggled to rise, but failed and had to give up. Yet the fear remained in his eyes.


    Harper''s mother''sst name was Qin, which meant that Harper had inherited the Qin n''s bloodline!


    "Yes. Herst name is Qin. So what?" asked Diana. She did not understand why her father had such


    an extreme reaction.


    "Diana, listen to me. Don''t be her enemy!" Lance warned in a frightened tone. He now regretted what


    he had done. If he had known earlier that Harper was a descendant of the Qin n, he would have


    given her the Holy Article himself instead of repeatedly scheming against her.


    "Yes. I''ve decided to acknowledge her as my master, and I don''t want to be her enemy. But why?"


    asked Diana.


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    After a moment''s silence, Lance said, "Diana, I want to see her. Can you arrange this for me?" He


    ignored Diana''s question.


    Diana thought for a while and answered, "Okay. I will arrange it. Father, we need her help to remove


    the venomous poison in your body. There is nothing I can do to help you. I''m so useless, Father. I''m


    sorry."


    "Don''t say that, Diana. Catherine is merely more talented than you in terms of poisoning, plus she..."


    He swallowed back the words on the tip of his tongue. "You''d better leave as soon as possible.


    Catherine will be here soon. Remember to bring Harper to see me. I need to confirm something and we


    need to be face to face."


    "Yes, Father."


    "Leave now! Hurry!"


    Diana heard meowing from the outside. It was the signal she had agreed on with Howard. It was time


    for her to leave.


    "Father, please take care of yourself. I will find a way to bring her here to see you!"


    Diana said. Then she jumped through the window and ran away. As soon as she left, Catherine rushed


    in feeling a twinge of panic seeing the guards lying on the ground. She immediately marched in but was


    instantly relieved to find Lance was still here.


    She nced around the room but couldn''t find anyone. Frowning, she went to the bed and asked, "I


    know that you are awake. Who came here?"


    Lance didn''t open his eyes and pretended to go back to sleep. With a slight frown, Catherine grabbed


    him by his cor and said, "I''m asking you! Who was here?"


    Lance opened his eyes and nced at Catherine. With one look at her, he closed them again. He knew


    that Catherine was in a state of madness and would not listen to anything he said.


    "Was it some court official? Are you looking for someone to help you?" Catherine asked. She then


    released her grip, dropping him on the bed with a heavy thud. It was painful. He frowned but said


    nothing. "You''d better give up. The ministers can''t save you. Moreover, you''ve been poisoned and


    Diana is already dead. They will not let an old man rule this country!" Catherine warned.


    It was true that he was old, but he had hope now. Diana was still alive. Then came the revtion that


    Harper was actually a descendant of the Qin n. He knew that it was time for him to pay back the


    debt that he owed years before.


    "Catherine, aside for that man, what else do you see?" Lance asked instead. "He had met so many


    powerful and influential women, all wanting to be his wife. Why did he finally choose Harper? Did you


    ever think of that?"


    "That doesn''t matter!" Catherine answered coldly. "Harper is already dead. There would never be


    another Harper in this world. Matthew needs time to recover from the pain of losing his wife. Once he''s


    over her, I can swoop in."


    "Are you certain you want to live your life with a man who doesn''t love you?" asked Lance in disbelief.


    "Doesn''t every woman live such a life?" Catherine asked with contempt. "Do you like those beauties in


    the pce? Maybe you did love them at the beginning when you made them your concubines, but you


    soon dismissed all thoughts of them. Did you forget? Every woman around you lives her life that way.


    Am I wrong to want to live my life with a man that I love?"


    All she wanted was Matthew. She could only feel happy as long as he was with her. Whether or not he


    loved her, that wasn''t something she wanted to think about. Catherine''s words kept echoing in Lance''s


    head. Yes, women were born as ornaments for men. That was how Lance had thought of them. But


    why did it feel wrong when he thought of that in rtion to his daughter? He didn''t want his daughter to


    live with a man who didn''t love her for the rest of her life. He wanted her to live for herself.


    ''Harper is not the kind of woman who would live for a man!'' Lance then thought


    inwardly.

 Chapter 795 Scheming And Shrewd Sisters (Part One)

    Chapter 795 Scheming And Shrewd Sisters (Part One)


    Catherine had been aware of the mysterious visitor to Lance''s bedroom but she was yet to figure out


    who it was. Though she had no idea about who had been visiting Lance, there was a lingering fear in


    her mind. Her gut feeling told her that something was not right. Since that visitor showed up, Lance,


    who hadpletely lost his zest for life previously, had started to fight for life. And surprisingly, he had


    also started to feel better and look more energetic than before. All this was very unsettling for


    Catherine.


    "Guards!" Catherine summoned the guards. She wanted to get to the root of the matter.


    "Your Grace."


    "Go and check on all the people who have entered the capital city recently. I want all the details about


    them," Catherine ordered. The kind of incidents that were going on in the pce of the South Kingdom


    and the changes in Lance''s health could not be just a coincidence. Someone must be motivating Lance


    to fight for life. Otherwise, a man who had been waiting for death could not be so hopeful for his


    life all of a sudden.


    Catherine narrowed her eyes, trying to think who this person could be. Everything was pointing towards


    one person. But how could it be possible? That person must have been dead by now! That person had


    entered the Labyrinth Swamp right in front of Catherine''s eyes and should have been killed by the Holy


    Beast summoned by Catherine. How could that person be alive?


    The more she thought about it, the more uneasy she felt. There was a lingering fear in her mind. But


    who else could pluck Lance up except Diana? After thinking hard for a long time, Catherine could not


    think of anyone other than Diana.


    "Diana, you can''t be alive! No way! How could it be possible?"


    After leaving the pce of the South Kingdom, Diana began hiding out inside the capital city with


    Howard. She had to stay undercover in her hometown lest Catherine would find her out. Although she


    had been an arrogant princess addicted to fun, she was not all that worthless.


    In a secluded house in some less trodden area of the capital city, Diana sat in front of the window after


    taking a bath. Her mind was preupied with something that her father had said to her. Lance


    expressed his ardent wish to meet Harper. She hade to know that Harper was going to visit the


    South Kingdom within a few days. Hence, Diana did not have much time in her hand. She had to do


    something very soon to persuade Harper to meet her father.


    "Howard," Diana said, fixing her eyes on Howard. "Do you know what my master likes?" At present,


    Diana did not have any other way to find out how she could impress Harper.


    Her question left Howard rather baffled as he had never paid much attention to all these things. He


    tried to think carefully and wondered what Harper liked. But he could not think of anything worth telling


    Diana. To be honest, he could not recall Harper mentioning anything about what she liked in front of


    him in the first ce. It was indeed very strange that being her elder brother who had grown up


    together with her, he knew nothing about her hobbies and interests.


    Finally, he gave up.


    He shrugged his shoulders and answered honestly, "I don''t know." His voice was devoid of any sense


    of shame or guilt. Diana''s jaw dropped when she heard him. She almost knelt in front of him out of


    admiration. "Are you sure, you are her elder brother?" she asked.


    "Yes. I have watched her grow up," Howard replied with much conviction in his voice.


    "Then you must be aware of your younger sister''s guileful and scheming nature?" Diana could not help


    asking. As much as she had been able to understand Harper, she was not the kind to have spared


    anyone.


    After pondering for a while, Howard answered, "I didn''t know about it until she framed me."


    "What? When?" Diana almost jumped out of her seat.


    "Last year," Howard recalled.


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    Hearing that, Diana covered her mouth and burst intoughter. "You said, you have watched her grow


    up since she was a baby. So, that means you had been fooled by her for nearly twenty years. I can''t


    believe this! Don''t you think you''re too stupid?" Diana said, rolling inughter.


    "And, what about you?" Howard retorted in a cool manner. "Catherine is also your sister, but did you


    know how vicious and heartless she is? Do you know what she likes?" Howard didn''t mean to be rude


    to Diana, but at the same time, he did not want to be outwitted by her either.


    Diana stoppedughing and there was a weird silence between them all of a sudden. Her face turned


    pale at Howard''s counterattack. What he said was absolutely right! She didn''t know much about


    Catherine either. She believed that Catherine liked to be the Holy Maiden, but it turned out that she


    even nurtured a secret crush on Matthew. She was hungry for power. And to achieve that, she didn''t


    hesitate to kill her father and her younger sister. Catherine was bonded to Lance and Diana by blood


    but still, she was so cruel to them.


    Howard regretted to see Diana''s sullen face. Perhaps his words were too harsh. Though both Howard


    and Diana had indeed been through a simr experience, still their cases were different. Harper had


    indeed schemed against Howard and her other family members. But it was a retaliation to their


    conspiracy to kill Harper. Harper had never harmed anybody until the other person posed a threat to


    her. At the same time, she would not even spare a person who dared to conspire against her. However,


    Catherine''s case was different. She was simply too self-centered and ambitious. She could stoop to


    any level to aplish her goals even if it meant killing her family members. And from that


    perspective, Howard found himself and Catherine to be the birds of a feather.


    "Don''t think too much. Harper will reach the South Kingdom very soon. By then, we will find a way to


    solve the problems," Howard said in a stern voice to distract Diana. He was not used toforting


    others yet, but he had to do it for Diana because he felt guilty of hurting her feelings.


    No matter how emotionless Howard''s words might have been, Diana could sense his concern. Slowly,


    she nodded her head and said, "Yes. Even though we are sisters, we could hardly make out what the


    other person is thinking. Every single human being is different. You can never know what there is in the


    other person''s heart."


    "That''s true. People are different from each other. But every heart is essentially made of flesh," Howard


    said in a gentle voice. "Even though I had wronged Harper time and again, she had never been so


    ruthless as to take all our lives. Even our father made countless attempts to kill her, but she had still


    forgiven him and allowed him to survive. Catherine is too vicious,pared to Harper. And even


    though there is a trace of viciousness in you as well, yet, you are not like Catherine."


    Diana was left rather baffled at such a point-nk remark made by Howard. "Your words are toome,"


    she said. At that point, Diana was rather irked by his remarks. Yet, she appreciated him by saying, "But


    thank you forforting me."


    A smile spread out on Howard''s face. He exined, "I have neverforted anyone in my entire life. I


    don''t even know how tofort people. Harper had been the only person in our family who is good at


    comforting people. But her way offorting people is not always very pleasant to the


    ears."

 Chapter 796 Scheming And Shrewd Sisters (Part Two)

    Chapter 796 Scheming And Shrewd Sisters (Part Two)


    "You are right," Diana said, heaving a deep sigh. She recalled what Harper had said tofort her


    earlier. Her words sounded harsher than that of Howard''s. In fact, Harper didn''tfort people. Rather,


    she used her words for provoking and goading people into action. And her tactics were effective. Diana


    remembered how Harper''s words had pushed her out of the lull where she had almost epted her


    fate to be killed by her sister. Had it not been for Harper, that day, Diana would have died in the


    Labyrinth Swamp rather than being here at the moment.


    "After I bring peace back to the South Kingdom, I will follow her," Diana dered in a determined tone.


    "I have so much to learn from her. I strongly believe that staying with her is incredibly beneficial for me."


    "Only if she is willing to take you with her. It''s not so easy to have your way with Harper, you see,"


    Howard reminded her calmly. Then he teased her, "Judging from your intelligence quotient, I don''t think


    she will be willing to take you with her."


    "Howard Chu, what do you mean?" Diana asked, rolling up her sleeves. "Do you want to get into a fight


    with me?"


    Howard raised his eyebrows and turned to go outward, without saying anything to Diana. He was


    aware that this time was not for reveling in such useless conversations. After Diana''s secret visit to the


    royal pce to see her father today, Catherine would not simply sit idle. Even if she had no evidence of


    Diana''s presence in the South Kingdom, she must have sent her people all around the city by now to


    find the intruder. Howard was aware that they had to be vignt.


    Diana was initially taken aback and rather angered by Howard''s turning his back and walking out. But


    later on, she realized that Howard had gone out to look for something in the yard. Howard''s


    intuitiveness, sincerity, and care in dealing with the situation impressed Diana very much.


    Diana followed him to the yard. After a while, Howard nodded his head with satisfaction after he got


    everything ready. He looked at Diana and said, "Let''s go out of the capital city."


    "Out of the capital city? Why?" Diana asked, looking startled by Howard''s words. "Why should we go


    out of the capital at this time?"


    "We can''t be socent at this stage. Catherine is far more dangerous than you think. She had


    been hiding her real self for ten years only to achieve her goal. Then you can imagine how shrewd and


    scheming a person she can be. It will not take her a long time to find out that you are still alive and


    have also returned to the South Kingdom. She will surely rummage the whole capital to search for you.


    Since your father refuses to write the royal edict to appoint her as the heir to the throne, she would


    have no choice but to get the royal jade seal from you."


    Diana listened to Howard''s exnation and once again her heart trembled with fear and pain for she


    was being targeted by her own sister. Was Catherine really so smart and crooked? "How could it be


    possible? I don''t think Catherine can infer that I am still alive," said Diana.


    "But we can''t take the risk! Make haste. We don''t have much time," Howard decisively said. "Let''s leave


    this ce as soon as possible. I''ve set up traps here. It will be okay if Catherine doesn''te here. But


    even if shees or sends her men here to find you, she won''t be able toe in easily."


    "But what did you do?" Diana asked as she wriggled out through the window.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    "I have just set up some tricks. Come, let''s make a move now. We have to go out of the capital as soon


    as possible," Howard said, grasping Diana''s hand who was about to walk to the yard. "Just follow me if


    you don''t want to get injured. Otherwise, I won''t save you if you step into the traps." After that, Howard


    held her and led her through a very narrow passage.


    Diana pouted her lips and obediently followed Howard to walk outward. Although she didn''t believe that


    Catherine could guess that she was still alive, she couldn''t take the risk by staying here. She couldn''t


    afford to get caught by Catherine before Harper arrived.


    Just when Diana and Howard left the capital, Harper and Matthew entered it. Just as nned, Diana


    had arrived only one day prior to Harper and Matthew''s arrival to the city.


    As soon as they arrived in the South Kingdom, Harper and Matthew sneaked into the capital city. And


    as soon as Matthew set his foot in the capital, the news reached Catherine immediately.


    "He is here!" said Catherine. Her eyes lit up with a spark of joy and her face broke into acent


    smile. She sprang up from her seat and said, "You guys carry on with your search and I''ll go to see


    him."


    "Yes, Your Grace," the informer replied. Then he bowed in front of her and left.


    As Catherine reached within the vicinity of Harper and Matthew, Harper had a gut feeling that there


    must be something on Matthew''s body that made Catherine know that he had entered the capital city.


    Yet, she did not know what it was.


    "I am leaving now," Harper said in a low voice.


    "You be careful," Matthew said slowly. ''How could Catherine get a sniff of my presence so easily?'' It


    was important for him to find that out. But before that, he and Harper had to separate their paths and


    carry on with the course of action separately.


    Harper nodded and disappeared in the darkness of the night. Fred followed her to protect her. As Fred


    followed Harper through the narrow alleys of the capital city, his face twitched at the thought of his task.


    Did Harper need his protection at all? In her current capacity, she waspletely equipped to take


    down an army single-handed.


    Fred missed the time when Harper had been feeble. But even at that time, she had a very strong mind.


    Over time, her strength reached a paranormal level. After all, she had brought a group of people out of


    the Labyrinth Swamp. That was certainly no feat for a person with normal capacities.


    "Your Highness, where are we going right now?" This was for the first time that Fred had asked Harper


    after they separated from Matthew.


    Harper stopped at the edge of the narrow passage that they had been walking through. She turned to


    Fred and exined in a low voice, "Right now, we are heading towards the royal pce. First, we need


    to assess the situation over there. At the moment, Catherine is not in the pce and I think I should


    take this opportunity to go to the royal pce and visit Lance."


    Fred nodded and continued to follow Harper silently. The twelve secret guards had been following


    Harper secretly since they came out of the Labyrinth Swamp. Fred had always been much stronger


    and more powerful than the twelve secret guards. But now, he can''t even make out their presence


    around him and Harper as they made their way through the rarely frequentednes of the capital city.


    Their strength had improved remarkably after their return from the Labyrinth Swamp.


    Fred could not help but feel jealous of the twelve secret guards for their enhanced skills and power. In


    fact, he regretted not having followed Harper into the Labyrinth Swamp. If he did, he would also have


    encountered so many interesting things. Unfortunately, he had followed Matthew to assist him at the


    Birch Pass at that time.


    The unpleasantness on Fred''s face could not evade Harper''s eyes. "Fred, you seem to have too much


    resentment about something. Have I done anything that makes you unhappy?" Harper asked with a


    smile while slowing down her pace


    Fred''s face slightly changed. "I''m just envious of them. After their trip to the Labyrinth Swamp, even I


    can''t feel their existence. I believe that they must have encountered some sort of lucky opportunities in


    the Labyrinth Swamp that helped them improve their strength exponentially."


    "It''s nothing as such. And you certainly need not enter the Labyrinth Swamp for that. If you can control


    the power in your body that excites you, you can also improve your strength by a level or even more


    than them," Harper said gently. "I know you feel empowered when you are excited. But that is the time


    when you even have a risk of harming yourpanions as well. But if you can control yourself, you''ll


    win."


    Fred looked at Harper in surprise. A glimmer of hope yed in his eyes. "Can I control it?" he asked.


    "Of course you can. As long as your strength is out of your control, it is like a double-edged sword that


    not only hurts your enemy but will harm you as well. Until the time it is under your control, it will be your


    own power. So, I suggest, you practice having control over yourself," Harper said, her eyes full of trust.


    "And I believe you can make it."


    "I can make it?" Fred mumbled, staring at his hands. All this time, he had been suppressing his


    strength for the fear that it might make him go crazy. But if he could control himself, as Harper said,


    then it would mean a qualitative leap to him. "I can make it. And I will do it," he affirmed to


    himself.

 Chapter 797 The Uninvited Guests (Part One)

    Chapter 797 The Uninvited Guests (Part One)


    When Harper was trying to sneak into the Royal Pce of the South Kingdom, she, unfortunately, got


    lost. What was worse, Fred got lost with her as well.


    "Don''t you know the way to Lance''s residence?" Harper turned back to look at Fred, implying that he


    should know it. After all, it was understandable that she didn''t know because she had never been there


    before.


    Fred shook his head. "Your Highness, I''ve never been to Lance''s residence so I don''t know the way."


    Harper wanted to cry but she didn''t have time for tears at that moment. Both of them had no idea how


    to get to their destination but still, they continued to move forward. She had no choice but to give an


    order to the secret guards to find Lance''s pce.


    Fred was rendered speechless because of Harper''smand. The secret guards being used to find


    someone was like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. Harper might be the only one who would do


    such a thing.


    "This hall is so luxurious. Who lives here?" Harper curiously asked. Most halls in every pce bore the


    name of the one residing in each. However, the one they came across, looked rather splendid but it


    didn''t have a name. Spending so much effort and resources in a nameless hall seemed unreasonable.


    So it made Harper very curious.


    "We''ll know when we get inside."


    "That''s what I think too."


    Harper and Fred finally sneaked into the hall, only to find that it was spotless and no servant in sight. In


    the middle of the hall, there was even a jade statue to be worshiped. Once they looked closer, the face


    of the statue astonished both of them!


    Fred looked at the jade statue and then at Harper. He looked back and forth between the jade statue


    and Harper before finally saying with utmost certainty, "Your Highness, since when have you been


    worshiped here?"


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    Harper firmly responded, "That isn''t me! It looks worn and torn in some parts. It could have only been


    made more than ten years ago. At that time, I was just a child so this jade statue can''t be me."


    Fred looked at the jade statue more carefully and said, "Now that you say that, the jade statue actually


    looks a little different from you. At first nce, it definitely looks like you. But the longer you look at it,


    the more it doesn''t look like you. The statue looks more gentle andpassionate. On the other hand,


    Your Highness..."


    "I have a smile on my face, but my eyes are cold. Am I right?"


    Fred didn''t answer her, but silently thought to himself, ''You''re right. Even when there''s a smile on your


    face, it doesn''t reach your indifferent eyes. It instantly makes people freeze to death. You only have a


    sincere smile when you''re in front of His Highness and Zack.''


    "By the way, this might not be the best time to say this. But Caroline is about to give birth. I hope I can


    make it on time." Approaching the jade statue, Harper looked at it more carefully. She never looked like


    a gentle andpassionate person. She always stood by the rule of "I will not attack people unless


    they attack me first." Moreover, she would never sacrifice herself for anyone else.


    "Is there anyone there?" A woman''s voice was suddenly heard in the hall so Harper and Fred


    coordinately hid themselves. After a brief moment, a woman in a white robe walked in the hall, with her


    ck hair randomly tied at the back of her head. She was no longer young; still, the calmness and


    serenity were apparent in her.


    The woman slowly walked out, but she didn''t see anyone. She couldn''t help but feel surprised. But no


    matter where she looked, there was actually no one in the hall. Then, she went to the jade statue, lit


    incense, and then continued to recite scriptures in the inner room.


    Harper and Fred silently left the luxurious yet deserted hall. By that point, the twelve secret guards had


    already found Lance''s residence. Her top priority was to meet Lance and ask him everything he knew


    about what happened to the Qin n.


    The number of guards in Lance''s residence was tripled. After Diana''s secret visit to Lance. Catherine


    became even more cautious, so she sent more guards there.


    "Lance''s residence is heavily guarded. There''s no way we can get inside, Your Highness."


    "It seems like Diana already visited Lance, making Catherine more suspicious than before. That''s why


    she has strengthened the security of the ce." Harper rolled her eyes. There was a great chance that


    Catherine must''ve figured out that they had survived the Labyrinth Swamp.


    Harper poked Patrick''s head with her finger and said, "Go in and check for me if the old man, Lance is


    dead or not."


    Patrick folded its arms across its chest and looked at Harper with its small eyes. It was obvious that it


    wanted to get something out of it. So Harper gave it a pill. Immediately, it grabbed the pill and happily


    stuffed it into its mouth. With so much contentment, it ate the pill just like a human being.


    The corners of Fred''s mouth twitched while he looked at Patrick. Was this really a beast? He didn''t


    know how to feel about this fellow which looked like a person actually asking for a reward!


    "Come on. You can have an entire bottle when you finish your task."


    Upon hearing this, Patrick had so much excitement in its eyes. It turned into a small purple light, barely


    the size of a thumb. It then immediately sneaked into Lance''s bedroom. During the time, Lance had


    been lying in bed because he was unable to move. There were a lot of guards outside, but only a few


    people in the inner room were allowed to go inside to take care of him.


    Standing on the bedside, Patrick stretched out its paw in front of Lance''s nose to find out if the man


    was still breathing. Just then, Lance sensed something, so he slowly opened his eyes. He then saw a


    little purple fox with its paw under his nose.


    Seeing this, Patrick retreated its w. With contempt, it turned its butt in front of Lance''s face and


    farted. The stinky smell almost made him throw up. But since there was nothing he could do, he just


    red at Patrick.

 Chapter 798 The Uninvited Guests (Part Two)

    Chapter 798 The Uninvited Guests (Part Two)


    "s! A man who had lost his position and influence may be subjected to so much humiliation. Now


    even a little fox can disgrace me."


    When Patrick heard Lance say, "little fox", it was slightly offended. So it jumped to his face and sat on it


    for a long time. Lance was almost suffocated to death!


    "You little thing, you''ve gone too far!"


    Giving a contemptuous re at Lance, Patrick stepped even harder on his face a few times before it


    finally staggered away. At that point, Lance was boiling with rage. ''Damn! How can a mere fox do that


    to me?''


    When Patrick came out, it waved its ws, trying to describe what happened to Harper. She carefully


    watched it and then nodded afterward. "I see."


    Fred stared at Harper in astonishment. ''Are you kidding me, Your Highness? Do you really understand


    what this little thing is talking about? I''m pretty sure it''s just fooling us.''


    "What did it say, Your Highness?"


    "It said that Lance is still alive. He is very energetic and Patrick even yed a prank on him. Moreover,


    it discovered that Lance had the venomous insect poison inside of his body. It must be Catherine who


    poisoned him in order to take control of the kingdom. Lance had led a life filled with honor. However, on


    his deathbed, he couldn''t stay away from the tragedy of patricide and is being poisoned by his


    daughter. The rtionship between members of the royal family is as thin as a sheet of paper."


    Fred waspletely dumbfounded. He didn''t expect that Harper could understand the beast''s


    language. No wonder she had tamed it. Fred thought that Harper was quite extraordinary for even


    knowing anguage like that.


    "Your Highness, what should we do now?"


    "It seems a bit troublesome." Harper started to ponder on their next steps. But soon enough, a figure


    appeared in front of them. It was Catherine who was supposed to be outside the pce.


    With a polite smile on her face, Harper said, "Your Grace, what a surprise! You''re back so soon. I


    thought you''d stay and even refuse to leave when you met my husband. It seems like I''ve


    underestimated you."


    Ignoring Harper''s remark, Catherine eximed, "It never urred to me that you would be able to


    come out of the Labyrinth Swamp alive!" Catherine was being overwhelmed with so much rage. She


    thought that Harper would nevere back alive after entering the Labyrinth Swamp, but she was


    wrong. With this, there was a high probability that Diana might be alive as well.


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    "There is nowhere that I can''te back from. I don''t think you know this but I''ve been to some ces


    more terrible than the Labyrinth Swamp. The swamp is nothing to me," Harper said, a wide smile on


    her face.


    The expression on Catherine''s face became drearier. The Labyrinth Swamp was nothing? That was


    ironic. She couldn''t even enter the swamp, while Harper thought it was nothing at all. This was the


    greatest humiliation for her.


    "Once you fell into my hands, do you still think you can go back? Let me answer that for you. Today, I''ll


    make sure you won''t be able to go back," Catherine threatened.


    Harper sneered. "Oh, don''t be so overconfident now. You want me to stay? Don''t you think you''re biting


    off more than you can chew?"


    "Well, you''re going to find out soon enough if I am." Catherine waved her hand and ordered, "Capture


    them!"


    Taking a step back, Harper said, "Fred, remove the restrictions and create the biggest chaos you can


    generate in this pce."


    Fred stared at Harper in astonishment. "Your Highness, I can''t..."


    "I believe you can. Just make a fuss. You can''t hurt me now, anyway," Harper replied while leaning


    against a pir.


    Although Fred didn''t want to, he had to admit that even if he went crazy at that moment, he couldn''t


    hurt Harper at all. "In that case, you can rest assured that I will make the most violent situation in the


    world."


    Catherine didn''t know what they were talking about, but the moment she saw Fred''s power, she was


    beyond surprise. She had never expected him to be so strong. The guards in the pce were no match


    for him. Without any intention to participate, Harper stood aside while watching him from beginning to


    end.


    The fight attracted all of the pce''s guards. Meanwhile, Harper took a chair seemingly out of


    nowhere, drank tea, and even ate sunflower seeds. All the while, she was stillmanding the frantic


    Fred.


    "On your left, don''t stay on one side. You should pay attention to every angle of your surroundings.


    Also, your sword skills have too many unnecessary steps. Avoid the unnecessary steps and kill them


    directly. Don''t put any effort in the unnecessary steps," Harper stated while she continued to eat


    sunflower seeds.


    The head of the twelve secret guards, Zorro was silently standing behind Harper. He said, "Your


    Highness, Fred doesn''t listen to yourmands when he''s in that state."


    The sunflower seed flew out from Harper''s hand and hit Fred on the arm. As a result, his sword


    instantly changed directions. He then chopped down an enemy in front of him. Then, Harper said, "You


    can''t use the sword that way."


    Zorro was helpless. How could the princess be so stubborn? As he had said, Fred couldn''t hear


    anything that she was saying. The man was in a state of rage. He was like a weapon whose only


    purpose was to kill. He wouldn''t listen to any kind of reason or logic.


    Harper threw a sunflower seed into Fred''s forehead. He turned his head furiously. "I''m listening. Bitch,


    you''re speaking so much! It''s exhaustive!"


    Zorro was petrified when he saw that Fred was still rational. However, Fred was so audacious as to say


    that to Harper. It seemed like Zorro was going to see how Fred would be tortured half-dead by the


    princess!


    "I''ll teach you a good lesson after you kill all of them," Harperzily said. How dare he curse her like


    that and say that she was speaking too much? He was ying with fire and it was not going to end


    well.

 Chapter 799 The Queen Of The South Kingdom (Part One)

    Chapter 799 The Queen Of The South Kingdom (Part One)


    Fred had created so much noise inside the Imperial Pce of the South Kingdom that it drew the


    attention of many people. Even the queen of the South Kingdom, who was leading her life in seclusion,


    had alsoe out of her pce. Her appearance out of her pce after so many years had taken


    everyone by surprise.


    "Your Majesty!" everyone called out in disbelief.


    Harper followed the direction of the crowd''s gaze until her eyes met a dignified woman dressed in a


    white robe. The woman walked towards them slowly and gracefully. She had a forgiving look on her


    face. She looked at Catherine and asked, "Catherine, what are you doing?"


    "Mo... mother..." Catherine called out, shocked to see her mother outside after so many years. The


    queen of the South Kingdom had note out of her pce for many years. Thest time she was


    seen outside her pce was when Catherine had be the Holy Maiden. Since Catherine lived in


    the Starry Pce, the empress had closed the doors of her pce to the rest of the world.


    The queen came forward and looked at Fred who seemed to be on a rampage to kill everyone who


    came in his way. A frown appeared on her calm and cid forehead as she said, "Sir, please stop."


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    However, Fred turned a deaf ear to her. The queen then turned to the woman who was drinking tea


    calmly, but she could not see her face properly as someone stood in front of her. Yet, she addressed


    her and requested politely, "Can you ask your man to stop, please?"


    "Stop it, Fred," Harper ordered in azy tone. "If you don''t stop right away, you will face severe


    consequences."


    Fred put his sword down but he was still seething in rage and fighting his impulse to hurl the sword at


    his enemies. The queen heaved a sigh of relief to see Fred stop the killing. Then she looked at


    Catherine and asked tenderly, "Catherine, when did youe back?"


    Catherine opened her mouth to say something but could not utter a word. She remained tongue-tied.


    The sudden appearance of her mother who was still untouched by the muck of conspiracy that


    Catherine had dived so deep in, made it very difficult for her to reply to even the most simple question


    asked by her mother. Catherine just lowered her head in silence.


    The queen looked around and asked, "I don''t see Diana here. Where is she?"


    Catherine''s face changed a bit. She finally managed to reply, "She hasn''te back yet."


    "Oh, I see. She must have gone out to have fun again. Catherine, you are the elder sister. You have a


    lot of responsibilities and must be working very hard," the queen said and smiled lovingly at her elder


    daughter. Her smile exuded the confidence that her daughter had grown up to be a responsible


    member of the royal family and must be guiding the people of the kingdom in the capacity of the Holy


    Maiden. At the same time, she must be looking after her father and younger sister. Then, the queen


    turned to Harper and said courteously, "It''s so nice to have a guest in our pce today. Where do you


    come from, if I may ask? And also, why did you instigate your man to do mass killing inside our


    pce?"


    Harper signaled Zorro to move to the side so that she coulde face to face with the queen. Then,


    with her chin resting on one of her hands, she replied with a fake smile, "Well, I''m afraid you have to


    ask your daughter about that. Please ask what she had done to me and your husband. Oh, for your


    information, your husband is bedridden after being infected by some life-threatening venomous insect


    poison. He can''t even move his limbs."


    Thecent look on the face of the queen seemed to be disappearing. She turned to look at


    Catherine with a frown. Catherine felt guilty and lowered her head to avoid eye contact with her mother.


    Catherine''s silence was self-exnatory. The queen did not doubt that Harper was telling the truth. She


    did not probe Catherine any further. Instead, she walked to Harper and said, "Lady..."


    But as soon as the queen got a clear view of Harper''s face, she got startled. She froze on the spot as if


    she was struck by lightning. She stood there staring at Harper''s face. She was unable to move, and her


    eyes were full of shock, excitement, and incredulity.


    "Mother, are you all right?" Catherine was baffled by such an unusual reaction of her mother.


    After a few moments, without removing her eyes from Harper, the queen said in a trembling voice,


    "Catherine, order all the people here to leave."


    "No, Mother, I can''t leave you alone with this woman. She is up to no good..." Catherine protested.


    "I order you to get everyone out of here!" the queen shouted. It was the first time she had spoken to


    Catherine in such a serious tone. Although Catherine hated Lance and Diana, she was still very


    respectful to her mother. Therefore, she waved her hand and beckoned everyone to leave.


    Harper also motioned her men to leave. Fred, on the other hand, stood behind her looking at everyone


    with a ferocious look in his eyes. At the moment, he was like an angry lion ready to pounce on them


    once he was set free.


    "Who are you? Can... can you tell me your mother''s name?" The queen spoke in a very gentle and


    warm manner as if she was a next-door neighbor.


    "My mother''sst name is Qin," Harper replied politely.


    "Herst name is Qin!" the queen repeated after she raised her eyebrows. Seemingly, she tried to


    suppress her excitement. Harper''s mother''sst name was Qin, which meant that Harper was a


    descendant of the Qin n!


    "Judging from your dressing style, you seem to be married. Whose is your husband?" the queen


    probed in a soft voice as if she wanted to know everything of Harper.


    "Hisst name is Jun," Harper replied to her.


    "Oh, you are married to the royal family of the Bright Dynasty?" the queen asked. She raised her


    eyebrows once again and added, "Who is it, if I may know?"


    "Prince Matthew," Harper replied in a t tone. "What? Haven''t the Holy Maiden told you everything? I


    thought she must have updated you about all this."


    "I haven''t been out of my pce for ten years. I know very little about what is going on outside my


    pce. Catherine is the Holy Maiden and she seldomes back from the Starry Pce. My husband


    and Diana oftene to see me, but they never mention anything that''s going on outside. So, my


    knowledge about the recent happenings in the South Kingdom is very limited, leave aside people who


    come from outside," the queen confessed candidly. Then she walked close to Harper and asked with a


    big smile, "Would you like to have a cup of tea with me?"


    "Yeah. But I am afraid that the Holy Maiden will be unhappy about it," Harper teased as she looked at


    Catherine''s twisted face from the corner of her eye. "After all, the Holy Maiden of the South Kingdom


    may have other ns. Your husband is bedridden at the moment, and the other princess of the South


    Kingdom has also been forced to hide from being murdered. This is not a good time for tea."


    "Well, can I invite you to have tea with me after three days?" the queen proposed again. She did not


    want to give up so easily. If not today, then three dayster. At least, in this way, she would get an


    opportunity to talk to Harper.

 Chapter 800 The Queen Of The South Kingdom (Part Two)

    Chapter 800 The Queen Of The South Kingdom (Part Two)


    After giving it some thoughts, Harper epted the invitation, saying, "Yes, of course. That would be


    work for me." She, then stood up, calling out, "Fred, let''s leave now."


    With the sword resting on his shoulder, Fred followed Harper out of the pce. The murderous look on


    his face remained unchanged. Catherine watched Harper leave the pce and regretted having


    missed the opportunity to trap her. At the moment, Catherine had to tend to her mother. Her mother


    had no idea about her misdeeds, though she must be specting something after what she had


    witnessed. If her mother knew what she had done, she would surely be very disappointed.


    "Mother, I..." Catherine then stammered. She didn''t know where to begin with.


    "Catherine, bring your sister back to the pce. I am going to pay a visit to your father," the queen said


    tenderly. She came close to Catherine and flicked her hair behind her ear just like she would cajole a


    little girl. "You should never forget that we are a family. We must always support each other."


    Catherine felt the heaviness in her heart and her vision became blurred. Her throat constricted and she


    could not utter a single word. After that, the queen turned around and went to Lance''s pce. It had


    been more than ten years since she visited his pce for thest time. Now as she walked to that


    pce, it felt as if a lifetime had passed.


    As the sound from outside reached Lance''s ears, he had a strong urge to walk outside to wee his


    wife inside his pce. However, after struggling a lot, he could only open his eyes. He was very excited


    to see the queen inside his pce after so many years. "What brings you here?" he asked, trying to


    smile through his pains.


    "It was so noisy outside, that I had toe out of my pce to see what was going on," the queen


    replied. She then took a seat on the side of Lance''s bed. She lifted his hand and began to feel his pulse


    skillfully to diagnose him. "You''re getting old. You are poisoned by the venomous insect poison."


    "Yes, you are right. I''m getting old. And you''re as beautiful and gentle as before. Time and tide do not


    wait for me. But it seems to have stopped for you," Lance replied, his voice still sounding weak.


    "Your Majesty, I saw her inside the pce today," the queen said softly. "You must have seen her


    before if I am not wrong."


    "Yes. I have," Lance said twisting his lips into a bitter smile. "I never expected to meet a descendant of


    the Qin n in this way. Strangely, they have their lineage still living in this world. I thought it to be a


    mere coincidence. After all, there are many simr looking people in the world. I didn''t expect that she


    would really be the descendant of the Qin n. No wonder she was able to destroy the library," Lance


    remarked. "Besides, it seems that she has a lot of grudge in her mind," he added.


    "Can you tell me what''s going on between Catherine and Diana? They seem to have a fight," the


    queen asked again. Her voice was as gentle and calm as ever. She had no idea about the intensity of


    the matter. In her eyes, there might be a minor tiff between the two sisters. She could never imagine


    that the fight was so serious that Catherine even attempted to kill Diana.


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    A bitter smile appeared on Lance''s face. He turned his face aside and said in a dejected tone,


    "Catherine doesn''t want to be the Holy Maiden. I think it is high time that we abolish the tradition of


    having a Holy Maiden in the South Kingdom."


    The queen remained silent after hearing Lance''s words. Then she heaved a sigh and said in her


    habitual gentle tone, "If she doesn''t want to be the Holy Maiden, then she doesn''t have to be. Catherine


    can do whatever she wants. I thought she wanted to be the Holy Maiden, so I had stopped Diana from


    competing with her. I had no idea that she didn''t like it. Moreover, she didn''t even speak about it to me.


    It was entirely my mistake."


    Catherine was standing outside the door, listening to the conversation between her parents. She was


    taken aback by the words she heard. As it turned out to be, Diana had never tried topete with her.


    Rather, their mother had made Diana move out of Catherine''s way because she felt that Catherine


    wanted to be the Holy Maiden. ''How could I have misunderstood my family members for so many


    years?!'' Catherine''s heart wrenched at the very thought of it.


    "Honestly, I am tired of all this. Now I n to abdicate," Lance said in a feeble voice after a moment of


    silence. "And then let''s find a ce to live in seclusion, where we can live a normal life just like any


    other ordinary couple. What do you think about it?"


    "I think that would be a great idea. I just hope that Catherine and Diana don''t find it difficult to take care


    of this country. As the elder sister, Catherine would have to pay more attention to everything. Diana has


    always been very impulsive. Even I''ve corrected her for her reckless behaviors so many times, but she


    still turns a deaf ear to my words. Catherine is going to have a hard time getting along with her," the


    queen replied. She still considered the fight between her daughters to be a minor issue. In her eyes, no


    matter how much difference they might be having, they were a family, and they could never turn


    against each other. They can always forgive each other ande together as a family.


    "No, it''s not like that anymore," Lance corrected the queen. "Diana has be a sensible girl now.


    She can take care of herself and will not be so reckless anymore. You will be surprised if you meet her


    now." He then used all his strength to move his hand. He tried hard for a long time but he found himself


    too weak to move even a finger. Then, he sighed helplessly, "Ah, I''m getting old. I''m bing more


    useless day by day. Now I don''t even have the strength to raise my hand."


    "Don''t worry. The poison in your body will be detoxified soon. You are the king of the South Kingdom for


    the time being. No matter how powerful the poison may be, it can''t keep you down like this for a long


    time. You will be fine. You will rise very soon and take control of the kingdom in your own hands. Have


    faith," the queenforted her husband. With the angelic smile on her face, she looked like God''s


    messenger who had descended from her heavenly orb to give assurance to Lance that everything


    would be like before. Lance smiled back at her before closing his eyes.


    Catherine, who had been listening to her parents'' conversation from afar, found something changing


    inside her heart as she heard her father sounding so down and out. Her newly acquired knowledge


    about her parents'' stance regarding her position as the Holy Maiden also melted her heart. Catherine


    could no longer bear it anymore. She turned around and ran away, while she repented vehemently.


    How much she had misunderstood her family members! She had always thought that her father didn''t


    like her, so he pushed her out and made her the Holy Maiden. She even despised Diana all these


    years because initially Diana was supposed to be the Holy Maiden instead of her. In her original theory,


    Diana escaped from the selection of the Holy Maiden because her father favored her and wanted her to


    live a free life. Now she knew that she had a wrong notion about everyone.


    ''Why? Why did I have to know about all this now? Why sote?'' Catherine screamed inside her head.


    All her ploys that she had been scheming against her father and her sister seemed to be making fun of


    her now. It was as if something very heavy that had fallen on her shoulders made her stoop down. She


    wanted to run away from it, so she started running. She ran as fast as she could until she knocked


    someone down. In the process, she even hurt her knees. Ignoring the pain, she quickly got up and kept


    walking ahead. But suddenly, she was stopped by someone.


    "Catherine, since when have you be such a reckless woman? Isn''t it me who is supposed to act


    like this?" Catherine looked around and found the owner of the familiar voice. It was Diana standing at


    a distance, smirking at her. "Oh! I understand. You must have got tired of being oppressed all the time


    and so you want to try the feeling of being free. Am I right?" Diana provoked Catherine.


    Catherine raised her head and looked at the sly smile on Diana''s face which enraged her once again.


    She had the impulse to p Diana right in the face, and she did. With the impact of the p, Diana''s


    face turned aside and flushed immediately.


    Diana caressed her red cheek tenderly and shouted, "Catherine, don''t you know you should not p


    anyone in the face? How could you do this to me? How should I exin to Father and Mother? I can''t


    just tell them that I fell to your hand and got my cheek swollen!"


    "Why not? I think it''s a good excuse. You walked carelessly and fell on my hand by ident. That''s


    why your face has turned red!" Catherine sneered back.


    Diana, however, merely snorted, "If it were not for Mother''s sake, I would have a fight with you!"


    "Anytime!"


    Catherine said and then walked past Diana to go out of the pce. But Diana called out again,


    "Catherine!"


    "What now?" Catherine retorted furiously.


    "Well, never mind. Let''s go to see Father and Mother together!" Diana suggested.

 Chapter 801 The Reconciliation (Part One)

    Chapter 801 The Reconciliation (Part One)


    Aftering out of the South Kingdom''s pce, Harper went to the inn straightaway. Meanwhile,


    Matthew was almost at the end of his wits. Just when he was about to go out and find Harper, he saw


    her while she was on the way back. With huge steps, he immediately approached her.


    "You''re back."


    "Well, we''re back, but¡ª" Harper looked up at the man behind her before continuing, "It seems like Fred


    needs some more time before he goes back to normal."


    Matthew was a little surprised at that. "Did he get out of control?"


    "Yes, but he still has a reasonable mind while he''s in that state. For a while, he just couldn''t control the


    raging power in his body. He''s very irritable as well. Fortunately, he''s still sensible enough not to kill


    everyone at will. So I used some medicine to keep him in this state. If he can''t control himself again, I''ll


    try another way to deal with him." Harper watched Matthew''s reaction. When he didn''t say anything,


    she blinked at him and said, "Don''t pity him, darling."


    "I love you and I''m just afraid that you''ll get tired. As for this guy, I don''t care about him at all." In fact,


    Matthew didn''t have a bit of sympathy for Fred. On the contrary, he was worried that dealing with Fred


    would be exhaustive for Harper. If it were up to him, Matthew would want Harper to just leave the guy


    alone. Whether he was out of his mind or would be violent, Matthew didn''t care because he had


    plenty of methods to deal with him.


    Upon hearing this, Fred felt aggrieved, but there was nothing he could do. Even though he had used


    every bit of his strength to go back to normal, he just couldn''t do it. However, he was determined to


    control his power as soon as possible. He wanted to surprise Harper and let her know howpetent


    he was.


    "What happened in the South Kingdom?"


    A hint of delight was seen in Harper''s eyes. "Well, there''s an unexpected person who just appeared


    and it seems like, she might be the key."


    Matthew slowly asked, "You mean, the queen of the South Kingdom? She''s a legend. Lance, the king


    of the South Kingdom only has two daughters and both of them have the same mother. The other


    consorts of the king weren''t even able to get pregnant. Even though she''s been living in a secluded life


    for so many years, Lance still loves her. She must be a remarkable person."


    "Indeed, if I ignore you for ten years and won''t allow you to see me, I''m afraid you''re¡ª"


    "I would have demolished your bedroom in a day! How can I let you live inside your room for ten


    years?" Without hesitation, Matthew interrupted her with the utmost conviction.


    Harper smiled at that. "Don''t worry. I''m not even the kind of person who could stay in her room for ten


    years."


    "I know. If you can do that, I wouldn''t believe that it''s really you."


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    With an even wider smile on her face, Harper was in such a good mood because of what Matthew said.


    She then stated, "It seems like we can go back to the Bright Dynasty soon. I wonder if we can arrive


    before Caroline gives birth. Now that the new emperor has ascended to the throne, Zack is going to


    take a lot of responsibilities."


    "Don''t worry. A person more capable shoulders more responsibility. I believe that he could do it well."


    Matthew thought that it would be best if Zack was too tired toe and see Harper. After all, he was


    kind of protective with his beloved wife.


    Harper smiled at Matthew. "I don''t disagree that he''s a capable man. However, it''s inhuman to wear him


    down because of too much work. Anyway, we just returned from the South Kingdom, so it''s time for us


    to have a good rest."


    "Well, I do want to take a good rest with you and further strengthen our rtionship."


    Harper blushed. "Stop it!"


    "I''m talking about something serious here. What are you thinking about? Oh, if you want to do


    ''something'' else with me to strengthen our rtionship, I''ll be very d toply with your wish,"


    Matthew teased.


    All of a sudden, Harper realized that she had fallen into the trap which had been made by Matthew.


    This man seemed to really enjoy teasing her.


    "Everyone is very much deceived by your cold exterior," Harper mumbled and thought, ''I know I can''t


    win the war of words, so I have to give up.''


    Looking at Harper who looked huffy and helpless with her pursed lips, Matthew grinned and stated in a


    low voice, "I heard that you''re an old friend of Darren, the young master of the Phoenix City. Is this


    right?"


    The expression on Harper''s face instantly changed. She rolled her eyes and seemed to be in deep


    thought about how to answer his question.


    "Are you trying to think of an exnation about the past using a perfect excuse? For example, let''s say


    that you met him once, had a nice talk with him, and then immediately became friends with him? Or are


    you going to say that you were passing by Phoenix City and it just so happened that you were in the


    right ce and at the right time to save him?" Matthewmented, imitating Harper''s voice.


    Embarrassed, Harper rubbed her nose and replied, "You''re right."


    "Really? Is it the first example or the second one that I mentioned?"


    "I happened to save him once." Harper sincerely looked at him, and continued, "He''s a good friend of


    mine."


    "You''re just friends?" Matthew casually asked.


    "Yes, do I have to repeat myself? He''s a good friend, just like Zack. That''s it," Harper honestly replied.


    A smile bloomed in Matthew¡¯s eyes. Like Zack, everything would be fine as long as Darren''s position in


    Harper''s heart was way lower than his. However, Darren was powerful so he couldn''t be


    underestimated.


    "Get ready. Let''s go back to the imperial capital tomorrow. The state of affairs in the South Kingdom


    should have been settled by now. Also, Carlson has left for the Birch Pass. We should leave now,"


    Matthew suddenly said.


    "I''m afraid that we can''t... Because the queen of the South Kingdom asked me to have tea in the


    pce three dayster. It seems like she has something important to say. And she was looking at me


    in a very strange way," Harper said with a shrug.

 Chapter 802 The Reconciliation (Part Two)

    Chapter 802 The Reconciliation (Part Two)


    "Then, let''s go back to the imperial capital after you have tea with her."


    "Okay."


    In the South Kingdom''s pce, Catherine finally gave the antidote to Lance. Then, she stood aside


    silently. Meanwhile, Diana sat by the bed and helped Lance sit up. "Father, how do you feel?"


    "Much better," Lance lovingly said. He then turned to Catherine who was standing beside him without


    making any noise. He then gestured for her toe forward.


    But Catherine remained standing where she was and looked at Lance and Diana with aplicated


    expression on her face. She didn''t understand why Lance preferred Diana when she had always been


    the troublemaker between the two of them. However, at that moment, she seemed to understand that


    Diana was very kind with lots of qualities that she didn''t have. Even though Diana almost died in her


    hands, she could still wholeheartedly smile and act just like a small child in front of their parents as if


    nothing had happened.


    "Catherine, your father is calling you." The soft urging of Celia, the queen of the South Kingdom took


    Catherine out of her thoughts and back to reality. She briefly looked at Diana before looking at Lance,


    then stepped forward.


    "I know what you want to say, but I''m not going to admit that I''m wrong. Moreover, I''m not going to back


    down on my beliefs," Catherine stated stubbornly.


    Diana raised her eyebrows and said, "Catherine, Father said that the position of Holy Maiden would be


    abolished. From now on, the Holy Maiden doesn''t exist in the South Kingdom. You will be the princess


    of the kingdom just like me."


    With wide eyes, Catherine looked at Lance in disbelief. She thought, ''Why? Why did he forgive me? I


    did a lot of unforgivable things. Why should he even forgive me?''


    With a smirk, Diana continued, "By the way, there is one more thing that I haven''t told you. You know


    what? I''m really honored to have Harper as my master. So when she leaves the South Kingdom, I''m


    going to leave with her."


    "What are you saying?"


    Lance reached out to gently grab Catherine''s hand. He then reached for Diana''s hand and ced it on


    top of Catherine''s. "Catherine, Diana, never forget that we are family and the two of you are sisters.


    Family and blood are above anything in this world. From now on, you should help and support each


    other."


    Catherine felt like she was dreaming. The things happening in front of her felt surreal. "Aren''t you going


    to punish me for what I did?"


    Diana removed her hand from Lance''s grasp then flicked Catherine on the forehead. "Everyone makes


    mistakes. I''ve also made quite a few of them, haven''t I?"


    Catherine could not believe how kind and generous Diana was being. What she did was not a small


    mistake. She was vicious and she did something inexcusable to Diana and Lance. Every single crime


    that she hadmitted was grave enough for her to be sent into the Labyrinth Swamp and fed to the


    Holy Beast as a punishment. But to her surprise, they simply forgave her.


    With that realization, Catherine couldn''t help but burst into tears. "I''m sorry. I''m sorry. I was mad. I


    shouldn''t have hurt my family for a man who doesn''t remember me at all. Just punish me. Strike me or


    scold me, anything to punish me for the things that I did to you."Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    "You know, we just use men for warming up our bed. If you want, I can tie several men up and send


    them to your room," Diana yfully said while putting her arms around Catherine''s neck.


    "Diana! Watch your words!" Catherine, Lance, and Celia scolded at the same time.


    Diana mischievously stuck out her tongue. "But I''m just telling the truth. Men like Matthew are too


    awful. Except for Harper who''s out of this world, no one dares to stay by his side. That man has the


    worst temper. If a woman doesn''t have the ability to calm him down, she''s going to be killed by him


    sooner rather thanter."


    Catherine had to admit that what Diana said was true. Nothing and no one were important for Matthew


    except for Harper. It only proved that she had a lot of merits. Besides, thest time she met Matthew,


    she found out that he didn''t even remember her at all. In fact, he wasn''t even paying attention to her.


    "I¡­ I have decided not to chase him anymore," Catherine stated while tears trickled down her cheeks.


    It was hard for her to give up on pursuing the man that she had been in love with for ten years. But no


    matter how hard it was, she was going to learn how to let it go.


    "It''s good that you''re willing to open your eyes and see the truth. I only hope that you and your sister


    will live happily forever," Celia said with a smile.


    "Mother, I..."


    "You need to stop thinking too much about what happened in the past. Let bygones be bygones. The


    two of you must cherish each other from now on. After all, after your father and I are gone, the fate of


    the South Kingdom will in your hands."


    "Mother, where are you going with Father?" Catherine asked with confusion.


    Celia smiled softly and said, "There is one more thing that I have to do. After that, I''m going to live in


    seclusion with your father. We''ll leave everything to you and Diana."


    "Don''t worry. Diana will handle everything well. I will support her in the days toe." Taking a deep


    breath, Catherine had decided that she was going to atone for her sins for the rest of her life.


    Diana only shrugged her shoulders, as if it wasn''t a big deal to her at all. She had never wanted the


    throne of the South Kingdom. She didn''t want it before and she certainly didn''t want it then. What she


    wanted now was to stay with Harper, her master and learn more things from her. She had actually


    decided that she was going to escape from the huge burden of ruling the South Kingdom.


    "Diana, please invite Princess Harper to the pce tomorrow. We have something to deal with and it


    would be better if we can resolve it as soon as possible." Celia was ovee with excitement when


    she thought of Harper''s face. Soon enough, the day finally came.

 Chapter 803 What Was The Truth (Part One)

    Chapter 803 What Was The Truth (Part One)


    When Diana invited Harper to the pce, thetter was somewhat startled. Because Diana''s mother,


    the queen of the South Kingdom had originally invited her to the pce three days from then. This only


    meant that the queen used a single day to settle the internal conflict in her family. It was not an easy


    job. After all, the Holy Maiden was a tough and cunning woman. If Dianapeted with her, she


    wouldn''t probably have a chance of winning.


    "You''re surprised. You think that we''re very busy dealing with Catherine that we don''t have time to


    invite you for tea. Am I right?" Diana firmly said.


    "Yes, I''m surprised but for a different reason. I''m surprised that you''re really calm. It seems like your


    mother is such an extraordinary woman indeed," Harper said.


    Diana did not say anything in response. Her mother was the one she admired the most. Although it was


    rare to see her mother public, her ability was no inferior than her father''s.


    "I''m actually curious about why my mother insisted on seeing you. It even seems like she''s in a hurry.


    Master, what have you done to impress my mother?" Diana asked while walking around Harper several


    times.


    "Well, I didn''t do anything," Harper replied. She was telling the truth. She didn''t do anything significant.


    However, Harper supposed that the reason why the queen was behaving like that must have


    something to do with the Qin n.


    "You really are a genius. You didn''t do anything and yet, my mother is so impressed with you. It''s


    incredible. I envy you so much," Diana stated with a sigh. Her tone was filled with admiration. After all,


    it was the first time for her mother to invite someone for tea.


    "What''s there to be envious of? You can have tea with your mother every day."


    Diana pursed her lips. "That''s different! This is the first time that my mother is formally inviting someone


    to tea."


    With a smile, Harper said, "Let''s go. It''s getting dark already. If we don''t hurry up, then I need to have


    dinner instead of just a cup of tea. By the way, I didn''t expect that you and your sister will reconcile that


    easily."


    "Why not? We''re family. Nothing is more important than our love for each other as siblings," Diana


    stated with confidence.


    Harper praised her. "You''re quite generous." It''s a pity that I don''t have that kind of attitude. In my eyes,


    only when other people treat me well will I treat them well. And if others treat me poorly, then I''m going


    to double that and give it back to them."


    As they continued to converse while walking, Diana took Harper to a royal pnquin. "Wow, you''re the


    kind of person who seeks revenge for the smallest offense. You''re so narrow-minded. Be careful, if you


    are always like that, that man will dislike you and abandon you."


    Harper lightly replied, "Oh you''re the same as me. You''re also the kind of person who takes revenge for


    the smallest offense. The only difference between you and me is that you won''t do it to your family."


    Harper''s rules were the same for everyone. But apparently, other people didn''t have the same rules.


    That was to say, she had her own standards.


    With pursed lips, Diana kept her mouth shut. Everyone had their own boundaries, so did Diana. But


    hers did not apply to her family. They were the only exception to her rules. But Harper was not the


    same. After all, she grew up in an environment much different from Diana. So in Harper''s opinion, there


    shouldn''t be an exception. Perhaps there were some. But the persons who she would include as her


    exceptions would certainly not disappoint her.


    At that time, the queen of the South Kingdom was still wearing a simple robe that made her look affable


    and amiable. When she saw Harper arrived, she stood up to greet her. It was a gesture that might


    degrade herself, but she did that in a manner where no one felt that it was strange.


    "Here you are. Have a seat, please." The queen led Harper to the main seat. Both Diana and Catherine


    were very surprised by that. Instead of sitting down, Harper looked at the queen in astonishment and


    wondered what this gesture meant.


    "Have a seat," the queen stated again.


    "I don''t think it''s proper for me to do that. You''re the host and I''m just the guest. It would be rude of me


    to sit here," Harper said lightly.


    "No, it''s not rude. For me, you are the master and I''m your humble servant."


    Everyone was stunned by the words of the queen. Wearing a frown on her face, Harper seemed very


    confused. The queen asked her to sit down one more time, then knelt down and respectfully bowed to


    her.


    Everyone''s eyes went wide when they witnessed the queen''s humble gesture. They were all stunned,


    having no idea how to react.


    "What is this?" Harper asked in confusion.


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    "Greetings, My Lady. I''m guardian Celia." The queen quickly cleared up the confusion, but everyone


    still had a lot of questions. When was the queen so humble in front of Harper? What did she mean


    when she said "guardian"?


    Contrary to everyone else, Harper understood the situation. "Are you the guardian of the Qin n?"


    "Yes, that''s right. When I first met the king of the South Kingdom and fell in love with him, my master


    set me free and arranged my marriage with him. That''s how I be the queen. When the Qin n


    was being destroyed, I wanted to rescue them. But I received an order from my master that I was not


    allowed to do anything about it," the queen said softly.


    Harper was more surprised than ever. "Who on earth destroyed the Qin n?"


    After a moment of silence, the queen said, "Catherine, Diana, wait outside for a moment. We need to


    have a private talk."


    "Yes, Mother."


    After the two princesses had left, the queen slowly said, "Originally, the Qin n was not an aristocratic


    family here. They came from another ce where everyone had spiritual energy. The Qin n was the


    most powerful among them. At that time, the n moved in here. Because everyone in the n could


    use spiritual energy, people of the Ice Moon Dynasty were afraid of them. So they tried to hunt them


    down to kill every single one of them. In retaliation, the Qin n selected four powerful ns to destroy


    the Ice Moon Dynasty. It eventually led to the present situation of the four kingdoms."

 Chapter 804 What Was The Truth (Part Two)

    Chapter 804 What Was The Truth (Part Two)


    "After the establishment of the four kingdoms, the Bright Dynasty was feared by the people of the other


    three kingdoms because the Bright Dynasty had the support of the Qin n. They were afraid that the


    Qin n would help the Bright Dynasty to destroy their kingdoms. So they united together and


    pressured the Bright Dynasty to kill the members of the Qin n. Is this what happened?" Harper


    calmly asked.


    The queen shook her head and responded, "No, there''s no truth in that."


    "It''s not true?" Harper felt even more surprised. She had thought that she was right.


    The queen nodded vigorously. "The person who was able to destroy the Qin n didn''t exist on this


    continent. The n was destroyedter on and the four kingdoms unintentionally became the


    aplices."


    "I don''t understand."


    The expression on the queen''s face turned solemn. "Back then, the Qin n was forced to move to


    this ce. When the n was destroyed, only your mother survived because she went outside when


    everything was happening. But no one seemed to be aware that your mother was still alive. Later on, I


    just found out that someone among the Qin n was alive."


    "One more thing, I''d like to ask why the women of the Qin n will die when they get pregnant."


    The queen looked at Harper intently and said, "Members of the Qin n all have spiritual energy. One


    must experience a certain kind of baptism when reaching adulthood so they can have real maturity.


    Women of the Qin n who haven''t experienced this kind of baptism will lose all the energy in their


    bodies when having a baby. It''s inevitable that they will die. You must go back to the homnd of the


    Qin n toplete the baptism."


    Harper squinted and asked, "How can Iplete it?"


    "You need to enter the Death Pool in the secret realm of the Qin n to refine your body. In order to


    find the Death Pool, you must have theplete Sacred Seal. It will lead you to the right ce. Before


    that, My Lady, you must not be pregnant or you won''t be able to escape death," the queen


    warned Harper in a serious tone.


    A gleam of light was briefly seen in Harper''s eyes. "So I have to get the other half Sacred Seal from the


    Wonder Kingdom as soon as possible. By the way, what on earth does the Heavenly Book have to do


    with this?"


    The queen looked at Harper in a loving yet strict way. "The cultivation method of the Qin n is written


    in those books. You can''t go to the Death Pool if you''re not powerful enough. Otherwise, you''ll certainly


    die. So, currently, your top priority must be to collect the three Heavenly Books to practice the


    cultivation method written on them."


    With that information, Harper suddenly had the urge to curse. She finally found out why the Heavenly


    Books were useful to her. What was recorded on them was not secrets, but cultivation methods.


    Moreover, the Sacred Seal was to be her guide in finding the way to the Death Pool. Had she known


    this, she would have taken all the Heavenly Books!


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    "Judging from your reaction, it seems like you didn''t know about this."


    Maintaining herposure, Harper answered, "I didn''t know so I justpletely gave up the Heavenly


    Book of the Bright Dynasty. I even handed over my own Heavenly Book as well."


    For a moment, the queen was petrified. Then, she understood that among the Qin n, only Harper''s


    mother survived. When her mother reached adulthood, she had not been baptized so she must have


    died giving birth to her. It must have been the reason why Harper didn''t know anything about the Qin


    n.


    "Then why do you have the spiritual power?"


    Harper then clenched her hand. "I don''t know. I just naturally learned and mastered it at the same time.


    I wasn''t able to use it until recently. It''s actually very useful."


    "The spiritual power is, of course, useful. You''d better be careful not to expose it to others, especially


    when the enemies are hidden in the dark and you''re not strong enough. My Lady, please be careful,"


    the queen worriedly said.


    Harper nodded and was about to leave. But then a purple figure rushed in and jumped on her shoulder.


    It looked happy and satisfied, looking like it had eaten a lot of delicious food.


    Harper grabbed Patrick from her shoulder, rubbed its head, and said, "Did you steal some food? I was


    wondering why you were missing after I entered the pce. Was it because you were eating in


    secret?"


    "This is..." The queen looked at the purple beast in Harper''s arms in surprise, and then she smiled. "I''m


    relieved that''s it''s with you."


    "Do you know anything about it?" Harper asked in confusion while she held Patrick in her hand. After


    all, Patrick came from the Labyrinth Swamp. Because of what she did, they had a rtionship based


    on a contract.


    "It''s almost unbelievable that the guardian Holy Beast of the Qin n would acknowledge you as its


    owner. After the death of its first owner, it didn''t have a master for a hundred years. Now I''m relieved.


    After you sessfully grasp the cultivation methods, you can go back to the ce you belong to," the


    queen responded with a big smile. She had been worried about Harper just then, but now she was


    completely at ease.


    Harper smiled without saying anything. She was thinking that it would be hard to get the two Heavenly


    Books from Rndo in the Great Jade Kingdom, not to mention the Sacred Seal of the Wonder


    Kingdom. Even though she used to have a good rtionship with Rndo, she was sure that he


    wouldn''t readily give the Heavenly Books to her.


    "My Lady, please take care of yourself!" the queen eximed once again while she saw Harper off.


    "We will meet again in the future. Please take care of yourself as well. I''ll live well with a smile just like


    today," Harper said while she smiled at the queen.

 Chapter 805 Poor Carlson (Part One)

    Chapter 805 Poor Carlson (Part One)


    When Harper and Matthew reached the entrance of the Birch Pass, they immediately saw a person


    who was leaning against the city gate and holding a long spear. The couple could feel his rage even


    from far away.


    Harper lifted the curtain and said, "Carlson arrived so soon."


    Looking at her, Matthew noticed that she looked guilty. With eyebrows raised, he said, "Why are you


    afraid of him? Be tough enough and ask him to go down on his knees and wee his aunt."


    Harper red at Matthew. After all, she and Carlson were friends. It wouldn''t be appropriate to treat a


    friend like that. Moreover, the man was Prince Allen''s son. He came from a royal family so there was


    no need for him to kneel down just to greet them!


    Meanwhile, Carlson briefly looked at the curtain of the carriage and snorted.


    Holding his spear horizontally, he stopped the envoy team, as if nobody would be able to resist him.


    "You''ve gone too far. How could you y tricks on me?"


    Harper lifted the curtain once again and said, "Carlson, long time no see. You''re breaking my heart by


    doing this when we just meet after not seeing each other for so long."


    Carlson was rendered speechless with that. The truth was he felt wronged by what they had done.


    When he had juste all the way from the north domain to the Birch Pass in the south domain, he


    heard that the couple went to the South Kingdom. Even though he was very tired, he promptly followed


    them but before he could reach them, they had already gone back to the Birch Pass. What was more,


    he also heard about the ident which happened to Harper. He was so concerned with her that he


    went back to the Birch Pass in a hurry. So when he got the news that she left for the South Kingdom


    again, he felt even more desperate to see them.


    Wiping away the tears that didn''t actually exist in the corner of her eye, Harper said in a very sad tone,


    "Well look at me! I''ve encountered some great troubles recently! I was sent to the South Kingdom and


    was locked in the library there by force. Then the library even copsed, almost killing me. Well, that


    was fine, just a narrow escape from death. But that''s not all! I was even made to enter the Labyrinth


    Swamp against my will! Do you know what kind of ce that is? Anybody who had gone there never


    came back!"


    "Well, I just..." Carlson tried to exin but he was quickly interrupted.


    "You don''t know how much I''ve gone through just so I can get out of the Labyrinth Swamp alive. Then, I


    have to go back to the South Kingdom to deal with some matters. As my good friend, you don''t even


    feel sad for me even when I''ve suffered so much. And here you are, embarrassing me at the city gate.


    Are you still my friend?" Without waiting for a response, Harper dropped the curtain, leaving Carlson


    nothing but a shadow of the curtain being blown by the wind. He was at a loss for what to do. But


    before he could decide about anything, Barry drove the carriage forward. Carlson didn''t have a choice


    but to silently make way for them.


    When the envoy team entered the Birch Pass, Carlson hadn''t recovered from feeling guilty. Meanwhile,


    Shawn had witnessed everything from the gate tower. He just shook his head and stated, "I told him


    that he''s just going to suffer if he goes to them with that attitude. But he didn''t trust me. This couple


    worked together and destroyed him."


    The deputy general briefly looked at Shawn and silently thought to himself, ''It''s because you only


    reminded him that Prince Matthew might give him a hard time. But you didn''t mention that Princess


    Harper might do the same!''


    Then, Carlson slowly followed the team into the city, still filled with guilt. For the past months, Harper


    had suffered a lot of hardships. She almost lost her life several times. It was great relief to see her


    being alive, so how could he me her!


    After returning to the city, Harper didn''t look like she felt grieved at the slightest. Instead, she was


    gracefully drinking tea and ying Go with Matthew in the carriage.


    "Later on, when he realizes what you''d done, he''ll definitely curse you for making him so sad," Matthew


    said while pushing the desserts in front of Harper.


    "Well, he won''t. If it was you who told him those things, he''d think you were bullying him. But it was me,


    so he''d only feel guilty," Harper said whileughing.


    "Harp, you''re quite naughty. But I like it very much," Matthew said with a smile.


    Harper reached for a piece of cake and fed it to her husband. "When shall we go back to the imperial


    capital?"


    "Now." A hint of yfulness could be seen across Matthew''s eyes. It was obvious that he wanted to


    completely y a trick on Carlson. Harper realized that and thought about it for a while.


    "Then, if Carlson were to see me in the future, he wouldn''t just use a spear to block the way, but he''d


    probably throw it to me straight on. I don''t think he''ll believe me anymore," Harper worriedly said.


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    "Don''t be afraid. He can''t do anything to us." Matthew then turned to Barry and decisively said, "Barry,


    we don''t have to go to the general''s mansion. We''ll just leave the Birch Pass and return to the imperial


    capital."


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    Shawn had expected that the couple would stay in the general''s mansion for one or two days after they


    tricked Carlson so many times. So he went back to the general''s mansion as soon as possible to


    receive them. He waited for a long time only to find out through a report from the guard at the city gate


    that Prince Matthew''s carriage had already left the city!


    "The envoy team has already left?" Shawn asked in surprise.


    "Yes, after entering the Birch Pass, they changed their direction midway. They directly left the city and it


    looks like they''re going back to the imperial capital." The guard also reported that they didn''t dare to


    stop Prince Matthew''s carriage. They just let it go and they might have been far away already.


    Shawn rubbed his forehead with one hand and thought, ''This couple is so troublesome. How can they


    throw this awful mess to me right now without many any further arrangements?''


    Then, it seemed like an idea suddenly came to Shawn. He quickly said, "Servants, pack up our things.


    I''ll go back to the imperial capital as well. It''s time for me to tell His Majesty what I''ve done. Prepare two


    of our fastest horses so we can catch up with Prince Matthew."

 Chapter 806 Poor Carlson (Part Two)

    Chapter 806 Poor Carlson (Part Two)


    "Then what about your duties here?"


    "It''s fine as long as Carlson is here. Moreover, he was sent here to take over the job. Yet, he left


    everything to me and came to look for Princess Harper. Tell him that he''s responsible for the Birch Pass


    now. I''m going back to the imperial capital." Then, like what he said, Shawn left everything behind and


    ran away.


    Meanwhile, the frustrated Carlson went back to the general''s mansion to seekfort, but the only


    thing he found in there was silence. He couldn''t help but wonder, ''Why is the general''s mansion so


    quiet when Uncle Matthew and the others had just arrived? Also, where is Shawn?''


    Left without any options, Carlson asked a servant, "Have Prince Matthew and Princess Harper


    arrived?"


    The servant shook his head and said, "I haven''t seen their carriagee in here."


    ''It''s so weird. Didn''t they enter the city before I did? Why haven''t they arrived yet? Did they get lost?''


    Carlson rubbed his head, feeling that something was strange. He asked again, "Is General Shawn in


    here?"


    "No, he returned to the imperial capital with his luggage," the servant answered straightaway.


    "That''s impossible. How could he go back to the imperial capital during this time?"


    "It''s true, Your Highness. I personally saw the deputy general of General Shawn packed up and


    followed the general away. They rode the fastest horses here. By the way, he left a message for you.


    He said that from now on, you''ll be in charge of the Birch Pass."


    Carlson was stunned, immediately cursing Shawn in his mind, ''Damn it, asshole, we''ve been friends for


    so many years. How could you just leave like that and hand over this awful mess to me?!


    I''m done with you. I don''t want to be your friend anymore!'' Carlson walked out with so much


    resentment and stood at the gate. He was determined to tell Harper that Shawn had bullied him!


    But it was a fact that from day to night, he didn''t see Matthew''s carriagee to the general''s


    mansion. He couldn''t help but ask in confusion, "Did Uncle Matthew go to the official inn?"


    One of the guards at the gate stared at Carlson who looked aggrieved. The guard kept quiet and didn''t


    answer his question. However, he really wanted to tell Carlson that Matthew had already left the city,


    and Shawn was informed that they left the Birch Pass, so he packed his luggage and left as well. It was


    obvious that Shawn didn''t want to deal with the trouble in the Birch Pass. But Carlson, close to being a


    fool, was just senselessly waiting there.


    Carlson kicked the guard. "I''m asking you. Where is Prince Matthew?"


    "Your Highness, Prince Matthew came to the city today. Then, they left without taking a break and


    headed for the imperial capital. I''m afraid they had already traveled a hundred miles by now," the guard


    immediately replied.


    "He left for the imperial capital? Why did they leave in such a hurry when they just came back from the


    South Kingdom?" Carlson raised his voice in disbelief.


    "I heard that there was someone in the imperial capital, and Princess Harper missed them very much,


    so they left in a hurry without hesitation."


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    Carlson almost burst into tears. They had not seen each other for such a long time. Didn''t Harper miss


    him as well? The woman ran away after such a quick meeting. She was even so cruel that... ''I don''t


    want to fall out with you. I want you to make it up to me!''


    Feeling a little hopeless, Carlson squatted in the corner, drew circles, and began toin in his


    heart. He kept cursing at Matthew, thinking that it must be him who did it. He didn''t think that Harper


    would ever be that ruthless to him. As a vicious and cruel man, Matthew looked serious andposed


    on the surface. But in fact, he was more wicked and shameless than anyone else!


    "Is there anything I should do in the Birch Pass?"


    "Twenty hundred thousand soldiers should be taken over. General Shawn only took over one-third of


    them, and the taking over of the remaining two-thirds will be left to you. To be honest, all these soldiers


    in the south domain are very tough. Your Highness, it will be very hard for you to deal with them. When


    General Shawn first went to the military camp, the soldiers just sneered at him. They even said that he


    was so weak. So he went and beat up ten thousand soldiers. It''s said that they had been flogged and


    cried a million times." Even though it happened a long time ago, the guard was still a little afraid.


    General Shawn had a gentle appearance who always seemed like he was smiling. It actually looked


    like he was easy to push around. But he killed his enemies without even blinking. Even General Luther


    who had guarded the city in the past was killed under his sword.


    However, Carlson only rolled his eyes after hearing that. He was enraged so he thought that it was the


    right time to go to the military camp and train the soldiers of the south domain. If he couldn''t make them


    cry, he wouldn''t stop!


    The guards watched as Carlson left while riding a horse in a hurry. He even had a long spear in his


    hand. The guards then wiped the cold sweat on their foreheads. "His Highness is such a moody


    person. General Shawn is better. He, at least, always has a smile on his face."


    "Yes, he even smiles when he kills people. In my opinion, His Highness has a better disposition. His


    thoughts are all written on his face, unlike General Shawn. It''spletely impossible to know what the


    general is thinking. But with His Highness, you don''t have to guess," the other guard responded.


    "I heard that General Shawn wasn''t like this before. He used to be cold and indifferent. Later on, he


    began to smile unfathomably because of something that happened to him."


    "Really? One would be smiling when they get stimted?" the other guard asked in surprise.


    "Probably, I''m not sure."


    "I wonder what will happen to His Highness when he reaches the military camp and the soldiers


    provokes him. Will he change his personality once hees back?" They looked at each other and


    then thought, ''No way! His Highness looks so carefree! It is impossible for the soldiers to break his


    spirit!''

 Chapter 807 The Bully (Part One)

    Chapter 807 The Bully (Part One)


    In the imperial city of the South Kingdom, Catherine was standing on the gate tower of the city. She


    watched as a person got up on a horse and left the capital. Her eyes were moist with tears. Within a


    short time, her father and mother left the South Kingdom, and now even her sister Diana was leaving.


    Catherine was the only one left in the vast kingdom. This had been something that she wanted in the


    past. But now, after all the misunderstandings were cleared up in their family, she suddenly felt a little


    lonely. It was as if she had returned to the time when she lived in the Starry Pce by herself. It was


    probably the darkest time of her life. She didn''t have anyone at all. After cutting off her family for some


    time, she didn''t think that she could feel this way about them leaving.


    "Diana!" Catherine shouted while she supported herself with both of her hands on the handrail. She


    was hoping that Diana would change her mind and stay.


    Upon hearing Catherine''s voice, Diana stopped the horse and looked back towards the tower.


    "Catherine, what''s the matter?"


    "Do you have to leave? Can''t you stay? It''s only you and I in the family now," Catherine eximed, as


    sadness and a little desperation were in her voice. She truly felt lonely and the only thing that she could


    wish was for her sister to stay.


    With a smile on her face, Diana said, "Don''t worry, Catherine. I''ll just be away to learn some medicine


    skills with my master. After all, the insect poison of our South Kingdom has severe side-effects. If I can


    learn something useful from my master, then everyone in the South Kingdom won''t need to use the


    insect poison for treatment. I promise you I''lle back, sooner orter. During my absence, you will


    have to work hard!"


    Catherine opened her mouth to try and persuade Diana otherwise but she couldn''t find the right words.


    She knew that the reason Diana chose to leave was to make her the queen of the South Kingdom in a


    just andwful way. If Diana were to stay, ministers would have different opinions about which of themThis is from N?velDrama.Org.


    shall be the queen. But now that Diana was leaving, they didn''t have to make that choice. It was


    what she had wanted. But now that the crown belonged to her, she just felt so lonely. This loneliness


    had haunted her since she started living in the Starry Pce as the Holy Maiden. And now, it even


    followed her as the queen of the South Kingdom.


    "When will youe back?" she asked again.


    "I''lle back when I get homesick. I have to go now. My master left several days ago already. It''s


    time for me to join them. Otherwise, I wouldn''t be able to catch up to them!" Diana decisively said while


    waving her hand.


    While Catherine watched Diana''s receding figure, a drop of tear fell from her eye. She was left alone in


    the kingdom. Her father and mother left the country and now her sister was gone as well. She couldn''t


    help but think that it was probably her punishment for the terrible things that she had done. She would


    have to endure this immense loneliness for a long time.


    Diana traveled all the way to the Birch Pass in a hurry. She had estimated that Harper and the envoy


    team would have to stay in the Birch Pass for two days at least. With her whip, sheshed the side of


    her horse to make it run faster. She thought that she would be able to catch up to them when they were


    about to leave. However, when she arrived at the Birch Pass, she learned that Harper and the others


    had already left. Only Carlson was left in there. At that moment, he was lying in his bed, sleeping so


    comfortably.


    "Hey!" Diana eximed while poking Carlson with her finger.


    What she didn''t know was that Carlson was very exhausted after training the soldiers for a consecutive


    of two nights and one day. He didn''t even bother to turn over in bed. He justpletely ignored Diana.


    Losing her patience, Diana furiously grabbed Carlson''s cor and shook his body violently. "Hey, get


    up! Get up!" she shouted.


    But Carlson just continued to sleep, head tilted to one side. He was so drowsy that he didn''t want to get


    up, even if the room was on fire.


    When she noticed that the man was still asleep, Diana''s eyes widened in surprise. Taking a deep


    breath, she began to p him in the face. After a dozen ps, Carlson finally opened his eyes. Without


    saying a single word, he pulled her hand away, turned over, pushed her to the bed, and pressed her


    under him.


    While rubbing his face, he softly said, "It hurts. You jerk, do you want to die? How dare you p me like


    that?"


    Diana kept on struggling to free herself beneath him. "Bastard, let go of me, or my master will hit you!"


    she screamed in a sharp voice.


    "Your master will hit me? Try me! You can even call your father, your grandfather, your great


    grandfather! Call your entire n! You bitch! How dare you p me! I must teach you a lesson today!


    You should know that I''m not a man to be trifled with!" Carlson raised his hand. He apparently wanted


    to fight back by pping her in the face, just like what she did to him a few moments ago.


    Out of fear, Diana covered her face with her hand and screamed, "No! Master! Harper! Come and save


    me! Help! Help!"


    Carlson''s hand stopped midair. "Come again. Who''s your master?" he asked.


    "My master is Harper! Prince Matthew''s wife!" Diana ferociously answered.


    Upon hearing what she said, Carlson narrowed his eyes and then carefully scrutinized Diana. At that


    moment, she was wearing the clothes of the South Kingdom. He asked, "Are you from the South


    Kingdom? What''s your name?"


    "Diana!"


    p! After hearing her name, Carlson pped her in the face without any hesitation. Understandably,


    Diana was so stunned that she didn''t know how to react for a long time.


    "You''re a liar. How could Harper ept the daughter of the South Kingdom''s king as her apprentice?


    Why would you lie about something like that? You didn''t even make the effort toe up with a


    convincing excuse foring here and disturbing me. Don''t try to fool me. You are way too naive if you


    think you can do that!"


    With her hand, Diana covered her cheek which he had just pped. She then said, "Are you really a


    man? How could you hit a woman like that!"


    "What''s wrong with hitting somebody when they did something wrong? I might have already hit as


    many as thirty, if not a hundred. I don''t think there''s any difference if I hit one more woman like you!"


    Carlson eximed in a rough voice. He was about to give her another p when Diana yelled at him,


    "You don''t think I can fight you?" She then approached him in an instant and bit his neck. Due to the


    severe pain, Carlson immediately stretched out his hand to push the crazy woman away from him.


    He didn''t know that Diana was tough. If someone ever dared to hurt her, she would always hit that


    person back as hard as she could. And if she was pped, she would be so furious and fight


    back with everything she got. As a result, the two of them started hitting each other on the bed.


    It was around this time that Joshua came to visit Carlson. After Matthew left, he became responsible for


    helping Carlson in leading the army. When he pushed the door open and came in, he saw that Carlson


    was pressing a woman on the bed. He immediately noticed that the woman''s clothes were torn.

 Chapter 808 The Bully (Part Two)

    Chapter 808 The Bully (Part Two)


    With the situation in front of him, Joshua gasped in surprise and thought, ''What on earth happened to


    Carlson? He''s actually forcing a woman right now! It seems that the woman is violently struggling from


    his hold. She must be a very strong one.''


    "How dare you to hit me back? I..." Carlson blurted out. When he was about to p her again, he


    suddenly noticed that someone was watching them. Upon looking up, he saw Joshua standing by the


    door, as if he had just been struck by lightning.


    "Carlson, you''re a member of the royal family. How could you do this? Forcing a woman? This is just


    too disgraceful! Oh my god, I never thought that you would be someone who likes to do this kind of


    thing!" Joshua said while he covered his eyes with his hands.


    Carlson was so enraged that he began to tremble. "Which of your eyes saw that I''m forcing a woman?"


    Joshua moved his fingers a bit, allowing him to peek at them. He then responded, "Well, both of my two


    eyes see what you are doing! I know you''re not young anymore and you need a woman by your side. If


    you don''t like to go to the brothel, you can marry a decent woman as soon as possible. Why do you


    have to harass and force a woman?"


    "No, I didn''t¡ª" Carlson tried to exin but Joshua cut him off, saying,


    "Well, you don''t have to say anything more. I get it. I understand that men can''t control themselves


    sometimes. I think you can take Prince Matthew as an example. He had remained single for twenty-six


    years before he married Lady Harper. But when he met her, he didn''t waste any time and married her


    in an instant. But you''re just twenty years old and yet you can''t control your desires anymore. Well, do


    you need me to send a message to Prince Matthew and Lady Harper? Perhaps, they can find you a


    good wife. After all, your father and mother have been expecting you to get married for a long time now.


    I think they''ll be very happy to know that you want to get married." Joshua went on and on, not allowing


    Carlson to cut in before he could finish his monologue.


    Carlson was rendered speechless. When he finally had the chance to say something, he eximed,


    "This woman came from the South Kingdom. She''s a spy and she''s here to gather some valuable


    information!"


    "Oh, a spy from the South Kingdom! I didn''t expect that," Joshua meekly said.


    "Nonsense! I''m a princess of the South Kingdom. I came here to see my master," Diana cut in at once.


    "Oh, are you Princess Diana?" Joshua asked in surprise.


    "Yes, that''s me!" Diana answered. The only thing she wanted to do at that moment was to cut Carlson


    into pieces! What a shameless man! He didn''t only hit her, but also indecently tore off her clothes!


    sping his hands, Joshua said, "Speaking of this, I forgot to tell you that before Lady Harper left, she


    said that Princess Diana of the South Kingdom wille here in two days and that we should let her


    pass. She also said that she''s going back to the imperial capital first and that Princess Diana can go


    there directly to meet her."


    "Has she already left for the imperial capital? Why didn''t she wait for me?" Diana groaned.


    The truth stunned Carlson. "Are you really here for Harper?"


    "Of course, I am! I have searched this ce from top to bottom and I didn''t see her anywhere. That''s


    why I havee to ask you. I called you dozens of times, but you didn''t get up or make any response.


    Left without another choice, I woke you up that way," Diana heatedly yelled while she covered her


    chest with her hands.


    With a frown, Carlson finally loosened his grip on her. "I didn''t know if you were telling the truth. When I


    woke up, you were just pping me a dozen times and I couldn''t just let you do that to me without


    fighting back."


    Joshua finally understood what had happened. The truth was that Diana came in there to see Harper.


    But Diana didn''t see her so she tried to ask Carlson about where Harper was. Unfortunately, Carlson


    was extremely exhausted because he had trained the soldiers for a long time. He didn''t wake up easily


    so she pped his face numerous times.


    Carlson had been powerful in the imperial capital since he was a child. He would always beat others


    and no one could hit him back. Regardless of whether they were women or men, he would strike them.


    That was why he began to fight with Diana on the bed, which was exactly the situation that Joshua had


    witnessed just then.


    "Get off me! How long are you going to stay above me?" Diana sharply asked.


    In an instant, Carlson jumped from the bed. There was a hint of embarrassment on his face which was


    very rare to see. Thinking that the situation had been pacified for now, Joshua turned around with the


    intention of leaving. But Carlson grabbed him and asked, "Where are you going?"


    Joshua looked at Diana from the corner of his eyes and said, "I''ll ask someone to bring some clothes


    for Princess Diana. You tore her clothes. How can she get out of here looking like that?"


    Carlson looked at Diana for a moment and immediately felt guilty. Earlier, he fought her without


    hesitation and tore her clothes by ident. He believed that it was not his fault but he couldn''t exin


    the situation to everyone. After thinking for a while, he finally said, "Okay, fine. Then go and get some


    clothes for her as soon as possible."


    A trace of yfulness sparkled in Joshua''s eyes. With that, he walked away in a veryfortable


    manner. When he was gone, Carlson and Diana looked at each other. The former was guilty and the


    latter was abhorrently gritting her teeth. They waited for a long time but still, no one wasing with


    clean clothes. After a while, they were both puzzled.


    "Why hasn''t Joshua brought the clothes in here?" Carlson was puzzled. He didn''t think Joshua needed


    so much time to find some clothes and bring them back.


    "Go ask him yourself. Hurry up! I need to leave as soon as possible! I don''t know where my master is


    right now. But the only thing I''m sure of is that she''s getting farther and farther away from me. I must


    hurry and catch up with her! I don''t want to waste any more time here!" Diana said in a rush.


    "Oh, okay," Carlson replied. He was about to leave and look for Joshua when he saw two soldiers


    carrying arge bathtub filled with warm water. Then, they ced it in his room, turned around, and left


    in an instant. A maid followed them who put down the clothes on the table before she quickly left as


    well.


    Looking at Diana and then back at the clothes, Carlson stammered, "Wh... what? Do you need to take


    a bath?"


    Diana ced her arm close to her nose and tried to smell herself. For a few days, she had been so


    upied on her journey that she didn''t have the time to take some rest. So she thought that it was a


    nice idea to have a fresh bath and get changed before she continued her travel. She immediately


    replied, "Yes, why not? You should go out now. I''m going to take a bath. You can''t stay inside while I''m


    bathing."


    Carlson yawned and said, "Well, I''ll go inside to have a good rest instead. Once you''re done with


    everything, you should get out of my ce as soon as possible. Don''t even think about disturbing me


    again! Otherwise, I can''t guarantee that I wouldn''t do anything terrible to you!"


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    After he was finished speaking, Carlson walked towards the bedroom and fell asleep as soon as his


    head touched the pillow. When she saw that he was sound asleep, Diana felt relieved. Then, she


    began to take off her clothes to take afortable bath.

 Chapter 809 The Eighty Percent Probability (Part One)

    Chapter 809 The Eighty Percent Probability (Part One)


    Diana had no idea that because of Joshua''s vague exnation when he told the servants to bring a


    bathtub and clothes for her, everybody jumped to the conclusion that Carlson had slept with her. Due to


    her obliviousness, Diana casually left after taking a bath and changing her clothes.


    "Why did the girl leave?" Everybody else was confused as they thought that the girl who had slept with


    Carlson should stay with him. They couldn''t understand why she just left.


    "Maybe, it''s because Prince Carlson refuses to take responsibility with what he did. She may not have


    any other choice but to leave. She must be so upset," someone presumed in a low voice, instantly


    putting Carlson in a very unforgivable position.


    "Oh my god! I didn''t expect that such a good-looking man like Prince Carlson would be like this. He has


    ruined such a decent girl''s reputation. How could he sleep with a virgin and refuse to take responsibility


    for that?" Immediately, all of the people became extremely dissatisfied with Carlson''s behaviors. They


    all believed that the prince tricked the girl into doing a momentous act but refused to marry her. Hence,


    he needed to have some ountability. Since the girl ran away by herself on horseback at full speed,


    she must have been extremely hurt.


    The people in the Birch Pass were open-minded. Most of the women in there were strong-willed and


    assertive. Moreover, they hated unfaithful men very much. Therefore, they were quite disappointed with


    what they thought Carlson did.


    However, Diana didn''t know that the servants in the general''s mansion at the Birch Pass had a bad


    impression on Carlson because of her. It was a big deal because it would cause a lot of trouble for


    Carlson in the future.


    Meanwhile, after vigorously chasing Harper and Matthew for several hours, Shawn finally caught up


    with them. Fortunately, he managed to do so before it got dark. "How can the two of you run so fast? I


    whipped my horse so hard that I felt pity for the poor animal. But still, I couldn''t catch up with you until


    now," he sighed.


    Lifting the curtain of the carriage, Harper said, "Shawn, you made it just in time. I have something to


    discuss with you."


    Shawn was a little surprised to hear that. He responded, "You have something to discuss with me? I''m


    surprised. I wonder what kind of thing is making you this cautious and serious. Even I''m curious about


    it."


    "Come inside the carriage. Let''s talk on the way," Harper said while gesturing for him to enter the


    vehicle.


    After hesitating for a moment, Shawn got off his horse and handed the reins to his deputy general.


    Then, he approached the carriage and got on it. He sat face to face with the couple. Thest time that


    Harper talked to him in a serious manner, she had asked him to take in and reorganize the Northern


    Expeditionary Army in the North Domain. He wondered what she was about to talk with him this time.


    Would she want him to take in and reorganize the army in the South Domain as well? Or would she


    want him to help in plotting against someone?


    "What''s the matter? Why are you so serious?" Shawn asked. He was a little nervous. After all, nothing


    could make Harper this serious other than very important issues.


    "Here''s the thing. I acquired a few medicinal herbs from the Labyrinth Swamp which are very rare. I''m


    aware that you younger sister''s heart disease has been getting worse recently. What I want to say is


    that I''m eighty percent sure that I can cure her. But before you get your hopes up, I have to tell you that


    there are risks. The operation that I need to perform on her is very critical. If I make a single mistake or


    if the procedurepletely fails, your younger sister will die. So, I''mying it all out on you¡ªthe risks


    and the sess rate of the operation so you can consider this situation carefully. If you think it''s worth


    a try, I''m willing to cure her," Harper mindfully and hastily said when she noticed the nervous


    expression on Shawn''s face.


    "Eighty percent sure?" Shawn asked in disbelief. His younger sister, Wendy had been born with


    congenital heart disease. Over the years, they had taken her to a lot of well-known physicians. All of


    them said the same thing¡ªit was impossible to permanently cure her. Even Harper had said those


    exact words in the past. But now she was telling him that there was a way to possibly cure his younger


    sister, but the sess rate was only eighty percent.


    "Yes, only eighty percent of sess rate. Although there''s a high probability that I''llpletely cure


    her, there''s also a chance of failure. So, I''m giving you the choice. It''s up to you whether or not you''re


    going to let me heal her," Harper said slowly.


    Upon hearing that, Shawn became silent for a long time. His family had always regarded Wendy''s heart


    disease as a wound in their hearts. If she could be cured, it would certainly be the most wonderful news


    toe into their lives. It wasparable to a miracle that they had always hoped, but never expected


    toe into their reality. However, if something were to happen to her during the operation, like Harper


    had warned him, she''d disappear from the world forever. If they refused the treatment, she would just


    continue her current state¡ªalive, but barely living. Moreover, if they didn''t do anything, she would just


    die in a few years. It was like waiting for the final chord to be cut, a grim reality that their family had


    been facing every single day of their lives.


    "Please cure her!" Shawn suddenly eximed with so much conviction right about when Harper


    thought that he had given up. "If you sessfully cure her, we''ll be extremely lucky to have her back in


    our lives, for real this time. If not, we won''t me you. I guess, if that were to happen, fate had decided


    it. Your Highness, please cure my sister."


    Matthew gave him a sincere and understanding smile. He had expected that Shawn would choose to


    cure his younger sister. In fact, Shawn had never been an indecisive man. Since Harper had said that


    she was eighty percent sure that the treatment would seed, it also meant the probability of failure


    was very low, so Shawn would likely choose to take the risk. That was not only because of the high


    sess rate, but because he did trust Harper.


    "Don''t you need to discuss this with your family first? Or, don''t you want to discuss it with your younger


    sister? They might not be on board with the idea. You don''t have to give an answer right away. I''ll be


    staying in the imperial capital for quite a long time. You can even make your choice until I''m about to


    leave the imperial capital," Harper suggested.


    "Thank you for your concern. But I''ve already decided. Her disease cannot be allowed to go on any


    longer. If she refuses to be treated now, she won''t be able to live for many years. Since you''re eighty


    percent sure, why don''t we give it a try? You don''t need to be pressured too much. I know it''s a very


    delicate situation since a person''s life is at stake but please go ahead and treat her with confidence. If


    anything goes wrong, I will take full responsibility," Shawn firmly stated.


    "Such being the case, I''ll begin to prepare for the treatment as soon as I get back," Harper said with a


    smile. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw how determined Shawn was. Now that he had made


    those bold derations, the only thing Harper needed to focus on was to try her best to cure Wendy.This is from N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 810 The Eighty Percent Probability (Part Two)

    Chapter 810 The Eighty Percent Probability (Part Two)


    "That''s it. I can''t go back to the imperial capital with you for the time being. Wendy is recuperating in the


    south region right now. I''m going there to pick her up and take her back to the imperial capital. Please


    go ahead and proceed to the capital without me so you can have time to prepare. As soon as we arrive


    in the imperial capital, we''lle to you for the treatment," Shawn said while he stood up, preparing


    right then to go out.


    "There is no need to hurry¡ª"


    "Wendy doesn''t have much time left, so if you said that there''s a chance that we can extend her life, I


    don''t think I can wait. Thank you, Your Highness," Shawn said to Harper with a gentle smile.


    After that, he jumped off the carriage, mounted his horse, and left the envoy team with his deputy


    general in a few heartbeats. They headed for the south as fast as they could. Harper lifted the curtain


    and looked at the direction that they went to. With gentle eyes, she watched Shawn''s receding figure


    until she couldn''t see him anymore. "Darling, it seems like Marquis Shawn is getting more and more


    decisive," she said.


    "He''s always been decisive. You just didn''t know it until now," Matthew said while he put down the


    curtain. What Shawn said was true. There wasn''t much time left for Wendy. If she could maintain a


    calm and peaceful state of mind, she could certainly live a few more years. Unfortunately, it seemed


    like everybody in the Shen n had already given up on her. They even sent her to the south to


    recuperate in hopes that she could live for a few more years in there.


    "Why do I always feel like you know some secrets that you don''t tell me? Do you want this Wendy to be


    a member of your mansion?" Harper asked with a smile.


    Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    "Why not? After all, none of my personal guards are married yet. Speaking of which, when are you


    going to let Nina get married to Barry? This boy has been eagerly waiting for so long. He''s too shy to


    ask you about it. As the hostess of my mansion, you can''t ignore his wish," Matthew inly said.


    There was a twinkle in Harper''s eyes. "When we go back this time, I''m going to let Nina marry him. Tell


    that man to prepare the betrothal presents first. If what he arranges doesn''t satisfy me, I won''t let Nina


    marry him that easily."


    "Barry, did you hear what Lady Harper just said?" Matthew called out.


    "Your Highnesses, indeed, I''ve heard what you said. Actually, I''ve already prepared the betrothal


    presents for Nina a long time ago. I had just been waiting for Your Highnesses'' approval." Barry''s voice


    sounded quite calm. But Jack, who was sitting next to him, could clearly see that his hands were


    shaking and the calm facade on his face was about to copse at any moment. Barry was just trying


    his best to keep aposed demeanor.


    Taking the bridle from Barry''s hands, Jack said, "It''s obvious that you feel so happy, so why don''t you


    laugh real loud? Why are you restraining yourself? We won''t mock you."


    Barry smiled at that. However, it was hard to tell if he was really smiling because the smile on his face


    was so faint. But Jack was well aware that Barry was very happy. Many people knew that Barry had


    fallen in love with Nina, who was attentive and considerate. However, since Matthew and Harper had


    never expressed their opinion about their rtionship, the lovers had never openly shown their


    affections to each other.


    "Is Jack interested in anyone?" Harper asked all of a sudden. Upon hearing that, Jack instantly


    straightened his back and froze on the spot. After a while, he giggled and said,


    "Your Highness, I am not interested in any girl at the moment. Once I fall in love with someone, I''ll tell


    you right away and marry her as soon as possible. You can be sure that I won''t be as indifferent as


    Barry who''s like a piece of wood. If I act toote and the girl I love is taken away by someone else, the


    only thing I can do is to regret," Jack dutifully eximed.


    "You''re so frivolous. You never take anything seriously. How can any girl like you? Girls will only think


    that you''re too funny and yful," Fred chimed in.


    "Damn you, Fred! Are you making fun of me? Go to hell! You know what, I''m a very handsome man. A


    lot of girls will fight each other just to marry me," Jack furiously cursed him, trying to defend himself.


    "Oh, really? Well, I haven''t seen a girl show interest in you. I only heard that Anabel once told Angelica


    to stay away from you in a very disgusted tone," Fred responded indifferently.


    Jack was instantly annoyed at that. "No way! Angelica is actually infatuated with me. Nothing but some


    sweet words can win her heart. She will fall so madly in love with me. Just you wait and she will


    be so determined to marry me once I say such words to her."


    When she heard those ims, Harper shot Matthew a dangerous re and said, "Is it so easy to win


    the hearts of my maids? How can they be fooled by a few sweet words?"


    "I didn''t say that. If it were so easy to win a girl''s heart, I wouldn''t have bothered to make a lot of effort


    in the first ce," Matthew firmly said right away, disassociating himself from the issue.


    "When you reprimand a dog, you should take its owner into consideration. So when he tries to fool my


    maids, does he respect me, their master?" Harper asked again. This time her voice was cold and


    deafening. Upon hearing that, Jack instantly sunk into his seat, making himself as small as possible.


    His energy subsided as well.


    "No, no, your humble servants were just fooling around. Please don''t take it to heart, Your Highness. It


    was just a metaphor. I just wanted to say that everybody will love me as soon as they see me," Jack


    hastily exined.


    "I think everybody will want to hit you as soon as they see you. How dare you use a metaphor with my


    maids? Do you think it''s easy to push them around?" Harper said, refusing to let it go.


    "No, no, that''s not what I meant. Of course, it''s not easy to push them around," Jack exined. He felt


    like weeping but no tears came out of his eyes. Instead, he cast a re on Fred, who in his opinion


    was to me for their current predicament. Jack thought that if it weren''t for him, he would not have


    offended Harper. Everyone in Matthew''s mansion knew that they would rather offend Matthew than


    Harper. If they offended Matthew, they would be tortured to half death at the worst, but if they offended


    Harper, they would wish that they were dead instead.


    "Your Highness, it was all my fault. Please forgive me. I won''t do it again," Jack apologized with so


    much conviction. He knew it was useless to reason with Harper, because she had never been


    reasonable once she set her mind on something.

 Chapter 811 Back To The Imperial Capital (Part One)

    Chapter 811 Back To The Imperial Capital (Part One)


    In response to Jack''s apology, Harper snorted. Obviously, she didn''t buy his ims at all. Meanwhile,


    with a sad expression on his face, Jack turned around to look at Barry for help, but thetter pretended


    to not see it. Barry knew that first and foremost, it was not easy to change Harper''s mind. Second, he


    still needed Harper''s permission to marry her maid Nina so he couldn''t risk offending her just for Jack''s


    sake. He was well aware that Harper could just easily forbid their marriage so, between his fiancee and


    his brother, he decisively chose to abandon thetter.


    Upon realizing Barry''s response, Jack dejectedly curled his lips and looked at Fred instead. But he was


    just greeted with a smile full of gloat. With that, he suddenly thought of one thing. He immediately


    decided that he should go to hell with his heartless brother by saying, "Your Highness, don''t forget that


    Fred offended you not long ago. He cursed you and imed that you''re a woman who always nags."


    As soon as his words came out, Fred''s eyes widened in an instant. The next moment, the atmosphere


    inside the carriage instantly changed. Squinting their eyes at the two men, Matthew and Harper yelled


    almost at the same time. "Both of you, get down from this carriage right now! Run to the imperial capital


    on foot!"


    "Yes, Your Highnesses!" Fred said gloomily and then red at Jack with eyes that looked like he was


    about to murder him. He then took out his sword and chased after him. He thought, ''This bastard dared


    to mention that matter at that very moment. If I don''t teach him a good lesson today, he''s going to think


    that no one will punish him for doing reckless and irresponsible things like this in the future!''


    Jack was so scared that he used his flying skills at the maximum to escape Fred''s wrath. He knew that


    this was a big deal. Fred would actually be the devil himself when he was mad. He also knew that


    Fred wouldn''t regard him as a human being out of anger even though they were as close as brothers.


    After a while, the envoy team finally reached the imperial capital. Harper felt that it was such a long


    time since she hadst been there. So when she saw Zack waiting at the gate of the city, she gently


    smiled, feeling that she was finally home.


    "Zack."


    "Wee back, Harper." Zack was as gentle as ever. Even his voice was soothing enough to make


    one feel like the gate was the door to their own mansion. It was the kind offort and warmth that no


    one else could give Harper.


    "I have prepared a lot of delicious food and wine at the Champion Restaurant in order to celebrate your


    return," Zack stated. He then looked at Matthew and asked, "May I have the honor of having a meal


    with Your Highness?"


    "Since you''ve already prepared everything, of course, I''lle," Matthew replied. Matthew knew that


    Zack had a special ce in Harper''s heart. He also knew that this man was different from everyone


    else. He could intimidate and bring every other man to their knees, but not this one. This man was


    extremely clever and cunning. Bing his enemy without careful consideration would bring


    unexpected tragedies to himself.


    "Caroline is about to give birth, right?" Harper asked with a smile. She thought that Caroline''s due date


    should be drawing near.


    "Yes, it shouldn''t be long now. She wanted toe today, but George didn''t allow her because he was


    worried that she would go intobor any minute. But when I left, she was quite sad about it," Zack


    exined, returning her smile in the process. He then added, "By the way, they wanted you to name


    their first baby."


    "To tell you the truth, I''m not good at that." Harper took the lead as they walked. Then, Matthew sped


    up and walked side by side with Zack.This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    "Recently, I was made aware that there''s a person who''s extremely special to Harp. Very special, even


    more special than you," Matthew began in a low voice, low enough that only Zack could hear it. "Do


    you want to know who he is?" the prince asked in a thought-provoking way.


    "I don''t know and honestly, I don''t want to know as well," Zack firmly refused before Matthew could


    speak out the name. Since the person who Matthew brought up had a special ce in Harper''s world,


    it meant that Matthew was on his guard about him. Rather than having another enemy, having an ally


    was always a better option. Zack had an idea what Matthew was up to. If he wanted to start a rift


    between Zack and the other person and make Zack finish the other "rival" for him, then he could only


    dream on.


    What was more, since the man was very special to Harper, it meant that it was someone she cared


    about. Zack was not stupid enough to hurt the people who were important to her. If he did, he was only


    going to cause her pain as well. So it was no use for Matthew to y him off against the potential rival


    in love.


    "What a pity! I thought that if the two of you meet each other, you''d be good friends. After all, I


    think that you and he have simr personalities. I do believe that you two might get along. What a


    disappointment that you''re not interested in him at all. You shouldn''t turn your back on my good


    intentions," Matthew said in a regretful tone.


    Zack cast a nce at Matthew. Although Matthew tried to pretend, Zack clearly knew that he wouldn''t


    be so kind as to do that. He had always been trying to provoke dissident among people, especially


    those who had affection for Harper. Matthew had never been generous to anyone when Harper was


    concerned. It was good enough that he could tolerate Zack this far.


    "Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness. But unfortunately, I''m just not interested." Zack wasn''t


    going to take the bait. If there was really such a person, they would meet sooner orter. Zack thought


    that there wouldn''t be a need to deliberately make some efforts just to make friends. Moreover, if he did


    so in a very obvious manner, he might just put himself in a passive position and make things worse.


    Back then, it was because he had made his move in the open and then Matthew took the advantage. If


    he didn''t, it was hard to say who would be the one to marry Harper.


    Matthew smiled as if he didn''t care about it at all. He caught up with Harper, held her waist, and headed


    for the Champion Restaurant with her. Zack knew the prince was dering silently that he was


    Harper''s husband now. Untroubled, Zack followed them without undue haste, turning a blind eye to


    what Matthew just did.


    "I heard that Carlson has been dispatched to the Birch Pass. Did you see him when you came back


    from the pass? Prince Allen has been so agitated and worried since his son was transferred there,"


    Zack told Harper.


    "Yes, we saw him. In fact, he''s doing quite well," Harper replied. She was reminded of how Carlson


    initially wanted to vent his anger on them, but then she and Matthew yed a trick on him. Now, he


    must be in a really bad mood. If he came back next time, she knew they couldn''t fool him that easily


    again.


    "He must have changed a lot these days while being in the army, at least not as aggressive as before,"


    Zack remarked.


    Matthew chimed in, "Not necessarily. I think his true nature has beenpletely brought out after he


    received training in the army. He has be much bolder. He even dared to block our way and


    question us."

 Chapter 812 Back To The Imperial Capital (Part Two)

    Chapter 812 Back To The Imperial Capital (Part Two)


    Zack immediately sensed that something wasn''t right from Matthew''s words. In his eyes, Carlson had


    always been a trouble maker. When he was still in the imperial capital, he was like a little tyrant. If it


    was true that he had thoroughly developed his temperament in the army, what kind of a monster did he


    turn into?


    Zack looked at Harper, as if wanting her to confirm it. Harper curled her lips and smiled. In fact,


    Carlson''s temperament was more aggressive than when he was in the imperial capital. But she didn''t


    think that it was a big deal since it was the soldiers in the south domain whom he was going to bother


    now. Besides, if Carlson was still in the imperial capital, she would not be the one being tortured by that


    young man, so she didn''t care about it.


    Zack rubbed his eyebrows and said, "It seems like Prince Allen and Princess Casey will find it very


    hard to sleep well again."


    "How is Gigi? I''ve been away for a long time. I wonder if she still recognizes me," Harper said,


    changing the topic.


    "Several days ago, I went to see the little girl. She could walk now and the first word she was able to


    speak was ''sister''. Prince Allen was very upset when he heard that. He''s the one who takes care of her


    every day. Yet, he didn''t expect that the girl would learn to say ''sister'' first," Zack said while imitating


    how heart-broken Allen was, which amused Harper a lot.


    "I bet Allen must hate me very much!"


    "Of course not. In his heart, he knew without a doubt that if it weren''t for you, Gigi wouldn''t have


    survived." Zack''s voice was very soft which seemed like it was gentle enough to touch the softest part


    of anyone''s heart. When they arrived at the Champion Restaurant, they pushed open the door of the


    private room. Immediately, they saw that a man was already sitting at their designated table. He was


    even holding his chopsticks while reaching out for a dish.


    "Your Majesty!" the three greeted.


    Lucas just waved his hand at their greetings while he quickly put down the chopsticks. He then wiped


    his mouth, as if he didn''t want to be found eating in secret. He then said, "I heard that Uncle and Aunt


    areing back today, and Zack arranged a dinner to wee you. I think it''s a good idea to join you,


    so here I am. Come on now! Sit down and let''s have dinner! I''m starving to death."


    Matthew gave Lucas a stern look which Lucas pretended he didn''t notice. Instead, he kept telling


    himself that nothing happened and there was nothing to worry about even if there was. Like his uncle,


    Lucas could sometimes be unfeeling when he wanted to. Furthermore, Lucas even told himself that


    Matthew was not to be feared since he didn''t eat anything before they arrived. Even if Matthew were to


    discover the truth, he could simply deny it.


    "Your Majesty, aren''t you busy dealing with matters in the pce? Why do you still have time to go out


    and have dinner with us?" As soon as Matthew sat down, he started to question Lucas.


    The expression on Lucas'' face instantly changed at Matthew''s inquiring. He replied, "Uncle, you can''t


    imagine how deep I have to bury myself in those affairs while in the pce every single day. But since


    you and Aunt have returned from the south domain, I shoulde and wee you back, no matter


    how busy I am. It''s very kind of you to go there and finish the task this time. Thank you very much,


    Uncle and Aunt. Let me propose a toast and express my gratitude."


    Zack had to admit that Lucas was quite bold without a bit of shame in his body. Even though he was


    the emperor now, his skin was no less thin. Perhaps, he had acted too much of a yboy in the past


    and couldn''t correct his behavior in such a short time. That was why he hadn''t changed a bit even


    though he had been impeached because of this matter many times. Until now, he still couldn''t change


    it.


    "You should get married and give this kingdom an empress. I think," Matthew slowly uttered while he


    put some of the dishes into Harper''s bowl.


    "Uncle, a few days ago, an official asked me to give you more beautiful women for the sake of having


    more heirs, but I didn''t agree. I even scolded him for suggesting things like that." Lucas immediately


    showed his loyalty before Matthew could say anything further. He then thought, ''Uncle, I have stopped


    people from arranging women for you and helped you deal with this trouble. It''s wrong of you to force


    me into doing the same thing.''


    Upon hearing this, Matthew froze. His hand with his chopsticks hang midair. He then picked up a piece


    of duck and ced it in Harper''s bowl, "The duck of this restaurant tastes good. Try it."


    Harper just watched the confrontation between the two with a warm smile. While Zack shook his head


    and thought, ''One of them is the emperor and the other is the most influential man in the kingdom, yet


    they''re so childish as to fight at the table. To say the least, it''s not decent considering their positions.


    But anyway, if they''re happy doing it, it''s actually a good thing.''


    "By the way, Shawn submitted me a report and said he wanted toe back to the imperial capital. I


    thought he woulde back here with you. Where is he?" Lucas suddenly asked while eating so


    casually.


    "He''s currently headed to the south region."


    "What is he going to do in the south?" Lucas was very much confused. But then suddenly, his eyes lit


    up and he asked, "Is it possible that there''s a woman in the south that he likes? Did he think it through


    and want to get married soon?"


    Matthew just nced at Lucas before he looked back at the dishes and said, "Wendy is in the south


    region right now. Speaking of which, that girl is very talented. I think she''s one of the best choices to be


    your empress."


    Lucas blinked a few times before saying, "But she''s been very sick for a long time. How can the


    empress of this country be someone with a severe illness? The officials won''t agree."


    "Shawn is on his way to the south region to pick up and escort her back to the imperial capital.


    Because Harp has found a method to possibly cure her. The Shen n had already agreed to try it out.


    If she is cured, she can serve as your empress without humiliating you since she''s the daughter of a


    prestigious family." Matthew''s voice was quite firm and steady.


    "Haha..." Lucas just awkwardlyughed. He was already nning to send Matthew a dozen or more


    beautiful women to his mansion once those officials suggested once again to select more concubines


    for him!


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    While he was resentfully thinking about his n, his eyes suddenly met Harper''s which made him feel


    ufortable as if she had seen through him. He quickly turned around and tried to change the topic,


    "Uncle, Aunt, when are you going to have a baby?"


    As soon as he asked, Harper clearly felt that the atmosphere in the room had changed. It became very


    tense and the expression on Matthew''s face became more downcast.

 Chapter 813 A Successful And Safe Child Birth (Part One)

    Chapter 813 A Sessful And Safe Child Birth (Part One)


    In the middle of the dinner, the atmosphere suddenly became more tensed. Lucas moved his chair


    closer to Zack and asked, "Zack, did I say something wrong?"


    "Your Majesty, aren''t you hungry?" Zack asked while he stretched out his hand, picked up a chicken


    leg, and forcibly ced it into Lucas'' mouth. After that, he continued, "Eat more and talk less. Or, do


    you want to go back to the Imperial Pce to have dinner?"


    Desperately shaking his head, Lucas felt quite confused. He didn''t think that there was anything wrong


    with his question, so he wondered why everyone else was reacting as if he said something


    unforgivable.


    "We won''t stay in the imperial capital for long. We might actually go to the Wonder Kingdom. After


    making a diagnosis and possibly curing Wendy, we''ll probably go," Matthew slowly said after being


    silent for quite a while.


    "You''re going to leave again?" Zack asked, very much surprised to hear this news. He always felt like


    as time went by, Harper went farther and farther away from him. It felt as if they were no longer in the


    same world. Even though she was sitting right in front of him at that moment, he still felt like she was a


    thousand worlds away.


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    Raising her head to look at Zack, Harper said, "We have to take a trip to the Wonder Kingdom because


    there''s something that I have to do there. But we won''t leave before we have settled everything in the


    imperial capital."


    Despite what she said, it still made Zack''s heart jump for a second. ording to what she said, it could


    mean that she was going to leave the Bright Dynasty, not for a short period of time, but for long, or


    perhaps, she would nevere back.


    "Will youe back?" Zack couldn''t help but ask while staring at Harper with subtle intensity. He knew


    that he was just a feeble schr who couldn''t be around her all the time. But he was willing to stay in


    the Bright Dynasty''s imperial capital just to wait for her, if she were toe back.


    "Yes, I will. I just have a lot of things to do. But my home is still here, so of course I''lle back,"


    Harper firmly said.


    Upon hearing that, Zack heaved a sigh of relief. He was d to hear how much the Bright Dynasty


    meant to her and more importantly, that he could see her again. Although he didn''t know what she was


    going to do outside of the Bright Dynasty, he thought that it was enough to know that eventually, she


    was going back to the imperial capital.


    "Young master!" All of a sudden, the door was pushed open and a young man rushed in. "Young


    master, something happened! Lady Caroline is about to give birth to her baby. The Lord and Lady are


    on the way to the Kong n''s mansion. They told me here to inform you of this news."


    "Caroline is about to give birth?" Zack asked for confirmation, a little baffled about the sudden news. At


    the same time, he stood up, prepared to leave at any second. Following him, Harper stood up as well.


    "I''ll go with you," she said.


    "Okay."


    The two of them quickly left, while Matthew and Lucas remained to their seats, without moving. Neither


    of them said a word. Lucas didn''t know what to say, while Matthew didn''t even consider whether or not


    he should speak at all.


    It was not until all the dishes became cold that Lucas asked in a low voice, "Uncle Matthew, are you


    really going to leave the Bright Dynasty?"


    "Probably," Matthew inly replied.


    "Where are you going?" Lucas didn''t know why but he felt somewhat rmed when he heard Matthew


    say that he would leave the Bright Dynasty as soon as he arrived. Matthew was the protector for the


    Bright Dynasty, as his ck g Army was invincible. If he left, the military power of the Bright Dynasty


    would be greatly decreased.


    "I don''t know yet," Matthew replied while he looked away in the distance.


    "Does that mean you won''t leave in the near future, Uncle Matthew?" Lucas asked, breathing a sigh of


    relief. He had just ascended the throne, bing the emperor of the Bright Dynasty. So his position


    was not yet stable. If Matthew left the Bright Dynasty during this time, Lucas would encounter a lot of


    problems moving forward.


    "Yes." Matthew ced down his chopsticks since he had lost his appetite. Earlier, he had thought of


    going with Harper and Zack, but he had given up on the idea. That was because it was improper for


    him, an outsider and a male, to be present when a woman was inbor.


    Lucas put down his chopsticks as well. He asked, "Will Aunt Harper leave with you?"


    "Of course. But before we leave, I will help you clear every obstacle that you currently have or might


    have. In exchange, you have to protect Harper''s brother and sister all the time," Matthew answered


    while ying the ring around his thumb.


    "Alexander and Gianna?" Lucas asked in surprise. With Allen''s protection, Gianna was certainly safe


    and in good hands. Alexander was the sworn son of Pearce who cherished his child very much. It


    seemed like Harper had made arrangements for her brother and sister a long time ago. Lucas then


    wondered if Harper had been nning on leaving since then.


    "It''s about the Qin n!" Lucas immediately uttered his realization. "Have you found out anything about


    them?"


    "Harper and I will probably have to go back to where the Qin n started. Anyway, it''s gettingte. You


    should go back to the Imperial Pce. Some immediate matters require your attention. For example,


    you don''t have an empress yet. All the courtiers must have been thinking about that position. If you''re


    interested in someone, you should marry her as soon as possible," Matthew said, changing the topic of


    conversation.


    Lucas blinked a few times. "Uncle Matthew, I..."


    "As an emperor, you have great responsibilities to take care of. I''m sure you understand that even


    though the crown is on your head right now, the imperial harem involves a lot of politics. But if you''re


    capable enough to impress all the courtiers, the vacancy of the imperial harem will not matter.


    However, you don''t have such capabilities and status yet." He didn''t mean to deliberately offend Lucas.


    On the contrary, he was simply telling him a fact that it wouldn''t be easy for him to abolish the imperial


    harem.


    "Uncle Matthew, I won''t give up. I don''t want the woman I love to live every single day of her life under


    so many conflicts and conspiracies. I want to be like you, Uncle Matthew. I want to find someone who I


    can truly love and spend the rest of my life with," Lucas sincerely stated.


    For the first time, Matthew looked at Lucas with eyes full of admiration. "You have a good principle."


    "That''s all because you set a good example for me, Uncle Matthew. Speaking of which, I''ve been


    meaning to ask you. How did you acquire such wisdom and intellect?" Lucas said while raising his


    eyebrows.

 Chapter 814 A Successful And Safe Child Birth (Part Two)

    Chapter 814 A Sessful And Safe Child Birth (Part Two)


    "My intellect? It''s all thanks to her." The corners of Matthew''s mouth lifted a little to form a small smile.


    Lucas immediately understood that the "her" who Matthew was referring to was none other than


    Harper. She was like a mystery. People had thought that she was arrogant and intimidating, but she


    turned out to be kind-hearted in nature. They had also thought that she was weak and easy to push


    around, but she had thrown her enemies into hell while wearing a smile on her face. Harper was a


    woman of principle. Even an emperor was not capable of making her give up what she truly believed in.


    "By the way, is there something that you''re hiding about having a child?" Lucas finally asked. He was


    not a fool. When he mentioned it earlier, the expression on Harper''s face immediately changed. So did


    Matthew''s, and even Zack''s behavior became strange.


    Matthew didn''t answer the question. He didn''t know how to tell Lucas or even, if he should tell him


    something so close and personal to him and Harper. But there was one thing he was sure of. If he had


    to risk Harper''s life just to have a child, he would rather give up having the greatest child in the world.


    For some reason, Matthew''s silence made Lucas realize that it wasn''t that they didn''t want a child, but


    they couldn''t. Lucas supposed that perhaps, the reason had something to do with the Qin n. The


    couple had been investigating the affairs of the n for a long time now. Perhaps, one of these days,


    their efforts would bear fruition, changing things for the better.


    "Uncle Matthew, things will definitely turn around. Aunt Harper has excellent medical skills, probably


    the best in the world. I''m sure she will find a way to solve the problem," Lucas said, trying tofort


    Matthew.


    Matthew nodded and said, "Again, it''s gettingte. You should go back to the Imperial Pce now. As


    an emperor, you can''t just do whatever you want like before when you were a prince."


    "You''re right, Uncle Matthew. It''s time for me to return to the Imperial Pce." Lucas stood up and was


    about to leave. "Uncle Matthew, are you going to leave with me?"


    "No, I''m going to pick up Harper."


    In the Kong n''s mansion, Franklin and Isabe were anxiously pacing back and forth outside of


    Caroline''s room. George was by the door as well, looking as worried as ever. As Caroline''s screams


    continued to reverberate in the room, they were all very nervous. However, they knew that every


    woman had to go through this to give birth. So the only thing that they could do was to try and keep


    calm.


    "Ahhh! It hurts!"


    "My Lady, push! Push!" the midwife eximed very loudly, urging Caroline to exert more strength.


    When Harper arrived at the Kong n mansion, both Franklin and Isabe let out a sigh of relief.


    "Harper, you''re back."


    With a smile, Harper greeted the old couple, "Mr. and Mrs. Bu, I''m d I made it back in time. I''ll go


    and check on Caroline right away."


    "Okay, okay, okay," Isabe responded in a rush.


    Harper pushed the door open and entered the room where Caroline was giving birth. When the midwife


    saw a woman who she didn''t knowe in, she was immediately disturbed. "Why did youe in


    here? What are you doing? You will only cause trouble. Get out right now!"


    With a frown, Harper just strode to the bed. At that moment, Caroline was soaking in her own sweat.


    More importantly, she was hurting so bad that she was almost losing her mind. But as soon as she saw


    Harper, a surge of newly found energy flowed through her. "Harper, you''re back."


    Holding Caroline''s hands in hers, Harper said, "Yes, I''m here."


    Caroline breathed a sigh of relief. "Now that you''re back, I''m not worried anymore."


    Without wasting another second, Harper injected her spiritual power into Caroline''s body to help her


    deliver the baby much easier. Seeing what Harper did, the midwife was at a loss. Harper turned to her


    andmanded, "What are you doing right now? Hurry up! Help her give birth to the baby."


    The midwife came to her senses and rushed forward. "Yes, yes. Oh, I see the baby''s head. My Lady,


    push harder. The baby ising out. I see its head."


    Grabbing onto Harper''s hand very tightly, Caroline exerted every ounce of energy she had left to push


    the baby out. She was so eager to give birth already since this was their first-ever child.


    "Harper."


    "I''m here."


    "This is our first child. I hope you can name him." Before responding, Harper gently wiped the sweat off


    Caroline''s face which had already seeped through her hair.


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    Without a bit of hesitation, Harper agreed to her request. "Okay, I''ll try my best toe up with a name


    that has an excellent meaning. Before that,e on, push harder. I believe the baby wille out


    soon."


    "Ah¡ª" All too suddenly, Caroline felt rxed and she heard the cries of her baby. The midwife excitedly


    said, "Finally! It''s a boy! Congrattions, Mydy."


    Lying on the bed in exhaustion, Caroline opened her mouth to say something but was unable to do so.


    "Take the baby here and show him to Lady Caroline," Harper said with a smile.


    "Yes." The midwife ced the baby in front of Caroline. Looking at the baby''s small and disheveled


    face, she gave him a loving smile and said, "This is my child."


    "Yes, he''s your baby, yours and George''s child. He''s still so young so we can''t tell who he looks like.


    When he grows up in a few months, you''ll know then," Harper said while stretching her hands to take


    the baby and help Caroline look at him.


    "I think he''s going to look like George." Before Caroline could say anything more, the door was pushed


    open and George rushed in. Harper immediately took the baby aside, giving way for him. George only


    took a quick look at the baby before he held Caroline''s hands very tightly.


    "Darling, thank you for your hard work!" George''s eyes looked a little red, but he tried his best to hold


    back his tears in front of other people.


    However, Caroline didn''t look very happy to see him. "This is the delivery room so only women can


    come in. How could you just enter like that? If we get bad luck because of this ¡ª"


    "Nonsense! You''ve endured so much pain to give birth to a baby for me. If I could even dare to not


    come and see you just because of the fictitious back luck, how do I deserve to be your husband?"


    George interrupted Caroline. When she didn''t respond after a minute, he lovingly said, "Don''t worry, it''s


    going to be alright. Thank you very much, Caroline."

 Chapter 815 Giving Birth To A Monkey (Part One)

    Chapter 815 Giving Birth To A Monkey (Part One)


    When she saw Caroline and George arguing with each other, Harper quietly took the baby out of the


    room, leaving the couple to sort things out. As she saw the new grandparents waiting outside


    anxiously, Harper informed with a smile, "Lord Franklin, Lady Isabe, your daughter and the baby are


    stable. It''s a boy."


    Isabe held the baby in her arms and said with so much excitement, "Caroline wants you to give the


    baby his name. Please name him. It would be such an honor."


    In fact, Harper had been thinking about it for a while. She said, "How about Jabari? It means brave."


    Franklin couldn''t help but repeat the name, as if he was trying to see how the name would sound.


    "Jabari, Jabari. It''s great. The name has been decided then."


    Meanwhile, Zack had been standing by the sideline and watching how happy they were. He smiled and


    thought to himself, ''It''s such a precious time. I wish this moment can stay a bit longer, so I can also


    enjoy the warmth of it all.''


    However, it seemed like Matthew was born to ruin Zack''s happiness. As soon as Harper gave the baby


    a name, Barry walked into the room. Zack didn''t have to think any deeper, and he knew that the man


    was there on Matthew''smand. Matthew was so determined that he and Harper wouldn''t stay with


    each other for no more than an extra second.


    After Barry curtsied to everyone, he then stated, "Lord Franklin, Lady Isabe, Lord Zack,


    congrattions on the safe birth of this child. Lady Harper, His Highness has been waiting for you


    outside of the gate for quite a long time and wants to know when you n toe back home."


    Harper faintly smiled. "Ask him to wait for a moment. I''lle out after I tell them something important."


    "Yes, Lady Harper, understood." After he acknowledged what Harper said, Barry turned around and left


    the room. A hint of distress was briefly seen across Zack''s eyes but it soon disappeared.


    "You''ve just returned to the capital so we were actually nning to invite you for dinner. We wanted to


    properly wee you. But it so happened that Caroline gave birth to a baby and you had toe in


    this kind of situation. Thank you for your hard work. We''re fine here. Please go back to your mansion.


    You must be tired and craving for some rest after your journey." Zack was always so considerate and


    gentle. He would never make it difficult for Harper.


    "That''s right but Caroline just gave birth so she needs some tonic. Later, I will write a list of some


    nutritious food that will help her recover and have someone send it here. Since we came back, I


    haven''t returned to my mansion. Matthew is already waiting outside so I can''t stay any longer.


    Goodbye, everyone." Harper politely bid everyone goodbye.


    "Go ahead. After all, we now have plenty of time since you''re back in the city. Harper, please take care


    of yourself. We didn''t see you for a long time but you look much thinner than thest time." Isabe


    spoke in a gentle voice.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    Harper was a little stunned but she nodded. "Thank you for your concern, Lady Isabe. I''ll keep that in


    mind."


    She turned around and left the room while Zack''s gaze followed her out. He didn''t veer his eyes away


    even when she disappeared at the corner.


    Franklin sighed quietly before he spoke. "Zack, take a look at your nephew. Just stare at him right now


    and you can see that he''s going to grow up into a promising boy."


    As Zack looked away and turned to the child in Isabe''s arms, his eyes softened. "Yeah, I don''t doubt


    that," he remarked.


    In front of the Kong n mansion, Matthew was leafing through the military books in the carriage to kill


    time. As soon as he heard continuous cries of a baby, he knew that Caroline had safely given birth.


    That was why he immediately sent Barry to ask Harper toe back home as soon as possible.


    After a short while, the curtain was lifted up. "What did she give birth to?" he asked while looking at


    Harper.


    "A baby," Harper said with a yful smile on her lips.


    Upon hearing that, Matthew was speechless for a while. With furrowed eyebrows, he asked, "Of course


    it''s a baby. Can she give birth to a monkey? I am asking if it''s a boy or a girl."


    Harper sat down next to him and pinched his nose. "It''s a boy. I don''t know why my husband is so


    jealous that he wouldn''t allow me to stay for one more second. You sent Barry urging me toe back


    faster even before I could say anything to them."


    Matthew gently grabbed Harper''s hand. "We''ve been away for such a long time, and it''s time for us to


    go back home. I''m not being too jealous or overprotective. After all, they''re family and Caroline just had


    a baby. Sooner orter, the rest of their family wille and they will have a joyful reunion. I''m just


    afraid that if you stay there, you''ll feel like an outsider. I don''t want to put you in that kind of situation, so


    I sent Barry to remind you that I''m here."


    "Are you serious?" As a matter of fact, Harper didn''t believe it.


    "Of course. We don''t have other family members now. Although you have a brother and a sister, one is


    studying in the south region, while the other is being raised in Prince Allen''s mansion. While on my


    side, you know how my so-called ''family'' is. The reality is that I only have you," Matthew said while


    holding Harper in his arms.


    His words "only have you" almost made Harper cry. She then realized that she had actually been taking


    him for granted. He gave her absolute freedom to do whatever she wanted. She realized that no matter


    how busy she was with doing her own things, she shouldn''t neglect this man.


    "When we reach home, shall I make you lotus seeds porridge?" Harper softly asked.


    As soon as he heard that, Matthew''s eyes lit up, as if the softness in his eyes was about to overflow.


    He smiled and said, "A bowl of porridge is not enough for me."


    "What do you want to eat then? I''ll make it for you. Just tell me and I''ll try my best to cook it for you,"


    Harper immediately responded.


    "Can you cook for me every day?" Matthew asked in a low voice.


    "Yes, I can do it for you every single day," Harper answered after thinking it over.


    "Well, I don''t really want you to cook for me every day. Your hands aren''t ustomed to cooking," he


    answered with tenderness.


    "Are they ustomed to killing then?" Harper asked with amusement.

 Chapter 816 Giving Birth To A Monkey (Part Two)

    Chapter 816 Giving Birth To A Monkey (Part Two)


    Matthew rolled his eyes at her and said, "Killing is my job. You should use your hands to paint and save


    people''s lives. You don''t need to taint them with oil or blood."


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    A wide smile reached Harper''s eyes. She was so happy and content. Matthew was in a good mood, as


    well. Moreover, Allen must have known that they had juste back so he didn''t send someone to


    disturb them. The two had a very rare time of leisure.


    In the kitchen of the Phoenix House, Angelica and Peony kept shaking their heads while looking at the


    couple inside. "They rushed into the kitchen aftering back and even kicked us out. Are they going


    to cook by themselves?"


    Nina then asked the two maids to leave and not disturb Harper and Matthew. After that, she also left.


    The moment she left the kitchen, Barry stopped her.


    "Barry, is there something wrong? They''re busy in the kitchen. If you have something to tell them, I''m


    afraid you will have to wait for a while," Nina whispered.


    "I''m not here for His Highness."


    "Oh," Nina briefly replied. For a long time, she just looked at Barry, not knowing what else to say. After


    a while, she could only ask him, "How was your trip to the South Kingdom?"


    "Well, although there were some risks all throughout our journey, we sessfully overcame each one


    of them." After a moment of silence, Barry took out a jade hairpin from his pocket and handed it to


    Nina. "I saw it on the way. I immediately thought that it would suit you very much, so I bought it back."


    Nina took the hairpin in her hands. With trembling lips, she said, "Thank you. You¡ª Are you hungry?


    Shall I make you something to eat?"


    "No, thanks. I''ve already had my supper." For a few minutes, Barry just stared at Nina''s face. When he


    noticed that she was just carefully holding the jade hairpin in her hands while looking a little


    overwhelmed, Barry took it from her and put it on her hair. "Lady Harper has granted our marriage.


    Tomorrow I''ll ask a matchmaker to send the betrothal gifts. I promise I will try my best not to hurt you or


    even make you unhappy."


    In an instant, there was a blush on Nina''s face. She didn''t know how to respond so she stuttered,


    "Well... well, I..."


    "You... You don''t want to marry me?" Barry asked with so much worry.


    Nina quickly shook her head and said, "I... I actually want to stay with Lady Harper, but I can''t do that


    after getting married, right?"


    "I''m Prince Matthew''s bodyguard. Even after we get married, we don''t have to leave this mansion. After


    all, we are members of this household. We can also move out from here and live outside if you like, but


    I still need to go back every day so I can fulfill my duties. I know you''re Lady Harper''s personal maid


    and you''ve been with her since you were a child. You grew up with her so it''s understandable that you


    have so much love for her. If you don''t want to leave, after our marriage, I won''t ask you to move out of


    this mansion. And I also hope you can continue to take care of her," Barry patiently exined.


    Upon hearing that, Nina breathed a sigh of relief. Then, it took her a while to remember something. She


    took out a sachet from her pocket and handed it to Barry. "Here you go. I embroidered this sachet in my


    spare time."


    After that, Nina turned around and left in a hurry. The intoxicating blush on her face could still be seen.


    When Barry looked at the exquisite sachet in his hand, tenderness poured out of his eyes. Suddenly,


    Jack appeared out of nowhere. Barry quickly put away the sachet,posed the expression on his


    face, and quietly looked at him.


    "Gee, you''ve really fallen for her so bad. Surprisingly, it seems like she feels the same. No wonder


    Lady Harper didn''t hesitate in giving you permission to marry her personal maid. But she wasn''t like


    that with me. She even told me that she wouldn''t give me any maid. Barry, I''m not so bad, right?


    Anyway, I''m handsome and remarkable..." Jack stated while he circled around Barry.


    When Jack turned to Barry, he couldn''t find him. Apparently, when Jack was mumbling to himself, Barry


    had silently left. Jack didn''t even notice that.


    "Since you have a wife-to-be now, you think that you don''t need me anymore. You forget your friends


    whenever you see a woman!" Jack murmured to himself. Then, he saw Forsythia passing by the door,


    so he quickly caught up with her and eximed, "Forsythia, Forsythia!"


    Forsythia nonchntly asked, "What''s up? Her Highness already told us that everyone from the


    Phoenix House are forbidden to get in touch with you. So don''t even try to deceive us."


    "I just came back to the imperial capital and my legs are almost broken from running miles after miles.


    Her Highness is so heartless. I just said those remarks in a yful manner. How would I even dare to


    push around her beloved maids? Forsythia, we grew up together. We''ve known each other for more


    than ten years. Your ruthlessness is breaking my heart." Jack wanted to cry but no tears were seen in


    his eyes.


    He even covered his chest to show that he was "protecting" his wounded heart. Upon seeing that,


    Forsythia pursed her lips in disappointment. "Fred, throw him out."


    "Okay." Fred''s voice came into the room. Jack didn''t even realize it but his body was already in the air.


    He couldn''t help but yell, "Fred, you little bastard, how dare you do this to me! Ah!!!"


    After a minute, the sound of something heavy falling on the ground was heard. Forsythia gave a


    thumbs-up with satisfaction. Fred turned his head, pretended not to see it and walked out. Forsythia


    closed the door, forbidding anyone from disturbing the couple. After all, Harper only had few chances to


    be with Matthew. They hadn''t had the opportunity to just spend some time together for long. The two


    were so busy and traveling around, especially during this trip to the South Kingdom when Harper had


    been in danger several times. Fortunately, good things always happened eventually. Forsythia really


    hoped that both of them could be safe and happy.


    Jack''s fall on the ground was so painful. He would not have been in such a mess if Fred hadn''t sealed


    his internal force. Fred was getting back at him because he told Harper about the time when he said


    that she always nagged. But they were close like brothers. How dare Fred treat him in such a way!


    Jack thought that he must have his revenge for this humiliation.

 Chapter 817 Prejudice (Part One)

    Chapter 817 Prejudice (Part One)


    At that time, the entire Travis'' mansion was extraordinarily quiet. While Travis himself remained silent,


    his wife, Hannah looked very serious. They were taken aback by the fact that Shawn suddenly arrived,


    taking Wendy back from the south region.


    "Shawn, do you know that Wendy..." Hannah wanted to say something but she hesitated. After all, this


    was her biological daughter that they were speaking of. As her mother, she had always been aware of


    what was on Wendy''s mind. If it was not for her weak physical state, she would havepeted with


    Harper. Now, she was being forced to bow her head and ask Harper to cure her. Because of this, she


    was afraid that Wendy wouldn''t ept the treatment.


    "Father, Mother, I just told you that I had already agreed to let Princess Harper cure Wendy. Wendy''s


    condition is getting worse and worse by the day. Let''s not lie to each other. For a long time, I know that


    all of us have been thinking about the same thing. We must do something. And right now, this once in a


    lifetime chance is beingid out in front of us. We can''t waste any more time. If we just wait here and


    argue with each other, she''s going to die. Harper said that there''s an 80% chance that Wendy will be


    cured. I really think that we should give it a try," Shawn insisted. He also knew what kind of a person his


    sister was. But when it came to her own life, he couldn''t save her if she didn''t want to stay alive.


    Initially, Hannah was against the idea. But when she heard what Shawn said, she fell into silence. If her


    daughter had a chance to survive and live like a normal person, then she was willing to give it a shot.


    But would Wendy agree to it?


    "I understand what you''re saying, but I''m afraid Wendy won''t agree to it."


    "If she dies, she will have nothing. But if she can live, she can have everything." While Shawn was


    speaking, his attention was veered to the door. He saw a figure which seemingly left in an instant. He


    knew then that Wendy was eavesdropping outside. But he wasn''t rmed because when he said those


    words, he spoke very loudly on purpose so that Wendy could hear him. If she died, all her wishes and


    hopes would be in vain. On the contrary, everything would be possible if she could survive.


    "Then allow Harper to cure her. Is she asking for anything in return?" Travis finally spoke although he


    was a little uneasy.


    After all, the people from Prince Matthew''s mansion were not easy to deal with. Harper offered to cure


    Wendy so she must have some other purpose for doing so. He was worried that they couldn''t afford


    such a price.


    "No, she isn''t." It was just three simple words, but it made Travis look like a viin who misjudged a


    decent and innocent people. For a moment, he was petrified.


    "S-she''s not asking for anything?" Hannah also found it hard to believe. In the past few years, they had


    visited a lot of famous physicians all over the country. They had even asked thete emperor to offer a


    reward in order to find somebody who could cure Wendy. Unfortunately, there was no one who became


    sessful in doing so. Now, Harper was iming that she found a way to cure Wendy. But the most


    surprising thing was that she wasn''t asking for anything in return at all.


    It wasn''t that Hannah was worried about Harper''s abilities, but she had some other doubts. "As far as I


    know, you begged for her help before. She said she couldn''t cure Wendy. Why is she saying that she


    can do it now?"


    Shawn frowned a little. "She went to the South Kingdom and entered the Labyrinth Swamp."


    Travis stood up in shock and then slowly sat down. "Did she acquire the medicine that can cure Wendy


    from the Labyrinth Swamp?"


    Shawn nodded and said, "Actually, she almost died several times when she went to the South


    Kingdom. At that time, she was forced to enter the Labyrinth Swamp, but she had enough concern to


    think about Wendy''s disease..."


    Travis heaved a sigh. For all the time, they weren''t fond of Matthew''s family, not only because he was


    intimidating and cold-hearted, but also because Harper was from the Chu n, which didn''t have a


    good reputation themselves. The former prime minister, Charles was extremely greedy for profits.


    Howard was vicious, ruthless, treacherous, and rebellious. In their opinion, Harper, the daughter of


    Charles''te wife, had an extremely bad reputation. Travis had even prevented his son from being


    friends with her.


    "But even if we want the best for Wendy, it''s still not wise to deal with the Chu n," Travis helplessly


    said.


    "Father, have you forgotten that the Chu n had already been destroyed? At this moment, only two of


    their children are left. Their influence and power are significantly weaker than before," Shawn lightly


    said.


    "Princess Harper ¡ª" Travis tried to respond but Shawn cut him off.


    "Princess Harper  is Prince Matthew''s wife now. Don''t forget that. If she has any evil intention and it isn''t


    wise to be associated with her, do you think that the current emperor would have seeded to the


    throne today?" Shawn thought his father was really getting old now, as he wasn''t as smart as before to


    see through people. If it was true that Harper was a bad person, the emperor would by no means


    ascend the throne.


    "That''s because Prince Matthew ¡ª"


    "Yes, he''s powerful. And everything that his wife wants, including the throne, he would turn the world


    just to give it to her," Shawn casually said, without thinking that his words were not appropriate.


    Travis was so furious that his eyes were fuming with rage. He wanted to scold his son, but after


    thinking about it, he realized that Shawn had a point. Indeed, the Bu n was full of cunning people.


    But for some reason, they had be fond of Harper. If she was a wretched person, they wouldn''t


    have protected her all this time.


    "If Princess Harper had asked for anything in return, it would have been a relief for us. But she didn''t.


    So I''m just afraid..." Travis was quite worried. After all, what Harper would do for them was a great


    favor. If for example, Matthew were to threaten Shawn into doing something that was against their


    morality, how could they refuse?This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

 Chapter 818 Prejudice (Part Two)

    Chapter 818 Prejudice (Part Two)


    "I just told you that Princess Harper could cure Wendy. If you refuse it, I''ll immediately give her a reply."


    Shawn stood up and pretended to leave.


    "Wait! Come back! I said that we''re just worried!" Travis was so infuriated that his beard stiffened.


    "What are you worried about? Do we have anything that Prince Matthew wants? Our military power?


    Can any military in the world resist the ck g Army of three hundred thousand soldiers?" Shawn


    sarcastically asked.


    "Maybe..."


    "Wendy?" Father, Wendy cannot even bepared to Princess Harper. If I were Prince Matthew, I


    wouldn''t be interested in any other woman after marrying her." There was even a hint of ridicule in the


    smile on Shawn''s face.


    "Is she that good?" Travis was a little unhappy. Except for her weak physical state, he firmly believed


    that his daughter was adequate, if not eptable enough!


    "Can Wendy rescue Prince Matthew when he was on the verge of life and death? Can she save Zack


    when all of the imperial physicians said he was incurable? When faced with an assassination, can she


    try her best to save Caroline? Can shee out of the Labyrinth Swamp alive?" All of Shawn''s


    questions went unanswered.


    "No, you can''t make suchparisons. Princess Harper is a physician, but Wendy isn''t."


    "Father, you''re worried that we will owe Princess Harper a huge favor. But what you don''t know is that


    our family already owed her so many years before. If it weren''t for her, I would have been dead already.


    Do you remember that I once told you that I was pushed into ake when I attended a banquet in the


    Imperial Pce?" Shawn sighed.


    "Did she save you?" Travis asked in disbelief.


    Shawn nodded eagerly before saying, "I''m very certain about her moral high ground. No matter where


    she''s from or what kind of person she is, she isn''t cruel or vicious. She may be calcting, but she was


    born in the Chu n. Could she survive and safely grow up without learning how to be maniptive


    here and there? Father, who in this world ispletely innocent? Why do you have to view her with so


    much prejudice?"


    Travis wanted to retort, but Hannah grabbed his arm and shook her head. She knew that they really


    needed to turn to Harper for help. The princess didn''t act like she was above them or ask for anything


    in return. She just did it for the sake of her friend, Shawn. Anyone else wouldn''t even care if Wendy


    were to die in front of them.


    "Shawn, I need you to prepare a generous gift. Tomorrow, let''s go to Prince Matthew''s mansion to visit


    Princess Harper. We should at least thank her for this opportunity of saving Wendy''s life," Hannah


    slowly said.


    "Yes, Mother. I''m leaving now to prepare the gift," Shawn said with a respectful bow.


    "Go ahead."


    Hannah waved her hand to bid him goodbye. At the same time, Travis still wanted to say something,


    but Hannah who noticed it, stopped him. "Travis, don''t you understand the situation yet?"


    "What do you mean?" Travis asked in confusion.


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    After a sigh, Hannah responded, "Our son has been single all these years. Apparently, it''s not because


    he doesn''t like anyone, but because the one he loves is in love with someone else. Before Harper


    married Prince Matthew, she had a tainted reputation so no one even dared to ask for her hand in


    marriage. If I had known it back then ¡ª"


    "Even so, I wouldn''t let my son marry such a troublesome woman! Yes, she is capable and talented,


    but so what? With her character, no man was able to subdue her except that cold-hearted Prince


    Matthew. Which family would have epted her?" Travis said with conviction, still averse to changing


    his opinions.


    He was a stubborn man, and his wife perfectly knew that there was nothing she could do to change his


    mind. She said, "Don''t worry. Even if you offer her a lot of money, she won''t ept it. She is Prince


    Matthew''s wife, and has a very high position right now. Your son can''t do anything but look up to her!"


    "What do you mean when you say that? Why do you speak about him as if he is my son alone and not


    yours?! What''s so good about that woman anyway? A woman should act like one. She should stay at


    home to serve her husband and teach her children well. She''s the only woman who appears


    everywhere outside of her home. She doesn''t behave like a woman at all," Travis said, frustrated and


    dissatisfied with the topic.


    Hannah smiled while she looked at him being so furious. "Yes, you''re right. But apparently, Prince


    Matthew prefers a woman like her."


    Travis was rendered speechless. For a while, he didn''t respond to her. "Our daughter can''t marry into


    the prince''s mansion. Only that wild woman Harper can stay there!"


    "Have you forgotten that thete emperor tried to force him into getting married to some beautiful


    women? Do you remember what happened to those women? Well, well, tomorrow, I will ask Princess


    Harper and check if she has any intention of doing something simr. We really can''t just sit here and


    wait for Wendy''s illness to consume her. If Princess Harper doesn''t have any malicious intent, let''s


    ept her offer. I don''t think she''s the kind of person who will threaten or extort us just because she


    can help us." Hannah sighed.


    "I''m just afraid that Matthew has a lot of evil intentions." They had concluded that the one who Travis


    was worried about was Matthew. He looked daunting, cold, and unreasonable. On top of that, he had a


    reputation for being maniptive. No one could be inparison with him. But Harper could walk with


    him and not be intimidated, so there was no other exnation except that she was cunning as well.


    Travis was just afraid that in the future, his two children would be willing to dly help the couple even


    if they got hurt.


    "s. Why isn''t our son as cunning as Zack?" With their current situation, Travis couldn''t help but envy


    Franklin very much.


    "Who called him ''Little Fox'' a few days ago?" Hannah asked with a smile.


    Travis lightly scratched his nose and said, "The Bu n indeed has a group of cunning


    foxes!"

 Chapter 819 Rolando Is Gay (Part One)

    Chapter 819 Rndo Is Gay (Part One)


    Upon seeing Hannah, Shawn''s mother, who just arrived at her doorstep, Harper was taken aback. The


    next second, she noticed that Shawn also came along with her. She immediately realized that Hannah


    must havee to confirm if she could really cure her daughter. After all, Wendy was Hannah''s only


    daughter so she couldn''t take any risks. Even though Harper had already told Shawn that there was an


    80% chance that she could cure Wendy, Hannah still personally came to confirm it.


    Performing the role of the mansion''s hostess, Harper weed them inside. "Lady Hannah and


    Shawn, please have a seat. Nina, make a pot of tea with the new tea leaves that I brought back from


    the South Kingdom for our guests."


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    Even though Hannah had taken a considerable amount of time thinking and rehearsing about what to


    say, she suddenly forgot all of them when Harper was in front of her. In fact, she had a lot of things that


    she wanted to say and ask, but Harper looked quite intimidating. For a moment, Hannah found it hard


    to speak.


    After the hot tea was served, Hannah sipped her tea before saying, "Your Highness, Shawn told us that


    you can cure my daughter. Travis and I have been very excited since we heard that, so we came to


    express our gratitude."


    "Lady Hannah, please don''t say that. I haven''t started the treatment for your daughter yet. As of now, I


    am only 80% sure that it will work. It''s too early for you to express any kind of gratitude. After all, I''ve


    been friends with Shawn for a long time. Also, I just acquired a few herbs that could cure heart disease.


    Otherwise, I wouldn''t dare offer to cure your daughter," Harper said with a smile.


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    Looking at the peaceful expression on Harper''s face, Hannah thought, ''Sure enough, you can''t be


    underestimated. My husband made a mistake. I''m just afraid that in the past, you ruined your


    reputation on purpose for reasons that we don''t know.''


    "Your Highness, you said that you''re 80% sure. I think the probability of sess is very high. So I''m


    here to ask how our family should show our gratitude to you for curing my daughter." Hannah


    cautiously asked. As far as she was concerned, since Harper was offering them such a great favor,


    they would certainly pay a heavy price.


    "Well, you''ve already paid for that." Harper looked at Shawn. Their glorious win at the Birch Pass battle


    wouldn''t have been achieved so smoothly if it hadn''t been for Shawn. So Harper had long thought that


    she should give him something in return.


    "We''ve already paid you?" Hannah looked at Shawn in surprise who looked rather confused as well. He


    had no idea when he had given anything to Harper.


    "If it wasn''t for Shawn''s help, Matthew and I wouldn''t be able to control the Birch Pass so quickly. So, in


    retrospect, you''ve already given us something. You don''t have to worry about anything, Lady Hannah,"


    Harper lightly said.


    Hannah stared at Harper for a long time without saying a word. She had thought that thetter would


    demand a very unreasonable price. In fact, Hannah was well-prepared for that or anything that Harper


    might ask. But Harper told her so casually that they wouldn''t owe her anything, just because Shawn


    obeyed all of their orders and helped them in the battle. From Hannah''s perspective, what her son did


    couldn''t be regarded as anything close to a "debt".


    Shawn had clearly been ordered to aid in the Birch Pass. No matter who was in the Birch Pass, he


    would have supported them. But Harper took Shawn''s obligatory support as if he had done it by his


    own free will.


    After a long while, Hannah softly said, "I see. Thank you very much, Your Highness. May I know when


    do you n on starting the treatment for my daughter?"


    Harper looked at Shawn before saying, "Three dayster. I still need to prepare something. That''s why


    I n on curing her in three days."


    "Your Highness, is there anything we need to prepare in advance?" Hannah immediately asked. She


    felt embarrassed and sorry for misunderstanding Harper''s intentions. Upon careful reflection, she now


    realized that Harper also didn''t ask for anything at all after she saved the daughter of the Bu n.


    Although Franklin had requested the vice director position of the Imperial Academy of Medicine for


    Harper, she was already Matthew''s wife at that time. Such a title was not a big deal for her.


    "Please tell Wendy to maintain a happy mood. I''ll take care of the rest," Harper stated with a small


    smile.


    "Thank you so much, Your Highness." Hannah bowed to Harper out of both appreciation and apology.


    She and her husband had misunderstood her because of her reputation. Now, Hannah felt deeply


    sorry.


    While watching the receding figures of Hannah and Shawn as they left the mansion, Harper said,


    "Such a pity for her as a parent! I don''t know how long she struggled before she made up her mind to


    come to our mansion."


    "Then why did you pretend to be so intimidating? You scared her to such an extent that she spoke so


    cautiously," Matthew asked with a smile on his face. As soon as he was finished with the imperial court


    session, he returned home and overheard the conversation between Hannah and his wife.


    Harper smiled broadly and said, "It''s not my fault though. I thought that Hannah came here to assert


    dominance and show that she was superior. After all, when her man fought with my man, he showed


    no mercy at all. Even though I am not worried that he can defeat you, I can''t lose myposure as


    your wife."


    "Yes, yes. As long as you''re with me, everyone else in the world should make way for you."


    "Humph! You''re teasing me!" Harper eximed, pretending to be upset. "Did anything good happened


    in the imperial court session?"


    "I''m not sure if it is a good thing. The Great Jade Kingdom had just delivered a state letter, informing us


    that Rndo decided to appoint Lilian as his empress. He''s inviting representatives from our Bright


    Dynasty to attend the ceremony." Matthew sighed.


    "Rndo wanted to make Lilian his empress?" Harper asked in surprise. Although the Bright Dynasty''s


    power and influence could be considered as equal to the Great Jade Kingdom''s, thetter was


    wealthier. If Rndo wanted to conquer the world, how could he appoint a foreign princess as his


    empress?


    "It feels strange to you as well, right? That''s why I said earlier that I don''t know if it''s a good thing. I


    can''t help but think that Rndo has a n in mind," Matthew slowly said.

 Chapter 820 Rolando Is Gay (Part Two)

    Chapter 820 Rndo Is Gay (Part Two)


    "Perhaps, Rndo does want Lilian to be his empress. Lilian must be very happy. She''s been in love


    with him for so many years. Now, she''s finally going to be hiswful wife. As the saying goes, ''Nothing


    is impossible to a willing heart''." Harper sighed.


    Matthew opened his mouth, but said nothing in response. Rndo had saved Harper before. He even


    acquired a crippled arm for doing so. If he insisted on speaking ill of Rndo, he knew that it would


    backfire on him.


    "Shall we go to the Great Jade Kingdom?" Matthew asked instead.


    Harper''s eyes lit up. "Of course we should. Aside from attending the wedding, I happen to be very


    interested in the contents recorded in the Heavenly Book which Rndo has been keeping."


    "Rndo will not give it to you so easily," Matthew reminded her.


    "He can just show it to me," Harper inly said. If Rndo was willing to show her the contents of the


    book, then she would be able to know the entire procedure of the cultivation process.


    Matthew pondered about it for a while before saying, "On the day that you went to the pce of the


    South Kingdom, did the queen tell you anything useful?"


    Harper nodded. Indeed, the queen told her a lot of valuable information. "She told me that the


    Heavenly Book is very valuable to me. I have to know what''s recorded in thest one."


    After a moment''s silence, Matthew said, "I''ll find a way to get thest one for you."


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Harper shook her head. "You don''t have to get it. It won''t be easy for you to take something from


    Rndo, since your strength and his are neck and neck. But I guess it will be all right if I borrow it for a


    quick browse."


    Matthew didn''t answer her right away. If Harper wanted to have a look, Rndo would certainly agree


    to that. But he felt ufortable with allowing Harper to see Rndo. The man was cunning and


    determined. To get the Heavenly Book of the Bright Dynasty, he hid in the kingdom for five years and


    even disguised himself as a monk for a long time. It was almost impossible for Matthew to take away


    the Heavenly Book from him.


    "Rndo is not easy to get along with, so don''t underestimate him," Matthew stated with great concern.


    "Darling, I will never dare to underestimate him. He left his Great Jade Kingdom for five years and


    worked as a monk in our Bright Dynasty for another five years. Despite that, he was able to quickly


    take control of the Great Jade Kingdom and ascend the throne. It can be said that he is very powerful


    and has never given upmand over his kingdom. Besides, his prime minister, Miguel is a tough


    man." Harper was reminded of the great hostility that she got from Miguel when they were in the South


    Kingdom.


    "Miguel..." Upon hearing the name of the man, Matthew frowned so deeply. It was only natural for


    Matthew to react this way. Miguel was a person who was rather hard to predict and deal with.


    Harper hesitated while she spoke. "He... It seems like he''s very hostile to me. When we were in the


    South Kingdom, it was the first time for us to meet each other. So I don''t know why he was so cold


    towards me even though we hadn''t encountered each other before."


    There seemed to be a sparkle in Matthew''s eyes, but Harper didn''t notice it. She was still preupied,


    trying to think of a reason why Miguel would act in such a way towards her. She looked at Matthew and


    thought about everything she remembered about Miguel. The more she tried to think about it, the


    expression in her eyes became more and more yful.


    "Don''t think too much," Matthew said right away when he noticed the look in his wife''s eyes.


    "Do you even know what I''m thinking about?" Harper asked with so much interest.


    "I don''t have the same kind of preference as that man!" Matthew could tell from his wife''s expression


    that whatever she was thinking about, it wasn''t good. He didn''t know anything about Miguel or his


    preference towards a lover. But Matthew was certain that he himself preferred women and was


    definitely not gay.


    Harper wore a frisky smile on her face when she softly said, "Darling, I haven''t said anything. Why are


    you acting like that?"


    Matthew pinched Harper''s nose. "I can read your mind. As long as I see your eyes, I will know what


    you''re thinking about. Are you thinking that Miguel is gay and I''m his ideal partner? That''s why he was


    so hostile towards you because you''re my wife."


    Harper picked up the teacup and ced it by her mouth to cover her embarrassment after Matthew just


    exposed her thoughts. "I''m usually good at reading situations, except for this one. I just don''t


    understand why he was so hostile to me. One thing''s for sure; Miguel is gay and as for the object of his


    affections, that person is certainly..."


    "Rndo!" Matthew supplied without hesitation. "Think about it. When Rndo left the Great Jade


    Kingdom for such a long time, Miguel has been there all the time. Yet, as soon as Rndo came back,


    he could control the kingdom in no time. Miguel must have made a great contribution to that. I think that


    Miguel''s hostility towards you must have been because of Rndo!"


    Confused, Harper asked, "Because of Rndo? Why would you think that?"


    "Rndo has always kept himself away from women. He looks so gentle and kind. Have you ever seen


    any woman close to him?" Matthew patiently guided Harper to the idea that Rndo was gay. Even if


    Rndo was not so, Matthew would let Harper think that he was. He even wanted this thought to be


    deeply rooted in her mind so that whenever she saw Rndo, she would be reminded of his gay


    preference.


    Harper thought for a while and realized that there wasn''t any woman who had been able to be close to


    Rndo. Even she had always stood three steps away from him. Upon careful thought, she realized


    that the only one time when she was able to approach him was only because he was injured and she


    had to save him and change the medicine for his wound. After that, it seemed like she had never been


    close to him again.

 Chapter 821 An Abundance Of Old Friends (Part One)

    Chapter 821 An Abundance Of Old Friends (Part One)


    Since Harper was starting to believe that Rndo was gay, Matthew wanted to water the seeds that he


    had nted in her mind.


    "Miguel is hostile to you because Rndo saved your life at the cost of one of his own arms. Look at it


    from Miguel''s perspective. What kind of feelings must Rndo have for you that he was so willing to


    give up a part of him just to save you?" The expression on Matthew''s face remained as normal as it


    could get, but he wasughing so much inside. He thought to himself, ''You are too naive to go against


    me, Rndo.''


    Harper narrowed her eyes when she heard what Matthew said. "He''s hostile to me because Rndo


    gave up his arm for me?" She voiced out her thoughts at the moment.


    Matthew frowned a bit with Harper''s reaction. He coughed a few times to clear his throat before saying,


    "Harp, you see, it''s more than that. Rndo has never been with a woman before. But he was more


    than willing to lose an arm for you. It made Miguel misunderstand that Rndo likes you. Miguel then


    became afraid that Rndo was going to abandon him. That''s why he sees you as an enemy, a rival,


    and apetition. However, he didn''t dare to show it in public because he didn''t want the others to


    know that the emperor and the prime minister of the Great Jade Kingdom are gay. So, the only thing he


    can do is treat you with hostility from time to time but in a subtle way, so that no one will notice what


    he''s doing."


    Harper nodded. She thought that Matthew gave her the reasonable exnation that she was looking


    for. She had been wondering why Miguel would be so hostile to her from the first time they met. Now


    the puzzle had been solved.


    "But there is nothing going on between me and Rndo. Miguel is being jealous for no reason," Harper


    said, still a little confused.


    "A man who is deep in love is not rational at all. He has long regarded you as a rival and it will be hard


    to change his mind. So, from now on, stay away from Rndo, in case Miguel finally reaches his limit


    and uses some dirty trick to hurt you," Matthew reminded Harper, trying to sound very serious.


    "Okay, I got it." Harper nodded at once.


    Matthew was very satisfied with the result of his n. "Anyway, how long will it take to diagnose and


    cure Wendy? The grand ceremony to crown the empress of the Great Jade Kingdom will take ce on


    the fifteenth of the next month. Do you think we''ll have enough time?"


    "I need to prepare some things first, for that, I need three days. After trying out the treatment on her, I


    need a few days to observe her condition, to see if there are anyplications that she may


    experience. The other physicians may not be able to deal with all of it, so I have to do it myself. There''s


    a lot to do, but I think we have enough time. In the worst-case scenario, you can go ahead to the Great


    Jade Kingdom first. After things have been settled down here, I''ll be on my way as soon as possible.


    Wendy''s condition has something to do with her heart, so I can''t be careless. Any minor mistakes may


    kill her," Harper quickly exined.


    "You do remember that it''s not your responsibility to save her."


    "I know. But since there''s a way to cure her, I think I should do it, at least for Shawn''s sake. By the way,


    I noticed that Travis'' wife seems like quite a reasonable woman. Why did she choose to marry


    someone as irrational as Travis?" Harper lightly asked.


    The corner of Matthew''s mouth slightly twitched at Harper''s question. He suddenly realized that


    perhaps, others must have also been thinking that Harper was a reasonable person, while he was an


    irrational person, so Harper shouldn''t have married him. Matthew started to ask himself, ''Well... which


    part of me actually attracted her?''This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    While thinking about it, Matthew quietly sighed in his mind. The truth was that Harper didn''t even like


    him from the beginning. If he hadn''t been such a resourceful and skillful man who got the upper hand in


    thepetition and made her his, her heart would have certainly been taken away by other men.


    "By the way, the baby of the Kong n will be baptized tomorrow. Are you going to attend?" Matthew


    changed the topic.


    "Of course I will. I have to prepare a decent gift for them as well. Actually, Franklin said that it''s going to


    be a simple gathering for family and friends, and there is no need to hold a huge feast to entertain


    everyone. But I still think that it will be better if Ie with a gift," Harper stated with a smile.


    "You are really so kind to them. I''m jealous, to tell you the truth," Matthew said, admitting his honest


    feelings.


    Harper stood up and hugged his waist from behind. "After we get the Heavenly Book, let''s have a baby,


    too. What do you say?"


    A trace of delight shed across Matthew''s eyes, but he quickly suppressed it before Harper saw it. "I


    have you and that''s more than enough," he said as lovingly as he could.


    But Harper knew what was on Matthew''s mind. He must have been aware of her physical condition, so


    he didn''t dare to mention anything about the baby. It could also be the reason why the expression on


    his face extremely changed when Lucas said the word "baby" in front of them, just the other day.


    "Was it Felton who told you about it?" Harper asked.


    Upon hearing that, Matthew fell into a deep silence. It was, in fact, Felton who had told him. The man


    said that Harper couldn''t get pregnant because giving birth will definitely kill her. So from then on,


    Matthew didn''t dare to think about anything that had to do with a baby, nor did he want it. A child was


    just an additional gift to their already happy life. But if a child should be given to them at the cost of


    Harper''s life, he would rather not have one.


    "I swear that guy has such a big mouth! He can''t just make it a big deal and exaggerate the situation


    when it''s still not sure if there''s a way to solve the problem," Harper said and pouted with utmost


    disappointment.


    "You mean there might be a way?" Matthew was surprised. For a second, he thought that Harper must


    have been justforting him.


    "The queen of South Kingdom told me some information about it. She said that it was because my


    spiritual power hasn''t been baptized. If I give birth to a child now, my spiritual power will bepletely


    absorbed by the child. And without my spiritual power to support me, I will be weak and eventually die


    in the delivering process. But this won''t happen after I''m baptized," Harper slowly exined.


    "What exactly is this baptism that you''re telling me?" Matthew quickly asked, eager and enthusiastic


    about the possibility of having a child without losing his wife.


    "This is the part that I''m not so sure of. The queen said that after we have gathered the Sacred Seals,


    they will guide me in finding the Death Pool of the Qin n, where I can receive the baptism. But


    before that, I have to learn all the cultivation methods written in the Heavenly Book. So I must see the


    content on Rndo''s Heavenly Book. Only when all the books are gathered and studied can I tell what


    kind of cultivation methods I have to practice." Harper found it hard to exin the matter, but she tried


    really hard to do it for Matthew.

 Chapter 822 An Abundance Of Old Friends (Part Two)

    Chapter 822 An Abundance Of Old Friends (Part Two)


    "You mean what''s recorded in the Heavenly Book are the cultivation methods of the Qin n?"


    Matthew was rather surprised. The Heavenly Books of the four kingdoms'' royal families were after


    were actually written by the Qin n. Inside the books were no more than a few cultivation methods.


    This was so ironic to him because the royal families of the four kingdoms all thought that what was


    written in the book were records of the ways on how humans could live forever. If they had known that


    there were only cultivation methods in those books, they would seriously be enraged.


    "Then the Qin n had been annihted by?"


    "Someone else." Harper told Matthew everything she found out from the queen of South Kingdom.


    Meanwhile, Matthew''s face became solemn while he carefully listened to her every word. If there was a


    hidden force that had exterminated the Qin n, then it must be a very powerful one. If these people


    knew about Harper and found her, Matthew was not sure whether he would be able to protect her.


    "I won''t let anyone hurt you." Matthew suddenly became uneasy.


    "And just the same, I won''t allow anyone toy a finger on me so easily. If these people even dare to


    come to me, I won''t let them go! After all, they murdered every single one of my family," Harper firmly


    eximed.


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Matthew nodded and agreed with her. "It seems like we have to get the Heavenly Books as soon as


    possible. As for the Sacred Seal of the Wonder Kingdom, we''ll get it after we''re done with the books."


    "Actually, I''ve already asked Kile Murong to help me in finding out the whereabouts of the Sacred Seal,"


    Harper said.


    "Kile Murong?" Murong was the surname of a royal family in the Wonder Kingdom. A man came to


    Matthew''s mind when he heard the name. As he remembered, the third prince of the Wonder Kingdom


    was named Kile. "Is the third prince of the Wonder Kingdom a friend of yours?" he asked.


    Harper nodded with a smile, "We became friends many years ago after we got off a bad start."


    The expression on Matthew''s face became a bit sour after he knew this fact. He just recently found out


    that his wife knew the young master of the Phoenix City and they had a close rtionship. And now, he


    was finding out that his wife knew the third prince of the Wonder Kingdom, and they were close as well.


    But the most surprising thing was that when they met the third prince in the South Kingdom, he and


    Harper didn''t show any signs of knowing one another, especially that coward prince. ¡®That brat must


    have been pretending,'' Matthew thought the whole matter in his mind. He decided that he would


    definitely teach Kile a lesson when he saw him next time!


    "Harp, when did you get to know all of these people?"


    "I met Kile when I was out gathering herbs with my uncle."


    "That means you''ve been friends for many years." At this new information, Matthew felt a bit jealous.


    He started topare his rtionship with Harper to her rtionship with Kile and that guy from


    Phoenix City. He thought that he had known Harper for far too short and he just got along with her not


    too long ago. Name any of her friends and they knew Harper for a longer time than he did. Although it


    could be said that he had known Harper for many years as well, there was a long time that he had only


    heard of her name before actually getting to know her.


    "Yes, we''ve been friends for many years. I almost couldn''t recognize him thest time I saw him in the


    South Kingdom. He''s still as mischievous as before. I was actually surprised when he pretended to not


    know me. He did it so well that I almost got deceived by him," Harper confirmed.


    Matthew took hold of Harper''s hand and said, "They''ve known you for way longer than I have. I


    suddenly feel like I didn''t spend enough time with you. In the future, I have to be by your side more


    often than before, lest these people appear out of nowhere and take you away."


    "Then you must keep a close watch on your wife, Darling. Otherwise, you''ll have no one to me when


    she''s taken away someday," Harper yfully said whileughing.


    "Seems like you''re asking for some good spanking! If anyone dares to take my wife from me, my sword


    will show no mercy. Well then, if they get hurt by my sword, don''t me me for being ruthless,"


    Matthew said while eyeing Harper from the corner of his eyes.


    "Alright, alright. I don''t doubt it. You bring death to the battleground. Everyone is so afraid of you. If


    anyone dares to steal me from you, they''re asking for a painful death." Harper readily agreed with


    Matthew while gently stroking his head. She knew that only when the lion was satisfied and happy


    could she have a peaceful time.


    "By the way, there seems to be something wrong with Felton. You should go and see him when you


    have the time," Matthew suddenly said. It was actually hard for him to be this lenient. If it were in the


    past, he would never allow Harper to stay with another man by herself.


    "Speaking of which, I haven''t seen him since we came back. He should have run out of his medicine by


    now. I need to make a new prescription for him. Actually, I have acquired a lot of valuable things from


    my ''trip'' to the Labyrinth Swamp. I think I''lle back there some other time," Harper said after


    thinking about it for a while.


    All this time, Patrick had been sleeping so soundly in a corner. But when it heard that the Labyrinth


    Swamp had been mentioned, it instantly opened its eyes. Then, it jumped on Harper''s shoulders, and


    danced with so much excitement. It looked as if it liked the idea of going to the Labyrinth Swamp so


    much.


    Patrick''s sudden aggressive and carefree attitude was way too much in Matthew''s eyes, so he


    narrowed his eyes. He then waved his hand and knocked Patrick away from Harper''s shoulder. Patrick


    fell on the ground and rolled over several times. With a confused look, it couldn''t understand why


    Matthew did that. But it quickly got up and rushed straight to Harper.


    However, it wasn''t as lucky this time. Before it could make it to Harper, it was shaken away by a strong


    wind that it nearly passed out. But this time, it understood that someone was trying to mess with it.


    Patrick jumped up from the ground once again, put its hand on the waist, and pointed at Matthew''s


    nose. Then it furiously squeaked so loud that Harper quickly tried to calm it down. Seeing that its


    master was such a coward in front of Matthew, it immediately raised its sharp ws and pounced on


    Matthew. If a Holy Beast like Patrick didn''t show the power that it had, it might be treated as a mere


    pet.


    "Meow!" With a scream, Patrick slid down against the wall and fell to the ground. After a long time, it


    slowly got up. Taking a look at Matthew, it lunged at him again. But as soon as Matthew casually waved


    his hand, Patrick met the same fate and was thrown against the wall, time and again. Harper shook her


    head and walked out.


    "You guys have fun. I''m going to see Felton now," Harper said with a shrug.

 Chapter 823 Betrothal Presents (Part One)

    Chapter 823 Betrothal Presents (Part One)


    The moment Harper raised her hand to knock on the door, it immediately opened. When Mathias saw


    her, he directly knelt on the ground, as if he had seen his savior.


    "Lady Harper, my master... is dying!"


    Astonished with the sudden news, Harper quickly went inside. She was certain that she had left


    enough medicine for Felton before she departed from the imperial capital. So she couldn''t understand


    why he would unexpectedly be on the verge of dying.


    As soon as she entered Felton''s bedroom, she saw that he was spitting out blood. A tight frown


    appeared on her face while she immediately helped him sit up. Sitting behind him, she put her hands


    on his back to infuse her spiritual power into his body.


    Harper immediately noticed that Felton was extremely weak, even much weaker than before. She


    couldn''t help but worry about him. When she finally seeded in bringing him to a stable condition,


    she stopped infusing her spiritual power and made him lie on the bed again.


    "I''m sorry to have worried you," Felton softly said. Even though he had spit out blood a few minutes


    ago, he still pretended as if nothing had happened.


    "You used your spiritual power! Do you want to die?" Harper asked, a little enraged with the situation.


    A wry smile formed on his lips. "I''m sorry. I just..."


    "Lady Harper, Master received the news that you entered the Labyrinth Swamp. He was so worried and


    anxious that he instantly used his spiritual power for divination¡ª"


    "Mathias!" Felton eximed, interrupting Mathias before he could say anything more. He had made a


    promise to Harper that he wouldn''t use his spiritual power for divination unless it was absolutely


    necessary. Since he had broken that promise, he actually knew that he should take the consequences.


    "Never use it again! For the time being, your body can''t bear the side effects which is caused by the


    spiritual power," Harper stated with conviction.


    Felton nodded his head and asked, "Have you found anything from your trip to the South Kingdom?"


    "Yes, I found a solution. Perhaps, the rest of the Qin n could be saved. But I can''t tell you yet if it


    works or not unless I give it a try," Harper firmly said.


    "What solution? Is it dangerous?" Felton anxiously asked. If there was any risk, he would dissuade


    Harper from trying it. Now that she was the only direct descendant of the Qin n who was still alive,


    she couldn''t endanger herself.


    "There is a Death Pool in the ancient dwelling of the Qin n. If we are baptized in the Death Pool, our


    bodies can be refined and our marrows can be cleaned. After the baptism, our bodies will be able to


    bear the side effects caused by our spiritual power. That''s why you must hold on, at least for a little bit


    longer. Now that I''m so close to a solution, you can''t give up," Harper said with so much concern while


    staring at Felton.


    "Death Pool? It''s really not a good name, don''t you think? Is it risky to use the Death Pool?" Felton said


    with a smile.


    "Whatever we do, there will always be some kind of danger. But we''re not the kind of people who are


    afraid of taking risks. At worst, we''ll die in the process. But are we just going to be afraid when there''s a


    chance that we may achieve what we want?" Harper calmly said with a smile, as if she was just talking


    about a casual topic. She then gave a box to Mathias and said,


    "This is the medicine that I''ve just developed. The pills are suitable for his physique. Make him take one


    pill in the white bottle every day and one pill in the red bottle every three days. After he had taken every


    single pill in both bottles, he wouldn''t need to take medicine anymore. Just keep a close watch on him


    and never let him use his spiritual power again. If he dares to attempt in using it once more, you can


    knock him out and I''ll forgive you!"


    The expression on Felton''s face immediately froze when he heard that. "Hey, I won''t use my spiritual


    power again. You don''t need to tell Mathias those things."


    "On the contrary, yes, I need to tell him that. You''ve always been so disobedient. If anything happens


    again, you may try to use your spiritual power. If you then die, where can I find you? Please don''t cause


    me any more trouble," Harper worriedly said. She then paused, thinking about it for a while before


    continuing, "Just forget it. I think it will be safer to take you with me. This time, I''m going to the Great


    Jade Kingdom for the first Heavenly Book which is currently in the hands of Rndo."


    Felton agreed with utmost conviction. "The Heavenly Book belongs to the Qin n. Of course we


    should take it back. But I''m afraid it won''t be easy to take anything from Rndo."


    "When I was in the South Kingdom, Rndo hadmanded Miguel to give me half of his copy of the


    Heavenly Book and invite me to the Great Jade Kingdom. I''m sure he must want to know the contents


    of the Heavenly Book as well. Since I''ve been on good terms with him, I think he''ll agree in letting me


    have a look at the Heavenly Book. In return, I can tell him its contents."


    "No! You can''t do that! How can you tell the contents of the Heavenly Book to an outsider?" Felton


    firmly stated.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    "The actual records on the Heavenly Book have to be interpreted in a specific way. I will only tell him


    the general information on them. Don''t worry. I will never tell the secrets of the Qin n to any


    outsider," Harper said with a faint smile.


    "Rndo is no less cunning than Prince Matthew. I''m afraid your trip to the Great Jade Kingdom¡ª"


    "I have you and Matthew by my side. Both of you will apany me this time. After all, you are a


    member of the Qin n. Once I get the Heavenly Book from Rndo, I will have to go north to the


    Wonder Kingdom. The half of the Sacred Seal in there is of great importance," Harper said in a rxed


    tone.


    Felton fell silent. For countless years, they had been looking for the other half of the Sacred Seal in the


    Wonder Kingdom, but they had never found it. During that time, Kile had even rummaged the entire


    pce for their sake. But still, the Sacred Seal was nowhere to be found. Thus, for the longest time, the


    Sacred Seal in the Wonder Kingdom had been their biggest problem.


    "We''ll find it this time."


    "Yes, we will. Wherever the king of the Wonder Kingdom is hiding it, we''re going to find it. There is


    actually some kind of connection between the Sacred Seals. No matter what secret ce he''s currently


    hiding it, the other half can sense it," Harper said, taking out the other half of the Sacred Seal.


    As soon as Harper came back from Felton''s house, she saw Barry waiting for her at the gate. The


    moment he saw her, he walked up to her and said, "Your Highness, I''m here to offer the betrothal


    presents."

 Chapter 824 Betrothal Presents (Part Two)

    Chapter 824 Betrothal Presents (Part Two)


    Harper took a nce at the female matchmaker behind Barry and said with a smile, "The betrothal


    presents are ready?"


    "Yes. Your Highness, please have a look," Barry said while he handed a box that he had been holding


    to Harper. She stretched out her hands to take it. To her surprise, the box was so heavy that she almost


    dropped it.


    "It seems like you came from a very wealthy family," Harper teased him. She opened the box and saw


    several deeds for differentnds, some banknotes, a few pieces of jewelry, and some gold and silver


    ingots. She figured that Barry must have kept all the rewards that Matthew gave him.


    Barry''s face looked a little bit red. "Your Highness, will these be enough?" he nervously asked.


    With the box in her hands, Harper walked towards her house and called out, "Anabel!"


    "Your Highness, I''m here."


    "Go and ask Nina toe here."


    "Yes, Your Highness," Anabel answered while she immediately left with so much excitement to look for


    Nina. For quite a while, Barry had been standing at the gate of the Phoenix House with a matchmaker


    by his side. So everyone knew that he was there to give the betrothal presents.


    When the matchmaker entered the receiving room, she began her job. She smiled brightly and said to


    Harper, "Your Highness, Guard Barry is a handsome man, and Miss Nina is very beautiful. They''re a


    perfect couple made by God. Guard Barry said that in his lifetime, he wouldn''t want to marry anybody


    else unless it''s Nina, so I hope you can fulfill their wish and allow them to get married."


    With a calm smile, Harper knocked on the box with her fingers. For a while, she didn''t utter a single


    word. Upon seeing that, the matchmaker couldn''t tell what decision Harper would make, so she


    couldn''t do anything but awkwardly smile and stand aside. She thought to herself, ''Lady Harper is a


    tough nut to crack. It seems like things won''t go that smoothly today.''


    When Nina finally came into the room, she briefly nced at Barry before bowing to Harper. She then


    greeted her, "Your Highness."


    "Nina, Barry is here to give you his betrothal presents. He says that he wants to marry you. He has


    quite a lot of wealth, including a house in the imperial capital, several country houses, and a number of


    banknotes. Although there are only a few pieces of jewelry, it doesn''t matter that much. I called you


    here today because I want to ask for your opinion. Do you love him?" Harper asked Nina seriously


    while her eyes were fixed on her.


    Nina immediately blushed so she lowered her head. In fact, she didn''t know how to answer the


    question.


    "Nina, please answer Her Highness," Barry encouraged her despite his anxiety. He was afraid that


    Harper wouldn''t agree to their marriage if Nina were to say that she didn''t love him.


    Finally, Nina raised her head to take a look at Barry before she shifted her eyes to Harper. Then she


    nodded her head firmly and stated with determination, "Your Highness, yes, I do love him."


    "So, are you willing to marry him, live the rest of your life with him, share the joys and sorrows with


    each other, and never give up on each other, no matter what will happen?" Harper asked in a very


    gentle voice, devoid of any judgment. But everyone who heard her couldn''t help but feel a little


    intimidated.


    "Yes, I am willing to do all of that with Barry."


    "That''s great," Harper remarked. Then she shifted her eyes back to Barry and asked, "Barry, if I


    demand that once you marry Nina, you can never have a concubine in this lifetime and you can''t


    divorce her unless she made a huge mistake, will you still choose to marry her?"


    "Yes!" Barry immediately answered without the least bit of hesitation. He then added, "Nina''s ce in


    my heart is too big to amodate any other woman. Please believe me when I say that I don''t really


    want to marry anyone else."


    "If someone forces you to have a concubine, what will you do?"


    "I will never concede!"


    "You will never concede even if it''s Prince Matthew who will force you to do so?" Harper asked with


    utmost seriousness while staring at him intently. She wanted to know if Barry had the ability to resist


    people with power.


    "His Highness is my master. I wouldn''t dare to disobey his orders. But I won''t let Nina down either. In


    such a case, I wouldn''t be able to do anything but take my own life to show both my loyalty to His


    Highness and faithfulness to Nina," Barry responded with determination after thinking about it for a


    while.


    With a smile that almost reached her ears, Harper said, "Go and ask the steward toe here."


    Noah came in a hurry. "What can I do for you, Your Highness?" he asked.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    "Barry doesn''t have any family member. I guess nobody is taking care of his own house outside of the


    mansion. You can select some people to go to his house and help him clean and decorate his house.


    And choose a lucky day for the two of them so they can get married as soon as possible."


    "Barry is going to get married. Congrattions!" Noah said while his eyes narrowed to form a smile. He


    then turned to Harper and asked, "Your Highness, I have just read the almanac earlier. Tomorrow is


    actually an auspicious day. How about they get married tomorrow?"


    For a while, it looked like Harper was thinking very deeply. Tomorrow, there would be a ceremony in the


    Kong n mansion to celebrate the birth of Jabari, which she had to attend. However, the ceremony


    wouldn''t take ce until noon, so there wouldn''t be a conflict in time. With such thoughts in mind, she


    said, "That''s great. Get everything ready as soon as possible. Make sure that it will be a perfect


    wedding ceremony."


    "Yes, Your Highness. I will prepare for everything right away." Noah then left in a hurry, just like he had


    come right then. Meanwhile, Barry felt a little dizzy. The wedding was going to be held much sooner


    than he had expected, so it all felt surreal to him.


    "Your Highness, I haven''t prepared the wedding dress for the bride yet¡ª"


    "Don''t worry. I have already prepared it beforehand. You don''t have to worry about it. Just take care of


    yourself and prepare to be the bridegroom," Harper said to Barry with a smile.


    "Thank you very much, Your Highness. Please allow me to leave."


    "Go ahead."


    After Barry left, Harper held Nina''s hands in hers and said, "I hope you can consider your own family


    after you get married. I have confidence in Barry. He''s kind and reliable."


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    While she was fixing Nina''s hair, Harper said, "I have prepared dowries for all of you. Now that you''re


    going to be married, it will be their turn in the following days to get married. Later, I''ll have someone


    bring the wedding dress in here for you to try on. You don''t need to work today. You just have to wait to


    be married."

 Chapter 825 The Go Game (Part One)

    Chapter 825 The Go Game (Part One)


    It was the day of Barry and Nina''s wedding at Prince Matthew''s mansion. Although it was a wedding


    ceremony of a guard, a lot of people came, bearing all kinds of gifts. When Harper personally escorted


    Nina out, Anabel immediately started crying.


    "Why are you crying? It''s not like you won''t see her again. It''s just a wedding. She''s free toe back


    here even after she gets married," Harper said while poking Anabel''s head.


    "I''m just d that Nina''s finally getting married. Your Highness, these are not tears of sadness but tears


    of joy." Anabel choked up.


    "Yes, yes, I know you''re happy. Will you cry even more when it''s your time to get married? The groom


    will be scared if you ruin your make-up because of those tears," Harper teased her.


    "Your Highness! You''re just making fun of me." Anabel stamped her foot like a little child.


    "The bridegroom is here."


    Upon hearing that, Harper smiled and said, "Let''s go. Your groom has arrived."


    Nina nodded. Following Harper, she made her way outside with Anabel''s help. Matthew was sitting in


    the hall which was already filled with people. When Barry saw the bride, he immediately stood up while


    his eyes instantly lit up.


    When they were close enough, Harper handed Nina to Barry. "She''s yours now."


    "Don''t worry, Your Highness. I will take good care of her," Barry sincerely vowed.


    Then, Harper sat next to Matthew while Barry and Nina knelt and bowed down three times to show


    their respect and say goodbye. After that, Barry carried the bride to the sedan chair. The procession


    started from Prince Matthew''s mansion and headed for Barry''s house, apanied by loud and


    joyous music. Although his house was rtively small, it was spacious enough for the couple to live


    togetherfortably.


    "What now? Are you sad? Are you hesitant to let her go?" Matthew asked when he noticed that Harper


    was still looking at the gate.


    "No, it''s just, it feels a little different that the girls around me have grown up as well. Nina''s marriage


    has been settled now. Before we know it, it''s going to be Anabel, as well as Forsythia, Angelica, and


    Peony," Harper said with a smile.


    "If they have someone they truly love, I won''t hesitate to grant their marriages. You just worry too


    much," Matthew immediately said.


    "Let''s go. The bathing ceremony at the Kong n''s mansion should begin any time soon. It''s time for


    us to celebrate another asion."


    At the Kong n''s mansion, Jabari''s bathing ceremony had been scheduled to be held only three days


    after he was born. Although it was only the Bu n and Prince Matthew''s family who were attending,


    the other ns, as well as the emperor, had sent out their gifts for the little boy.


    The bathing ceremony just started when Harper and Matthew arrived. She stood aside and watched as


    the nanny was washing Jabari, her eyes so gentle. In no time, Zack walked towards her and Matthew.


    "I was worried that you couldn''te here on time because your maid got married. I didn''t expect that


    the two of you could make it." Zack smiled.


    "As the bride''s family, we don''t have to go to Barry''s house. After sending Nina out, we came over


    immediately. We knew that there wouldn''t be a conflict in time. Fortunately, we arrived when it just


    started. By the way, I remember that Gigi didn''t have a bathing ceremony. She was so weak that we


    didn''t dare to tire her out with any kind of activities. Now, Prince Allen''s family has been raising her so


    well that she became quite healthy and strong." Harper giggled.


    "I''m d to hear that. Jabari is quite well these days too. He''s crying so loudly now, seeming to tell


    others that he''s just 3 days old today." Zack then turned to look at Jabari, who was in the nanny''s arms.


    The smile on his face seemed to never go away.


    "How is Caroline?"


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    "She has recovered very well. She can already get out of bed and walk for a while. But George is


    worried about her, so he doesn''t allow her to go out that much. Although today is the bathing ceremony,


    she didn''t attend, as George was afraid that she might catch a cold because of the wind. Would you


    like to see herter?" Zack asked.


    "Of course, I''ll go and see her since I''m already here. Can you please apany my husband for a


    while? Thank you," Harper replied.


    Turning to look at Harper, Matthew thought, ''Oh, so you''re still aware of your husband''s existence?


    Looking at you and Zack talking so cheerfully, I was almost wondering if it''s still necessary for me to be


    here.''


    "Your Highness, shall we y Go?" Zack''s voice was gentle and his tone was soft, but his eyes were


    full of taunt. Not someone who would fail to notice this, Matthew narrowed his eyes a little.


    "Great! I haven''t yed Go with you in such a long time. I''m dying to do it. Let''s go." Matthew had long


    been waiting for an opportunity to get back at Zack. Today, since the man had proposed it himself, he


    wouldn''t let him go. He wouldn''t call himself Matthew until he defeated Zack to the point of no return.


    As soon as she saw the two men leave, Harper followed a servant and walked towards Caroline''s


    room. She didn''t know how long she could stay in this city but she knew that she had to leave sooner


    orter. While she still had time, she wanted to say goodbye to the people and things she loved.


    Meanwhile, a board was already ced in the pavilion, and the two men sat face to face. Zack grabbed


    several stones and asked, "Prime number or even number?"


    "Even."


    Zack put down the stones and counted in front of Matthew. "Your Highness, it''s prime number. I won. I


    will choose the ck stones and move first."


    Matthew gritted his teeth, but that part of the game relied on luck alone. Apparently, he was not as


    fortunate as Zack so he couldn''t do anything about it. But he believed that he could definitely defeat


    Zack since he had practiced his skills.


    The servants stood far away from the two men, none of them wanting to get close. Matthew and Zack


    yed Go as if they were fighting in an actual battle. The servants couldn''t bear such tension, so they


    quickly went far away.


    "Your Highness, don''t give off such energy as if you want to kill somebody. You''re scaring the servants,"


    Zack reminded while he nced at the servants who promptly kept their distance from them.

 Chapter 826 The Go Game (Part Two)

    Chapter 826 The Go Game (Part Two)


    "They can''t even stand this tension? What losers!" Matthew rigidly stated. On the board, the situation


    between the two was getting more and more heated. He couldn''t do anything to Zack, neither could the


    man force him to surrender. Matthew was not in a hurry. Whether it was in the real war or the game,


    one should not be in a hurry or arrogant. Moreover, he should always keep vignt. Otherwise, he


    would give the enemy a chance to take advantage.


    Meanwhile, Zack wasn''t taking it that seriously and just smiled. "Your Highness, you seem very


    irritated. Is it because Harper''s friend you mentioned that day?"


    "You think too much! No matter how many friends she has, no matter how covetous the enemies


    outside are, Harper''s heart is only for me. That''s enough. As long as she loves me, no one can take her


    away from me." Matthew showed a smile, which looked more of a smirk than a smile.


    "Your Highness, you''re so confident! Aren''t you afraid of being humiliated someday?" Zack said with


    sarcasm.


    "Up until now, only Harper has ever dared to embarrass me. All of the others are dead. By the way,


    Zack, you''re old enough by now. It''s about time for you to get married. Otherwise, your parents would


    be worried about you." Matthew tried to provoke him.


    Zack gently smiled in response. "Your Highness, I''m only twenty years old right now, seven years


    younger than you. If I''m old, then you''re older. Don''t forget that you''re also ten years older than Harper.


    In her mind, you will always be much older than me."


    Matthew narrowed his eyes, quite dissatisfied with Zack provoking him. Although he didn''t want to, he


    had to admit that he was really older. Harper was only seventeen years old, and he was already


    twenty-seven. In the years toe, he would get older and he wouldn''t be as handsome as right now,


    but Harper would still be as beautiful as flowers. Would Harper be disgusted with him?


    Since Matthew was starting to get worried, he made a mistake in their game. Zack took the opportunity


    to attack, which made Matthew counter attack in a hurry. In a few seconds, he almost lost his


    advantage!


    "You dirty rat!"


    "An offense right through the heart is more effective than an offense in the body. Haven''t you heard of


    it, Your Highness? Speaking of which, shouldn''t you be better at it than me?" Zack questioned him,


    further annoying Matthew.


    Matthew gritted his teeth once again. At that point, he just really wanted to punch away the smile on


    Zack''s face. But when he considered the consequences, he could already see a rumor spreading that


    Prince Matthew was so bad at ying Go that he injured Lord Zack when he lost the game. More


    importantly, Harper would look at him in a different light, so he tried to control himself.


    "You''re a good teacher."


    However, Zack''s strategy was still working at a very steady pace. He neither pushed forward nor was


    greedy for credit. He even turned a blind eye to Matthew''s trap. After a while, Matthew thought of


    something and suddenly smiled. "My wife and I are going to leave the Bright Dynasty."


    "I know, you''re going to the Great Jade Kingdom to take part in the coronation of their empress," Zack


    calmly said.


    "I meant, we''re leaving this continent. We''re going back to the Qin n''s ancestral ce. Try to guess


    if we''re going toe back or not," Matthew said, raising his voice a little.


    Without any hesitation, Zack stated, "Of course, you will! Harper said that this ce is her home. I bet


    she''lle back."This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    "You''re wrong. What she means is anywhere that we''re together is her home. If I''m not here, will this


    ce still be her home? We actually came back this time to say goodbye to you," Matthew said with a


    smirk on his face. He said these only to disturb Zack.


    Zack''s hand paused for a second when he was about to move a stone. Then, he steadily put it in the


    ce where he wanted to. Though there was a moment of panic, he soon calmed down.


    "I trust her. By the way, you lost, Your Highness." Zack thenughed while looking at him straight in the


    eyes.


    Looking at the game on the board, Matthew was forced to the dead end. He didn''t have a choice but to


    admit that Zack was an opponent worth to be praised. Even though he was a mere schr who was


    considered weak, his astuteness and resourcefulness were absolutely no worse than his. If he fought


    against Matthew with everything he got, not caring about Harper''s thoughts, the result would be hard to


    tell.


    Matthew threw the stone in his hand back into the container and said, "I''m not your opponent in the Go


    game."


    "Thank you for letting me win, Your Highness." Then, Zack put the stones back into the container one


    by one. His posture was elegant and rxed, just like clouds in the sky. It was actually quite


    mesmerizing.


    That was exactly the peaceful scene that Harper saw when she came back. A knowing smile emerged


    on her face. ''Matthew must have lost again. Although he has recently read a lot of books about


    improving his skills, it''s not easy for him to win Zack who ys Go all year round,'' she thought.


    "Matthew, Zack, it seems like you''ve already got the result," Harper said while she walked over to them.


    "Harp, I lost and I''m not happy. Why don''t you help me in ying against him? Let''s bring him down! I''ll


    be here as your adviser," Matthew stated, as if he was really serious.


    He made Harper sit in his chair and quickly collected the stones. Then he casually grabbed some of the


    stones and asked, ""Prime number or even number?"


    "Even," Harper responded with a smile.


    "Then I guess prime," Zack announced.


    Matthew released his hand and loudly dered, "Even number! Harp, you have the ck stones and


    move first! It''s not toote for you to surrender now, Zack."


    Looking at each other, Harper and Zack shook their heads in resignation. They didn''t know whether to


    laugh or cry at Matthew''s childish behaviors, but neither of them tantly showed it. Soon enough, they


    started the game once more.

 Chapter 827 The Treatment (Part One)

    Chapter 827 The Treatment (Part One)


    For the sake of Wendy''s sessful recovery, Harper had asked Shawn to prepare a room with good


    lighting to be used during the entire treatment. After all, the surgery wasplicated. She shouldn''t


    make any mistake or else Wendy''s life would be on the line. Just as so, Harper was actuallymitted


    in trying her best to keep Wendy safe.


    With medicine boxes in her hands, Forsythia followed Harper on their way to Marquis Travis'' mansion.


    Shawn and Hannah had actually been waiting very early at the entrance. As soon as they saw Harper


    in the distance, they approached her.


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    "Your Highness," Hannah greeted with a bow.


    "Lady Hannah, Shawn." Harper greeted them back with a gentle smile.


    "Your Highness, every requirement that you asked is ready." Meanwhile, Hannah looked very excited.


    "Wendy will try her best to cooperate with the treatment."


    Harper nodded. She nced at the senior physician standing behind Hannah and slowly said, "Since


    Wendy is willing to cooperate, that''s great. And please understand that during the treatment, no one


    can stand by and watch. Of course, it goes without saying that no one can disturb me."


    Hannah''s face became a little stiff when she heard that. She turned to look at Darwin, the physician of


    her mansion who was standing behind her. Darwin had worked for them for many years. He was


    extremely ecstatic when he heard that Wendy''s heart disease would be cured by Harper. He pleaded


    with the family to let him watch Harper''s process of treatment. Now that Harper said her conditions,


    Hannah didn''t know how to react.


    "Your Highness, although my medical skills are not as good as yours, I have been a physician for many


    years. If you allow me to be with you during the treatment, maybe I can be of help. Please allow me to


    watch the process." Darwin tried to persuade her.


    With a smile on her face, Harper still looked like she wanted to refuse them. She needed to perform a


    surgery in order to treat Wendy. Nobody there could withstand watching a thoracic surgery. If someone


    who witnessed the process was frightened, it would be a risk that might lead to Wendy''s death. She


    wouldn''t be able to defend herself if such a fateful thing were to happen.


    "I have already told you that I don''t like others watching me while I''m treating my patients." Harper was


    determined with her terms.


    "Since Lady Harper doesn''t like others to be there during the operation, please don''t force her into


    changing her mind. If you have any questions or concerns, I believe Lady Harper will certainly answer


    you," Shawn immediately said to Darwin.


    Hannah also agreed with him. "That''s right, Lady Harper doesn''t want to be disturbed during her


    treatment. This process is very delicate and not a single mistake can be made. Just let her do it herself


    in the way that she wants to."


    Although Darwin really wanted to see the treatment, he knew that if Harper was so stern in refusing,


    there was no way that he would be granted ess. Even though he could persuade Hannah, he


    wouldn''t be able to even get close to Harper''s treatment room. There must be countless of secret


    guards around her. If he were to take action, he would be killed by one of them before he could take


    one step inside the room. Moreover, Shawn wouldn''t allow him to do that. It seemed like everyone was


    against his idea by then.


    "If that''s the case, can I help you in restoring Lady Wendy''s health after your treatment? After all, I''ve


    been taking care of Lady Wendy all this time. I know her physical condition very well. Will that be all


    right?" Darwin had no other choice but to give up what he initially wanted.


    "No problem." Harper agreed to his request right away. As long as he wouldn''t touch the wound, there


    wouldn''t be a huge problem if he were to take charge of the recovery process after her surgery.


    "Thank you very much, Your Highness."


    Hannah then invited Harper inside. "This way, please, Your Highness." Wendy had already been


    waiting for her in the so-called ward. When she saw Harper, a calm smile on her delicate face instantly


    appeared.


    "Your Highness."


    "Lady Wendy, it seems like you''re ready for the treatment. I''m d to see that. I hope that you will


    finally have a normal life after the sessful operation," Harper said with a smile.


    "Thank you, Your Highness."


    Harper then instructed Forsythia, "Help Lady Wendy take the anesthesia powder with water."


    "Yes, My Lady." Forsythia immediately took out the anesthesia powder from the medicine box, added it


    to a bowl of water, and handed it to Wendy. "Lady Wendy, please take this medicine."


    "What''s this?" Wendy asked with a confused expression on her face. She didn''t stretch out her hand to


    take the medicine.


    "As a patient, you just need to obey what the physician says." The expression on Harper''s face was still


    gentle, but she didn''t give Wendy the right to refuse. She must take the anesthesia powder. Otherwise,


    the extreme pain might kill her.


    After hesitating for a while, Wendy finally took the bowl and drank it up. "What''s the use of this


    medicine?"


    "It will help you have a good sleep during the treatment," Harper said with a wide smile.


    With a frown, Wendy thought, ''Is it necessary to make me sleep during the treatment of my heart


    disease? If yes, then why? What does Harper want to do?'' For a second, Wendy wanted to regret


    drinking the medicine, but it was toote. In no time, she could feel several figures standing in front of


    her while her body was on the verge of copse.


    In a rush, Forsythia held Wendy in her arms and helped her lie down on the bed. Then, Harper opened


    the concealedpartment of her medicine box. There was a set of tools in it. She then put on a pair


    of silk gloves and asked Forsythia to take off Wendy''s clothes.


    "Lady Wendy, can you hear me?" Harper called out, trying to see if she was responsive. When Wendy


    didn''t move after a while, Harper announced, "We can start now."


    Even though Forsythia truly believed in Harper''s medical skills, she was too scared with everything that


    the surgery entailed that she couldn''t move at all. She stood aside with her mouth open, not knowing


    how to react. Her eyes were very wide while she was in total silence.

 Chapter 828 The Treatment (Part Two)

    Chapter 828 The Treatment (Part Two)


    Meanwhile, it seemed like Harper had already foreseen Forsythia''s reaction. Although Forsythia was


    surprised, she knew that the only thing she could do as a secret guard was to be silent. While watching


    Harper perform the thoracic surgery, she was actually too shocked to even say anything.


    Wendy''s heart disease was caused by the abnormality of her heart. Harper needed to open her chest


    and find the parts which had been affected. With the help of her spiritual power and the medicine, she


    could restore her heart to its normal state. It was an operation that needed so much precision so she


    couldn''t make a single mistake.


    Forsythia had a new-found respect for Harper. She had thought that once a person''s chest was cut


    open, the person would definitely die. However, Wendy was still alive. Even though her pulse was


    weak, she was still alive.


    Forsythia had a lot of questions in her mind, but she didn''t speak them out at that moment. Harper was


    very concentrated on the operation so she didn''t dare to disturb herdy. The operation was indeed


    very dangerous. She finally understood why Harper didn''t allow that physician to watch her treatment. If


    he had seen this operation, he would definitely stop her!


    The operationsted for a total of six hours. Shawn was personally guarding the ward by standing


    outside with his people. They even prohibited anyone from approaching. Because the operation went


    on until it was night, dozens of luminous pearls were set up in the room, making it as bright as day.


    Harper finally restored Wendy''s heart to its normal state. She carefully put Wendy''s heart back to her


    chest and cautiously stitched the rupture. She used the specially-made catgut suture in closing the


    wound so that there wouldn''t be a need to take out the suture in the future. She also tried her best to


    stitch the wound better so as not to leave ugly scars.


    When Harper opened the door of the ward and came out, her face was a little pale. She immediately


    noticed that it was already dark outside so she muttered, "Oh, it''s dark now."Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    "Lady Harper, are you... okay?" Shawn asked with furrowed eyebrows. Harper''s face looked so pale,


    as if she was so exhausted.


    Harper shook her head and replied, "I''m fine, just a little tired. I can''t leave your mansion yet as I have


    to monitor Wendy''s condition. Please arrange the nearest room for me so I can take some rest."


    Shawn immediately went and arranged the ce for Harper. It was in a small yard nearby. It was quiet


    and elegant, though it wasn''t that big. However, it was the closest one to Wendy''s ward.


    At the same time, Darwin had been anxiously waiting for a long time. He wanted to see how Wendy


    was doing, but when he tried to go in, he was stopped by the secret guards.


    "Why are you trying to stop me? I just want to go in and see Lady Wendy!" In fact, Darwin was a little


    anxious. He wanted to know whether Harper had really cured Wendy. He had long arrived at the


    conclusion that Wendy''s heart disease couldn''t be healed, but Harper said the exact opposite. Ever


    since he heard of Harper''s im, he had always felt that it was unreal, so he was eager to watch


    Harper''s treatment. As he couldn''t do so, he wanted to know how Wendy was doing as soon as


    possible.


    "No one is allowed to enter Lady Wendy''s ward without Lady Harper''s permission!" a secret guard


    firmly said. Harper had said that it was a critical period for Wendy, and her survival would depend on


    whether she could recover or not that same night. As a result, the ce must be well guarded and no


    one was allowed to enter it.


    "Lady Harper promised me that I could take care of Lady Wendy after her treatment. How can I help


    Lady Wendy in restoring her health if I can''t see her?" Darwin said, still trying to get inside.


    Unlike the guards of Marquis Travis''s mansion who treated Darwin with utmost respect, Harper''s secret


    guards immediately grabbed his cor and threw him out. Darwin almost broke his bones in the


    process.


    Darwin got up from the ground, pointed at the secret guard Zorro''s nose, and scolded him. "What a


    rude man! I''m just going to take a look. I won''t do anything to Lady Wendy. How can you stop me like


    this? Are you keeping her away from others because Lady Harper''s treatment has failed?"


    Zorro folded his arms on top of his chest and looked at Darwin impassively. No matter what he said, no


    one was allowed to enter the room. That was the rule. When Darwin realized that he couldn''t persuade


    Zorro into letting him enter the room, Darwin immediately nned to get some people to break in.


    "If anyone dares to break in, I''ll kill him myself!" Shawn''s rigid tone stopped Darwin in his tracks. He


    froze and turned around to look at Shawn.


    "My Lord, Lady Harper had been very busy inside for a total of six hours, but she didn''t tell us Lady


    Wendy''s current situation, nor is she allowing anyone to visit her. No one knows how Lady Wendy is


    doing right now. Who knows if she has already¡ª"


    "Shut up!" Shawn yelled right in his face to cut him off. "I trust Lady Harper''s medical skills! She didn''t


    say that she failed so the operation must be sessful or at least in the track that it was supposed to


    go. If you continue to make trouble here, you will be evicted from the mansion!"


    Darwin stared at Shawn in disbelief. He didn''t expect that he would defend Harper to this extent. After


    all, the woman lying inside the ward was his sister. Wasn''t he worried about her?


    "Well, since you''re not worried about Lady Wendy''s health, I won''t meddle in other people''s business


    anymore. You don''t need to evict me. I''m going to leave myself. Goodbye."


    "Fine, just leave!" Shawn casually eximed.

 Chapter 829 Mighty Ungrateful (Part One)

    Chapter 829 Mighty Ungrateful (Part One)


    After taking a nce at the door of the ward, Shawn gave out his orders. "Keep guard here," he said


    with authority. "No one is allowed to enter the room without the permission of Lady Harper. That should


    apply to my parents as well."


    "Understood!"


    Shawn then turned around and checked on Harper, who quickly fell asleep because of how tired she


    was. Her peace, however, was short-lived: Darwin, the mansion¡¯s resident physician, made a ruckus


    outside and almost woke her up. Shawn found that uneptable and so he rushed outside and told


    Darwin to keep it down.


    "Is she okay? Her face looks very pale," Shawn asked Forsythia worriedly as he stared at the sleeping


    lady in front of her.


    Forsythia frowned primarily because she herself had no idea how Harper was doing at that moment.


    She had only seen Harper weak when she was detoxifying Matthew. But even that Harper was way


    different from the Harper she was facing now. Based on her analysis, however, even though Harper


    looked rather pale at the moment, she was not weak per se¡ªshe was only too tired. "Her Highness


    had been busy for six consecutive hours," she exined to Shawn. "She even didn''t dare blink during


    the treatment in fear of making any kind of mistake. Besides, that whole process forced her to use a


    huge chunk of her spiritual power, which is why she is now this tired and pale. I think this is nothing


    serious and with proper care, she would bounce back in no time."


    Shawn agreed with Forsythia''s analysis of the whole situation. After staying for a bit longer just to gaze


    upon Harper''s beautiful face, he left, went to the kitchen and brought the nutritious ginseng soup for


    Harper. Then, he told Zorro, "Please tell Prince Matthew that Wendy''s condition has yet to stabilize.


    Because of that, I think it would be better if Lady Harper stays here tonight. Tell him to rest assured that


    we will take care of her."


    Zorro nodded in understanding. ''Lady Harper must be extremely exhausted, especially after everything


    that has happened,'' he thought. For him, however, Wendy was dead, no matter if she was still


    breathing nor not. He would never be able toprehend how a person whose chest had been split


    open would be still alive. Even though she still had a pulse, he was sure that she would breathe herst


    breath soon enough. ''No matter how advanced Lady Harper''s medical skills are, she wouldn''t be able


    to save such a lost cause.''


    Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    So imagine the surprise he felt when he saw how Wendy was recuperatingter. He began to


    understand that nothing was impossible in the world, and that truly, Harper was a medical genius.


    After Zorro ryed the message to him, Matthew immediately went to Travis'' mansion. Travis,


    however, upon knowing that Matthew had arrived to his doorstep, decided to stay in his own room


    instead of meeting with him. This hostile reception was a result of thest time they met: the two of


    them fought and Matthew beat him his face swollen. For Travis, Matthew was a man who didn''t know


    how to respect the elders, and so there was no way he would agree to see him again.


    It was Shawn who came out and received Matthew in person. Since he knew why he came, he


    immediately took him to the house Harper was staying in for the night. "Lady Harper was so tired that


    she fell asleep almost immediately. Before she went to sleep, however, she told us that tonight would


    be a very important night, and that it is important that she stays in our mansion."


    "Hm," Matthew simply said, not stating whether or not he understood what Shawn said. Shawn then led


    him to Harper¡¯s quarters. There, he lifted the quilt and lied on the bed next to Harper.


    The corner of Shawn''s mouth twitched at the sight of this. He was so scandalized by what he was


    seeing that he kept still for a while, just staring at Matthew. When he realized what he was doing, he


    shook his head and thought to himself, ''Forget it. He simply wants to sleep beside his wife. It has


    nothing to do with me. I should just be thankful to God if Wendy is recovering well.''


    He then turned around and walked out of the room. Carefully, he instructed the servants not to disturb


    the sleeping couple. After that, he walked towards Wendy''s ward. Forsythia kept watch inside the room


    in case of any change in her condition, while Zorro was keeping guard outside the door to prevent


    anybody unauthorized froming into the room.


    "May Ie in to have a look?" Shawn asked Zorro in a low, whispery voice.


    After a moment''s hesitation, Zorro answered, "Lady Harper told us that Miss Wendy is still very weak


    from the operation. You can have a look at her outside the door, but you cannot enter the room."


    "That¡¯s okay," Shawn answered frankly. He just wanted to take a look at Wendy, even if that meant that


    he could only see her from a distance. This was not because he didn''t trust Harper, but because he


    was concerned with his own younger sister as an elder brother.


    Zorro further reminded him, "I am so sorry, Marquis Shawn. I understand that you are worried about


    your sister, but you must understand that she had just undergone such a tough operation. If anyone


    comes inside, her wounds might get infected, and then, the situation would only be more difficult for


    her, and to be honest, for every one of us."


    "I understand," Shawn said softly. "I just want to see her, and I''ll just outside the door."


    Zorro then opened the outer door to let Shawn in. Shawn entered, and there, he looked through the


    window. Wendy was inside, lying quietly on the bed. Forsythia was beside her, dutifully taking care of


    her patient. While he didn¡¯t see Wendy move at all, he knew that she was still alive, though very weak


    for now.


    "Prince Matthew hase to our mansion and is now staying with Lady Harper at the house next door.


    If you have anything to report to him, you can go straight there," Shawn told Zorro. After taking onest


    look at Wendy, he turned around and left. He had to go to report her condition to his parents.


    Travis initially wanted to go into the room to see what was going on, but when he remembered that


    Matthew had alreadye to his mansion, he gave up. There was no way he wanted to see Matthew


    again, and so he could do nothing but walk around the room, waiting for more news from Shawn.


    "Travis, please stop walking in circles. You''re making me dizzy," Hannah begged, sounding annoyed.


    "Lady Harper had already said that Wendy¡¯s sess rate is well above eighty percent. Wendy will be


    fine."


    "Only eighty percent!" Travis screamed. "There is still twenty percent chance that she will die! If Harper


    fails, Wendy will..." Travis was extremely restless. However, since he had already agreed to let Harper


    treat Wendy, he could not go back on his words.


    "My Lord," the steward came and greeted him.

 Chapter 830 Mighty Ungrateful (Part Two)

    Chapter 830 Mighty Ungrateful (Part Two)


    "How are things going? Is there any news?" Travis asked anxiously as soon as he saw the steward.


    In an uncertain tone, the steward answered, "I heard that the treatment went smoothly. However, I was


    told that Lady Harper isn''t allowing anybody to visit Lady Wendy. Even Darwin, the physician in our


    mansion, was driven out. He was so angry that he left."


    "Why did she drive Darwin away?" Travis shouted angrily. "He has been taking care of Wendy''s health


    ever since she was young! Now that Harper drove him away, who will look after our Wendy?" His eyes


    were seeing red. "I''m going there and let her have a piece of my mind! Let me see how overbearing


    she is! How dare shee to my mansion and drive people away?!" Travis was already on his feet,


    ready to go.


    "Stop!" Hannah shouted angrily. "Come back here! Sit down!"


    Travis stopped in his tracks and said, "I''m just going to see what''s going on! How could you side with


    the opponent? That Harper is literally bullying us in our mansion!"


    "Shut up!" Hannah shouted back. She was a woman who seldom lost her temper, but once rage took


    over her, even Travis had to listen to what she had to say. It was not until he sat down that she looked


    at the steward and asked, "Was Darwin driven out of the mansion by Lady Harper herself?"


    "No," replied the steward. "Marquis Shawn did that."


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    "Why did Shawn do that?!" Travis whined again. "I swear to God he is obsessed with that woman..." He


    was about to say more, but when he saw his wife cast him a fierce re, he quickly shut his mouth up.


    After a few moments, he meekly said to the steward, "On with the news."


    "Lady Harper spent six hours tending to Lady Wendy. When she came out, she looked pale and weak.


    Marquis Shawn arranged the house next door for her to rest tonight. Darwin wanted to seize the


    chance to break into Lady Wendy''s room and find out how Lady Harper treated Lady Wendy, but he


    was stopped by one of Lady Harper''s guards."


    "So Shawn drove Darwin away just because of that?" Travis asked in disbelief.


    The steward answered hesitantly, "The secret guard stopped Darwin froming into Lady Wendy''s


    room. While Darwin was talking with the secret guard and trying to convince him to let him see Lady


    Wendy, Marquis Shawn just happened to arrive. He saw what was happening and immediately decided


    to send Darwin away."


    Upon realizing that Darwin was in the wrong, Travis immediately realized that he should stop talking


    about things he knew nothing about. "So if Darwin didn''t pester the guard about seeing Lady Wendy,


    he wouldn''t have been sent away; am I right?" Hannah asked.


    "Yes, My Lady," the steward answered. Hannah then cast a re towards Travis'' direction, but this


    time, he just ignored it because of shame. As a follow-up, Hannah asked, "How is Lady Harper, by the


    way?" Concern was evident in her voice. "Is she okay?"


    "She didn''t look very well," the steward answered. "Her face was rather pale when she came out of


    Lady Wendy''s room. She also walked in a wobbly way. One of her maids has been staying in Lady


    Wendy''s room to take care of her, while Lady Harper herself is having a rest next door. And Marquis


    Shawn..."


    "What''s wrong with me?" Shawn''s voice suddenly came through. As soon as the steward heard that,


    he stopped speaking and greeted Shawn. "My Lord," he said.


    "Father, Mother," Shawn greeted. He then bowed in respect.


    "How is Wendy?" Travis asked hurriedly as he stood up. "Is she going to be all right?"


    "The operation was a sess, Father," Shawn answered. "Wendy is still very weak, so she can''t be


    visited now. If you want to see her, you should wait until Lady Harper wakes up," Shawn said in a


    gentle tone. "Please don''t worry too much about her. Wendy will be fine."


    "Really? If she is all right, why won¡¯t Lady Harper allow people to visit her?" Travis asked pointedly. He


    had a deep prejudice against Harper because he thought she was a scheming and despicable woman.


    "I don¡¯t trust her one bit!" he added.


    Shawn fixed his gaze on his father and answered firmly, "I trust Lady Harper, Father. Lady Harper


    wouldn''t allow people near her because they might contaminate her wounds. Now, if you don''t care


    about your own daughter, go on and break into her room. Now, if anything bad happens to her, you


    should know that it is not Lady Harper''s fault, but yours."


    "What are you talking about? Will I cause Wendy a wound infection just by taking a look at her? It just


    sounds so strange!" Travis yelled. "Is it because Harper Chu is not able to cure Wendy that she is


    deliberately trying to hid my Wendy from me?"


    "Travis!" Hannah bellowed at him with great anger. She never knew that Travis would despise a person


    as much as he despised Lady Harper, but it seemed like she was wrong. Travis had always hated


    Harper, which was not something a gentleman would do.


    Seeing his beloved wife''s face, Travis stopped and didn''t say anything anymore. It was his wife¡¯s turn to


    speak her mind. "You are not only a man, but an elder!" she said firmly. "Aren¡¯t you ashamed of


    yourself? Why are you so suspicious of a woman who has always been at your family¡¯s service?!"


    Shocked, Travis shifted his eyes to his wife. It was the first time that she had yelled at him so harshly,


    especially for the sake of someone who wasn¡¯t tied to their family. Even though Harper had saved their


    son and daughter, he was sure that she had some ulterior motive. He could not bear being scolded by


    his wife because of such an ill-intentioned woman.


    "Are you crazy?"


    "You are the one who is crazy!" Hannah''s towering rage was something he had never seen before.


    "Has Lady Harper dug up the tombs of your ancestors? Has she killed your parents, your wife, or your


    children? Because if not, how could you be so dedicated to finding faults with her?"


    "She has an ulterior motive!" he shrieked.


    "She has an ulterior motive?" Hannah repeated incredulously. "Don''t forget that your son was once


    saved by her, and your daughter''s life now depends on her! But has she ever asked anything from


    you?" She wasn¡¯t going to back down.


    Travis opened his mouth, but he didn''t know what to say. It was true that Harper had never asked him


    for any kind of reward. On the contrary, she would greet him respectfully every time she saw him.


    Simply put, Harper had never done anything to offend him, or make him angry. He simply disliked her,


    because she used to be arrogant and domineering. Aside from that, he hated Matthew to his very core.


    "You stay in the study tonight. Think about what you have done," Hannah said. After that, she turned


    around and left. Shawn said goodbye to his father too. Only Travis himself was left in the room, lost in


    thought.

 Chapter 831 Take Care Of Her Wholeheartedly (Part One)

    Chapter 831 Take Care Of Her Wholeheartedly (Part One)


    When midnight came, Wendy was burning with a fever. Upon noticing this, Forsythia immediately ran to


    tell Harper.


    As soon as Forsythia arrived at the door of the room where Harper and Matthew were staying at,


    Matthew woke up and opened his eyes. He instantly furrowed his eyebrows. Forsythia froze while her


    foot hung mid-air. Feeling a little awkward, she didn''t know whether she should proceed inside or get


    out immediately. After all, she was well aware that Matthew despised being disturbed while he was with


    Harper.


    "What happened?" Matthew asked, lowering his voice.


    "Lady Wendy has a fever. Before Her Highness went to bed, she had warned me that if this were to


    happen, I must tell her right away. We can''t dy the remedy because this is a very serious problem


    that may cause a lot ofplications. Your Highness, what should we do now?" Forsythia replied,


    lowering her voice as well.


    Even though the current situation was very unpleasant to Matthew, he knew that this problem should


    not be trifled with. Harper had worked so hard for several days just to cure Wendy. If something bad


    were to happen to the girl and he didn''t wake her up at that instant, she would certainly be furious at


    him.


    Taking a look at his beautiful wife who was sleeping so soundly in his arms, Matthew shook her gently.


    "Harp, Harp, wake up."


    Harper opened her drowsy eyes and saw that it was Matthew who was trying to wake her up. So she


    closed her eyes again. "Matthew, what time is it? When did I reach home?" she asked, wanting so bad


    to go back to sleep.


    Matthew raised his eyebrows out of confusion but smiled in an instant when he understood. "It''s quarter


    to twelve o''clock. We are still in Travis'' mansion. Wendy is having a fever."


    After hearing what he said, Harper got out of the bed right away. She then quickly put on her shoes and


    ran out. With a sigh, Matthew could only watch her helplessly. "Slow down. Don''t fall down."


    "I will," Harper called out from the distance. Before her voice faded, she was already gone. Matthew


    couldn''t help but let out a sigh once again. He didn''t quite understand why Harper cared about Wendy


    so much. After all, the woman was just an outsider for her. But the way she was curing and caring for


    her, it was as if Wendy was a very close rtive.


    It was already early in the morning when Harper came back to their room. She then threw herself on


    the bed and didn''t move at all. She was so exhausted after taking care of Wendy the whole night. Her


    face was not as pale as before but she was still very weak. It was at this time that Hannah personally


    brought the ginseng soup for her.


    "Shawn said that you''re bing really weak these days. I asked the servants to make some ginseng


    soup for you. Please drink it now," Hannah gently said while she sat down. Then, she handed over the


    bowl of ginseng soup to Harper.


    "Thank you very much," Harper politely replied.


    "Oh you don''t need to thank me. Forgive me for saying this but I just realized that you''re only a year


    younger than Wendy. However, you are so much more mature than her. You must have gone through a


    lot of things in the past years. Moreover, yesterday, you were busy all throughout the day and you didn''t


    eat anything at night. You were even awakened in the middle of the night to take care of Wendy. You


    need to eat something to at least warm your stomach," Hannah remarked. She actually had an


    extravagant breakfast prepared for her.


    "Yes, I will. Thank you," Harper immediately responded. Whatever reason Hannah had for treating her


    in a very nice way, Harper didn''t take it for granted and even expressed her gratitude.


    After serving some dishes for Harper, Hannah asked with a smile on her face, "Do you usually eat like


    this? It''s just,pared to Wendy, you are more elegant and graceful. I believe only a fewdies in the


    imperial capital canpare with you in terms of etiquette."


    Subconsciously, Harper replied right away, "My grandmother was very strict with me ever since I was a


    child. She even assigned a really stern nanny to teach me etiquette. I didn''t dare to disappoint her, so I


    studied very hard."


    Because of what she said, Hannah''s eyes twinkled a little. Harper had been favored by her


    grandmother Mavis. So when Mavis died, Harper went out to the imperial capital to attend the funeral.


    At that time, Hannah saw how sad and helpless she looked without her beloved grandmother to


    support her. She felt really sorry for Harper at that moment.


    "Right now, you''re the only one who can support the entire Chu n. You work really hard," Hannah


    stated after she let out a sigh. She knew well enough that it was a great burden to be responsible for


    the prosperity of a whole n. Even as the wife of a prince, Harper still had a heavy burden which she


    must carry on her own.


    When she heard that, Harper put down her bowl on the table, swallowed thest mouthful of soup in


    her mouth, and wiped her lips. With a knowing smile, she said, "Lady Hannah, I am a woman who is


    born weak by nature. I have already married into another family. So whether or not the Chu n would


    remain prosperous or not has nothing to do with anymore."


    Hannah looked at Harper incredulously. In her opinion, she didn''t need to borate that for a woman


    that her parents'' family was very important, especially for noblewomen like them. If they didn''t have a


    strong background from their parents'' sides, they would be reced and even abandoned by their


    husbands sooner orter.


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    "Your parents'' family will be of great help to you," Hannah briefly reminded her. She could only speak in


    vague terms when talking to Harper about this topic.


    "If my grandmother was still alive, I would take care of the Chu n. That''s for sure. But she passed


    away so soon. The Chu n without my grandmother is nothing to me. Besides, the only remaining


    members of the n are Alexander and Gianna who are both children. Therefore, the Chu n had


    already been destroyed so I don''t feel any burden to maintain it," Harper answered with ease, as if she


    really didn''t care about the Chu n at all. However, she was actually just telling Hannah how she


    really felt.


    Hannah was about to persuade Harper otherwise but the nanny next to her pinched her arm a little.


    Confused, she looked at the nanny who merely shook her head, implying that she shouldn''t talk about


    this topic anymore. It was only then that Hannah finally understood. She swallowed the words that she


    was about to say and asked instead, "How about having some more?" She changed the topic of the


    conversation at once.


    "I think I''m already full. Thank you for your kindness. I wasn''t able to eat anything yesterday and if I


    suddenly ate too much, it would be bad for my body. Well, Wendy will wake up by tomorrow. She will


    start her recovery and the wounds will heal in about half a month. By that time, she will be like a normal


    healthy person," Harper said. She knew that everyone in the Shen n was concerned about Wendy.


    After all, she was the apple of their eye and the main purpose for her staying in their mansion was to


    save Wendy.


    Hannah nodded in acknowledgment and said, "Since we''ve asked you to cure her, it only means that


    we trust you. For the past years, we''ve been disappointed countless of times. Now, when I heard you


    say that her body will soon be as healthy as that of the normal person, it feels so unreal. I''m so happy


    that she could live like a normal girl who can jump and do whatever she wants to do."

 Chapter 832 Take Care Of Her Wholeheartedly (Part Two)

    Chapter 832 Take Care Of Her Wholeheartedly (Part Two)


    "Don''t worry. She''s going to be fine really soon. Well, her wounds haven''t started to close up on their


    own yet. So it won''t be convenient for you to visit her today. I think she''ll be better tomorrow. By then


    and you can finally see her."


    "Sure, sure! That makes me really happy!" Hannah eximed with so much excitement. Although she


    said that she had trust in Harper and that she was not worried, she still had some concerns. Only if she


    had confirmed her daughter''s health with her own eyes could she feel more relieved.


    "It''s time for me to change her bandages into fresh ones. I shall leave now. Please excuse me," Harper


    said. Then, she stood up and went outside the room. Hannah wanted to follow her. But then, she


    thought of what Harper had just said to her, so she stopped. She had to wait for another day.


    Tomorrow, she would finally be able to see her daughter.


    At the same time, Harper had actually thought that Hannah woulde with her, but it turned out that


    she didn''t. Based on this fact, Harper believed that she was a disciplined andposed person in


    some ways, or else she wouldn''t have brought up a son like Shawn.


    Like what she said, Harper came to change the bandages for Wendy. Meanwhile, she asked Forsythia


    to take a rest. Harper knew that she had been busy taking care of Wendy for the entire day and night.


    "Go to bed and have a good rest," she urged.


    "No, Your Highness, I''m not tired. I can still¡ª" Forsythia tried to say,


    but before she could even finish her words, Harper interrupted, "You haven''t slept for a day and a night.


    Go eat something first and then have a good sleep. After you''re well-rested, you''lle back and take


    my ce in here. You must take good care of yourself. If you fall ill, nobody will rece me. If that were


    to happen, I would be even more tired."This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    While listening to Harper, Forsythia thought that what she said made sense. So she quietly left the


    room. After finishing her food, she went to the small room next door and slept right away. In fact, it


    wasn''t a big deal for her to lose some sleep for a day and a night. But she knew that if she didn''t take a


    rest, Harper would never allow her to continue taking care of Wendy. If she wanted to relieve Harper''s


    burden, what she needed to do was to sleep that instant. After she regained all of her energy, she


    would go and take care of Wendy in Harper''s rece.


    Meanwhile, back in Wendy''s ward, her situation was bing more stable since her feverst night.


    She had actually woken up once for a brief moment. When she saw that it was Harper who was taking


    care of her, she felt secured and instantly fell asleep again. Harper was relieved to see that Wendy was


    recovering at a steady pace. She figured that the woman had a strong desire to survive, or she


    wouldn''t have woken up so soon. After that, she only needed special care during her recuperation.


    ording to Harper''s estimate, it would take half a month for her to fully recover, given that everything


    went well. The only concern she had was Wendy needed to be very patient if she wanted to get better.


    When Harper came out of the ward, she noticed Shawn who was waiting outside. With a smile, she


    asked, "You''re back from the imperial court session already?"


    "Yes. His Majesty actually asked Prince Matthew to stay there. So I came back by myself. How is


    Wendy?" Shawn calmly asked.


    Harper looked back at the ward before responding, "She woke up once and then fell asleep again. In


    my estimate, she''ll finally wake up tomorrow. However, the wounds will still be painful for seven or eight


    days. What we need is an experienced physician to take care of her."


    "Darwin, the physician of our mansion, has left. Do you have any rmendations?" Shawn asked.


    He had no idea which physicians had good reputations in the imperial capital, but he believed that


    Harper would choose a good one.


    Harper carefully thought about it for a while before responding, "There is a physician on south street.


    His name is Gore. For so many years, he has been performing medical treatment for poor people. He


    has really excellent medical skills. If you don''t mind, you can ask him to take care of Wendy."


    Shawn nodded and replied, "Okay, thank you. Later, I will send someone to pay a visit to him."


    "Oh, I must remind you that he has a weird temper. Your people should behave more politely," Harper


    reminded.


    "Don''t worry. I guess it''s true that people with excellent skills have the tendency to have weird tempers.


    If you don''t trust my people, I will go and ask him myself. Although watching over Wendy is important, I


    can''t ask you to take care of her all the time. You will be more tired. So another physician is


    definitely needed. By the way, I heard that you were disturbedst night so you weren''t able to have a


    peaceful time to sleep. Would you like to have some rest for a while?" Shawn said with so much


    concern in his eyes.


    "No, I''m fine. When Physician Gore arrives, I will instruct him and then go back home," Harper replied


    while she shook her head. She wouldn''t have fallen asleep if she wasn''t too tiredst night. Later, when


    she sensed Matthew''s scent, she thought she had returned to their home. So she fell asleep really well


    with Matthew by her side. Now, she had almost regained all of her energy. If she were to sleep in this


    ce, she didn''t think she could fall asleep that well. She knew that it was really time for her to go back


    home.


    "Okay, then I''ll go and visit Physician Gore now," Shawn said with determination.


    For a few moments, it seemed like Harper was in deep thought. She then said, "Okay, just go ahead. I''ll


    stay here with Wendy and wait for you to bring him here."


    "Okay, thank you once again." After that, Shawn turned around and went out. While on his way, he saw


    Travis hiding in the corner of the wall and peeking at them. Meanwhile, when Travis noticed that Shawn


    wasing towards him, he hid himself in a rush, attempting to not be noticed by Shawn.


    Because of this, Shawn smirked, continued leaving and pretended that he didn''t see his father. Upon


    seeing this, Travis breathed a sigh of relief. He craned his neck to look into the yard, only to find no


    one. Last night, after he and his wife fought, she kicked him out of their bedroom. As a result, he had to


    sleep in the study for the whole night. After a while, Travis finally arrived at the conclusion that he


    must''ve done something wrong. But as the elder, he just couldn''t condescend himself to make peace


    with the juniors.


    Therefore, Travis had been hiding and he didn''t dare to reveal himself. In fact, he knew everything that


    Harper did in this mansion. She didn''t do anything inappropriate except forbidding people from visiting


    Wendy. She behaved in such a meticulous and considerate manner. While thinking about this, Travis


    then realized that he had indeed been too harsh on her.

 Chapter 833 Burying The Hatchet (Part One)

    Chapter 833 Burying The Hatchet (Part One)


    Zorro had long noticed where Travis was hiding. Naturally, he was very dissatisfied with the behavior of


    the marquis. The twelve secret guards had a huge admiration for Harper, so they hated anyone who


    would dare to offend or go against her.


    At the ward, Harper was getting worried that Wendy was still too weak, so she fed thedy the precious


    medicine, saussurea involucrata which she had been keeping for a long time. She hoped that it would


    help her ovee the hardest part of her recuperation process.


    "Your Highness, the saussurea involucrata..." Zorro hesitated.


    "It''s not a big deal. The saussurea involucrata is nothing but a medicine without life. Once all of it is


    gone, we can still look for new supplies. But once a human''s life is gone, we can never get it back,"


    Harper slowly said. In her opinion, medicinal resources should be used without hesitation. No matter


    how valuable they were, they could only be regarded as trash if they couldn''t be used in saving a


    human''s life.


    Zorro looked at the Travis, who was still wandering aimlessly at the gate of the yard, then at Harper,


    who was inside the ward. Through telepathy, he said, "Your Highness, Marquis Travis has been


    roaming outside. I guess he probably wants to find an opportunity toe inside. Should I do anything


    to him?"


    "Just ignore him and let him be. It''s his mansion after all. We are merely his guests. He is free to go


    wherever and do anything he wants to," Harper inly said. In fact, she could see clearly Travis''


    hostility towards her so she could understand Zorro''s concerns. However, when she had previously


    worked at the Imperial Academy of Medicine, Travis had never been so adverse to her like this. She


    didn''t know when he had begun to be cold towards her.


    Travis lingered around for a long time, but he still didn''t see Harpere out of the ward. He was


    somewhat irritable already. After all, he was older than Harper. He thought Harper should give him an


    out by initiating to make peace with him.


    But despite this, Harper still wouldn''te out. Travis furiously gritted his teeth. He believed that


    Harper was taking this chance to embarrass him. However, it was too difficult for him to bow his head


    and apologize to a young woman.


    In the meantime, Forsythia woke up after getting only two hours of sleep. Nevertheless, she had


    regained all of her energy once more. In a rush, she came to the ward to rece Harper, informing her


    that she didn''t need to rest any longer. It was not until then that Harper came out of the room and


    immediately found out that Travis was still wandering nearby.


    "Marquis Travis, did youe to visit Lady Wendy?" Harper asked while she made her way towards


    Travis. She had thought that Travis had been trying to figure out a way to break in the ward, but she


    realized that he was simply roaming outside the gate without any intention of forcing himself into the


    room. It ultimately confused her.


    "Youngdy, I''ve been here for far too long. Why didn''t you invite me to have a cup of tea?"


    The corners of Harper''s mouth twitched a little. "Marquis Travis, this is your mansion, not mine."


    The expression on Travis'' face stiffened. "Since you''ve been staying in this house, then you''re the host


    for the time being. So, of course, you should invite me to tea!"


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    Harper smiled, thinking that it wasn''t that big of a deal. She turned to a maid andmanded, "Go and


    make a pot of tea."


    The maid immediately went to make a pot of high-end tea. In the meantime, Travis and Harper sat


    down in one of the pavilions of the yard. "I heard that you once saved my son''s life?" he asked.


    "No, that''s not really true," Harper said while shaking her head without hesitation. As far as she could


    remember, she had never saved Shawn''s life.


    "Shawn said that it was you who once saved his life in the Imperial Pce many years ago. Thete


    emperor was very suspicious. I was given a lot of recognition and I only had one son. It was inevitable


    that someone would set him up. You saved him at that time," Travis said in a solemn tone.


    "I don''t really remember it," Harper honestly said. She didn''t intend to ask for anything in return, which


    left Travis at a loss for words.


    "You... you saved my only son. Don''t you know that you had made a great contribution to our n?"


    "I don''t mean to offend you but since I''ve already forgotten about that, I think it''s a trivial matter that''s


    not worth mentioning." At this moment, the maid came with a pot of hot tea and two cups. Harper


    personally poured a cup for Travis and said, "Please have some tea, Marquis Travis."


    "You''re an awful woman. You''re not likable at all!"


    "Yes, I know that. Perhaps, that''s why my father doesn''t like me either," Harper said, fully at ease with


    the conversation.


    Before having a sip of the tea, Travis said, "Actually, I didn''t hate you before. I began to dislike you


    when Shawn decided to go to the north domain."


    Harper nodded her head in understanding. After all, Shawn was Travis'' only son. Once he decided to


    go to the north domain, he would face the Great Jade Kingdom and the Wonder Kingdom where a war


    might happen at any time. If anything were to happen to Shawn and he died, Travis would lose his heir.


    "Marquis Travis, you didn''t want Marquis Shawn to serve in the north domain?"


    Looking at Harper with eyes seemingly filled with sparks, Travis replied, "No, that was fine. I just didn''t


    want him to be controlled by a woman! I certainly know what kind of person my son is. As soon as he


    came back from the army, he began to inquire about the daughters of every major n. However, after


    he took a trip to Prince Matthew''s mansionter on, it seemed like he had lost his soul. Then, he had a


    violent fight against Prince Matthew and even went to the north domain. I heard from his deputy


    general that it was you who had asked him to go there. I immediately understood what was wrong with


    him, so I began to hate you."


    "Marquis Travis, I admit that it was my fault for not considering your feelings back then."


    "No, I started to hate you, not because you asked him to go to the north domain, but because you


    failed to make him realize the fact that you''re married already and could no longer have a romantic


    rtionship with him. Didn''t you know that he has affection for you? Affections more than what a friend


    should have." Travis finally told her the entire truth.


    With a confused look on her face, Harper could only stare at Travis, as if she heard something so


    impossible. "Marquis Travis, are you making a joke?" she asked.


    "Look at me. Do you really think that I''m joking?" Travis was so annoyed that he put on a stern


    expression on his face. Harper looked so innocent, without even a trace of guilt. It seemed like she


    didn''t know his son''s true feelings towards her at all. Realizing that, Travis couldn''t help but wonder if


    he did something wrong by telling everything to Harper.

 Chapter 834 Burying The Hatchet (Part Two)

    Chapter 834 Burying The Hatchet (Part Two)


    Giggling behind her hand, Harper said, "Marquis Travis, please don''t tease me. Every time your son


    sees me, he''s always so attentive and vignt, as if he''s afraid that I might trick him. How could he


    have affection for me? Back then, the reason why he agreed to go to the north domain as I had


    required was that your n was having a hard time. I knew that it was like walking on thin ice despite


    all of your glories on the surface. He wanted to take another route of retreat by cooperating with


    Matthew and me."


    At this point, Travis was bing a little furious. He knew his own son too well. Once Shawn blinked


    his eyes, he would immediately understand what he was thinking. It was impossible for Shawn to be


    vignt against Harper. Travis was afraid that even if Harper told him to die, Shawn would court death


    without a single thread of hesitation. Moreover, every time he spoke ill of Harper, Shawn would be so


    upset very quickly and would even brutally argue with him. All facts that he had were leading to one


    thing, that his only son loved Harper very much.


    "What I''m saying is true. My son really¡ª"


    "What about me?" Shawn''s voice was suddenly heard out of the blue, interrupting his father. "What are


    you two talking about? You look quite happy. Why did you mention me?"


    At his son''s sudden appearance and questions, the expression on Travis'' face gradually changed. At


    the same time, Harper smiled and replied, "Marquis Travis was telling me about the interesting stories


    of your childhood."


    "Interesting stories of my childhood..." Shawn slowly repeated. As soon as Travis saw the subtle


    expression on his son''s face, he realized what Shawn had remembered. Beaming with joy, Travis


    immediately said,


    "Well, we just talked about that time when I threw you into the military camp for the first time. I told her


    how you were picked on by the soldiers to the point that you teared up."


    Upon hearing that, Shawn blushed in embarrassment. "I didn''t know there was such a thing."


    A faint smile flickered across Harper''s lips. She looked around, but didn''t find any physician with


    Shawn. Immediately, she silently asked him with her eyes why he hadn''t brought Physician Gore back


    with him.


    "Physician Gore was out collecting medicinal herbs. The people there said that he woulde back


    tomorrow. I have already nned to personallye to him again." As soon as the topic of


    conversation was shifted to business, Shawn regained hisposure and calmness in an instant.


    Nodding her head, Harper said, "If Physician Gore refuses toe, you can tell him that I will write


    down the silver needle acupuncture method for him if he agrees to take care of Lady Wendy. He has


    been very eager to learn the method for a long time."


    A glimmer of light shed in Shawn''s eyes. In the end, he only said two words. "Thank you."


    "You are most wee. But we don''t need to say thanks to each other because we''re friends," Harper


    said in a gentle tone with perfect countenance. While watching how the two interacted, Travis suddenly


    found out that he had been wrong. He had hated Harper very much because his son loved her, but it


    was not until then that he realized that it was just his son''s unrequited love. If¡ª No, there wasn''t an if.


    Even before he came back, Harper had already married Matthew and be a princess.


    Meanwhile, Shawn repeatedly pondered on the word "friend" in his head. In fact, Harper only


    recognized very few people as her friends. That list included Zack and Caroline from the Bu n,


    Carlson, and George, sort of. Aside from these people, he was afraid no one could call themselves as


    Harper''s friend.


    "I feel honored to be your friend. Can I casually call you by your name from now on?" Shawn said with


    a very serious expression on his face.


    "Of course you can. A name only exists so that one can be called anyways," Harper said with a smile.


    Looking at the father and son in front of her, she shifted the topic of conversation by asking, "Have you


    heard about the letter of credence from the Great Jade Kingdom?"


    "Do you mean how Emperor Rndo of the Great Jade Kingdom is going to make Princess Lilian as


    his empress?" Travis asked right away.


    Nodding her head, Harper said, "Although I''m acquainted with Rndo, I don''t know him at all, such as


    his way of doing things, his disposition, and his means. But I have a feeling that it''s a little abrupt to


    make Princess Lilian as his empress."


    "He used to be as well-known as Prince Matthew. The two of them are almost equal when ites to


    tactfulness and capabilities. It can be said that they are well matched. Such a person must be quite


    ambitious. So obviously, Princess Lilian is not the best choice for the position of his empress," Travis


    said. Although he didn''t want to admit it, it was a fact that when Rndo did something, he must have


    other intentions for doing so.


    "What does Prince Matthew n to do?"


    Harper slowly responded, "We''re actually going to pay a visit to the Great Jade Kingdom. No matter


    what Rndo wants to do, I''m afraid he has been targeting Matthew all this time. We might as well


    interact with him in the open. Anyway, Princess Lilian is a princess of the Bright Dynasty, the younger


    sister of the current emperor, so Rndo shouldn''t go too far in whatever he was nning to do with


    her."


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    Shawn took a nce at Harper, but didn''t say anything. Since Rndo had once saved Harper''s life at


    the risk of his own, Shawn couldn''t speak ill of her savior in front of her. Moreover, the rtionship


    between Harper and Rndo was quite congenial. Or at least, in Shawn''s perspective, it was better


    than her rtionship with him. When Rndo had been the imperial monk of the Bright Dynasty,


    Harper had been allowed to enter and leave his mansion whenever she wanted. By now, Rndo had


    gone back to the Great Jade Kingdom and be its emperor. Shawn didn''t know if there had been


    any changes in their rtionship since then.


    Even though Shawn wouldn''t dare to speak ill of Rndo, his father was different. "Rndo is not a


    good person! As a matter of fact, he is very wicked. In the past, when he fought against Matthew, he


    always yed all kinds of tricks. Just as so, Matthew hated him very much then."


    Harper opened her eyes very wide in disbelief. "It seems like you know Rndo quite well, Marquis


    Travis. Please tell me more about him. What kind of a person is he?"

 Chapter 835 Prince Jason Showed Up (Part One)

    Chapter 835 Prince Jason Showed Up (Part One)


    "He is despicable, shameless, calcting, and vicious!" Every single word that came out of Travis''


    mouth to describe Rndo was spiteful. His judgment seemed to do nothing but throw mud at the man.


    It was actually contradicting to Rndo''s reputation since he was appreciated by the people in the


    Great Jade Kingdom. Moreover, a number of people in other countries had known Rndo''s name


    when he was the crown prince so they all thought that he was merciful.


    Shawn couldn''t help but look at his father in disbelief. He then turned to Harper and said, "Don''t listen


    to him. Rndo is indeed calcting and vicious, but he''s not despicable or shameless. The people in


    the Great Jade Kingdom like him very much. He is a talent that you should never underestimate."


    Shawn''sment was quite appropriate and urate. Harper carefully thought about the difference in


    opinions. She knew what kind of person Rndo was, since she had interacted with him a few times.


    She didn''t think he was shameless or calcting. Instead, he had even saved her life twice.


    "In that case, I think I''m going to see what kind of person Rndo is with my own eyes and heart. By


    the way, it''s gettingte. Matthew wille to pick me up soon. I''m going to check on Lady Wendy


    tomorrow." Harper then stood up, without waiting for a response from either man.


    "Let me walk you out." But as soon as Shawn approached Harper, he saw Matthew walking towards


    them. He smiled and said, "It seems like His Highness can''t wait to see you. He''s already waiting


    before you can even go out."


    Looking at Matthew, Harper had a wider smile on her face. "I heard that someone couldn''t sleep at


    homest night, so that person came to me."


    "On the contrary, I was worried that you couldn''t fall asleep, so I came here to look for you. I thought I


    might be able to help you out," Matthew responded, almost frowning.


    Harper pretended to be upset. "So, you didn''t miss me, Your Highness? Then I''ll just¡ª"


    "Yes, I did. Stop it. It''s not good to disturb others. Just go back home with me," Matthew responded in a


    rush.


    There seemed to be a glimmer of delight in Harper''s eyes. She took the initiative to hold Matthew''s


    hand and he squeezed her hand in return. Then, they left happily, hand in hand.


    Watching them leave, Shawn was lost in his own thoughts for a long time.


    Without him knowing, his father was already beside him, then roughly pped him on the back. "Come


    back to this world. She''s gone. Such a coward! What would you get from just looking at her? If you''re


    willing and able, just take her away from him."


    "Father, what nonsense are you talking about? Harper and I are just friends!" Shawn instantly had a


    frown on his face.


    In response, Travis apathetically snorted. "Friends? Should a friend be hiding his friend''s portrait in his


    room? Do you really think that I don''t have any idea what you''re thinking about? That girl is very


    sincere and outspoken. It''s clear that she has no interest in you!"


    Surprisingly, Shawn didn''t feel frustrated or offended. Instead, he was calm. "Father, you don''t have to


    tell me. I''ve known about it for a long time now. She isn''t amon woman who can be locked at


    home. She is a womanparable to that of a man. Only Prince Matthew can give such a woman a


    good chance to fly in the sky."


    "Are you admitting defeat so easily? But you''ve loved her all these years!" Travis was disappointed with


    Shawn backing down without a fight.


    "Father, as long as she''s fine and happy, I''m okay. Just like you and Mother, when she''s happy, you


    be happy too. But if you don''t try to coax her, I''m afraid you will have to sleep in the study again,"


    Shawn said with so much gentleness in his eyes.


    The expression on Travis'' face stiffened. He almost forgot that he had displeased his wifest night so


    he was banned from their bedroom. He knew that Shawn was right. If he didn''t try and soothe her


    temper today, he was afraid that he would have to continue sleeping in the study. Forgetting about his


    concerns with Shawn, he rushed down to pamper his wife.


    Looking at his father''s receding figure who was running like he waspeting for the marathon,


    Shawn had a tender and warm smile on his face. He wasn''t the kind to ask for too much in his life. He


    only wished that his family and the one he loved were safe and happy. Since he was living together


    with his family in harmony and the person he loved was happy, his life seemed to beplete by then.


    "Shawn Shen." A voice suddenly called him out. As soon as he turned to the direction of the voice,


    Shawn immediately saw Jason who was hiding behind a pir while waving at him. On a closer look, he


    noticed that the man was dressed in red clothes intended for women.


    "Your Highness, good to see you here. Did you know that His Majesty has been looking for you? Why


    did youe out on your own? What now? Are youing to apologize to His Majesty or speak for


    Prince Francis?" Shawn apathetically inquired.


    Jason rubbed his nose. "I heard that Harper is currently in your mansion. I''ve searched everywhere


    inside, but I haven''t found her. For the sake of our long-term friendship, will you allow me to see her?"


    "Actually, you''re alreadyte. Prince Matthew just took her back home not long ago," Shawn responded


    with the same indifference in his tone.


    "What? Well, now that she had already returned to Uncle Matthew''s mansion, I can''t see her anymore!"


    The expression on Jason''s face instantly changed.


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    "Why are you looking for her anyway?" Shawn asked in confusion. Jason was the closest to Francis so


    even when the prince rebelled against the throne, Jason was still there to help him. Shawn would have


    never believed that Jason woulde here for Harper to help her.


    Jason leaned against the pir and silently sighed. "I know what you''re thinking. Francis... He''s insane.


    When he couldn''t get what he wanted, he loathed the one he loved. Now, the only thing he wants to do


    is kill Harper."


    Shawn was very much surprised to know that Francis'' goal was to kill Harper. How was that


    possible?

 Chapter 836 Prince Jason Showed Up (Part Two)

    Chapter 836 Prince Jason Showed Up (Part Two)


    "I don''t think Francis has any grudges against Harper. You should know that she cured him." Shawn


    refused to believe that Francis would be so ungrateful as to do such a thing.


    "Francis loves Harper devotedly, but she only has eyes for Uncle Matthew. She even set a trap for


    Francis because of him. Francis had be vicious after Harper did that, and he couldn''t get over it.


    He became determined to kill her. I came to the imperial capital to warn her, and it would be fine if you


    can tell this to her. Well, I''ve said what I wanted to say. I''m leaving now." Jason then flicked the dust off


    his robe and prepared to leave.


    "Wait! Whose side are you on? Who on earth are you trying to help?" Shawn asked, stopping Jason in


    his tracks.


    With a bitter smile on his face, Jason looked at his right hand and said, "Both the palm and back of my


    hand are nothing but flesh and blood. Who do you think I''m helping? I care about both of them and as


    much as possible, and don''t want anything bad to happen to them."


    "If there is only one between the two of them who should survive, who will you choose?" Shawn


    suddenly asked. He wasn''t a vile person, but he had to be cautious when it came to Harper.


    "If you can only save one person, who will you chose, your sister or Harper?" Jason asked with a small


    smile.


    Shawn frowned and said, "That''s different!"


    "It''s the same for me. One is my brother and the other is someone I had so much to share with. I can


    already consider her as my sister. I won''t give up either of them! Shawn Shen, a lot of things in this


    world are difficult to deal with. I don''t know when it will happen to you. So until then, just think about


    your feelings now and enjoy your life," Jason nonchntly said.


    "Why don''t you go and see His Majesty? He is kind-hearted. He didn''t me you for everything that


    happened. Instead, he put all the me on Prince Francis. It''s obvious that His Majesty doesn''t want to


    have you executed. Prince Francis is your brother, so is His Majesty. He understands what happened.


    If possible, just go and see him. Perhaps you will change your mind," Shawn advised.


    Jason didn''t respond and disappeared soon enough. No matter what, he couldn''t go and see the


    emperor. He felt guilty for the countless things that he had done in secret these past few years.


    Everything he had done was unforgivable. Not only the emperor, but Harper would be right in not


    forgiving him. Therefore, he didn''t want to face them, or actually, he wouldn''t dare to.


    "She might be leaving the capital very soon. There''s a chance that you will never see her again,"


    Shawn said while looking at the direction that Jason disappeared.


    Jason hadn''t gone too far, so he heard what Shawn said. But he didn''t know who he was referring to,


    so he didn''t know that he would miss the opportunity to face Harper and admit his mistakes.


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    In fact, everyone knew that Jason hade back to the imperial capital, but they just pretended not to


    know. After all, he had always been on Francis'' side. Harper even suspected that Francis might have


    returned because the two were inseparable. She was actually still hesitating if she should send


    someone to follow Jason.


    "You want someone to tail after him?" Matthew asked, as if he could read Harper''s mind with one


    nce. But what he knew for sure was that Harper didn''t have the heart to kill Francis, and more


    precisely, she still regarded Jason as a friend.


    Touching her face, Harper asked, "Am I that obvious? When I was in the South Kingdom, Francis had


    really wanted me to die. I don''t miss the bond that we have, but Jason..."


    "After Jason left the imperial capital, he parted ways with Francis. Since you don''t want to make things


    difficult for Jason, just let him be. If he were to be an enemy in the future, then you will have to make


    the decision on your own. By the way, His Majesty told me today that I should leave for the Great Jade


    Kingdom as soon as possible. After all, our princess is going to be the empress of another kingdom. He


    told us that we can''t ck off," Matthew said while patting Harper''s head.


    "I can''t leave now. Physician Gore hasn''te back and agreed to take care of Wendy yet. Also, she


    hasn''t recovered so I have to wait until her condition stabilizes." Harper didn''t want to leave Wendy


    during this critical time. She had taken over the treatment, so she wouldn''t abandon her midway into


    the process. She wouldn''t go anywhere until she was sure that there wouldn''t beplications in


    Wendy''s recovery.


    "I know, so we can just go on with our n. I''m going to the Great Jade Kingdom first. Although I don''t


    know what Rndo is going to do, he must have his own n. What he wants should be the Heavenly


    Book in my hands. I''ll go there first and you catch up with meter." Matthew exined his n.


    Harper thought about it and agreed right away. Rndo had never hidden his intentions. He had


    stayed in the Bright Dynasty for five years just for the Heavenly Book, so it was natural that he would


    want to get thest Heavenly Book which he didn''t have. However, Harper also wanted the Heavenly


    Book in Rndo''s hands, even just to read its contents for a while. Harper had been thinking that they


    could make a deal.


    "If you can''t make it, you can just stay here. You don''t really need to go there. I will get Rndo''s


    Heavenly Book for you." Matthew was still worried because Rndo was resourceful. Moreover, he


    was afraid that Harper would go to the Great Jade Kingdom and risk herself. But if he didn''t allow her to


    go, he was also anxious that she would go to some extremes just to acquire thest Heavenly Book.


    Sensing his worries, Harper held his hand. "Don''t worry, I know what I should do. Just go ahead and


    come to the Great Jade Kingdom first. I''ll catch up with you and protect myself."

 Chapter 837 A Special Friend (Part One)

    Chapter 837 A Special Friend (Part One)


    In the middle of his conversation with Harper, Matthew sighed silently. He knew that Harper would


    definitely go to the Great Jade Kingdom by herself. She had decided that she must acquire the


    Heavenly Book as well as the Sacred Seal. Even if Matthew could guarantee that he would get it for


    her, Harper would still insist on going with him. After all, Rndo was not an ordinary opponent. If


    Matthew wanted to take something from that man, it would cost him a lot!


    But even so, Matthew didn''t want Harper to deal with Rndo herself. Nheless, he knew his wife


    too well. Once she set her mind on something, no one and nothing could stop her, not even Matthew.


    Moreover, Rndo had once saved Harper''s life, so Harper thought that she should pay him a visit.


    "The twelve secret guards will be with you. Remember, protect yourself."


    "I know, you can rest assured that I will. I promise that I will cherish my life to the best of my abilities."


    To join in the celebration of the coronation in the Great Jade Kingdom, the representatives from the


    Bright Dynasty had set off. Everyone thought that Harper would go with them. So they were surprised


    when she stayed, without showing any intention of going to the Great Jade Kingdom.


    Even Zack was a little bit confused. As far as he knew, Rndo had two of the Heavenly Books, so he


    thought that Harper wouldn''t have been unconcerned about them. He immediately went to visit her to


    see what happened. When he reached their mansion, he found Harperying leisurely in the yard while


    basking in the sun. "Wow, you seem to be having a rxing and peaceful day."


    Harper opened her eyes and saw Zack. With a smile on her face, she asked him to sit down. "What


    brings you here? Didn''t His Majesty enve you?"


    "I finally have the time and soon enough, I heard that you''re lonely and pitiful, now that you''re alone.


    But when I came here, I find you in this very soothing state. People are saying that you''re going to be


    abandoned by Prince Matthew, since he left home without you. Everyone is already nning how to


    push their daughters into his mansion." He then took the teapot on the stone table and poured himself


    a cup of tea. "This is some good tea! I have to say, you really have a good taste."


    "You are currently the youngest grand secretary of the Cab in the Bright Dynasty. I''m assuming the


    tea in your mansion must be better than mine. Perhaps the emperor sent all of those valuable things to


    your mansion in order to win over your heart," Harper teased him.


    Upon hearing that, Zack smiled helplessly. "Actually, I would rather that His Majesty doesn''t treat me so


    well. That way, I can ck off on my work."


    Harper picked up a grape, put it into her mouth, and said, "I''m afraid that His Majesty already knows


    what was on your mind. So he''s doing his best to try and win you over and then, you''ll have to do


    everything for him."


    After a sigh, Zack felt like Harper was in a good mood so he asked, "Why didn''t you go to the Great


    Jade Kingdom with Prince Matthew this time?"


    "Oh, I''m going there. I''ll catch up with him a littleter," Harper immediately said.


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    "Isn''t Prince Matthew worried about you?" Zack raised his voice. He couldn''t believe what he just


    heard. No matter how powerful and mighty Harper was, she was still vulnerable as a woman. There


    were so many cunning people that might aspire to hurt her. How could Matthew be rest assured in


    letting her go by herself? He was so confused. He thought that something just didn''t feel right.


    Putting the grapes in front of Zack, Harper said, "Of course, he''s worried about me. He left the twelve


    secret guards to protect me. I was actually supposed to go with him, but I can''t leave right now


    because of Wendy''s condition. I must wait until she bes stable enough. Until then, I have to stay


    here. That''s the only reason that I didn''t go with him. It''s not really that big of a deal."


    Zack did hear that Harper was curing Wendy. He had also heard about Wendy''s illness and that it was


    difficult to treat. Now that Harper was curing her, Wendy''s condition must be very critical but he


    believed that Harper had a way to treat her.


    "Can she recover and be back to normal?" Zack had been Shawn''s friend for many years, so he


    thought that he should care about his friend''s younger sister.


    While eating some grapes, Harper replied, "Yes, if everything goes well. Anyway, it''s autumn now and


    the Bright Dynasty is getting colder. I heard that the climate in the Great Jade Kingdom is warm and it


    feels like spring all year round. I wonder if it''s true."


    "Yeah, it''s true. The Great Jade Kingdom has four seasons like spring all the year around. The climate


    is quite pleasant there. By the way, it seems like Shawn is going back to the north domain really soon.


    Will you go with him then?" Zack gently asked.


    "I guess so."


    Zack was actually relieved to hear that. "That''s good. You can take care of each other on the way. Also,


    His Majesty has ordered to close the Secret Pavilion. Did you know about this?"


    "The Secret Pavilion has been closed?" Harper was a little surprised. The Secret Pavilion was a secret


    weapon of the Bright Dynasty. Although it wasn''t decent to look at, it could sometimes be gifted with


    unusual effects. Harper didn''t understand why Lucas had ordered to close it.


    "Yes, His Majesty has also dismissed all of the people in the Secret Pavilion. Someone working in there


    actually refused to obey the order so His Majesty had them flogged. He even issued an order of arrest."


    Zack showed the wanted order to Harper. Immediately, she noticed that Becky was included in the list.


    "It''s said that she is the one who was in charge of the Secret Pavilion¡ª"


    "I know this woman. Not only is she the one in charge of the Secret Pavilion, but she also works for


    Francis. When I was in the South Kingdom, she was involved in his plot against me. If she didn''t help


    Francis, I wouldn''t have suffered so much." At the thought of Becky, the light in Harper''s eyes darkened


    a little. If she were to see the wicked woman next time, she certainly wouldn''t be polite towards


    her.

 Chapter 838 A Special Friend (Part Two)

    Chapter 838 A Special Friend (Part Two)


    "Also, about the Qin n¡ª"


    "Zack, you don''t have to worry about me. Both the Qin n and the Chu n are in the past for me.


    Right now, Alexander is under the protection of Marquis Pearce, and Gianna is under the protection of


    Prince Allen. All I need to do is to protect Matthew''s mansion," Harper said slowly. She then looked up


    and added, "Zack, look at the beautiful sky. Sometimes when you do, you will find that there are still a


    lot of things worth looking forward to and pursuing in the world."


    All of a sudden, the light in Zack''s eyes dimmed, but he soon returned to normal. "Yes, there are a lot of


    things that are worth looking forward to in this world. By the way, when will youe back?"


    "I haven''t decided yet. After I leave for the Great Jade Kingdom, I have to go to the Wonder Kingdom to


    meet up with an old friend. Speaking of which, I actually want to introduce a friend to you someday,"


    Harper said with a faint smile.


    "He must be an interesting person, given that he is a friend of yours," Zack responded. "I''m looking


    forward to seeing what kind of person he is."


    "He''s a man who looks a lot like you. During the hardest part of my life, he encouraged me to hold on.


    He was also the one who helped me find the master who taught me. He is like a brother to me," Harper


    softly said.


    Zack was surprised to see the tender expression on Harper''s face. She hadn''t shown such an


    expression even in front of Alexander and Gianna. Therefore, he thought that the person she was


    talking about must be of great importance to her. But he didn''t know about it until now.


    "I''m even more curious now. He must be a gentle person."


    Harper giggled. "Gentle? No, he''s not gentle. Every time it seemed like he was gentle, it would turn out


    that he was actually nning how to y a prank on me. Unfortunately, I was not a match for him


    every single time. We''re friends, but we''re also ''enemies'' if you know what I mean."


    The corners of Zack''s mouth twitched a little. He thought that such a person who could make Harper


    feel very warm must have a very interesting temperament. "Who is it?"


    "He is the young lord of the Phoenix City. His name is Darren."


    When he heard the name, Zack was a little surprised. Although Darren seldom appeared in public, no


    one dared to look down on him. Even outsiders knew that Phoenix City was a strong and indestructible


    city. But no one knew that eight years ago, the real ruler of the Phoenix City had been Darren, and his


    father, the former ruler, had already traveled around the world so no one knew where he was.


    "Darren is a remarkable man," Zack remarked.


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    "Really?" She paused as if in serious thought before she continued, "He is powerful and has a very


    sharp tongue. Aside from that, I haven''t found anything special about him."


    "But he''s the one who can make you admit defeat. Isn''t he powerful enough in this regard? As far as


    I''m concerned, there aren''t many people who can make you do that," Zack seriously said.


    Harper rubbed her nose and thought for a while. She then nodded her head in agreement. "I guess


    you''re right. By the way, when I passed by Phoenix City, I deliberately avoided him. Will he beat me to


    death the next time I see him?"


    After carefully thinking it over, Zack nodded. "Probably. If you don''t want to be beaten, you can bring


    Prince Matthew with you. For the sake of your husband, he may not be as furious."


    Actually, Zack wasn''t telling her the entire truth. In fact, Darren was very likely to vent his anger on


    Matthew and beat him up. He lied because about a week ago, Matthew was trying to instigate conflict


    between him and Darren. And after listening to Harper''s exnation, he immediately knew that it had


    been Darren who Matthew was vignt against.


    "I think you''re right!" Nevertheless, Harper agreed with him.


    Then, Forsythia came out of nowhere. "Your Highness, herees Lord Shawn."


    A hint of concern instantly appeared in Harper''s eyes. "Let him in. Something might have happened to


    Lady Wendy."


    Shawn walked in with big strides. When he saw Zack, he was a little bit stunned. "Harper, Wendy woke


    up but something''s wrong."


    "Is Physician Gore unable to deal with it?" Harper was surprised. Physician Gore was supposed to be


    very good at handling the kind of recovery treatment that Wendy was going through. After all, he had


    learned a lot from her, and he understood the knowledge much better than those old physicians.


    "Wendy is in a bad mood. She wouldn''t let Physician Gore in her room. Actually, she doesn''t let anyone


    in. She just kept on yelling about some scar all the time. Her screams can be heard all throughout the


    mansion so I didn''t have a choice but toe and see you." A strange look appeared on Shawn''s face.


    He didn''t seem to understand Wendy''s reaction. For men, scars meant nothing. Even if they obtained


    any amount of scars on their body, they wouldn''t take it seriously. Scars could sometimes be regarded


    as trophies on the battlefield. The more scars you had, the braver and stronger you would be


    considered.


    Harper understood the situation. Because of the operation, there was a big scar on Wendy''s chest. She


    was afraid that since Wendy''s condition had gotten a lot better, she finally noticed the scar. It might be


    a little hard for her to ept that.


    "It''s not a big deal. Just ignore it," Harper said.


    "But Physician Gore said that if she ripped the wound¡ª"


    "Rip the wound? Does she want to die?" Harper was surprised by then.


    "I''m sorry. I didn''t know she would have such a reaction," Shawn said with a worried expression on his


    face.


    "In that case, I''m going to have a look," Harper calmly said. She wouldn''t mind giving Wendy a quick


    death if she really wanted to die!


    Watching Harper who was walking very quickly out of the room, Zack then turned to Shawn. The man


    had a hopeless expression in his eyes, so Zack asked, "What''s going on? The person under Harper''s


    treatment shouldn''t have any problem. What''s wrong with your sister?"

 Chapter 839 Do You Want To Die (Part One)

    Chapter 839 Do You Want To Die (Part One)


    Shawn sighed. "Zack," he said exasperatedly. "I am starting to regret having Harper treat Wendy." In


    his eyes were hopelessness and extreme sadness. "If I only knew that the dispute between would be


    this heated, I would have conceded and let Wendy die than implicate Harper."


    "Stop thinking that," Zack said, trying his hardest to soundforting. "Everyone knows that Lord


    Travis and Lady Hannah are reasonable people. And besides, Lady Wendy is not stupid. You should


    have known that out of all people." Zack had met Wendy before and his first impression of her was that


    she was an extremely smart and resilient woman. At that time, he thought that, perhaps, the poor


    health she was born with taught her to always restrain herself, physically and emotionally. Feeling that


    there might be something amiss with Wendy''s condition, he told Shawn, "You know what? Let''s have a


    look at her together.


    In Marquis Travis''s mansion, Travis and Hannah stood outside Wendy''s room with their breaths bated.


    The sounds of things smashing and breaking continued to emanate from inside the room.


    "Wendy," Hannah lovingly called out. "Please, open the door. Let''s talk first. We can exin what


    happened. Just open the door." "That¡¯s right, Wendy," Travis interjected, his tone pleading. "We can


    exin everything. We can talk this through!"


    Wendy let out a high-pitched scream. "You can¡¯t say anything to me that would make me feel better!"


    she howled. "I have such an ugly scar on my body! How will I be able to live with this monstrosity!"


    What followed was the sound of multiple vases breaking. A horrified gasp escaped Hannah¡¯s mouth as


    she never thought her daughter would be capable of doing such things.


    Travis, on the other hand, seemed to be fed up with all the pleading they were doing. With a stern look


    on his face, he said, "Wendy, having such a scar is not a big deal. Having this kind of reaction is


    unwarranted and very unbing. Please be reasonable and stop acting like this! Open the door!"


    "I would rather die than live with this!" Wendy shouted back, her cries intensifying.


    "You¡¯d really rather die than live with that scar?" a voice suddenly asked. "Pathetic." Travis and Hannah


    turned around at the same time. Harper was standing right behind them, her face devoid of any kind of


    emotion.


    "Your Highness," Physician Gore suddenly said, looking as if he had just seen his personal savior. "I


    just want to remind you that if Lady Wendy''s condition bes worse, she did it to herself. It won¡¯t


    have anything to do with my skills."


    "I understand," Harper replied dismissively. As she advanced towards Wendy¡¯s room, Travis and


    Hannah subconsciously stepped aside to make way for her. Harper repeated the question she asked


    moments ago the moment she reached the door of Wendy¡¯s room: "Wendy Shen, do you really want to


    die instead of living with that scar?"


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    Upon hearing Harper''s voice, Wendy became even more livid. One by one, she threw the teacups on


    her table at the door and shouted, "Go away, you! I don''t want to see you! I never want to see you ever


    again!"


    Harper didn¡¯t flinch one bit despite Wendy¡¯s revolting attitude. "Wendy Shen, tell me: do you really want


    to die?" she asked once again in a cold, unfeeling voice.


    Wendy was so furious that she began to feel her heart rate skyrocket. The long scar on her chest


    looked like a caterpir crawling on her, and whenever she saw it, she felt extremely nauseous. "Yes!"


    she shrieked. "I want to die! I don''t want to live with these disgusting things on my chest!"


    "Wendy, quit saying such nonsense!" Hannah pleaded, hurt by what she just heard from her own flesh


    and blood.


    "Well, then¡ªyour wish is mymand!" Harper firmly stepped forward, broke the bolt on the door, and


    went into Wendy''s room without saying anything. Everyone was taken aback by her actions, including


    Wendy, who apparently was not properly dressed.


    "Harper Chu, what are you¡ª" Before Wendy could even start what she was about to say, however,


    Harper already had a firm grip on a huge chunk of her hair.


    "You!" Wendy cried out, surprised by Harper''s crude behavior. She struggled to free herself from her


    grasp, but unfortunately, her strength wasn''t not enough. Soon, she realized that she had no choice to


    be dragged out of her room head first.


    "What the hell are you doing, Harper? Let go of me this instant! You''re hurting me!" she continued to


    protest, but everything fell on Harper''s deaf ears.


    Travis and Hannah couldn''t hide their shock when Harper emerged from the room dragging Wendy by


    the hair. It was the first time Hannah had seen someone treat her daughter this way, and so she


    immediately wanted to intervene and stop what was happening. Travis, however, stopped his wife.


    Physician Gore was so scared out of his wits that he hid behind a pir in a bid to escape Harper''s


    rage. After working with her for some time, he knew how violent she could get with patients who didn''t


    want to cooperate with her at all. He also knew that any further provocation would only lead her to hurt


    more people, and so he knew that getting out of the way was the best choice.


    After what felt like an eternity, Harper finally stopped in front of the pond in the courtyard. Wendy, who


    was still trying her hardest to get away from Harper, tearfully said, "Let go of me, Harper, please!"


    Harper did not answer. Instead, a chuckle escaped her lips. Then, without any kind of warning, she


    pushed Wendy into the pond. This scared Hannah so much that she promptly fainted. Luckily, Travis


    caught her before she hit the ground and hurt herself.


    In contrast to the petrified gasps from the people who witnessed what just happened, Harper''s face


    was ever so calm and eerily indifferent. "If you really want to die, Wendy Shen, I''m here to help you. I


    won''t let you ruin the reputation I have tirelessly built up through the years," she said loudly, as if she


    was intending to be heard by everyone. "You know what''s sad? If I had known that you want to die, I


    wouldn''t have spent so much time and energy to save you. I would have just given you a poison, so


    you can die without pain. But that''s toote now, I guess."


    In actuality, Wendy didn''t want to die. She just acted like this just because she hated her ugly scar¡ª


    she was scared that it would make her a less attractive woman. But when she faced death, she


    trembled with fear. As she tried to keep her head above water, she felt her heart tremble, and her body


    fighting to survive.


    "Help me!" she shouted as water started filling her lungs. Wendy still wanted to live, so she was


    struggling. ''I have sacrificed a lot to be where I am right now. I will not die this way!'' she thought. "Help


    me! Anyone! I don''t want to die yet!"


    While Harper''s eyes were still cold and piercing, she immediately waved her hand and gestured to her


    people to save Wendy. Four men immediately came forward, pulled Wendy out of the water, and


    carefullyid her on the ground by the pond. Wendy immediately began coughing violently and heaving


    in an effort to dispel the huge amount of water she had taken in.


    Hannah wanted to approach Wendy tofort her and make sure she was okay, but once again, she


    was stopped by Travis. They had taken good care of Wendy since she was a child and they both knew


    how extremely self-willed and stubborn she was. Although she had the ability to restrain herself in ways


    a normal person couldn''t, it was only her illness that forced her to do so.

 Chapter 840 Do You Want To Die (Part Two)

    Chapter 840 Do You Want To Die (Part Two)


    "You''re crazy!" Wendy shouted the moment her breathing stabilized once again. "Why did you do that?


    Were you trying to kill me?!"


    A slight air of disgust became apparent in Harper''s face. "Didn''t you want to die?" she said bluntly,


    eyeing Wendy as if she was some kind of deformed creature. "I was just helping you." A look of


    disbelief dawned on Wendy''s face. Harper didn''t care, however, and continued: "You want to die simply


    because of a scar. Do you think it was very easy for me to save your life? Do you know that my medical


    fees and expenses to cure you were so high that if I decided to charge them all to your n, your family


    would be bankrupt and living in the streets?"


    It was Wendy''s first time hearing all of this. Never in her wildest dreams did she think that her family


    could go bankrupt just because of her medical expenses.


    "Shut up" she shouted, shaking her head. "Lies, lies, lies!"


    Once again, Harper acted like she didn''t hear Wendy''smentations. "Do you know that the pill to cure


    you is invaluable?" she continued. "Do you know how great of an effort I spent to get an herb from


    Labyrinth Swamp? The five leaves that I used on you already amounted to one hundred thousand taels


    of gold. Wendy Shen, I treated you with the best and most effective pills and herbs I have in my


    collection, but you still have the audacity to throw a tantrum about wanting to die? Fine! I''ll kill you with


    my bare hands! After that, I''ll make sure your family pays me what you owe me so that they''d lose


    everything they have!" Harper became more and more ruthless as she spoke. Worse, she didn''t make


    an effort to hide the murderous intent in her eyes. Wendy felt like her soul was being ripped and


    shredded into pieces, so she had no other choice but to retreat.


    Never in her life had she met a person worse than Harper. She had always believed that she only got


    lucky when thete emperor approved of her marriage with Prince Matthew. In her point of view, a


    woman like Harper would never be able to marry a noble such as Prince Matthew because she was a


    woman whose engagement had been broken off.


    Now, she realized that everything that Harper achieved wasn''t because of her luck: it was because of


    her own powerful self, and the way she handled every situation that she faced.


    "I... I... I..." Wendy stuttered. Tears were already forming in her eyes, but she tried her hardest to


    suppress them. "I don''t want to die," she finally said. Harper looked down on her.


    "Say it out loud," she said coldly. "Do you want to die, Wendy Shen?"


    "No," Wendy replied, now fully sobbing. "I want to live! I want to live and grow old with my parents!" As


    the only daughter of the powerful Marquis Travis, she had gotten everything she wanted over the years


    because everyone took pity on her and her poor health condition. This time, however, it didn''t work on


    Harper. She even tried to drown her! The feeling that was rooted deep inside her at the moment was


    indescribable. She, however, now understood that if she truly wanted to die, Harper would do the


    honors and kill her!


    Several moments passed before Harper spoke. "Always remember what you said here today, right


    now. You want to live." She then turned around and began to walk away. "I''ll leave her to you now," she


    said as she passed by Physician Gore.


    "Yes, Your Highness," Physician Gore responded with respect. "I promise to take good care of Lady


    Wendy." Harper''s firm and decisive actions impressed everyone around her that day. Only a few people


    in the world would have the courage to push someone into the pond and let them drown in front of his


    or her mother and father.


    After Harper left, Hannah finally came around. With Travis by her side, she hurriedly came to Wendy''s


    side to console her. Travis immediately ordered someone to help Wendy back to her room, and help


    her get changed. It waste summer that time; the temperature wasn''t too high, making it


    ufortable for Wendy to stay out soaking. Besides that, she had just undergone surgery and her


    body had not fully recovered yet. If anything happened to her, it would be so devastating for her family.


    Hannah felt her mind melting into a puddle the moment she saw how Wendy seemed to be scared to


    death. As the maids helped dress her up, it was noticeable how pale her face was. ''It was as if she had


    seen the devil herself,'' she thought, worried for her daughter.


    But while her heart was continuously breaking over her daughter''s suffering, she knew that she couldn''t


    put any ounce of me on Harper. If it weren''t for her, her spoiled daughter would keep messing about.


    Zack was taken aback by the bold behaviors of Harper. When he turned around and saw the calm look


    on Shawn''s face, he was shocked. "You knew it would be like this?"


    "Lady Harper is not a person who will sit silently as someone tries to defile her name," Shawn said with


    a smile, "She''s on the other side of that spectrum: she''s decisive, determined, and ruthless. Wendy is


    no match for someone like her."


    "Do you know her that well?" Zack asked, his eyes narrowing. A trace of jealousy and disbelief could


    be heard in his tone. "She''s decisive, yes, but I don''t think she''s ruthless."


    "It''s because you haven''t seen that side of her," Shawn exined. "She is always nice to you and your


    sister." Shawn was sounding jealous himself. "You can ask anyone about what they think of Lady


    Harper and you''d get the same answer. In Birch Pass, everyone knows her, and knows that she is far


    from being a simple, one-sided intellectual. She even went through the Labyrinth Swamp safely!


    Anyone with such skills is considered extraordinary."


    "Yeah, you''re right," Zack said, nodding his head in agreement. "Harper truly is a powerful woman."


    Zack then remembered something to ask Shawn about. "When will you go back to the north domain?"


    he asked.


    "In two days," Shawn replied. "It seemed like Lady Harper herself is ready to go. With Wendy


    recovering well, I don''t think there is anything else holding her back. In three days'' time, we will be out


    of here." He then turned around and headed towards the door. "Let''s go for a drink, shall we?" he


    invited.


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    "No, thank you," Zack replied, politely declining Shawn''s invitation. "I have a lot of work to deal with


    today. Just... take care of Lady Harper."


    "Don''t worry, Zack," Shawn said. "As long as I''m with her, she will be safe."


    "Thank you."


    "You don''t have to thank me, Zack. It''s my job to protect Lady Harper. She is not only a benefactor of


    my n, but also a friend of mine. In addition, since she is my superior, it has always been my duty to


    protect her."


    "As one of her friends, I just want to thank you for being there for her," Zack said. He then took a deep


    breath, smiled, and continued, "I always feel that she is getting stronger and stronger every day, and


    that her mind keeps expanding to new horizons. I don''t know until when that wouldst, but I want her


    to always be safe from any kind of harm."


    Shawn''s eyes twinkled. It was true that Harper had been getting stronger and stronger as days went by,


    and they all seemed left behind, unable to catch up to her no matter how hard they tried.


    "Anyway, she wille back home eventually," Shawn sighed.


    "Yeah, she wille back home," Zack said somberly. After a while, he shook his head as if he was


    trying to get rid of something inside of him. "You know what? Forget about the work. I can deal with


    them tomorrow. Let''s go for a drink!"

 Chapter 841 Poor Diana (Part One)

    Chapter 841 Poor Diana (Part One)


    When Rndo saw the names of envoys from the Bright Dynasty, his expression and overall


    demeanor became as cold as ice.


    Immediately noticing his temper, Miguel raised a small and awkward smile on his face. "Your Majesty, it


    seems like you''re currently in a bad mood. Prince Matthew, a powerful man from the Bright Dynasty,


    has been sent here to celebrate with us. It''s a kind gesture on their part. Why aren''t you happy?" he


    asked.


    But Rndo just ignored Miguel''s question. Instead, he walked out of the door and watched the gentle


    sunshine outside. There seemed to be a touch of gentleness in his eyes, but no one saw it.


    Meanwhile, upon closer assessment of Rndo''s reaction, Miguel finally understood that the emperor


    was disappointed and frustrated because the one he was expecting wasn''t included in the list.


    "Miguel, I want you to do one thing for me. Just one thing! If you can''t do it well, you don''t have toe


    back," Rndo slowly said.


    At that, Miguel''s face paled. "Your Majesty, aren''t you being too cruel? I don''t know what you want me


    to do. You''re being too harsh. I''m afraid I really can''t harass or hurt someone else. And I can''t beat up a


    capable woman like Princess Harper. So please, calm down!"


    Rndo nced at him and bitterly smiled. "Don''t worry, I won''t ever dare to let you do that. Thest


    time that you did, she was buried under the library of the South Kingdom and almost lost her life. She''s


    a vengeful woman. This time, if you go and she doesn''t kill you, you''d be so lucky."


    Miguelughed out loud. He was even more convinced that Harper did cause quite a lot of trouble. She


    even made Rndo love her from the bottom of his heart. "Your Majesty, you are indeed very devoted


    to Princess Harper."


    Rndo turned around and red at Miguel. In an instant, Miguel shut his mouth and murmured, "I


    didn''t say anything wrong. It''s the truth."


    "Just finish what I''ll ask you to do." Rndo''s voice was low and cold like the frost early in the morning.


    It was so frightening that Miguel shivered just by listening to him.


    "Your Majesty, what can I do for you?"


    While still looking at Miguel, Rndo smiled even more sinisterly. Naturally, Miguel felt uneasy.


    Rndo opened his mouth and said something in a very low voice; nobody but Miguel heard it clearly.


    Upon hearing the order, he felt that the blood all over his body froze. For a while, he just stood there


    and forgot how to react.


    Without saying anything else, Rndo turned around and left. Miguel remained standing by himself for


    a long time before he came to his senses.


    Meanwhile, the road to the Great Jade Kingdom was quite troublesome for Matthew. Throughout their


    journey, they had encountered various problems. First, the road copsed which ultimately affected


    their speed in moving forward. Then, there was heavy rain so the bridge was submerged. In any case,


    idents kept happening every step of the way. When Harper and her entourage set out to the Great


    Jade Kingdom, Matthew and his people even hadn''t left thend of the Bright Dynasty.


    On her way to follow Matthew, Harper chose another path, different from the one Matthew and the


    others were taking, as the couple had decided that they would travel to the Great Jade Kingdom, one in


    public and one in secret. The one Harper was taking was rough and quite dangerous. She climbed over


    the mountains and went through forests. Although unable to ride a horse or get in a carriage while


    going through this path, Harper had a good health condition and only brought Forsythia with her. The


    rest of the maids stayed in the mansion. It was much easier for them to pass over mountains and rivers


    that way. Moreover, the twelve secret guards were closely following her.


    With utmost confusion, Forsythia asked, "Your Highness, why did we choose this path? It''s very difficult


    to climb over mountains and go through rivers. If we went on the official roads, perhaps we would have


    caught up with His Highness and the others on the way."


    Harperughed. "We''re going through this path because it''s a shortcut. His Highness and the others


    left five or six days ahead of us. By this time, they might have already entered the Great Jade Kingdom.


    With this path, we can get to the border in three days. So if everything goes well, we can reach the


    kingdom at the same time as them."


    "How do you know this path?" Shawn was actually quite surprised. The more time he spent with


    Harper, the more astounded he was. How could a weak woman¡ª His thoughts were interrupted when


    he caught a glimpse of Harper who was casually walking in front. He then threw away his line of


    thinking. She was not a weak woman. On the contrary, she was so strong that he didn''t know how


    capable she really was until then.


    "I heard of it by ident when I was on a trip in the past. It takes only half of the time to go back to the


    imperial capital through this path. I often took this way when there were idents in the imperial


    capital," Harper said with a broad smile on her face.


    The corners of Shawn''s mouth twitched a little. He concluded that during the past years, Harper rarely


    stayed in the imperial capital and often traveled around. But how did she hide it from everyone and


    wander outside of the kingdom all year round?


    "You were often away from the imperial capital?"


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    "My uncle always had to leave in the past. Well, I didn''t like to just stay at home to be despised, so I


    often followed him. With my uncle as an excuse, it was easy for me to go out. But then he disappeared


    and since then, it became difficult for me to go out whenever I wanted." A hint of sadness shed


    through Harper''s eyes. Her uncle had treated her so well, a hundred times better than the way her


    father treated her.


    "Let''s take a break. We''ve been walking for a long time," Shawn suggested.


    "Okay," Harper agreed.


    "I am going to look for food," Zorro immediately said. Harper sat down against a trunk and


    unconsciously shook the branch in her hand. Staring into nothing, she seemed to be recalling the past.


    Her eyes were gentle and confused, as if she had a very vague memory of what happened then.


    "Please drink some water, Your Highness." Forsythia handed the bottle to Harper. She then took a sip


    before saying, "I hope everything will go well on this trip to the Great Jade


    Kingdom."

 Chapter 842 Poor Diana (Part Two)

    Chapter 842 Poor Diana (Part Two)


    "I don''t think Emperor Rndo will purposely make trouble for us. Our nation and the Great Jade


    Kingdom are allies. Moreover, he intends to make Princess Lilian his empress. He must sincerely want


    to have a more stable alliance." Although Shawn couldn''t figure out what Rndo was thinking at the


    moment, he knew that the man wouldn''t start a battle any time soon.


    Harper looked around and saw a figure who was staggering out. "Who is that?" The person lunged at


    Harper at the sight of her.


    "Master, I''ve finally found you!"


    "Diana!" Harper looked at Diana in utter astonishment. The woman was in such a mess. It took her like


    countless days to finally catch up with Harper after a long time. "What''s wrong with you? Why do you


    look so embarrassed?" Harper asked in surprise.


    "Master, please help me!" Diana wiped her bitter tears. "Carlson is such a shameless person. He even


    plotted against me! Do you know what he did? That bastard! He drugged my horse and changed the


    guideposts along the way. As a result, I got lost so many times that I only arrived in the imperial capital


    a few days ago. As soon as I arrived, I heard that you already left. So I was in a rush to chase after


    you. I''ve never thought that you would take this way."


    While she was thinking about Carlson, Harper''s eyes lit up. It seemed like something had happened


    between Diana and Carlson. It could only be the reason that he had yed such cruel tricks on her.


    "Why did he do that to you?" Harper asked


    "I pped his face a dozen times!"


    Shawn opened his mouth a little, as if he couldn''t believe what he had just heard. Carlson was known


    for being cunning and unruly. Some would even say that he was the devil himself. He was actually


    showing mercy in punishing her for pping him a dozen times. If it were someone else, he would have


    taken the person''s life right there and then.


    "Well why did you p his face?" Harper''s eyes widened in shock. Was it that Carlson thought that


    Diana was so beautiful so he tried to do something malicious towards her? And Diana was so irritated


    that she pped his face a dozen times?


    "At that time, I finally reached the Birch Pass, but I couldn''t find you. He was the first one I saw so I


    asked him where you were. But he was sleeping like a dead pig. In order to wake him up, I pped him


    more than ten times." Diana narrated the story so casually since she didn''t think she did anything


    wrong.


    While listening to Diana, Shawn nearly burst intoughter. It might be the first time that Carlson felt so


    offended. The poor guy was just sleeping so soundly but out of nowhere, he was pped in the face so


    many times. No wonder he made trouble for Diana on her way here.


    "It''s not really easy for you to get into the imperial capital unharmed." Harper handed a water bottle to


    Diana.


    "You''re right." While thinking of the hardships she had gone through on the way to the imperial capital,


    Diana felt a little sad. The guideposts that were reced on the road were pointing to the dead-end


    numerous times. If she was not that skilled in martial arts, she would have been the food of some


    beasts. "Next time I see him, I will p him dozens of times once again to vent my hatred!"


    Then, Zorro came back with a rabbit and a pheasant in his hand. When he saw one more person in the


    group, he didn''t say anything. He just skillfully cleaned the wild animals and then roasted the meat on


    fire. At this point, Diana was very hungry after traveling for so long, without even stopping to rest. She


    squatted next to Zorro and looked at the meat on the fire. With so much eagerness, it looked like she


    was so desperate to jump on it and eat it all in one bite.


    Zorro frowned a little and kept a distance from Diana but she moved closer to him. When he moved


    again, she moved with him as well. They looked like two people walking around the fire. It looked quite


    comical to the ones watching them.


    "Why are you avoiding me? It''s not like I''m going to eat you!" Diana eximed while pointing at Zorro.


    She was so upset by what he was doing.


    Zorro turned his face to the other side, refusing to look at Diana. From the look on her face, it was


    obvious that she wanted to swallow him whole. How could he not get away from her? Besides, there


    were quite a lot of people in there and they only had a little to eat. If Diana snatched the meat, the


    others would have nothing for food.


    When another secret guard came back, his pocket was filled with wild fruits. "I found some wild fruits,"


    he announced. Upon hearing that there was more to eat, Diana rushed over and took a fruit. She


    casually wiped it on her clothes and began to eat. When she took her first bite, her eyes lit up.


    "It''s yummy! Very sweet as well."


    The secret guard looked at Diana with disgust. Then, he washed the best one among the bunch and


    gave it to Harper. She then gave two fruits to Shawn. He took them, expressed his thanks, and then ate


    the fruits in silence.


    "Is there more? Please give me two more," Diana demanded, as she looked at the secret guard.


    "No, you''ve eaten too much already!"


    "Give me two more. I''m starving to death. In order to catch up with you, I haven''t had a good meal


    since I left the South Kingdom." Diana didn''t give up and chased after the secret guard.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    Upon seeing that, Harper shook her head with a smile. She had no idea how Diana had been brought


    up that she turned out with that kind of personality. When she was ruthless, people would grit their


    teeth with hatred. But when she returned to that of a lovely girl, they couldn''t do anything to her. She


    looked innocent and outspoken, which made it impossible for people to associate her actual identity


    with her.


    "Don''t chase after him, Diana. The meat is ready. You just ate something. You''ll be hungry after


    running."


    "The roasted meat is ready! That''s great! I want to eat a whole rabbit!"

 Chapter 843 Saving Prime Minister Miguel (Part One)

    Chapter 843 Saving Prime Minister Miguel (Part One)


    On their way to the Great Jade Kingdom, Harper and herpanions maintained a normal travelling


    speed. Because of Diana''s presence, however, the journey didn''t seem as boring as it had been. After


    crossing the border between the Great Jade Kingdom and the Bright Dynasty, Harper changed into


    men''s clothing and all the members of the group disguised themselves as businessmen.


    When they entered the territory of the Great Jade Kingdom, Harper and herpanions slowed down


    their pace. They started to wander around the tourist spots of the kingdom, as if they went there just to


    enjoy and take in the beauty of nature.


    "Master, I''m afraid we''re going to miss the coronation ceremony of the Great Jade Kingdom''s empress


    if we y around like this. Don''t you think so?" Diana asked Harper who was currently reading a book


    in the carriage to kill time. Diana was sitting opposite of her. Feeling extremely bored, all she could do


    was to stare at her master. She couldn''t understand why Harper liked reading so much. Whenever they


    were in the carriage, she could see Harper reading book after book.


    Harper answered, "It doesn''t matter. As long as the envoy team can attend the coronation ceremony,


    it''s going to be okay. We just need to get there at our current pace. After all, our purpose is not to


    attend the coronation ceremony there. Besides, the ceremony won''t take ce until more than two


    weeks from now. Even though we travel this way, we''ll still have enough time to be there on time."


    "The one who''s going to be the empress of the Great Jade Kingdom is a princess of your Bright


    Dynasty. Don''t you feel excited about that?" Diana asked in amazement. She believed it was a joyous


    event, so she couldn''t understand why Harper looked so indifferent.


    Nonchntly, Harper asked her back, "Why would I feel excited? It''s none of my business. I''m just a


    bystander. What''s more important is that Rndo and Lilian feel excited about it. I believe they don''t


    care whether or not others feel happy for them."


    "You''re so blunt and honest!" Dianamented while shaking her head. If the new empress of the


    Great Jade Kingdom was a princess of the South Kingdom, she would be extremely thrilled and


    ecstatic. After all, it was a good thing since it could indicate that the two countries were on good terms


    with each other. She believed that all of the people in the country should share the happiness from


    such an alliance.


    "My Lady," Forsythia called Harper while lifting up the curtain of the carriage.


    "What''s wrong?" Harper asked while she shifted her eyes from the book to Forsythia. Forsythia


    responded, "We''ve found a man who''s seriously injured and in aa ahead of us. Zorro told me to


    ask you if we should¡ª"


    "Just ignore him," Harper casually replied.


    "Master, how ruthless you are! Let''s at least see who the man is. He might be handsome, you know?"


    Dianained. After jumping off the carriage, she continued, "I''ll go and see what''s going on."


    While looking at Diana''s receding figure, Harper couldn''t help but shake her head helplessly. She knew


    that Diana felt extremely bored to be inside the carriage these days, so she kept on wishing for


    something to do. With such thoughts in mind, Harper didn''t stop her.


    Diana came back very soon. "Master, the man turned to be an old acquaintance of yours!"


    "An old acquaintance? Who are you talking about?" Harper asked, astonishment evident in her eyes.


    "The new prime minister of the Great Jade Kingdom, Miguel Hua!"


    At the mention of the man''s name, Harper narrowed her eyes a little. Both she and Diana had met


    Miguel in the South Kingdom. At that time, Miguel had been very hostile and exceptionally unkind to


    her. When she mentioned this to Matthew, he had told her that Miguel was gay and he was in love with


    Rndo. So the reason why Miguel was adverse towards her was because Miguel didn''t like how


    Rndo had saved her at the price of his arm.


    "Master, shall we save him or not? If you don''t want to save him, I''m going to give him one more stab to


    help him die sooner," Diana asked with so much excitement.


    At those words, the corner of Harper''s mouth twitched. "Leave him alone. Don''t stab him. Let''s just go."


    "Let him die by himself?" Diana actually felt that her master wasted such a good opportunity. She had


    thought that she would at least take the chance to get revenge on him. To her surprise, Harper chose to


    simply turn a blind eye on him, as if she hadn''t seen him.


    So then, their group passed by Miguel who was lying helplessly on the road. However, a few seconds


    later, Harper''s carriage suddenly stopped in its tracks. In a rigid voice, Harper ordered, "Take him with


    us."


    "Yes, My Lady."


    When Miguel woke up again, he found himself inside an inn. He opened his eyes and saw a person


    standing in front of the window. At that time, the person had the back turned on him but still, Miguel


    thought the person looked somewhat familiar. However, he just couldn''t remember where he had seen


    this person before.


    "Thank you for your help. I don''t know how to thank you b¡ª" Upon seeing the person turn around, he


    swallowed the rest of his words of gratitude. "Harper Chu!"


    Crossing her arms over her chest, Harper said, "I''m honored to be recognized by you, even at first


    nce, Prime Minister Miguel."


    "Did you save me?"


    "I didn''t want to, but after reconsideration, I changed my mind. After all, Rndo is my friend and you''re


    his most helpful assistant. So it only seemed inappropriate for me if I didn''t save you from danger. That


    was why I told my men to pick you up," Harper inly said, as if she was talking about how she just


    picked up a mere puppy on the roadside.


    Miguel struggled to sit up, but he scratched his wound in the process. It hurt so much that his eyebrows


    furrowed so tightly together while he fell back to the bed once again.


    "You''re severely injured. It would be better if you don''t move your body for the time being. Or else, your


    wound will split and it''ll cause me more trouble." After saying that, Harper activated a gust of wind from


    her fingertip and hit one of Miguel''s acupuncture points. In an instant, his body could no longer move


    except for his eyes.


    "What did you just do?"


    "You need to have a good rest so your wound can heal in peace." Harper pulled out a chair and sat


    down in front of Miguel. "What happened in the Great Jade Kingdom? How could you, the new prime


    minister who is greatly favored by your emperor, be injured this much? You were even lying on the


    ground, hundreds of miles away from the capital of the kingdom."


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    Miguel firmly closed his lips, refusing to answer her question. Harper had already thought that he


    wouldn''t tell her the reason. But she thought that it was worth a try to still ask. She didn''t really care


    even though the man didn''t answer her.

 Chapter 844 Saving Prime Minister Miguel (Part Two)

    Chapter 844 Saving Prime Minister Miguel (Part Two)


    "There are only a few people in the Great Jade Kingdom who can hurt you. You and Rndo are very


    close, just like brothers are. It wouldn''t have been easy for anybody to hurt you this much without him


    knowing. So, you must have left the capital for a significant reason before someone plotted against


    you." While she was speaking, Harper''s eyes were fixed on Miguel, so she clearly saw Miguel''s pupils


    shrank at her assumption.


    Taking a deep breath to calm himself down, Miguel said, "Don''t make wild guesses here. I won''t tell you


    anything. Of course, I have to thank you for saving me. But please release my acupuncture point. I


    have something to do."


    "What is so important that when the new emperor is about to crown his empress, you appear hundreds


    of miles away from the capital? Can you reveal even a little bit of information to me?" Harper curiously


    asked.


    "Your Highness, please don''t push me too hard," Miguel replied. As soon as he finished speaking, he


    closed his eyes and fell silent. Miguel knew that Harper was so shrewd that she could determine


    whether her assumptions were right or wrong based on his expressions and reactions. So the only


    thing he could do was to silently resist her questioning in this way.


    But Harper didn''t make things difficult for him. "Well, I won''t ask you why you''re here anymore. But I


    want to ask you another question. Do you like men?"


    "Bullshit!" Miguel eximed, suddenly opening his eyes and furiously ring at Harper. "I like women.


    How many times do you want me to tell you? I only like women!"


    "Don''t you have romantic affections for Rndo?" Harper asked. She was very much surprised with his


    response, because Matthew had told her that without a doubt, Miguel loved Rndo.


    Meanwhile, Miguel felt like he just choked with his own blood. He realized that it was really hard to


    communicate with Harper. "No, I don''t!" he simply stated.


    "So you have romantic feelings for Matthew and that was why you were so hostile towards me?"


    Harper concluded in a way that it seemed like she had just found out the truth, which only made Miguel


    burn with rage. If he could move then, he would surely prove to Harper whether he liked men or


    women.


    "I was hostile to you only because you have influenced someone." Miguel believed that it was


    necessary for him to exin himself to Harper as soon as possible. Otherwise, she would assume the


    wrong things about him. He gritted his teeth out of frustration and continued, "Because of you, that


    person has changed a lot. He''s no longer like himself in the past."


    After thinking for a while, Harper asked, "Are you talking about Rndo?"


    "Yes, it''s His Majesty!" Miguel honestly responded. The expression in his eyes was a bitplicated.


    "He used to be well aware of what his responsibilities are. He could bear any kind of pain for the sake


    of his duties. But now, he has even sacrificed his own arm for a woman. Don''t you think it was too


    ridiculous?"


    Harper was surprised to hear that the reason why Miguel had been hostile to her was actually that


    Rndo had saved her. She exined, "At that time, I had lost my ability to protect myself. I didn''t


    expect that he would save me at the price of his arm."


    Shifting his eyes to Harper, Miguel said, "I didn''t mean to make you feel that way. But when we were in


    the South Kingdom, I found out that you had excellent martial arts skills. Then, I remembered that you


    had allowed His Majesty to block an arrow attack for you when you were almost assassinated. I


    thought that you had deliberately tried to harm him. Anyway, can you please release my acupuncture


    point now?"


    Harper stretched her hand to grant what he just asked. But she reminded him, "Please pardon me for


    talking too much. But your wound is very deep, so it would be better for you to not move too much. As


    a matter of fact, you''re lucky that you''re still alive."


    Miguel had wanted to try and sit up once again. However, when he heard what Harper said, he chose


    to continue lying on the bed right away. "I heard that you were not in a good condition so you went to


    the south region to recuperate for some time. But it turns out that you''re actually here. Are youing


    to attend the coronation ceremony of Princess Lilian as the new empress?"


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    "No, I''m not," Harper responded. She then stood up and walked towards the window. Looking out at the


    bustling street, she said, "I just want an answer."


    "An answer to what?"


    "Why are you still asking me when you already know the answer?" Harper said, turning her head away


    from him. "The Heavenly Books of the Qin n have once again showed up in this world. Rndo had


    stayed in the Bright Dynasty for five years because of them. So I don''t believe you don''t know what


    answer I want."


    Miguel hadn''t expected that Harper would speak so candidly. "Are you going to take the Heavenly Book


    from His Majesty?"


    "No, I just want to read and know its contents. After all, it''s not easy to take something that Rndo


    owns," Harper impassively said.


    "It''s good that you know that. But if it''s you who''s going to ask him for it, he may just give it to you,"


    Miguel said with a sigh.


    "So, what''s the price that I have to pay?" Harper asked with a smile on her face while she suddenly


    turned around to look at Miguel.


    Miguel opened his mouth but couldn''t say anything even though he wanted to. ''What His Majesty wants


    is you. Unfortunately, you and Prince Matthew are an affectionate couple who love each other very


    much. Nothing could separate the two of you, so you won''t agree to his request. However, His Majesty


    is not someone who would give up so easily. Therefore, your trip to the Great Jade Kingdom will be


    extremely dangerous.''


    "If possible, it''s not toote for you to turn around now and go back to the Bright Dynasty," Miguel


    suggested after thinking about it for a while.


    "Now that I''ve already reached the Great Jade Kingdom, I have never thought of retreating without


    doing something about it. I can give what Rndo wants to know in exchange for reading the book. I


    believe he won''t say no," Harper said, raising her eyebrows.


    ''Naive!'' Miguel thought. He wanted to tell Harper that Rndo''s target was nobody else but her. But


    when he remembered what Rndo had said to him, he swallowed his words and said, "Now that


    you''re going to the capital, please take me with you. I''m injured right now and I can''t go back there by


    myself."


    "Okay, I''ll take you to divert us from boredom."

 Chapter 845 Dont Like Your Type (Part One)

    Chapter 845 Don''t Like Your Type (Part One)


    Soon enough, Miguel understood what Harper meant when she said that she was taking him to distract


    them from boredom. If he had known that it would be like this, he would go back to the capital by


    himself despite the inconvenience rather than be with her!


    Right then, Diana ripped Miguel''s clothes and curiously studied his wound. "Master, why did you use


    this medicine to heal his wound? It seems that he was hurt by an arrow and obviously, there was


    poison in it. Master, what kind of medicine did you use to detoxify him? The South Kingdom can also


    have the antidote for this. How about you poison him again? I want to try my method."


    Without moving her eyes away from the book in her hand, Harper said, "Change the medicine for him


    and bind it up. My poison is not for your entertainment."


    "Yes, master." While she was changing the medicine for Miguel, Diana said, "We saved him. Should we


    ask for a reward? It cost us a lot of good medicine to cure his wound."


    Upon hearing those words, Harper seemed to agree with her. She thought about it for a while before


    saying, "You''re the one who covered up his wound. Ask him what you want in return."


    "Okay, I want three thousand taels of gold!" Diana eximed while she turned around and held up


    three fingers in front of Miguel''s face.


    "Why don''t you just rob a bank then?!" Miguel yelled at her, feeling very much annoyed. The woman


    didn''t just ask for three thousand taels of silver, but gold!


    Diana put more pressure on his wound so Miguel gasped because of the pain. "You are such a bitch...


    Ah..."


    "Please pay attention to what I''m about to say. You are in my carriage. Don''t cry so miserably and


    make such a fuss, Prime Minister Miguel. Or else, the people outside may think that my men have


    done something to you. Although you look beautiful, you''re actually too feminine. People around me


    don''t like your type," Harper firmly said while she rigidly looked at Miguel.


    ''Type?'' The word echoed in Miguel''s mind. He was petrified, to say the least. Was he a mere object?


    Was heparable to clothes that even Harper described him as just a "type"? "I''m a human being!"


    he eximed.


    "I know. You can''t be in my carriage right now if you''re not a human. One more thing, learn to know


    your ce. Try being humble when you''re not at your own home." Harper didn''t want to consider his


    dignity.


    Miguel was enraged by what Harper had said, so he just shut his mouth and remained quiet. He just let


    Diana go on her own chatting without responding her. Because he knew that he would be choked to the


    point of vomiting blood if he said anything more.


    After a while, Diana got tired after speaking too much. Harper handed her a cup of tea at the right time.


    After picking up the cup and gulping it down, Diana squatted down beside Miguel and continued her


    babble, which was a great torture to his ears.


    As for Harper, she just continued reading her book in silence, turning a blind eye to what was


    happening in front of her. She also ignored Diana''s voice. Miguel had never wanted to kill someone so


    badly until then. For the first time, he discovered that the princess of the South Kingdom was such a


    talkative woman. If he could, he really wanted to cut off her tongue to make her stop talking for once.


    That actuallysted for three days. After being subjected to that kind of treatment for so long, Miguel


    could finally move. Harper was surprised at his ability to recuperate very fast. The injury was so severe,


    but it was alleviated in just three days. As soon as Miguel was fully recovered, Diana became a little


    upset. She couldn''t defeat him in terms of martial arts, so she could only argue with him through words.


    But as soon as she opened her mouth once again, Miguel pressed on her acupoint, making her unable


    to move or speak.


    Diana immediately looked at Harper for help, but Harper just ignored her. She was determined not to


    get involved in their fight. Miguel finally held his head high andy down in the carriage. He then stared


    at Harper with a smirk on his face. "Your Highness, Prince Matthew is not here and we still have a long


    way to go before arriving at the destination. Do you want to have some fun?"


    Squinting at him, Harper asked, "Oh, you want to have some fun?"


    "Just merely traveling without doing anything is so boring. I heard that you''re good at ying Go. Will


    you y with me?" In the end, Miguel didn''t dare to take the risk and flirt with Harper. Although she


    looked gentle, he knew that when it came to a fight, she could be ruthless. If he answered yes, he was


    certain that he would be beaten until he wouldn''t be able to move for half a month!


    Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    Harper just went back to her book and firmly said, "No."


    "Why are you refusing with so much conviction? It''s just a game of Go. I heard that in the past, you


    often yed with His Majesty when he was in the Bright Dynasty. His Majesty rarely praised a person''s


    skills but he did with you. Before heplimented you, he had only done that to Prince Matthew. I''m


    eager to have a try. Also, I have been injured and staying in bed for so many days. How about ying


    one round with me, even if it''s just out of pity?"


    Miguel made a proposal while cing the board on the table. Finally, Harper didn''t refuse anymore.


    She grabbed some stones and asked, ""Prime number or even number?"


    With a smile, Miguel uttered, "Prime. Luck is always ¡ª"


    "It''s even number." Miguel wasn''t even done speaking when he saw Harper put the stones on the


    board. She was right, so he immediately changed his words.


    "Not on my side. Your Highness, please go first."


    Harper reached for the ck stones and took the lead. She put one stone in the middle of the board,


    and Miguel looked at her with confusion and astonishment in his eyes. He asked, "Your Highness, are


    you sure you want to put it here?"


    "Do I look like an indecisive person?" Harper stared at Miguel without a bit of emotion. However, he


    didn''t mind and just smiled. Then he put one stone on the board. Harper was not stupid. Although


    people who knew how to y Go clearly had themon sense that the first stone couldn''t be ced


    in the middle, Harper was different. So Miguel was not sure whether she would take the easy road.

 Chapter 846 Dont Like Your Type (Part Two)

    Chapter 846 Don''t Like Your Type (Part Two)


    They put stones on the board one after the other. However, Miguel was bing a little slower in


    taking his turn. And Harper was a little impatient, so she picked up the book beside her and continued


    reading while ying the game with him.


    When Miguel saw that, he turned ghastly pale. He didn''t know what to say. He had been trapped in a


    little bit of trouble because of Harper''s move, and he didn''t know how to find a way out. In each of his


    turn, he would think for a long time before cing a stone. But Harper would drop one so quickly that it


    seemed like she didn''t need time to think. It was making the self-proimed "expert in Go" feel hot on


    his face.


    "I surrender!" Miguel threw the stone back into the container, feeling a little upset. "Your Highness, are


    you even a human? You weren''t concentrating on the game but you even cornered me! And I


    considered myself to be an expert in Go!"


    Harper nced at Miguel frostily. "If Rndo yed this game with me, he wouldn''t be like you."


    "His Majesty has been ying Go since he was a child. How can I everpare to him?"


    "Well then, Zack wouldn''t y this game like you did."


    "The young grand secretary of your nation?" The expression on Miguel''s face turned dark. He was the


    new prime minister of the Great Jade Kingdom, and Zack was the grand secretary of the Bright


    Dynasty. Obviously, what Harper just said indicated that he was as capable as Zack.


    "You know, everyone has their own strengths. I am not good at ying Go. Most especially, I am


    inferior to the ones who are especially good at tricks and maniption."


    "So did you acquire your current position just because of your charming face?" Harper sarcastically


    asked. But her words made Miguel furious, as if she had stepped on his injured foot.


    "Harper Chu, don''t push me too far!"


    "What if I do? What are you going to do to me?" Harper asked without even raising her head to look at


    him.


    Miguel felt defeated right away. At his prime, he was able to go against Harper, but he might not be a


    match for her at that moment. What was more, there were a lot of secret guards outside. Once they


    received amand from Harper, they would pick at his bones as if he were a mere animal.


    "How long will it take to get to the capital?" Miguel lifted the curtain of the carriage and looked outside.


    "This is Fancy City, not far from the capital."


    Harper turned her head to look as well. She saw the prosperous city with peopleing and going,


    greeting each other with a smile. "Rndo is such a good emperor," she delightedly said.


    "Of course, His Majesty is always a wise man. He is very talented in leading the country. He is also an


    intelligent and sensible emperor. Someone like him onlyes to the Great Jade Kingdom once in a


    thousand years." Miguel actually felt lucky to serve the kind of emperor that Rndo was.


    Harper nodded. "The Great Jade Kingdom is really doing amazing under his leadership."


    "If it wasn''t for the fatuouste emperor, your nation wouldn''t have been tormented by such troubles.


    Although Lucas is talented in all respects, there are far too many hidden dangers. He is determined to


    change the situation, but he might not have enough power to do that."


    "Sometimes we need to do things with utmost determination and without even a drop of hesitation,"


    Harper said slowly. Lucas didn''t have the will to make decisions with urgency and conviction. But


    fortunately, Zack was with him. The Bright Dynasty would be stronger sooner orter. It was just a


    matter of time.


    "Before we enter the capital, let me go. Your Highness, take care of yourself after you enter the capital,"


    Miguel abruptly said.


    Harper nodded and asked right away, "How is Princess Lilian?"


    Miguel''s body went stiff. It was only for a moment, but Harper still noticed it. "She''s doing really good in


    the pce. His Majesty has always been tolerant and kind. Moreover, she''s pregnant and is about to


    be the empress. Of course, she couldn''t be any better."


    "Oh, she''s pregnant." Harper nodded her head in understanding. Rndo was the same age as


    Matthew, but both of them didn''t have any children yet. Now, Rndo had be the emperor of the


    Great Jade Kingdom, and the woman by his side was pregnant, so he must be very happy. If Lilian


    gave birth to a son, her status would be more stable.


    The expression in Miguel''s eyes was veryplicated, as if he had some unspeakable things. Harper


    was not a person who liked to pry into other people''s private lives, so she wouldn''t force him into telling


    her anything if he didn''t want to. "As long as she''s living a good life, then it''s good," Harper stated.


    "Your Highness ¡ª" Miguel was about to speak, but he immediately stopped himself. Then he asked


    after quite a while, "Are you going to see Prince Matthew after you enter the capital city?"


    "Perhaps, not. After all, I came to the Great Jade Kingdom in secret. What if Matthew gets mad and


    doesn''t want to talk to me after knowing that I came here without telling him? So right now, I''m still not


    sure." Harper giggled a little.


    Miguel gritted his teeth. "You''d better meet with him as soon as possible."


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    Although Harper didn''t understand why Miguel was asking her to do such a thing, she passively


    nodded at him. What he said sounded a good advice. After all, they hadn''t seen each other for days,


    and she missed her husband so much.


    Miguel lifted the curtain and was about to leave which ultimately surprised Harper. "You''re leaving so


    soon. Didn''t you say that you''re going to leave when we reach the capital?"


    "On second thought, we''d better separate here. If possible, you don''t need to enter the capital right


    now. Instead, wait outside the city to meet Prince Matthew. It''s not a good thing for you to enter the


    capital by yourself." As soon as Miguel finished speaking, he jumped off the carriage and disappeared


    in the crowd. Before Miguel left, he released Diana''s acupoint, which made her able to move and speak


    again! Instantly, Diana breathed a sigh of relief, but she then cursed furiously,


    "You bastard! I''ll give you a lesson that you''ll never forget when I see you next time!"

 Chapter 847 Rolando Showed Up (Part One)

    Chapter 847 Rndo Showed Up (Part One)


    Instead of going into the imperial capital of the Great Jade Kingdom, Harper chose to live in a house at


    the peaceful outskirt. She was about to contact Matthew. Her arrival wasn''t a secret anymore as Miguel


    had already known of her existence. And thus she considered it unnecessary to hide behind the


    shadows.


    One night, however, Harper had an unexpected guest turn up. As soon as the man arrived, the twelve


    secret guards protecting her immediately showed up with their weapons, ready to fight. The man,


    however, sat quietly in the backyard, enjoying the evening breeze, fully unintimidated by the warriors in


    front of him. The twelve were stunned: First, they didn''t know how the man was able to enter their


    master''s yard without being spotted, and second, they didn''t understand how he could be so calm with


    all of their swords pointed at him.


    Harper quickly ran to the door to see what was happening. The moment she opened it and looked


    outside, she felt her heart skip a beat. "Rndo!" she eximed happily. "It''s you!"


    A profound smile appeared on Rndo''s lips. "Harper!" he responded excitedly. All of a sudden,


    however, the expression on his face became grim. "Your men are such horrible people," he said,


    ring at the men surrounding him. "When I heard that you are living in a lovely house at the outskirt, I


    prepared the delicious food and drinks that I know you will enjoy. Then, I came here to personally


    deliver them to you and see how you''re doing, but as soon as I step foot in here, your men surrounded


    me like I''m a trespassing criminal. They won''t even let me make a sound!"


    Harper could not help but smile. "Are you sure that''s what you came for?" she yfully teased as she


    approached Rndo. "It seems like you came here in the middle of the night to simply bluff my


    guards."


    "I have prepared a special wine for you!" Rndo replied, evading Harper''s question equally yfully.


    "Do you know that this concoction is exclusive to the Great Jade Kingdom? Here! Try it!" He shook the


    bottle in front of Harper''s face as if to entice her.


    Harper chuckled and nodded her head. Before she sat down to drink, she ordered her twelve secret


    guards to leave. When they did, she took the seat opposite to Rndo and said, "How did you know so


    soon that I am already here?"


    "Did you forget that I''m the emperor of the Great Jade Kingdom?" Rndo poured a cup of wine for


    Harper. "I think the better question is how would I not know who has entered the Great Jade Kingdom?"


    Harperughed. "That is true," she said as she sipped wine from her cup.


    Rndo''s tone suddenly became serious. "But Harper, how could you be so heartless? You were


    already at the gates of the imperial capital but you decided to leave! Because of that, I had no choice


    but toe here to see you! Are you that unwilling to see me?" he said, a scowl forming on his face.


    Harper rolled her eyes. "Rndo, you know that I''m the princess of the Bright Dynasty. Since Matthew


    and his envoys have not arrived yet, I can''t go in first," she exined. It was the perfect excuse for her.


    Rndo sighed deeply. "Indeed, that is the protocol," he admitted, sounding defeated. He then put food


    on Harper''s te and said, "Taste our famous dishes and see if you like them."


    Harper took a small bite and said, "I never knew that the dishes here in Great Jade Kingdom would


    have this spicy kick. I really like this. It''s delicious!"


    Rndo''s eyes widened with happiness. His expression was so tender that it wasparable to a


    spring one would see in the middle of a dessert. "I''m d you like it," he said, deep appreciation


    coloring his voice. "I was worried that you would not like the food here, but then I remembered that you


    like spicy dishes, so I took a gamble and brought you all of these!" He then gestured to all the things he


    brought.


    "Ah, are you talking about the hotpot?" Harper asked.


    "Yes," Rndo replied. "It was a pity that I was a monk back then. Also, I was injured so I couldn''t


    really eat the spicy soup pot and was only allowed to taste the clear soup. You know what? I have


    asked people to cook it for me several times, but none of the tastes hase close to the one that I''m


    craving." A deep kind of sadness was shining through his eyes. "You must have a secret recipe for it


    because no one else could recreate it!"


    "I''m very ttered," Harper responded, amused by what she was hearing from Rndo. "But have you


    considered that maybe the way you remember how that food tasted like was influenced by the


    experience you had back then?"


    Rndo thought very carefully for a while and replied, "I think so. At that time, I didn''t have to worry


    about so many things. But now..." His voice trailed off. After a few moments, he spoke again. "The


    experiences I''ve had when I was a monk are very different from what I am experiencing now as an


    emperor."


    "I think it''s incredible how you adapted and changed yourself to live the life you''re living now," Harper


    slowly replied. "To be honest, before, I was worried about whether or not you could get things under


    control once you go back to your country after leaving for five years. After I see how you''ve handled


    everything, all I can say is that I am proud of you."


    Something seemed to be filling Rndo''s eyes but he was able to quickly conceal it. He then continued


    filling Harper''s te with food. "But thinking about it, the time when I was still Chodak was the most


    rxed time I have ever had."


    "Chodak, Rndo¡ªthey are both you. No matter who you are, you are always my friend," Harper said.


    "I''m d to hear that," Rndo responded, his smile intoxicating. "But about this wine¡ªyou cannot


    drink too much of it!" he suddenly warned. "It is super strong, and it will make you drunk so easily. So


    please drink in moderation!"


    "Really?" Harper put down her cup. "But this wine is so good¡ªit''s so pure and refreshing! It''s so


    different from every liquor from Bright Dynasty. Everything we have there literally tastes like gasoline


    that whenever I try to drink them, I just choke. The wine here is so mild and smooth¡ªjust like you are!"


    Rndo burst outughing. "What? You''re the only one who thinks I''m gentle and mild."


    "Aren''t you?" Harper asked back. "People all say that Prince Rndo is as gentle as jade and as warm


    as the spring wind. And when you became the emperor of the Great Jade Kingdom, your people all say


    that they have the mildest emperor thisnd has ever seen! So it''s definitely not just me."


    Rndo said no more. Instead, he just continued casually putting food on her te. Every dish was


    perfect for Harper, he made sure of that. Their tastes were all mild so as not to overwhelm Harper''s


    taste buds. That was howmitted he was to making everyone feelfortable.


    "Rndo, we haven''t yed Go for a long time. Do you want to?" Harper suddenly asked with a huge


    smile on her lips. "It''s sote and we''ve eaten so, so much. I''m pretty sure if we go to sleep any time


    soon, we''ll suffer from indigestion. So... do you want to y chess for a while?"


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    Rndo really liked the idea, so he agreed. "Not like you''re giving me any choice," he teased yfully.


    The maids then removed the food from the table in order to set a board down. They also made tea, so


    that the two yers wouldn''t be short of refreshments. After everything was ready, Harper and Rndo


    began their match.

 Chapter 848 Rolando Showed Up (Part Two)

    Chapter 848 Rndo Showed Up (Part Two)


    Rndo''s way of ying Go was gentle and unassuming as usual. Harper, on the other hand, was fast


    and straightforward. Throughout the whole game, they were neck and neck, giving them both a feeling


    of satisfaction. With a smile on his face, Rndo remarked, "It always makes me happy to y Go with


    you. When I y with others, I always feel that there is something missing."


    "Is it because my Go skills are so bad?" Harper joked.


    Rndo nced at Harper and chuckled. "What are you saying? If your skills are bad, then most of the


    people I know who im to know how to y Go don''t really know how to y the game! Harper, you


    are being way too modest."


    "It''s not that I''m too modest," Harper denied. "It''s just... it''s not easy to get your praise." She then made


    a move on the board. "Especially now that you are the famous Emperor Rndo. Everyone thinks


    highly of you. The Great Jade Kingdom will be better and better under your rule, and I am sure of it."


    Rndo raised his head to look up at Harper. Then he made a move on the board. "Do you like the


    Great Jade Kingdom?" he asked.


    "Of course! The people here all look incredibly happy. It seems like everyone is content with the lives


    they are leading. I''ve never seen such enthusiastic citizens in my life," Harper replied. To Rndo''s


    ears, Harper''s voice sounded ethereal, like a feather softly caressing him in the heart, calming it down


    and making it joyous.


    "Well, if you like, you cane to the Great Jade Kingdom any time you want," Rndo said tenderly.


    "I heard what happened to you in the South Kingdomst time. It''s... unbelievable. You''re a strong


    woman."


    "Are you talking about the time I entered the Labyrinth Swamp?" Harper asked. "Well, I was forced to


    do that at that time. I literally had no other choice, so I was incredibly relieved when I managed toe


    out alive. But if you ask me to go inside that wretched ce once again, I would definitely say no. What


    I experienced inside was the most terrible thing I have experienced in my life, and probably in the future


    lives I''ll have. It is so full of traps which are all deadly."


    "Well, I''m sure Matthew would stamp with fury if you went in there again," Rndo joked, chuckling.


    Then, out of the blue, he said, "I was extremely worried when I heard that you had entered the


    Labyrinth Swamp."


    "It''s my fault to let you feel worried," Harper replied with a soft smile on her lips. "But the Great Jade


    Kingdom is very far away from the Labyrinth Swamp. Don''t worry. I won''t have the chance to be forced


    into it again."


    "If anyone in the Great Jade Kingdom dares to force you to do anything, tell me. I will not let them go


    alive," Rndo said firmly.


    "Speaking the Great Jade Kingdom, I have not had the chance to see any of the beautiful scenery in


    here!" Harper said to lighten the mood.


    Rndoughed. "I''ll take you to see the scenery of the imperial capital some other day. It won''t be so


    much better than that of the Bright Dynasty, but it definitely would not be worse. Also, if Lilian finds out


    that you''re here, she will be very happy." Rndo''s eyes suddenly became as deep as the ocean,


    making it hard to see through him.


    "Lilian." At the mention of Lilian, Harper felt a little peculiar inside. The first time she saw her, she was


    with Rndo. At that time, she wanted to thank Rndo for saving her life. Lilian immediately became


    hostile towards her just because she saw her beside Rndo.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    "Do you remember when you saved Caroline and me who were trapped in the fire in the Holy Chant


    Temple and I went to thank you for saving our lives? That was when Lilian first saw me and she gave


    me a cold shoulder. She didn''t even try to hide her disdain for me. It was as if I was her rival in love! At


    that time, I truly felt how dedicated she was to her own feelings. Despite being a princess, she was


    ready to abandon everything just to follow a monk. I really admired her for her boldness that she makes


    it public that she loves you." Harper had never seen someone willing to do such a thing for love.


    "If you like someone, what are you capable of doing?" Rndo asked suddenly.


    "Me?" Harper thought about it carefully for a few moment. "Well, I think I''ll be doing it differently. First, I


    don''t think I would be able to handle telling everyone how I feel about a person. If I''m not sure that the


    person I like likes me back, I wouldn''t bring any kind of pressure on him or anything like that. But I''ll


    make sure that he understands what I feel for him. Now, if he really doesn''t like me, I''ll distance myself


    from him. I won''t make him think that I''m hard to deal with."


    "What if he likes you back?"


    This made Harper cover her mouth and giggle like a little girl. "Is it really necessary for me to answer


    that?" she asked, looking embarrassed. She then took a deep breath and said, "Well, if the person and


    I love each other so much, why don''t we just be together?"


    "What if you two are unable to be together for various reasons, and he must marry another woman?"


    Rndo asked calmly. That was one side of being a part of the royal family that was rarely seen by the


    public. As the heir to the throne, he had fewer choices, which made him frustrated.


    "That only proves that we are not meant to be together," Harper said coolly. "I don''t believe in promises,


    and in love, there are no excuses. Since he agreed to marry another woman, it means that he is not the


    right person for me."


    Rndo stared at Harper with eyes filled with aplex andplicated expression. "If Matthew


    betrays you, will you leave him without hesitation?" he then asked.


    "Definitely." Harper''s reply was so curt and decisive that Rndo couldn''t believe his ears. He had a


    clear idea of how deep and loving Harper and Matthew''s rtionship was, and for him, Harper would


    never leave Matthew. But then she just said that once he betrayed her, she would leave him without


    even thinking about it. Would she be able to really do that?


    "Are you sure about that?" Rndo asked wide-eyed.


    "Maybe I would feel excruciating pain at the beginning, but for me, it''s better to experience short,


    stabbing pains than dull, dragged-out pains. As the saying goes, time heals all wounds. I may hurt, but


    I will be okay." Harper then made a move on the board. "But then I believe that he would never betray


    me."


    Rndo''s eyes darkened. "You trust him very much."


    "I know what kind of person my man is," Harper replied firmly.


    Rndo didn''t say anything more. He knew what kind of person Matthew was. It was not easy for him


    to love someone. Once he started liking someone, he wouldn''t give up until he made her his. The only


    way to make him look for a new love was to erase all his memories. But was it possible for him to forget


    everything? It was surely impossible!


    The silence was broken by one of Rndo''s men. "Your Majesty, I just received some terrible news.


    Lady Lilian is in so much pain right now and the baby might be in danger."

 Chapter 849 Congratulations, Your Majesty (Part One)

    Chapter 849 Congrattions, Your Majesty (Part One)


    "What?" The expression on Rndo''s face instantly changed when he heard the news. Immediately,


    he stood up and said, "Harper, you''d better go to the pce with me. After all, you''re an outstanding


    physician. And Lilian will feel less worried once she sees you."


    Harper hesitated for a while but eventually nodded her head in agreement. Together with Rndo, she


    took Forsythia with her on their way to the Great Jade Kingdom''s pce. After all, Lilian came from the


    Bright Dynasty and was Matthew''s niece, so Harper couldn''t just sit by and watch. If something terrible


    happened to Lilian at that moment, it would be extremely unfortunate for the Bright Dynasty.


    Luckily, Harper''s residence was not far from the gate of the capital. The carriage went straight to the


    pce, unimpeded. Besides, Rndo was with her, so nobody dared stop her from entering the


    capital.


    Harper lifted the curtain of the carriage and looked outside. It was veryte in the night by then.


    Naturally, she couldn''t see anybody outside. Under the dim candlelight, she could only hear the sound


    of the carriage''s wheels galloping forward in a rush.


    Inside the carriage, Rndo had an impassive expression on his face. Harper thought that he was


    worried about Lilian, so she tried tofort him by saying, "Don''t worry. Everything will be alright."


    Shifting his eyes to Harper''s face, Rndo briefly said, "I hope so."


    Neither of them uttered one more word throughout their short journey. After entering the pce, they


    went to where Lilian had been residing right away. After the imperial physician gave a diagnosis and


    some treatment for her, Lilian was then sitting feebly on the bed. Her face was filled with joy when she


    saw Rndo enter the room.


    "Your Majesty," she greeted him.


    Rndo walked steadily and sat down by the bedside. "What happened? Why did you feel


    ufortable so abruptly? Aren''t you being attended well by the maids?"


    Shaking her head, Lilian said, "No, it''s my fault. I was careless. I slipped and fell on the ground. That''s


    why I felt ufortable. It had nothing to do with the maids. The imperial physician has checked my


    condition and said that it was nothing serious. So you don''t have to worry about anything."


    Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    Rndo breathed a sigh of relief and said, "How could you be so careless? You''re carrying a baby right


    now. You should be more cautious than before."


    "I got it. I''ll be more careful so that it will never happen again," Lilian said with a wide and satisfied


    smile on her face. At the sight of this, it was Harper''s turn to breathe a sigh of relief. She thought that it


    seemed like Lilian was finally having a happy ending with Rndo.


    All of a sudden, it looked like Rndo had thought of something. He said, "By the way, have a look.


    There''s someone who came to visit you."


    Following his line of sight, Lilian shifted her eyes to the door. She immediately saw Harper leaning


    against the door. She had her arms crossed over her chest while staring at them with a smile. "Aunt


    Harper," Lilian excitedly called her.


    "Don''t move. Don''t forget that you just hadplications in your womb. Just lie on the bed," Harper


    hastily said in order to stop Lilian from attempting to sit up. After walking closer to her, she said, "You''re


    going to be a mother soon, but it seems like you''re still so active and lively like a child."


    Lilian sheepishly smiled and responded, "You always like making fun of me, Aunt Harper."


    "Oh I wouldn''t dare to do that to you," Harper said while sitting down by the bedside. In order to make


    sure that Lilian was fine, she even felt her pulse. Then she said, "Yeah, the baby is fine. Don''t worry."


    "I''m not worried at all, Aunt Harper, because you''re here with me. Now that you''re here, Uncle Matthew


    must have arrived as well," Lilian cheerfully said.


    "No, he hasn''t. Strangely enough, he left the imperial capital of the Bright Dynasty earlier than I did. But


    when I arrived, they aren''t here yet. But you don''t have to worry about that. I believe he will certainly


    come before your coronation ceremony as the empress." Handing a small porcin bottle to Lilian,


    Harper continued, "Take one pill each day for the sake of your baby. The pills can prevent a


    miscarriage."


    With a smile, Lilian took the bottle in her hands. She then said, "Thank you, Aunt Harper. By the way,


    would you please stay with me in the pce? His Majesty is busy every single day and he''s always


    nowhere to be found. It''s so boring to be alone."


    "Nonsense. I have never been too busy that you can''t find me anywhere. You''re hurting me, Lilian. Your


    words are like daggers to my heart. You must think I wasn''t paying enough attention to you, so you


    thought that I was extremely busy," Rndoined, pretending to be upset.


    Sticking her tongue out, Lilian said, "Your Majesty, you''re right. It''s all my fault. No matter how busy you


    are, you always try and spare some time to apany me every day. It''s impossible that you''re


    nowhere to be found. It''s just that I feel sorry for you. If Aunt Harper could be with me, you will have


    more time to deal with state affairs."


    "Well, I know you are the most considerate." Rndo''s voice sounded as gentle as usual, which made


    people feel veryfortable in his presence. Watching their interaction, Harper couldn''t help but


    giggle, so she covered her mouth with her hand.


    "Look at you! You two are more like an old married couple than a newly married one. I don''t think it''s


    appropriate for me to be here with you," she teased the couple.


    "Aunt Harper!" Lilian anxiously eximed. "What are you talking about? Anyway, back to my request.


    Since I came to the Great Jade Kingdom, it''s the first time that you''ve visited me. I rarely see anybody


    whoes from homnd. Could you apany me for a few days, please? I''m pregnant right now.


    Aunt Harper, please stay here and be with me. When Uncle Matthew arrives, you can go out of the


    pce."


    Without changing the smile on her face, Harper agreed, "Okay, it''s up to you. But I won''t sleep in the


    pce during the nights¡ª"


    Interrupting Harper, Rndo said in a gentle tone, "You''re going to be too tired if you keeping back


    to the pce every day. You''d better stay in the pce day and night. Moreover, you must be very tired


    after the long journey. I''ll have the maids and eunuchs clean up the pce next door, so that it will be


    convenient for you to look after each other." He even promised to have the maids and eunuchs


    involved just to amodate her.


    "That''s right. You can stay here in my pce tonight. We can have a good talk," Lilian said like a


    spoiled child while holding Harper''s arm with hers.

 Chapter 850 Congratulations, Your Majesty (Part Two)

    Chapter 850 Congrattions, Your Majesty (Part Two)


    Harper rubbed her own forehead as she felt a headache about toe. "Okay, as you wish," she said.


    "You''re the best, Aunt Harper."


    "You two can take some rest now. I''ll have them clean up the pce next door. You can have a good


    chat tonight. Lilian, don''t tire out your aunt too much. She hasn''t rested well enough yet, since she took


    a long journey to get here."


    "Don''t worry, Your Majesty. I know exactly what to do."


    It was not until then that Rndo left without a bit of worry. As soon as he left, Harper breathed a sigh


    of relief. She then turned to Lilian who was smiling happily and said, "Every cloud has a silver lining. Do


    you really feel happy now, after going through some hard times?"


    "Yes! Thank you very much, Aunt Harper! Without your support, I might not have been married to His


    Majesty and lived such a happy life. His majesty is very gentle and considerate. I had never thought


    that the emperor of a kingdom could be so extremely thoughtful and kind. Sure enough, I have good


    judgment. His Majesty is a trustworthy man," Lilian said while smiling brilliantly.


    Upon seeing that Lilian looked genuinely happy from the bottom of her heart, Harper also became


    happy for her. "We were surprised to know that as well. Lucas was very happy when he heard that


    Rndo was going to make you his empress. He immediately asked Matthew to the Great Jade


    Kingdom to celebrate your coronation."


    "Is Lucas alright?"


    "He''s fine. He always tries to make Zack work hard for him. Your brother is quite at ease right now.


    Only a few people can be as carefree as him while being an emperor," Harper said with a smile.


    When she heard that, Lilian burst intoughter and even trembled with joy. "Lucas liked to y around


    when he was still a prince. I didn''t expect that he would still be the same after bing an emperor."


    "Yes, but he''s certainly qualified for the position. He''s working hard for the safety and stability of the


    Bright Dynasty. But right now, he''s not powerful enough to do that. As time goes by, he will surely


    be an emperor no inferior to Rndo," Harper responded.


    "Aunt Harper, why do you always call His Majesty by his name?" Lilian asked in amazement. "In the


    Great Jade Kingdom, no one dares to call His Majesty by his name. As perverse as Prime Minister


    Miguel is, he would never dare to call the name of His Majesty either."


    Lilian''s question took Harper by surprise. "I''m just used to calling him by his name. It''s a little weird that


    all of a sudden, I have to address him as ''His Majesty'', but I''ll try," Harper replied.


    "You don''t have to change the way you call him as long as His Majesty isn''t enraged with that. When he


    was a holy monk in the past, there was no joy or sorrow on his face and he always had an impassive


    expression. Now as an emperor, he always wears a warm smile. I can''t tell his emotions exactly, but I


    feel very happy to see him every day. Now that I''m carrying his child, I''m sure we''re going to have a


    better future."


    "Yes, everything will be better from now on," Harper said in the affirmative. Although she didn''t have a


    lot of interactions with Rndo, she knew that once he liked a person, he would like her forever. The


    exact reason why Matthew regarded him as a confidant was because the two of them were simr in a


    lot of aspects. One of those was that they were both persistent.


    "Aunt Harper, when will you have a baby with Uncle Matthew? I think it''s time for the two of you to


    extend your family," Lilian seriously asked while caressing the bump in her belly.


    "Soon," Harper briefly answered, her eyes gleaming a little. She put her hand on Lilian''s belly and said,


    "We will have our own children soon enough."


    Lilianughed with her eyes curving like two crescent moons. "When you have children, I wonder how


    a cold and stiff man like Uncle Matthew would act in front of them."


    Harper tried to imagine how Matthew would have a very confused expression on his face while


    helplessly holding a crying baby in his arms, not knowing what to do. She thought for a while and burst


    intoughter. Lilian was apparently thinking about the same thing. Theyughed so hard that their


    laughter spread far and wide.


    Outside of the pce, Rndo heard theirughter, so the expression on his face looked even more


    gentler. "Your Majesty, the envoy team of the Bright Dynasty has already passed the Silver City,"


    someone reported.


    Rndo''s eyes twinkled a little. "Make their pace even slower, so that they can enjoy the magnificent


    mountains and rivers of our Great Jade Kingdom. They don''t really have to be in a hurry anyway."


    "Yes, Your Majesty." It was not until the secret guard hid himself that Rndo took his steps to leave


    the pce. Everything was going on as he had nned. While Harper had already arrived at the


    capital, Matthew was still on the way. Suddenly, Rndo stopped in his tracks, turned back, and looked


    at Lilian''s pce. His eyes were filled withplicated emotions. Then he turned back and left without


    hesitation.


    When Rndo returned to his own bedroom, he saw Miguel leaning against a pir. It seemed like the


    man had been waiting for him for a long time. At the sight of Rndo, he didn''t move but only said,


    "Congrattions, Your Majesty! You won the first battle."


    Rndo slowly sat down and poured himself a cup of tea. Then he asked, "So that''s all that you want


    to say to me aftering in here at this hour?"


    "Not really. Your Majesty, I came to ask you to make good on your promise."


    Upon hearing that, Rndo smiled a little. It didn''t even reach his eyes. Moreover, there was


    something else in that smile. He looked at Miguel and asked, "How do you want me to fulfill my


    promise?"


    Miguel opened his mouth, but then realized that he didn''t know what to say. "Matthew will soon find out


    that Harper has arrived at the capital ahead of schedule. By then, all the obstacles that Your Majesty


    has set won''t be able to stop him."


    "I have never thought of stopping him for too long. I just have to try and dy his arrival at the capital


    as much as possible," Rndo said. He opened a drawer and took out a book. It was none other than


    the Heavenly Book. A possession that everybody wanted had been randomly put in the drawer by the


    emperor.


    When he noticed that, Miguel said, "If others know that the Heavenly Book which everybody wants is


    just simply ced in a drawer this way, they would be very furious."N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.

 Chapter 851 What Was On Rolandos Mind (Part One)

    Chapter 851 What Was On Rndo''s Mind (Part One)


    Rndo opened the Heavenly Book he owned. What had been troubling him for the longest time was


    that the final pages of the book were nk. Where there should have been some content on it, the only


    thing staring at him were white spaces after white spaces. Despite his long-time efforts in studying the


    book, he still couldn''t find a way to make anything show itself. He thought that perhaps, only a member


    of the Qin n knew the secrets which were hidden in the pages.


    "What on earth do you think might be concealed in the nk parts of this book?" Rndo


    subconsciously asked out loud. Getting a little tired from years of studying the book, he could only get


    its superficial meaning. He had no idea what secrets might be written between the lines.


    "Your Majesty, since you have studied it for ages, I think you know it very well. Moreover, I still don''t


    think scheming against that couple is a good idea," Miguel firmly said.


    In fact, Rndo already knew that Miguel''s statement made a lot of sense. Matthew was already as


    powerful, cunning, and sophisticated as he was. On the other hand, Harper was a smart and


    resourceful person as well. In the past, she had hidden her talents on purpose, and no one noticed that


    she was an ingenious woman. In the end, Matthew married her, taking Harper on his side, which was


    yet another blessing for that man. It seemed like God had always been smiling to Matthew.


    "Of course I know it''s notpletely wise. But she''s the only one who can reveal the secret of the


    Heavenly Books," Rndo replied.


    "If no one can find the third volume, she won''t be able to solve the problem either." Miguel tried to


    persuade Rndo in giving up the n. In his mind, the Great Jade Kingdom had just settled down


    and it might not survive another battle. If its monarch willfully insisted on carrying out his n to deal


    with Matthew and his wife, then it was quite possible that it would have a war against the Bright


    Dynasty.


    Rndo smiled before saying, "Maybe no one else can find the third volume, but I''m willing to bet that


    Harper can definitely do it. Besides, Matthew could refuse anyone in this world, except Harper. That''s


    why, I must make her stay in our kingdom for as long as I can."


    Miguel totally understood the situation, even if Rndo didn''t thoroughly exin it. Harper was the only


    living descendant of the Qin n. If there were any secrets in the book, then only someone like her


    could uncover it. Back then, the reasons that Rndo went to the Bright Dynasty and became one of


    its monks were not only to avoid the internal strife in the Great Jade Kingdom, but also to find a way to


    figure out the book''s secret, and search for the only descendant of the Qin n.


    "Maybe a coteral descendant of the Qin n ¡ª"


    Cutting Miguel off, Rndo seriously said, "A coteral descendant won''t know about the family''s most


    well-kept secret. If they knew, they wouldn''t be alive by now. The secrets of the n and the secrets of


    the Heavenly Books might all be rted to just one person."


    As a matter of fact, Miguel was fully aware that no one but Harper could solve the mystery of the


    Heavenly Books. He also knew that it was not an easy task to make her do it.


    "Your Majesty, is this really about just solving the mystery?" Miguel suddenly asked. He and Rndo


    grew up together, so Miguel knew his friend very well. He thought that since Rndo came back from


    the Bright Dynasty, there were some significant changes to him.


    "Well, if this isn''t for that, what else do you think all of this is for?"


    "Is it possible that you''re doing all of this for Lady Harper?" Miguel asked while he approached


    Rndo. He then suddenly took out a picture from a pile of papers in front of the man. It was a portrait


    of no one else but Harper. "This had been drawn by you. How could you have done this if she doesn''t


    have a ce in your heart?" he asked.


    "You''ve crossed the line, Miguel. Trying to read my mind and meddle in my business has deeply


    offended me," Rndo simply said while he calmly took the portrait away from the prime minister.


    "I didn''t mean to offend you. In fact, I''m just worried about you, Your Majesty. I''m afraid that you have


    lost your senses and you''re doing something irrational because of some unrealistic fantasy. We grew


    up together. I don''t know if you remember. But I once told you that if you be the emperor, I would


    be your prime minister and make the Great Jade Kingdom the most powerful kingdom with you. I hope


    you haven''t forgotten our promise," Miguel answered with utmost honesty, not a single hint of attempt


    in concealing his worries.


    Rndo almost snapped, but still, through an overbearing tone, he said, "I haven''t forgotten about it! I


    always know what I want."


    "It''s good that you haven''t forgotten, Your Majesty. I''m just merely reminding you. After all, you have


    sacrificed your right arm in order to save Lady Harper. They owed you such a great debt. Why not just


    ask Prince Matthew to hand over the Heavenly Book in return?" Miguel asked, regaining his


    composure.


    "If in the slightest chance that he''s willing to give it to us, can you read it?" the emperor asked with a


    sneer.


    The expression on Miguel''s face went stiff. Rndo was right. Only Harper could decipher the book.


    Even if they acquired the other volumes, it would be useless if Harper refused to cooperate. He knew


    then that his n was going nowhere.


    "You''re right, and Harper might not be cooperative whatsoever even if we let them keep the book,"


    Miguel stated.


    "Miguel, I''m going to teach you one more thing today. Don''t always expect others to return a favor when


    you give a helping hand. You can''t assume that everyone will act the way you want them to." The


    emperor''s words were simple, but quite interesting and meaningful. Harper was a grateful person. If


    others treated her well, she would generously repay them. Rndo had saved her life, but he had


    never asked for anything in return, nor did he want to. For Rndo, bing friends with her was the


    best thing that could ever happen out of that.


    "If we don''t want to be repaid, won''t everything that we''ve worked so hard for be in vain?" Miguel


    asked, quite surprised by the emperor''s statements.


    Rndo answered with a meaningful smile, "You still have a lot to learn, Miguel. If Matthew heard what


    I''m saying, I''m sure he would understand in an instant."


    The expression on Miguel''s face darkened a little, but he said nothing more about it. "Well, it''ste. If


    you''ll excuse me, Your Majesty."


    "You can go," the emperor casually said while the prime minister headed for the door. After Miguel had


    left, the door automatically closed with a gust of wind. When the emperor looked at the portrait on the


    table, the expression on his eyes instantly softened. "Is it so obvious? Even Miguel can feel my love for


    you now, Harper. But can you?" Rndo wondered out loud.


    "Your Majesty."


    "Come in," Rndo gently ordered while he put away the portrait with one swift move of his hand. His


    gaze then turned tranquil when he asked, "Have you found anything?"


    "Your Majesty, we found out that the blue stones on the road were reced with river stones. They look


    very much alike, except the river stones are covered with moss, so it''s easy to slip on them. That was


    why Lady Lilian fell and nearly hurt the baby." The guard informed the emperor about the results of their


    investigation.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

 Chapter 852 What Was On Rolandos Mind (Part Two)

    Chapter 852 What Was On Rndo''s Mind (Part Two)


    Rndo''s gaze turned cold once again. Now, there weren''t a lot of women in the pce. In fact, Lilian


    was the only one who was living with him. He couldn''t believe that it wasn''t that long when he


    announced that Lilian would be crowned as his empress, and someone had already taken actions


    against her. "Have you found out who did this?"


    "We have questioned every single member of the Imperial Household Department, but no one knows


    what happened. Moreover, not all of the stones on the road were river ones. They were a mixture of the


    blue stones and the river stones. Someone has secretly reced some of the stones. It was quite


    evident that it wasn''t done by anyone from the Imperial Household Department."


    The guards sighed with profound helplessness. They thought that they would be able to find out the


    truth as long as they investigated the entire Imperial Household Department. But to their surprise, no


    one knew what had happened or even had any clues. Moreover, it turned out that the blue stones were


    paved a month ago, and nothing unfortunate had happened until Lady Lilian''s ident that day. That


    was to say, someone had deliberately added the river stones into the blue stones recently, so as to


    make the pregnant princess fall and have a miscarriage. Someone was clearly aiming to kill the baby


    inside her.


    The expression on Rndo''s face had be grim. "Have a deeper investigation on it. I want to know


    who dares to do this nasty thing under my territory!"


    "Yes, Your Majesty."


    After the guard went out, the chief of eunuchs, Sean came in and reported, "Your Majesty."


    "Have you prepared everything?"


    "The pce has been cleaned up. I''m here to inquire about how should it be prepped for Lady


    Harper?" Sean had been in the pce for many years, so he was already well adjusted with how they


    did things inside. At present, the imperial householdcked hostesses, and there was only Lady Lilian


    living in there so far. Although the emperor doted on her, Sean could see that he didn''t love her at all.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    "Prepare it as you would have for an empress," Rndo replied.


    The eunuch was so surprised that he looked up at Rndo. He could hardly conceal his emotions. But


    Rndo did not even look at him and just read the memorials carefully, as if what he just said was not


    a big deal.


    "Your Majesty, you mean I should prepare the pce for Lady Harper ording to the standard of an


    empress''s pce?" In case he had heard it wrong, the eunuch tried to confirm it.


    "Yes, make sure that you''ll see to it."


    Sean immediately promised that he would do the task well and then left. After he stepped out of the


    room, he wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. ''Lady Harper will just temporarily stay in the Imperial


    Pce, but His Majesty just asked me to follow the empress''s standard when setting up her


    amodation. It seems like this Lady Harper is someone very important to His Majesty.''


    "Master, what did His Majesty say?"


    "Take good care of Lady Harper. Don''t do anything that might offend her, or else, you would have to


    find other ways to keep your own head," Sean reminded in a low voice. Of course, he couldn''t tell


    anyone about how Rndo was going to treat Lady Harper as an empress. After all, Lady Lilian was


    pregnant with his child and she was about to be crowned as his empress sooner rather thanter. If


    Lilian knew about the whole thing, no one would dare to imagine what she would do. It was true that


    Rndo didn''t love her, but she might be giving him a son and therefore an heir. If she had


    sessfully produced a prince, she would only be second to the emperor in this nation.


    The Harmony Pce of the Great Jade Kingdom, which was prepared for Harper, was bustling with


    noise and excitement. Maids and eunuchs were busy decorating the entire ce. Sean personally


    supervised the work, in case anyone made any kind of mistake. Dan was working alongside him,


    helping the man in giving out themands.


    "Master, Lady Lilian is currently residing in the Bliss Pce. On the other hand, this pce is named


    the Harmony Pce, which sounds more like the ce where the empress might stay. Why is His


    Majesty arranging for Lady Harper to live here?"


    Dan couldn''t keep things to himself. In fact, even though the Bliss Pce had been the ce where the


    empress of each dynasty lived, the Harmony Pce was the nearest one to the Dragon Pce where


    the emperor would reside. Originally, the Harmony Pce was where the emperor would work. After he


    was crowned, the ce served as a temporary sleeping depot, and it was then that the pce was


    given its name. Everything in this pce was of the highest standards. No one was allowed to enter the


    pce except Rndo himself. But now, Harper was going to settle in it. Dan really wanted to know the


    reason behind it.


    Looking at Dan, Sean replied, "Lady Harper, Harper, harmony, don''t you get anything from their


    names? Do the work and watch your tongue. You know His Majesty hates gossip the most."


    The boy scratched his head but still couldn''te up with any connection between the two names. He


    thought deeply, ''Thedy that ising to live here is named Harper, and this Pce is named the


    Harmony Pce. Are the names relevant? Hang on a second, this pce is the ce where His


    Majesty rests, and he changed its name to the Harmony Pce after he came back from the Bright


    Dynasty. Harper and Harmony have the same affix and sound a bit alike.'' Dan immediately turned to


    Sean in surprise when this fact dawned upon him, but his master was no longer paying attention to this


    matter. He was just urging his men to hurry up and not to make any mistakes.


    "Be careful with your work. If anything goes wrong, His Majesty will me or even punish you, and no


    one can save your life by then! The one who is going to live in here is someone very important. You


    guys must be extra careful when serving her. Do you understand?"


    "Yes, sir."


    In fact, Sean had some other doubts, too. ''I heard that Lady Harper was personally apanied by


    His Majesty when she came to the imperial pce. But, on the other hand, His Majesty went to see


    Lady Lilian directly after that. It was said that His Majesty and Lady Lilian are on good terms. However,


    now it is clear that His Majesty has specially prepared the Harmony Pce for Lady Harper. His


    Majesty is powerful and above many others. Someone like him prepared a pce for ady with so


    much care, as to all the things in the pce were chosen by himself. He even personally decided the


    layout inside the pce. It could be said that His Majesty has given much importance to things


    concerning Lady Harper.''


    "Well, I might as well try to find a needle at the bottom of the sea than to guess what is on His Majesty''s


    mind!" Sean murmured with a sigh.

 Chapter 853 Lets Have Breakfast (Part One)

    Chapter 853 Let''s Have Breakfast (Part One)


    Since Harper feared that she would wake Lilian up if ever she slept beside her as she was someone


    who would always toss and turn in the sleep, Lilian ordered her servants to clean up the side room for


    her. That night, she slept incredibly well mainly due to the fact that she had been travelling so much


    and hadn''t had proper rest along the way. She then awoke the following day because something


    seemed to be stuck to her face, making her feel itchy and ufortable.


    "Stop it. Let me sleep a little longer!" she murmured when she realized that there was actually nothing


    on her face and that someone was just messing with her.


    Rndoughed. "Harper, it''ste. Get up and have breakfast."


    Harper opened her eyeszily and saw Rndo sitting next to her bed with a white feather in his hand.


    He looked at her tenderly, like a guardian angel would do to the person he was watching over. "I have


    alreadye back from the imperial court session. Get up, Lilian is waiting for you to have breakfast."


    Indeed, it waste. When she finally realized this, she patted her forehead. "I''ve slept so well that I


    totally forgot that I am not in my mansion! R¡ªoh, I''m sorry, I can''t call you that now."


    Harper theny on her side and rested her chin on her hand. With a beautiful smile on her lips, she


    said, "Your Majesty, what time is it now?"


    Rndo''s face became grim. "It''s 8:30 am," he replied as he fiddled with the feather he used to wake


    Harper up.


    "That''s sote! I really have to get up now!" Just as she was about to get up, Rndo suddenly


    launched tickle attack against her. "You! I don''t want to hear you call me ''Your Majesty'' anymore!"


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    "Okay, okay, I got it!" Thest thing Harper wanted was to be tickled. "Don''t take it too seriously! It''s just


    a form of address. Also, I''ve heard from Lilian that you don''t like it when people call you by our name,


    so I wondered it would only be appropriate if I call you ''Your Majesty.''


    "Who dares to call my name directly in the Great Jade Kingdom?" Rndo asked as he looked at


    Harper helplessly. "And besides, you are not just someone else. As you said, we are friends!"


    "Yes, we are friends," Harper confirmed, nodding repeatedly.


    Rndo could only roll his eyes. "Then hurry up and have breakfast. I don''t know why Matthew is so


    indulgent with you. It''s sote, but you still haven''t gotten up. Eating on time is good for your health!"


    Harper then immediately got up and put on her clothes behind the screen. The clothes worn by the


    people of the Great Jade Kingdom were both beautiful andplicated, so after a long time struggling,


    she admitted defeated. She stretched her neck out past the height of the screen and saw that Rndo


    was still sitting outside. "Rndo, the clothes of your kingdom are tooplicated. I don''t know how to


    wear them. Would you be able to ask some maids toe help me put on these garments?"


    Rndoughed. "I didn''t expect that there is something you can''t do!"


    Harper''s face turned red because of embarrassment. "Okay, I have never worn the clothes of your


    kingdom. While they all look gorgeous, they are truly mind-boggling to wear. I truly think the clothes of


    my country are better¡ªthey''re beautiful and easy to put on!"


    "It''s simple to put on our clothes. You just don''t have enough experience with them. I''ll teach you."


    Rndo rose to his feet and approached the screen, tantly ignoring the differences between men


    and women. Harper also didn''t care about those at all. Besides, she was not naked but well-dressed.


    "This, this should be like this. This should be connected with here, here..." Rndo spoke in a pleasant


    voice, and his fingers were incredibly agile. Harper stared at his fingers in a daze, quickly realizing how


    beautiful they were¡ªlong, slender, and soft like jade. Matthew''s hands were as beautiful, but in a


    warrior kind of way¡ªpowerful and adept at fighting. Soon, Harper''s messy clothes started to make


    sense and look normal thanks to Rndo''s amazing directions.


    "Well, it''s done," Rndo said, looking at Harper''s clothes with much satisfaction on his face. "What do


    you think? Do you still think that the clothes of my kingdom are hard to wear?"


    "When you did it, it seemed easy and uplicated, but I still prefer simpler ones. I wouldn''t have time


    to figure everything out if I''m in a rush," said Harper.


    "Why don''t you just admit that you''rezy?" asked Rndo amusedly.


    "You''ve read my mind. Yes, I am justzy. It''s too time-consuming to wear these clothes," Harper


    admitted as she giggled and covered her mouth with her hand.


    "Maids, please help Princess Harper with her washing." At Rndo''smand, the maids came in one


    after another, and started to serve Harper. "I''ll be with Lilian. After you freshen up,e over quickly.


    Don''t keep us waiting."


    "Okay, go ahead. Thank you!" Harper waved her hand, and went straight to the bronze basin to wash


    up. Rndo went out and headed straight for the main hall.


    In the main hall, Lilian was waiting at the dining table. When she saw Rndoe in, she quickly


    stood up and greeted him, saying, "Your Majesty, I''ve heard from a maid that you came back from the


    imperial court session. I have been waiting here for quite some time but you just came now. I was close


    to thinking that the maid was telling me a lie."


    "I attended to Harper first since she likes to stay in bed. If we don''t wake her up and you wait to have


    breakfast with her, you and our baby will be starving." Rndo then sat on a chair opposite Lilian. "She


    will be here soon. Don''t worry."


    "Okay, Your Majesty." Somehow, Lilian felt something wrong. If Harper liked to stay in bed, he could


    have just asked a maid to wake her up. Why did he bother to do it himself? But then when she


    remembered what kind of personality Harper had, she realized if somebody else woke her up, she


    would not get up.


    "By the way, Your Majesty, I haven''t seen the servant girl who came with Aunt Harper. Why is


    that?"

 Chapter 854 Lets Have Breakfast (Part Two)

    Chapter 854 Let''s Have Breakfast (Part Two)


    "I asked her to go to Harper''s residence and take care of everything. She, after all, is her personal


    maid, and knows her job well. It will be easier for the servants to arrange the ce if she is there with


    them," replied Rndo with ease.


    As soon as Lilian''s doubts disappeared, Harper walked in and saw them sitting down. "I''m sorry to


    keep you waiting!" she said apologetically.


    "Aunt, I didn''t expect you to sleep as peacefully as you did in a ce you haven''t been to," Lilian


    remarked. "Come join us. Let''s have breakfast." Lilian then asked the servants to pick dishes for


    Harper. Before they were able to, however, Rndo had already grabbed some food for her and put


    them on her te. "Eat well," he said invitingly.


    A hint of surprise shed across Lilian''s eyes. There was a tacit understanding between Rndo and


    Harper, the one thing she couldn''t foster with him. She had married into the royal family of the Great


    Jade Kingdom for some time now, and while Rndo often ate with her, he never picked food for her or


    allowed anyone to grab food for him. As the emperor, Rndo couldn''t just have everything he wanted,


    so his eating had always been restrained. For example, he couldn''t eat the same dish more than three


    times, or else he wouldn''t be able to eat that dish in a month. But then he would eat anything that


    Harper picked for him!


    The eunuch was busy with distributing dishes for Rndo. He wanted to say something to remind


    Harper to observe proper protocol, but he was stopped by Rndo''s death stare. Harper clearly felt


    that the atmosphere was a little tense, so she raised her head to look at Lilian. When she saw her


    shocked face, she realized what was happening: Rndo, seated beside his wife Lilian, was happily


    munching away the food she had picked for him.


    She was so used to the way Matthew ate with her. He liked to grab food for her. Initially, she didn''t like


    to pick food for others but whenever Matthew picked up food for her, he would demand that she do it


    for him too. If she didn''t, he would get angry. Because of that, now, whenever others pick food for her,


    she would unconsciously also do it for them. The only thing different this time around was that she


    forgot the man sitting next to her was not her husband Matthew!


    "Aunt, His Majesty is..."


    "Don''t, Lilian. Harper is not always here. She is a guest, and because of that, I don''t want her to be


    constrained by our rules. But have more. You are carrying a baby now, so you''re eating for two now,"


    Rndo said with a smile.


    Right after that, Rndo picked a piece of cake for Lilian, which ttered her. This was the first time he


    had ever picked up food for her, and she immediately reciprocated it by giving him a piece of peach


    blossom cake. She was so excited, but then she noticed that Rndo frowned and seemed not to like


    it. Only then did Lilian realize that he didn''t like this kind of cake: the person who liked it was Harper,


    and that was the reason why they had this food on the table today.


    Despite that, Rndo didn''t outwardly reject the peach blossom cake. He still ate it, but disgust was


    evident on his face. Seeing that, Lilian stopped worrying and felt happy inside. A joyful smile even


    appeared on her face. Harper was relieved that the tension seemed to be deescting and thought, ''I


    just formed this habit. I am so used to eating with Matthew that I did start picking food for Rndo


    without even thinking about it. It just came to me!''


    "By the way, Harper, your residence has been tidied up. I''ve sent your maid there to see if there''s


    anything dissatisfying, so that we can change it as soon as possible. Today''s government affairs have


    been solved, soter I''ll take you to a walk around the pce. Although it is not as luxurious as the


    Imperial Pce of the Bright Dynasty, it''s still beautiful. Lilian, since you are pregnant, you shouldn''t


    walk too much. I suggest you have a good rest in the pce. If you feel bored, go to the Imperial


    Garden and have a walk. But be careful and don''t fall again. Also, bring more people with you,"


    Rndo said.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    "Okay," answered Lilian obediently.


    With this interaction, Harper couldn''t help but think that Lilian was not as lively as she used to be before


    she got married. ''On second thought, however, now that she is pregnant, maybe she couldn''t be as


    carefree as she was before. She is a mother now, and it is understandable if she wants to be more


    mature about certain things,'' she thought.


    "Just ask the servants to show me around. As an emperor, you can''t ck off," Harper said. "Also I thi


    ¡ª"


    "My friend came here, but I''m not able to keep herpany. Wouldn''t it be bad for my reputation as a


    host if the news gets out? Besides that, it''s just for today. I can''t walk with you tomorrow even if you


    want me to," Rndo insisted.


    "That makes sense. Well then, let''s go!" Harper was a forthright person, so she wouldn''t overthink it.


    Besides, she was married now, so there was no way she should overthink this too much.


    "Are you done? If you are full, we can take a walk outside now."


    "Yes, I''m done. Let''s go." Harper stood up. "Lilian, remember to take one pill of that medicine I gave


    you every day."


    "Don''t worry, Aunt. I''ll keep that in mind," Lilian replied at once. She then asked a servant to bring a


    cloak and put it on Rndo. "The frost is getting heavier in the morning. Your Majesty, please take care


    of yourself so that you don''t catch a cold."


    "You too. You should wear thicker clothes if you decide to go out for a walk." Rndo looked at the


    servants and ordered, "Take good care of Lady Lilian. If there is anything wrong again, I won''t hesitate


    to cut your heads off."


    "Yes, Your Majesty."


    Rndo nodded. "Let''s go, Harper."

 Chapter 855 A Spectacular Fight Scene (Part One)

    Chapter 855 A Spectacr Fight Scene (Part One)


    "Your Highness." Daisy hurried to Lilian''s side to support her. For many years, she had been working


    alongside Lilian as her personal maid and had even followed her all the way to the Great Jade


    Kingdom. "Are you going out to take a walk?" she asked.


    Lilian''s eyes were affixed on the two people who were walking side by side. Though she didn''t want to


    admit it to herself, she felt that they looked like a perfect match made by heaven. "Daisy, do you think


    that His Majesty has been very happy recently and smiled more than ever before?" she asked.


    Frowning, Daisy answered, "Your Highness, I just feel that His Majesty treats Lady Harper very well."


    "They are friends. His Majesty has even saved Lady Harper''s life when he was in the Bright Dynasty.


    They have already been on good terms since then," Lilian exined with a smile. Every time that


    memory crossed her mind, she would remember how ridiculously she acted and how Rndo forbade


    her from entering the imperial monk''s mansion. Because of that, she would use all kinds of excuses to


    lure Harper to go to the said mansion, since she was the only one who could enter without obtaining


    any kind of permission from Rndo in advance.


    "Your Highness, what I meant to say is that the way His Majesty treats Lady Harper is vastly different


    from the way he treats anybody else!" Daisy said, implying that she perceived the situation in a


    scandalous way. A while ago, she had observed that all the food Rndo had picked for Harper was


    her favorite, but the food he had picked for Lilian was not necessarily what she liked eating. She also


    noted how Rndo had eaten everything Harper had picked for him with a smile on his face regardless


    of whether he liked it or not, but he seemed rather reluctant to eat the food Lilian had picked for him.


    When she heard what Daisy said, Lilian''s eyes darkened. Of course she knew that Rndo treated


    Harper differently¡ªhe took Harper as a confidant, someone who knew him best, while Lilian, on the


    other hand, didn''t know him at all. But what was bothering her was how Harper seemed to still be the


    most special person in his eyes. She would have understood if they were still in the Bright Dynasty, but


    even in here? Every time she was around Rndo and Harper, she always felt like she was an


    outsider. Before all of these thoughts took hold of her brain, Lilian shook her head to stop herself from


    thinking. ''Harper is Uncle Matthew''s wife, and she is just a good friend to Rndo,'' she thought to


    herself inwardly, trying to calm herself down.


    When Matthew received the news that Harper had already arrived in the Great Jade Kingdom, his face


    became sullen. Instead of feeling relieved, he felt like a violent storm was brewing inside him, ready to


    devastate everything in its way. Barry immediately noticed this and made it a point to stay away from


    him in order to avoid any possible danger. They had set out from the imperial capital of the Bright


    Dynasty seven days earlier than Harper, but why did she arrive earlier than them?


    What did that mean? It meant that someone had deliberately slowed Matthew and his crew down but at


    the same time cleared every obstacle for Harper so that she would arrive earlier in the Great Jade


    Kingdom. What was the purpose of the person who did that? To Matthew, it was clear as day.


    "Rndo!" he eximed, striking the tree next to him to vent his anger out. The mere power present in


    his palm made the tall tree crumble to little pieces. How dared Rndo conspire against him, and


    worse, treat his wife as if she was his special someone? He would never forgive him!


    "Your Highness, the twelve secret guards are with Her Highness. She will be fine," Ken said after letting


    Matthew simmer for a while. He came back to Matthew''s side after Lucas ascended the throne and


    became the new emperor.


    "You don''t understand what Rndo is doing!" bellowed Matthew, gritting his teeth. As old enemies, he


    and Rndo had a lot inmon in many aspects, one of which was, of course, their taste in women.


    The moment Rndo sacrificed his arm to save Harper from danger, Matthew knew that he was up to


    no good. What was worse was at that time, the rtionship between him and Harper was not exactly


    stable. He would always quarrel with her and would force her to make her feelings for him clear. Now


    that Harper had arrived in the Great Jade Kingdom, he was sure that Rndo would try his best to


    seduce Harper while he was absent.


    "I''ll go ahead of the team. Disguise someone as me and let him stay here," he ordered.


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    When Matthew was told that Rndo had brought Harper into his pce, Matthew felt unbearably


    uneasy. It was not because he didn''t trust Harper¡ªit was because he didn''t trust Rndo one bit.


    While the security he felt about Harper''s loyalty to him was unwavering, he still felt on the fence


    because of Rndo''s cunning nature. He was afraid that Rndo would do something uneptable to


    him and to Harper, and so he dared not just wait and see. There was no way he would let him do


    whatever he wanted.


    Harper initially thought that Rndo wanted to show her around in the pce. To her surprise,


    however, Rndo took her out of the pce. "Didn''t you say you were just going to show me around


    the pce? Why are we leaving and where are we going?"


    With a smile, Rndo exined, "You really think I''ll bore you like that? You will be residing in the


    pce for a few days, so you have all the time in the world to look around. Today, I''ll take you to walk


    around the capital city of my kingdom. I''ll show you a drastically different lifestyle aspared with the


    imperial capital of the Bright Dynasty."


    Harper suddenly chuckled. "For all I know, you''re just doing this because you''ve grown tired of


    reviewing the reports from the courtiers. You''re literally using me as an excuse to loaf on your job!"


    "Harper, you never cease to amaze me. Yes, you have guessed it right," Rndo admitted,ughing.


    His expression suddenly became soft and sentimental. "I haven''t had the chance to walk around the


    streets of the capital city ever since I took the throne and became the emperor. Now that I finally have


    the chance, of course, I muste out for a walk."


    "I really think that a leader should do that every once in a while. I mean, as the emperor of a country,


    how will you get to know your people and their livelihood without meeting them and experiencing their


    life personally?" Harper said,mending his decision. "Rndo, is there any brothel here?" she then


    inquired.


    Rndo''s expression froze because of what could only be recognized as shock mixed with fear. "Yes,


    but there is no way I''m taking you there. I''m afraid Matthew would hunt me down with his sword if that


    news ever reached him."


    Harper couldn''t help but burst outughing. "No! That''s not what I meant. I was just asking!"


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    "But still, if you want to go there, I will not let you," Rndo responded, his eyes still wide. The carriage


    then stopped, signaling that they had already arrived at their destination. An attendant then opened the


    door for them and Rndo took the lead in getting off their vehicle. "Here we are," Rndo said,


    offering his hand to Harper to help her get off safely.

 Chapter 856 A Spectacular Fight Scene (Part Two)

    Chapter 856 A Spectacr Fight Scene (Part Two)


    Harper took Rndo''s hand and carefully alighted from the carriage as she looked around the bustling


    city. Every capital that she had been in had always been full of life and devoid of fears of war. "There


    are so many people here," she sighed.


    "This is the busiest street in here," Rndo said proudly. The two of them then walked side by side.


    Harper looked bright and lively in her blue-green dress while Rndo looked even more gentle and


    dashing in his creamy white get-up. The women and girls in the street all stood shocked and


    motionless at the sight of Rndo as they fixed their eyes on him. Harper didn''t care, however, as she


    was busy looking at the stalls on both sides of the street.


    "Madam, please take a look. These are not expensive but they are definitely delicate and beautifully


    made," a vendor said to Harper excitedly as soon as she came upon his stall. He handed a butterfly-


    shaped hairpin to Harper and said, "This hairpin is perfect for your dress today."


    Harper took over the hairpin from him and examined it closely. The more she looked at it, the more she


    realized how much she liked it. Indeed, it was cheap but exquisitely made. It was too bad that she


    wasn''t really big on showy essories, so she put it down after looking at it for a while. Rndo,


    however, noticed this and walked toward the stall, picked up the hairpin, and put it on her bun. "Well, I


    think it really suits you quite well. I will take it."


    "You have a good taste, Mister. Your wife looks so beautiful with it. And this hairpin is not expensive. It


    only costs one tael of silver," the vendor said.


    Rndo handed a big silver ingot to the vendor and said, "Keep the change."


    "Thank you, Mister. Thank you very much!" the vendor replied excitedly, ecstatic because of Rndo''s


    generosity.


    Seeing that Rndo gave the vendor ten taels of silver, Harper said, "You''re so generous! He


    demanded one tael of silver, but you paid ten! But then no matter how rich you are, you can''t spend


    money like that!"


    Upon hearing that, Rndo smiled softly. "If it''s for something I like, money will never be an issue. I am


    willing to spend more. After all, it''s not easy to be in a good mood."


    "Well, I guess you''re right," Harper said as she smiled and nodded her head.


    "Several days ago, I lost the jade pendant I always wore. I haven''t found one that I like just as much


    yet, so I''m thinking that since we''re out and about, would you like to choose one for me?" Rndo said


    suddenly.


    "Sure," Harper agreed even without thinking. "But I doubt you can wear any jade pendant from a ce


    like this. Obviously, the ones they''re selling don''t have very high quality."


    "It''s just a jade pendant. I will treasure it as long as it''s chosen by you."


    "You trust me too much sometimes," Harper responded, rolling her eyes. The two of them then walked


    into a jade store to search for a jade pendant that Rndo would like. Diana was in the vicinity, and


    she was surprised when she caught sight of Harper from a certain distance. She was about to call her


    when her mouth was covered by an unknown hand and she was dragged into an alley.


    "What are you doing? She is my master."


    "I know. She is also our hostess!" Zorro sulkily said, his face full of anguish. He found it extremely


    insidious of Rndo to take Harper to his pce. Forsythia was the only one allowed to apany


    Harper, while the restpanions had been forbidden to enter the capital. They then decided to sneak


    in. Now that they finally made it, if Rndo found them, Zorro was sure that they would be unable to


    continue to stay because Rndo would definitely drive them out of the city.


    "Then why didn''t you let me meet my master?"


    "Do you want to be thrown out of the capital by Rndo?" Zorro asked her in a low voice. "Don''t forget


    that it was Rndo who stopped us from entering this wretched ce."


    Diana was not a fool. She knew what Rndo had done, but she just could not understand why he had


    done that. "Why would Rndo do that? It doesn''t make sense. Also, isn''t he an emperor? How is he


    able to go shopping outside with my master?"


    "Humph, when the weasel goes to pay his respects to the hen, he must have no good intention. I have


    to send a message to Prince Matthew as soon as possible!" Zorro believed that Rndo was a bad


    guy and wanted to take Harper away from their prince. Unfortunately, Harper was so naive and kind


    that she still hadn''t realized that Rndo was vicious and that he was only deceiving her.


    If Diana knew what Zorro was thinking about, she would beughing until her lungs caved in. In her


    opinion, Harper was by no means naive and kind. Maybe she was not a ruthless person, but she was


    the opposite of naive. After all, she knew how Harper had sessfully framed people for numerous


    times.


    "Does Rndo want to hold my master as a hostage? If so, should we rescue her?" After saying that,


    Diana felt that something was not adding up when it came to her assumption. "But then if Rndo


    wanted to take my master hostage, he wouldn''t have taken her out to go shopping. Right?"


    "Aren''t you the one always boasting about how easily you can see through men? Can''t you understand


    what is going on?" Zorro asked teasingly. He really wanted to knock Diana''s head out to see if she had


    a functioning brain.


    "You mean, Rndo... Rndo loves my master?" Diana eximed in a raised voice. Zorro hurriedly


    covered her mouth and dragged her away. If Rndo''s men found out where they were, things would


    take a terrible turn for them.


    "Can you please turn it down!" Zorro hissed. When he finally let go of her, he noted how Diana looked


    so excited, like she was looking forward to watching a good y. He asked, "What''s up with you?"


    "I''m so excited at the thought of how spectacr the fighting scene between Prince Matthew and


    Emperor Rndo would be! Can you imagine them fighting to the death, just for my master?" Diana


    said, pping her hands excitedly. "I wonder when Prince Matthew will arrive. If he knew that my


    master went shopping with Emperor Rndo happily, I am sure that he would sh Rndo''s throat


    mercilessly!"


    The corner of Zorro''s mouth twitched violently. ''Is this woman taking pleasure in Prince Matthew''s


    misfortune?'' he thought. Diana was indeed looking forward to seeing Matthew and Rndo have a


    fierce fight. After thinking for a while, Zorro admitted that he, too, wanted to watch such a scene.


    However, he immediately realized that before those two powerful men fought against each other, he


    and other secret guards would be the ones who would suffer first.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

 Chapter 857 The Boat Trip (Part One)

    Chapter 857 The Boat Trip (Part One)


    Atst, Harper picked a piece of interestingly-shaped jade pendant for Rndo. It had a string knot on


    it, and it looked very exquisite.


    Rndo was satisfied with the one Harper chose and said, "It''s unique. I really like it."


    "I think this jade pendant suits your temperament very much. You must have seen a lot of jade


    pendants with different qualities and styles throughout your lifetime. One would normally choose the


    most outstanding one for someone like you, but I think it is better to pick the one that is most suitable


    with who you are as a person," Harper said with a smile.


    Rndo then hung his new pendant on his waist and immediately felt extremely joyful. In fact, no


    matter what style Harper chose for him, he would like it without a doubt. He didn''t care about the


    pendant at all, but he cared about the effort Harper put into finding what she thought was the best jade


    pendant for him.


    "Harper, let''s take a boat trip!" Rndo eximed as he stared at Harper who was walking in front of


    him. "It''s almost at noon now and it''s getting unbearably hot. The Silver Moon Lake here is beautiful


    during this time of day. I know that the lotus season in your country has already passed, but here, it''s


    just getting started and the lotuses are blooming brightly. It''s truly a marvelous scene and you mustn''t


    miss it since you''re here!"


    "Yes, I''ve actually heard how magnificent the Silver Moon Lake here is. It was one of the ces I really


    wanted to go see, but I didn''t expect to see it this soon!" Harper revealed, sounding giddy and excited.


    And even if she didn''t really like Rndo''s suggestion, she didn''t have the heart to turn him down. He


    had made time just to hang out with her, so she was just reciprocating the thoughtfulness he had


    shown her.


    "Then let''s go!" The two of them excitedly made their way to the Silver Moon Lake. The moment they


    arrived, they immediately found a boat and boarded it. Only the two of them were in it, not counting the


    friendly boatman.


    Their boatman skillfully navigated the boat and supported it as it slowly moved towards the center of


    theke. Indeed, the lotuses were blooming everywhere. Harper became ecstatic just by seeing the


    view around theke: the thick, rounded leaves of the lotuses covered much of the water like round


    discs, on which were drops of water that dazzled like precious pearls in the bright sun.


    Suddenly, Harper heard music that was lovely and moving. Her mind went nk for a moment due to


    how soothing the music was, but as soon as she came to herself, she turned around and saw Rndo


    skillfully ying a zither. His piece sounded gentle, slow, elegant, and melodious all at once. Harper


    smiled widely and wondered about whether every woman who lived in the Great Jade Kingdom wanted


    to marry Rndo. Back home, Matthew was only the object of affection of many girls because of his


    wealth¡ªthey wanted to marry into the prince''s mansion. She highly doubted that someone would fall


    for Matthew because he was cold and arrogant. Rndo, on the other hand, was such a gentle and


    handsome man, not to mention being the emperor of this country. He was unparalleled when it came to


    power, appearance, and behavior. With that, Harper suddenly felt sad for Lilian as she knew that there


    would be countless beauties in the imperial household who would desperately try to get their hands on


    Rndo.


    When Rndo finished ying, he asked with a smile, "Why are you smiling like that?"


    "You make me smile. You are the emperor, the most powerful man in this kingdom, yet you still are the


    gentlest person I know. I am sure that every female, not only the nobledies, living in this country


    wants to be your wife. I''m afraid Lilian will have to deeply worry about that in the future." Harper let out


    a sighced with so much emotion, as if she had seen that Rndo was hugging two beautiful women


    right in front of her.


    Rndo chuckled a bit and asked reluctantly, "Am I that kind of fickle man in your eyes?"


    To that, Harper replied, "It''s not that you''re a womanizer, Rndo, but you''re an emperor now, and the


    officials will definitely not allow you to have only one woman in the imperial household. Moreover,


    you''re such a notable man that I am sure high-ranking officials would be incredibly disappointed if they


    can''t marry their daughters into the Imperial P¡ª"


    But before Harper was able toplete what she was going to say, Rndo had already cut her off,


    saying, "It''s enough for me to have one wife. The Imperial Pce of the Great Jade Kingdom is big, but


    it can only amodate one woman. Although I love the world and everyone in it, I can only


    amodate one person in my heart. I''ve met countless beauties in the world, but I don''t necessarily


    bring every one of them into the pce. Actually, I don''t care if someone is pleasing to the eye. As long


    as I love her, I''d marry her only, even if she is ugly." As he spoke, Rndo made sure that he kept his


    gaze on Harper.


    Harper, on the other hand, pped her hands in admiration and said jokingly, "Well if that''s the case,


    then every woman in the world will fight against each other for your hand in marriage!"


    "Why?" Rndo was puzzled.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    "Because you are only willing to marry one woman and you have Lilian! The women who want to


    be your wife must hate her so much right now that they''d be willing to fight her, and everyone else


    tries to make you their husband! Isn''t that crazy?" Harper said, giggling like a little girl. "It''s said that


    emperors are heartless. Are you going to be a dedicated emperor who loves his wife only, Rndo?"


    "Why not?"


    "Good! You impressed me!" Harper found it easy topliment Rndo. "You are wiser than Matthew


    in this aspect. Trust me when I tell you that you are the first man I''ve encountered who told me that


    he''d only marry one woman in his lifetime. Although Zack also said that he only wants one woman in


    this life, it''s basically because of the rules of his family. As an emperor, it''s hard to have such a


    realization, and you being able to have that surprised me!"


    "When Matthew refused to be the emperor of the Bright Dynasty, was he worried that as an emperor,


    he couldn''t do anything as he wishes?" The smile on Rndo''s face didn''t change, which made it feel


    like it was such a casual topic to discuss.


    "We are justzy," Harper reasoned out. She was now looking at the swaying lotuses that filled the


    lake. "Being an emperor is too exhausting. I''m sure you know that. Since we really like to lead a more


    rxed life, he never dreamt of being an emperor at all."

 Chapter 858 The Boat Trip (Part Two)

    Chapter 858 The Boat Trip (Part Two)


    Rndo didn''t add anyment to that. If Matthew really wanted the throne, he would have easily


    killed thete emperor of the Bright Dynasty. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, Rndo was


    incredibly impressed with Matthew''s morals. If he were Matthew, thete emperor would have died a


    long time ago.


    "Yeah, being an emperor is incredibly tiring." Rndo poured a cup of tea and handed it to Harper. As


    she was about to take it from his hands, she caught a glimpse of a strange light from the corner of her


    eye. It made her jump in Rndo''s arms, knocking down the teacup on her way to him. As the hot


    liquid poured over Rndo''s body, he was able to catch Harper by her waist.


    A short ck arrow thennded at a spot close to where Rndo was sitting. He would have been


    injured if it were not for Harper''s quick response. Soon, simr short ck arrows started raining on


    their boat, quickly covering everything that was exposed to them. Rndo''s quick thinking made it


    possible for him and Harper to evade every shot that was fired in their direction.


    Rndo stood at the top of the boat with Harper and said, "It seems that our boat trip has been cut


    shorter than I would have liked. Sorry to get you into trouble."


    Standing back to back with Rndo, Harper answered, "It doesn''t matter. I''m used to it. It''s all my fault


    that I forgot your identity. Now that you''re an emperor, there must be so many assassins waiting for you


    to slip up so that they could kill you. I''m so sorry that I asked you to apany me out of the pce."


    "It''s my decision to take you out for fun. It has nothing to do with you. It''s my fault¡ªI put you in danger.


    Please don''t me yourself, Harper."


    "Don''t be so polite. I can''t stand it anymore! You should treat me to dinner after we deal with all these


    bugs!" Harper shouted, ready to fight.


    "Okay, I''ll cook for you!"


    "I guess I have to survive whatever''sing to taste that food!" Harper then took her dagger out, but


    Rndo frowned. "That''s too short! Use my sword!"


    "This is my weapon!" Harper firmly said, refusing to use Rndo''s sword. "Protect yourself well!"


    Someone then came rushing towards their boat. Once it reached them, a man came boarded their boat


    and said, "Rndo, I didn''t know you are so weak that you need a woman to protect you!" It was Toby,


    Rndo''s younger brother, the leader of the assassins, and he was sneering at Rndo. "Let me tell


    you. I was so surprised that you went out with her, all alone, without your guards. I didn''t know she is


    that important to you for you want a normal date with her. I have no other choice but to take the


    opportunity and finally eliminate you!"


    "You want to kill me? Are you sure you have the ability to do that?" Rndo was sneering back at his


    brother. Then, while holding his mighty sword in his hand, he stated coldly, "Toby, in the past, when you


    still had military power, you were no match for me. Now that you have nothing, what makes you think


    that you stand a chance?"


    "Humph, you have so many expert martial artists all the time. Today, there is only one woman with you,


    who definitely is a burden to you. Do you think you can protect yourself and her at the same time?"


    Toby asked coolly. "Maybe if you''re alone, I''d have second thoughts about it!"


    "A burden?" Rndo asked slowly while casting a nce at Harper. ''Right, Toby didn''t know that she


    had already recovered her fighting abilities,'' he thought. Toby indeed thought Harper had only little


    knowledge of martial arts, making him not take her seriously at all. "Well, we''ll see soon enough if she''s


    indeed a burden!"


    "Kill them!" Toby gave his order firmly as he ran towards Rndo with his sword in his hand. Harper


    used the dagger as she fought against the assassins rushing to her, using only the most basic quick


    moves to defend herself.


    Rndo didn''t worry about Harper at all. Also, he was Toby''s target, so most of the assassins gathered


    around him. Within a few minutes, she was able to subdue everyone that attacked her.


    From the corner of his eye, Toby found that Harper was killing his men without even breaking a sweat.


    He frowned and then looked at the leader of his secret guards. Quickly understanding what Toby


    wanted done, that man immediately went straight towards Harper, intending to capture her to ckmail


    Rndo.


    Although Rndo was clear that Harper''s fighting ability was recovered, he still didn''t know how


    powerful she was. He couldn''t help but nce at her, who looked like she was already bored and didn''t


    care about the peopleing towards her. Seeing Rndo distracted, Toby was nning on using a


    hidden weapon to finally kill his brother, but he was stopped by a white light that shed him. The


    hidden weapon bounced back and he almost hurt himself.


    Withdrawing the Moonlight, Harper said, "How could you be distracted, Rndo! Focus!"


    "That is the Moonlight," murmured Rndo as he looked at the white light that wasing from


    Harper''s hand.


    "Yes, this is the Moonlight. It''s my weapon now." Harper shook the Moonlight, and it turned into a sharp


    weapon that killed the assassins by itself, as if it had its own consciousness.


    Toby was dumbfounded. He had seen Harper before and even tried to kill her. If Rndo hadn''t


    appeared at that time, he would have been sessful. But now, it confused him as to why she became


    so powerful, as if she became a different person. It was impossible for anyone to be so capable without


    practicing for years and years!


    "What... How could you..."


    "She has suddenly be a martial arts master. I''m afraid I''m unable to defeat her," Rndo said in a


    voice filled with admiration.


    "Are you going to hide behind a woman?" Toby shouted. He was furious. Rndo was terribly


    fathomless. He looked harmless, but he did everything with a purpose. Worse, nobody could tell his


    intentions.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    "If she wants, I''m willing to hide behind her." Rndo didn''t feel ashamed at all. "She wouldn''t like to


    protect everyone. It''s a great honor to be protected by her. But of course, for you, Toby, it''s not an


    honor but a death warrant."

 Chapter 859 He Loves Someone Else (Part One)

    Chapter 859 He Loves Someone Else (Part One)


    Toby was taken aback by how well Harper and Rndo worked together. Although his men


    outnumbered them immensely, none of them were able tond significantly damaging attacks on either


    of them. Initially, he had thought that Rndo had lost his mind due to his adoration for Harper, even


    going as far as putting a death sentence on himself by leaving the pce and touring theke without


    any guard and with only Harper by his side. Now, however, it seemed like he had underestimated


    Rndo''s decisions¡ªit was bing clear that the reason why Rndo chose to go out with this


    woman all alone was because she was more ferocious and skilled than any of his secret guards.


    "Master, let''s retreat! It would be better if we leave right now because otherwise, we would be unable to


    escape once Rndo''s reinforcements arrive!" one of Toby''s secret guards suggested. They were


    starting to be anxious because of how Harper and Rndo were easily decimating their numbers.


    The fear of having to deal with Rndo''s full army of secret guards added to that, making the


    execution of their attack n sloppier, which led to more deaths of their members. If this continued,


    they would all die soon!


    Toby was unwilling to give up, but he knew that fleeing was the wise choice to make right now.


    "Retreat!" he bitterly ordered.


    Soon enough, Rndo noticed that Toby and his men started retreating. A sneer crept on his lips, but it


    disappeared in an instant. He and Harper took care of the remaining assassins, and once thest one


    was in, he eximed, "What a pity! Ourke tour turned out to be such a mess!"


    "What? Are you still thinking of the tour? We were almost murdered by these lowlifes!" Harper replied.


    She put the Moonlight away and took a look around the boat, which was covered by arrows. It was


    notable how these arrows were so short¡ªit meant that they were made to be sharper than a normal


    arrow, so that they could break through people''s bones easily. It was a good thing that they were able


    to hide themselves away before these rained down on them, because otherwise, they would be goners.


    "But we''re fine, aren''t we? Do you want to continue enjoying the nice view of theke?" asked Rndo


    with a smile.


    Harper''s eyes narrowed. While she appreciated Rndo trying to make light of things, she knew they


    couldn''t afford to treat this ambush as an isted event. "No, Rndo. I think it''s better if we go back to


    the pce right now. Don''t forget that you''re this country''s emperor, and you are not allowed to get hurt


    in any way. If something bad happens to you..." As she spoke, Miguel came to her mind. "Your dear


    Prime Minister Miguel will not only be disappointed at me. I''m pretty sure he''ll have my head cut off."


    Upon hearing what Harper said, Rndo stopped trying to change her mind. Soon enough, the city


    guards arrived and Rndo ordered them to dispose of the corpses currently littering theke. The


    commander of the city guards turned pale with fear upon seeing the scene. It was obvious that it was


    due to his dereliction of his duty that so many assassins whose mission was to execute the emperor


    were able to sneak into the capital.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    "Your Majesty, do you have any idea as to who would orchestrate such an attack?"


    "I don''t think that matters for now. I just want you to clean up and take care of everything here right


    now," Rndo said lightly. "Let''s go, Harper. Let''s go back to the pce."


    Harper nodded. They were transported tond with another boat, now heavily guarded though, to


    board their carriage. Rndo stood waiting for Harper and then offered his hand to her when she was


    about to climb into their vehicle. Harper didn''t think much of it, but the others were greatly shocked by


    what they saw. They all wondered who Harper was since the emperor seemed to be taking care of her


    and minding her greatly.


    When they arrived at the pce, Rndo personally ordered some servants to apany Harper to


    Harmony Pce. Forsythia breathed a sigh of relief the moment she saw Harpere through the


    doors. She strode towards her and greeted her, "Your Highness, you''re finally back."


    "You got scared today, weren''t you? Have a good rest. I''ll go back to work," Rndo told Harper.


    "Sure," Harper replied. After Rndo left, Harper''s sight fell on the two words written on the que


    hanging at the top of the pce gate. They were written in such a dignified and elegant style that she


    couldn''t help but feel impressed. Soon, she realized that it was Rndo''s handwriting.


    "What''s wrong, Your Highness?" Forsythia asked in confusion as she didn''t know much about


    calligraphy.


    "Nothing. I just think Rndo''s handwriting is very beautiful. Matthew''s handwriting has always looked


    rigid and forceful, like those beautiful iron and silver paintings. Rndo''s handwriting, on the other


    hand, looked majestic and elegant, just like himself."


    "The handwriting of Emperor Rndo?" Forsythia rified. "Did he write that? Well... it''s not bad. I


    wouldn''t expect anything less since he is an emperor."


    "You are right."


    Harper didn''t pay much attention to the details of the pce since she thought she would only stay


    there for a couple of days. As soon as Matthew arrived in the capital, she would leave, so she didn''t


    see the point of knowing the decor of the pce.


    "Your Highness, would you like to take a bath and change your clothes?" a maid asked Harper when


    she noticed that there were some blood stains on her clothes.


    Upon realizing how soiled her clothes indeed were, Harper said, "Please fetch some hot water for me


    as well as clothes suitable for staying in. I don''t like the ones that are tooplicated to put on."


    The maid seemed to be confused by Harper''s request. Suddenly, she opened the closet and said, "But


    Your Highness, His Majesty already had these clothes prepared in advance. Please have a look at


    them. Is there any of them you like?"


    When Harper saw the clothes in the closet, the corner of her mouth lifted into a soft smile because she


    thought that Rndo was so considerate and thoughtful. She had just arrived yesterday, but these


    clothes seemed to have been ready days before. Moreover, upon close inspection, she was sure that


    every one of them was custom-made for her. She rummaged through everything for a while in search


    of something that she wanted to wear but none of them were simple enough for her liking. Not wanting


    to ask for more, she just chose the one with the most muted color and the simplest construction.


    After having a bath and changing her clothes, Harper saw Lilian sitting in the hall, somewhat absent-


    minded. "What happened? You seem to be deep in thought," she asked.


    Regaining herposure, Lilian looked at Harper and asked, "Aunt, I heard that you went out of the


    pce with His Majesty today and that you shed with some dangerous assassins. Was it serious?"


    "So you''re just worried about Rndo and want to know whether he was injured or not," Harper teased


    her with a smile. "If you''re worried about him, just go to see him. You can ask him about his condition


    yourself."

 Chapter 860 He Loves Someone Else (Part Two)

    Chapter 860 He Loves Someone Else (Part Two)


    "Aunt," Lilian mumbled, feeling a little embarrassed. "His Majesty doesn''t like to be disturbed when he


    is dealing with business."


    "Alright, alright. I''m just kidding. Don''t worry. It was just a group of rabbles. Your man is safe and


    sound."


    Hearing that, Lilian looked less worried. "Didn''t you say you just wanted to have a walk around the


    pce today? Why did you two go out?"


    "I don''t know, either. Rndo told me that he didn''t want to show me around the pce because I


    could do that on my own, so he wanted to take me to walk around the capital. He even didn''t take a


    guard! We were targeted and ambushed as soon as we went out of the pce." While Harper was


    speaking, it suddenly urred to her that Rndo had done all this on purpose. The reason why he


    had taken herself out of the pce for fun was because he wanted to lure the assassins to show up.


    "Your man was really using me to his heart''s desire, huh," she said, sounding annoyed.


    Lilian was struck dumb by Harper''s sudden change in tone. But then she figured it out very soon.


    Rndo had gone out of the pce with Harper in an attempt to bait his enemies so that he could get


    rid of them all in one. She knew that Rndo must be dealing with the follow-up matter at the


    moment.


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    With this, the load on Lilian''s mind vanished in an instant. She had thought that Rndo treated Harper


    too specially, but now she knew that he was just doing that as a tactic to get rid of threats against him.


    "Don''t be angry, Aunt. For His Majesty to have done that, he must have been sure of your safety. He


    won''t put you in danger."


    "I''m not angry because he used me to lure his enemies out. I''m angry only because it seemed like he


    didn''t care about his own life. What if I knew nothing about martial arts and became a burden? What


    would he do?" Harper said angrily.


    "Aunt, how could you be a burden to His Majesty? He must have been familiar with the full extent of


    your skills," Lilian said, holding Harper''s hand. "By the way, when will Uncle Matthew arrive?"


    Harper thought for a while. "Now that you mentioned, I feel like something strange is going on with him.


    He left the imperial capital of the Bright Dynasty several days earlier than me, but he''s still not here.


    Even though I took a shortcut, I shouldn''t have arrived so much earlier than him. I wonder if something


    has happened to him on the way." Harper was worried about Matthew. Also, Patrick was with Diana.


    She forgot to take it with her because she had been too hasty toe to the pce.


    "Don''t worry, Aunt. Uncle is an extremely capable man. Only a very select few people in the world can


    hurt him. He must have been dyed because of something else. I''m sure he''ll arrive very soon," Lilian


    said without hesitation. "Besides, the day of my coronation ceremony is only a few days away. I''m sure


    Uncle is working to arrive here before that."


    "You''re going to be granted the title of empress of the Great Jade Kingdom. Rndo even sent a


    special invitation letter to the Bright Dynasty about that. His Majesty really cares about this event very


    much, so don''t worry. He hasn''t forgotten about you," Harper said in a soft tone. "I know Rndo is


    very outstanding, but you''re not inferior to him. After bing the empress, don''t worry about yourself


    too much. You should be confident and own the role of being the hostess of the pce. You used to be


    free and easy when you were in the Bright Dynasty, but now I think you are restraining yourself too


    hard."


    Lilian slightly frowned at Harper''s words. The fact was not that she restrained herself too much¡ªit was


    that she hadn''t had a chance to be domineering here. Rndo was very considerate, and there was no


    otherdy in the pce, and all the maids and eunuchs were very obedient. The only thing that made


    her dissatisfied was that Rndo had never stayed for the night in her pce.


    "Aunt, I think His Majesty loves someone else." Lilian finally expressed her main concern. "Although he


    treats me very well, I don''t think I will ever own his heart. Someone else already has that honor."


    "Silly girl, whether Rndo loves someone else or not, you are the empress of the Great Jade


    Kingdom and no one else. Besides, you are about to give birth to his first child! Rndo is not a


    heartless and unfaithful man. Otherwise, you would not have pursued him for five years and refused to


    give up on him, right?" Now, it was Harper''s turn to hold Lilian''s hands. "You have to strive for your


    happiness yourself. You shouldn''t rely on Rndo solely for it," she said.


    "I... Can I do that?" Lilian asked, fear bing apparent in her voice.


    "You have gone this far. Why don''t you think you can make it?" Harper asked, finding Lilian''s statement


    absurd. "You once so stubbornly insisted on following your heart. Have you forgotten that? When you


    heard that Rndo was once again living a secr life and became the emperor of the Great Jade


    Kingdom, you pursued him here without any hesitation. Aren''t your courage and sincerity enough to


    make him treat you well?"


    Lilian didn''t respond. What she wanted was not Rndo''s good treatment but his love in return. But


    she just couldn''t say it out loud. Besides, Rndo was so perfect that she couldn''t find any w in him.


    He was gentle and considerate, and he granted her whatever she required. Her pce was equipped


    with all the best suppliers and the most careful staff. Even though she was a princess from a foreign


    country who married Rndo for the purpose of fostering peace between her ce of origin and


    Rndo''s country, nobody dared look down on her.


    Even so, however, she still felt that there was a great gap between her and Rndo. She felt like she


    could never touch him. Worse was that she didn''t know what Rndo wanted or what he was thinking.


    The only thing she could do was to be obedient and not to cause him any trouble.


    "Aunt, can an emperor really love someone sincerely?"


    "Yes!" Harper answered firmly. "Everyone can love sincerely, and emperors are no exception to that."


    "But Father couldn''t!" Lilian said with a bitter smile. "The person he loved the most in his lifetime was


    himself. Not everyone can be sincere in terms of love."


    "You are wrong. Your father also had the capacity to treat someone sincerely. It all went to his favorite


    son, unfortunately," Harper said slowly. The former emperor of the Bright Dynasty was neither a good


    emperor nor a good father, but he had indeed fulfilled his responsibilities as the father of Lucas. In


    order to protect Lucas, he had used all his other sons as shields and disguised Lucas as a yboy. In


    actuality, he had secretly cultivated and trained him as the heir to the throne. No matter how cold-


    blooded a person was, he or she could be sincere. The only difference lied in whom he or she treated


    sincerely.

 Chapter 861 The Late Night Visit (Part One)

    Chapter 861 The Late Night Visit (Part One)


    It never urred to Toby that Rndo leaving the pce with a woman and without any guards would


    be a lure for him to show himself and reveal his ns. He thought that as long as he followed Rndo


    out, he would definitely be captured by Miguel. It was already toote when he realized what Rndo


    was aiming for.


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    "You dirty rat!" he shouted at Miguel with an angry face.


    "Shut up! You can never me others for your own ipetence!" Miguel hissed. He then turned to


    the guards and ordered, "Arrest him and lock him up!"


    The guards quickly advanced towards Toby to apprehend him but he was ready to defend himself.


    Unfortunately, even though he tried his best to hold them off, he was no match for the guards in terms


    of martial arts. Soon, they were able to chain him and then threw him into a tight cage in a carriage,


    which drove off and disappeared into the darkness.


    When Toby met Rndo again, he was in the jail. Rndo stood outside the cell in his magnificent


    white emperor clothes, which made him stand out in the dark hallway.


    "Rndo, you are a despicable man!" Toby cursed with resentment at the sight of him.


    Rndo, however, wore a smile on his angelic face. "You''re a prisoner now but you still dare talk so


    arrogantly. That''s really impressive," he said quietly as he stared down on his brother.


    His words irritated Toby more. He grabbed the rail of the cell and roared, "Now I understand everything!


    You won''t never risk your life for a woman! It turned out that you actually took advantage of her in order


    to lure me out! What do you think she''ll do if she finds out what you did? I bet she''d hate you until you


    die!" There was a hint of threat and madness in his voice.


    Despite Toby''s threats, Rndo''s smile never left his lips. "Well, I''m afraid that is why you are no match


    for me."


    "What do you mean by that?" Toby asked, confused.


    "I know what kind of person Harper is well enough. She is incredibly smart, so I doubt that she still


    doesn''t know my true intentions. Also, I really intended to take her out to see amazing spots around


    here. I just used that opportunity to deal with you," Rndo replied patiently. His voice was gentle and


    his tone yful. "And even though she knows that I have taken advantage of her, I doubt that she''ll get


    angry at me."


    "Oh,e on, Rndo. Aren''t you being too confident that she''s not furious at you right now?" Toby


    questioned.


    "She would only me me for risking my life," Rndo said, his eyes bing soft and tender. "She


    always treats people like that. Once she sees you as her friend, she will treat you as one forever, and


    she will make sure that you never feel alone."


    Toby narrowed his eyes and red at Rndo for a long time. Suddenly, he burst outughing and


    said, "Ha ha, Rndo! Are you serious? You sound like you''re in love with her! She''s Matthew''s wife.


    Remember?" He hated his brother but he knew him well¡ªhe was in love with Harper!


    The moment Toby''s words hit Rndo''s ears, Rndo''s pupils constricted, but his expression


    remained mostly unchanged. Seeing this, Toby could not help but wonder, ''Did I just make a false


    assumption? Maybe Rndo hasn''t really fallen in love with that woman. Yes, it was stupid to say that.


    How could Rndo have feelings for her? If Matthew discovered that another man had fallen in love


    with his wife, he would go crazy and destroy that man!''


    "That''s not what I want to discuss with you today. I''m here today to give you a choice," Rndo said


    slowly. "Do you want to live or die?"


    "Will you keep me alive?" Toby asked instead. He was surprised to hear Rndo offer a chance of


    sparing his life. He knew what Rndo was capable of. Back when Rndo left the Imperial Capital to


    be a monk, he and his brothers fought with each other just to get the throne. For five years they kept


    doing that, but as soon as Rndo came back, all their ns and tricks were fell through all of a


    sudden. It wasn''t because they were too weak or because theycked careful nning. It was because


    Rndo made sure that none of them would be able to carry out what they were thinking of doing. He


    was cruel, and he didn''t think of brotherhood or love. For him, there were only two groups: one, the


    people he could take advantage of; and two, the people who were useless to him. Toby was in the


    latter group, unsurprisingly.


    "Of course, I will. Why would not I let you alive?" Rndo said, smiling wider. "But you have to pay a


    price."


    "What kind of price?" Toby asked. He truly found this offer attractive. In his mind, it was better to have a


    bad life than a good death. Now that there was a chance for him to survive, he would definitely go for it.


    "Everything, my dear brother. I need you to obey all of my orders down to the very insignificant one,"


    Rndo said. His smile suggested that he had nned this a long, long time ago. "There happens to


    be one thing that I need to do, but I think you would fit the bill better than me. That is the offer I''m giving


    you. It''s now up to you if you want to take it or not."


    "What do you want me to do?" Toby asked warily. What if Rndo asked him to die? If that was the


    case, he would rather choose to be killed by Rndo at that moment.


    "Don''t worry, I won''t ask you to die," Rndo said as if he had read his mind. "You can rest assured


    that won''t happen. What you need to do is you must keep this in mind that from now on, you are a


    prince of the Great Jade Kingdom, and thus, you must do everything to serve the state. You will obey


    my orders and help me lead our country to peak prosperity."


    "What? You want to..." Toby''s voice trailed off as he was shocked by what he just heard. He looked at


    Rndo who was now smiling warmly. Somehow, he felt that Rndo had suddenly be huge,


    and was now looking down on him condescendingly. Toby struggled, trying to resist his overwhelming


    aura, but he was failing. Now he realized that while he was only worried about his life, Rndo had


    already thought about something grander for him.


    After minutes of silence, Toby finally had his answer. "Okay! It''s a deal!" he eximed. Even if Rndo


    let him go, he would just live like an ordinary person, probably perpetually running away and hiding. But


    now that Rndo had made him such an offer, he did not see any need to refuse it. Actually, it was the


    best case scenario he only thought possible in his dreams.


    Rndo seemed to have guessed what Toby was going to say. Immediately, he ordered his men to


    open the prison bars and then threw something to Toby. Toby caught it and when he inspected it, he


    was once again shocked.


    "Rndo, aren''t you afraid..."


    "You will soon know what you need to do after you get out of the prison. I don''t want you to mess it up!"


    Rndo said. In an incredibly tender voice, he added, "I hope you can live up to my expectations. I


    believe in you, Toby."

 Chapter 862 The Late Night Visit (Part Two)

    Chapter 862 The Late Night Visit (Part Two)


    With that, Rndo left. Toby was left stunned. He could not move any muscle in his body. He just


    silently stood there for a long time before he packed his things and walked out of his cell. Since he was


    given a chance to live, he certainly would not waste it doing immoral deeds. ''Rndo, I will prove to


    you that letting me live is the best decision you''ve ever made!'' he swore inwardly.


    When Rndo returned to the pce, Harper was about to rest. Upon seeing Rndo, she smiled at


    him softly. "Everything already settled?"


    "I thought you would be angry at me for taking advantage of you," Rndo said, his stance rxed and


    his smile profound. "I felt relieved all of a sudden when you asked me such a question."


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    Seeing that Rndo was still standing by the door, Harper invited him in and asked, "Would you like a


    cup of warm tea?"


    Rndo nodded and came in. "Am I interrupting you?" he asked, suddenly noticing that Harper was


    apparently about to go to bed.


    "It''s all right. What kind of tea would you like to drink?" Harper asked. She promptly walked to the


    cab and found a variety of tea leaves, which she didn''t expect. "Did you stock up on tea leaves for


    my visit?" she asked, surprised.


    "Not really. They''re always filled to the brim. But I may have asked some servants to bring in the best


    ones so that you won''t be disappointed in our selection," Rndo replied.


    "It''s really good to be an emperor, huh? You can do whatever you want," Harpermented, though


    she really wasn''t thinking it. She then took a pot, filled it with leaves of her liking, and asked her maid to


    bring in a small stove so that she could make tea.


    "You know what goes well with tea? Music," Rndo said as heid his eyes on the desk where a


    zither was located. "We were awfully disturbed when on that boat trip, weren''t we? I was just beginning


    to enjoy the beautiful scenery of theke, as well as the music, when those thugs came. But since


    you''re making tea, I guess it''s time for me to y the zither."


    "Okay. The tea should be ready after you finish one melody," Harper replied with a warm smile as she


    put on the pot above the stove.


    Rndo picked the zither up, sat down, and with his fingers as white as jade, he gently pulled on the


    strings. Instantly, hauntingly beautiful music filled the room.


    As the notes came out one after another, magic seemed to take a hold of everyone, creating a peaceful


    haven in the middle of the darkness.


    Sean stood outside the door, motionless and silently, while Dan kept looking inside. Sean then warned


    him in a serious voice, "Don''t look around."


    "Master, it''s not the first time I''ve heard His Majesty y the zither. He used to y it very often back


    when he was alone at the Harmony Pce. Back then, however, whatever he yed sounded lonely.


    This one is very happy. I''m starting to feel happiness just by listening to it," Dan said as if he was in a


    state of intoxication. It was as if the music was alcohol.


    Sean took a nce at Rndo, who was focused on ying the zither, and then told Dan, "His Majesty


    is in a good mood. You''re right. He usually ys pieces that are sad. But today''s is different. He''s


    happy."


    Dan silently nodded in agreement. "Look, Lady Harper looks gorgeous when she is making the tea," he


    suddenlymented. "Her hands move as if they are dancing. She''s so elegant and so entrancing to


    watch."


    "I''ve heard a rumor once that Lady Harper was good for nothing. Now, I honestly think that rumor was


    only made because someone was jealous of her," Sean sighed as he shook his head. If Harper was


    not Matthew''s wife, she would have been the empress of the Great Jade Kingdom. Unfortunately, the


    God of Destiny made fools of the people.


    Since the Bliss Pce was not far from the Harmony Pce, the wind was able to carry the sound of


    Rndo''s music there. Lilian was the first to perceive it, and it surprised her. She knew that Rndo


    often yed the zither alone, but she always heard loneliness in his songs. This time, she felt that his


    song sounded different. It was a melody Rndo had yed numerous times and it sounded sad.


    Now, Lilian couldn''t hear any traces of that¡ªshe could only feel happiness.


    "The melody yed by His Majesty seems a little different tonight," Daisymented in a low voice as


    she stood by the door.


    Lilian walked out of her room and stood beside Daisy. "The melody seems to being from the


    Harmony Pce," she said in a hesitant tone.


    "My Lady, do you want to go there right now?" Daisy asked cautiously as she saw Lilian''s strange


    expression.


    Lilian kept silent for a moment, but after a while, she nodded decisively. She wanted to see what


    Rndo looked like if he was ying such a joyous melody. Every time she heard and saw him y,


    he always looked gloomy or unaffected, like he was longing for someone he loved dearly, so she was


    curious as to what his disposition was now that his music sounded free from loneliness. More


    importantly, she wanted to see what changed him so drastically.


    But what unsettled Lilian was, even though she had heard this melody every day after she came to the


    Great Jade Kingdom, it sounded new and fresh. Her zither skills were not as good as Rndo''s. Even


    though she had studied and yed it for many years, she had never heard of this melody yed like


    this before. So, she asked around and finally discovered that this melody was personally created by


    Rndo and its name was Lovesick.


    That was when she realized that indeed, there was someone Rndo was cherishing in his heart. As


    for who that woman was, he had never told anyone, or given any kind of hint. Interestingly, there was


    no other woman around him. Even though he had female secret guards protecting him, he never


    showed any interest in any of them. That made Lilian think that she might have guessed it wrong. But


    now, with the emotion of Rndo''s song changing to being a joyful one, Lilian almost felt sure that the


    one he loved must be right in front of him.


    Lilian didn''t want to think further. The person living in the Harmony Pce was Harper, who was


    already Matthew''s wife. And they were the most perfect couple in the entire world! Because of that, she


    didn''t want to think that she was the one Rndo was pining for. Lilian also knew that the Harmony


    Pce was special to Rndo. Rndo never allowed anyone to get inside easily, including her.


    Sometimes, he would workte and choose to go to the Harmony Pce to sleep.


    However, suspicion grew like poison in her heart. Lilian kept thinking everything that had happened:


    Rndo woke Harper up, picked food for her, ate all the food Harper picked for him, took her out of the


    imperial capital, and visited her atte night. His every act felt like a serpent ready to devour Lilian''s


    heart at any time. Though she didn''t want to act unreasonably, there was nothing else she could think


    of right now but to go Harmony Pce and see what Rndo looked like at that moment!

 Chapter 863 She Was Heartbroken (Part One)

    Chapter 863 She Was Heartbroken (Part One)


    Lilian''s sudden arrival startled Sean. He was just about to check up on Harper and Rndo when he


    was met by her cold stare.


    Ever since Lilian came to Great Jade Kingdom, she had always been gentle, kind and friendly. She had


    never been so cold and fierce, and because of that, Sean couldn''t help but feel a little shocked and


    intimidated. But then he remembered that Rndo and Harper were just friends and there was nothing


    to hide for them. With that, he immediately made way for Lilian.


    There was nothing more than chatting, drinking tea, and ying the zither that was happening in the


    room that Rndo and Harper were in. Rndo fully knew what would happen if he wouldn''t be able to


    control himself in front of Harper. Thus, even though he loved her so, so much, he wouldn''t show it to


    her or anyone else. As an emperor, it was almost a given that he would be surrounded by beautiful girls


    and Lilian wouldn''t have a say in it.


    Lilian stood by the door, carefully eyeing the two people inside. Thedy was making tea leisurely and


    gracefully with her skillful hands, while the man was ying the zither, his eyes full of intense emotions.


    If an outsider saw them like this, he or she would definitely think that they were a couple who were in


    paradise. It was exactly because of this that Lilian could not enjoy this otherwise beautiful moment¡ªall


    she was thinking of doing was pouring hot, scalding tea on Harper''s face.


    Despite this, Lilian didn''t move. It wasn''t because she was unwilling to, but because she just didn''t


    have the ability to. She was overwhelmed with so much hatred that she could feel every bone in her


    body shaking with anger. Before she came to the Harmony Pce, she didn''t entertain it, but now that


    she was seeing what was happening with her own two eyes, she knew that Harper was the woman


    Rndo was pining for!


    As the steam of the hot tea floated in the air, filling the room with the aroma of brewed tea leaves,


    Rndo stopped ying. Harper put a cup in front of him and said, "Here you go. I made it in the way


    you like."


    Rndo picked the cup up and put it in his mouth. Slowly, he sipped its contents, savoring its taste like


    it was thest cup of tea he would ever taste. A satisfied smile then appeared on his lips. "After


    drinking this, I''m afraid that any other tea brewed by others wouldn''t taste as good."


    Harper smiled. "The music you yed is incredible as well. I haven''t heard it before, though. What''s its


    name?"


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    "It''s my ownposition, and I haven''t named it yet. I couldn''t think of a name fitting for it, actually.


    Maybe you can help me? Try naming it," Rndo said serenely.


    Before Harper replied, a voice came. "Hmm. For me, it should be named ''Lovesick''. What do you


    think?" The sudden voice was from Lilian, her tone angry and bitter, breaking the peaceful atmosphere


    of the room. Rndo visibly frowned the moment he heard Lilian''s voice, as if he was unhappy to be


    disturbed by her. Lilian then added, "Your Majesty. What do you think?"


    Rndo didn''t answer, but he kept his eyes on the unexpected intruder. Harper was surprised, but she


    didn''t think too much of Lilian''s sudden appearance. Instead, she continued on pondering about the title


    of Rndo''s newestposition. "But then if you title it Lovesick, it should have been much, much


    sadder. This one doesn''t sound sad at all. It sounds..."


    "Happy, like the one who made it finally finds what he''s been looking for after a long, long time," Lilian


    said, smiling forcibly. "Your Majesty, it seems like you are in a good mood today. I''ve heard you y


    that piece of music so many times, but this is the first time that you have yed it so peacefully and


    contentedly."


    While Rndo still kept calm, his eyes had already gone cold. "Lilian, isn''t it sote? Why haven''t you


    gone to bed? And it seems like you don''t have a cloak with you. The night is cold, so you should


    always keep yourself warm whenever you go out. You should take better care of yourself. After all, you


    are now carrying our child."


    Lilian lowered her head and touched her abdomen unconsciously. Somehow, she had forgotten that


    there was life growing inside her¡ªher and Rndo''s child!


    She raised her head and looked at Rndo. He was a handsome, gentle, and overall outstanding man.


    He was an emperor of an entire country, for God''s sake! There would be an unlimited number of


    women around him in the future, just like her father. One would rece another, which would end up


    being reced by another. She would never have him all by herself.


    "Your Majesty, are you going to sleep at the Bliss Pce tonight?" Lilian asked. She intentionally asked


    Rndo this question in front of Harper to make him realize who his woman was between her and


    Harper. In thiste evening, he should be with her, the one who would be his empress, and not


    some other female!


    "You''re still pregnant, Lilian, so you wouldn''t be able to do anything for me. Because of that, I''m still


    going to sleep in the Dragon Pce." While Rndo''s voice didn''t betray any of his true emotions,


    Lilian knew for sure that he was really unhappy about her and about what was currently happening.


    Unfortunately for him, she didn''t care and was unwilling to leave. After taking in a deep breath, she


    approached Rndo and held onto his arm as if she was a spoiled queen demanding attention from


    her king.


    "Your Majesty, please keep mepany tonight. I want you to be by my side when I wake up tomorrow


    morning," she said in an overly sweet tone.


    Right after seeing this, Harper smiled widely and waved her hand. "Oh my God, look at her. Go, go with


    her, Rndo. I can''t stand you two being this lovey-dovey in front of me."


    Rndo was a little stiff as he still wasn''t used to Lilian''s touch. It was a good thing that he had enough


    self-control that he was able to refrain himself from suddenly pushing her away. "Have a good rest


    then, Harper. I know what happened today shook you up a bit so before we part, I wanted to apologize.


    I also didn''t expect that Lilian would demandpany from me tonight, so I''ll send her back."


    "It''s nothing! Send her back. It''s getting colder by the minute and no one wants her and the baby to


    catch cold." Harper smiled innocently. On the other hand, bewilderment appeared in Lilian''s eyes. Was


    it unrequited love? Was Rndo in love with Harper, but Harper didn''t have the same feelings for him?


    Or did she just not know his true feelings for her?

 Chapter 864 She Was Heartbroken (Part Two)

    Chapter 864 She Was Heartbroken (Part Two)


    Lilian and Rndo soon departed from the Harmony Pce. Even though they had already exited the


    ce, Lilian still held onto Rndo''s arm tightly, as if she was holding on for her dear life. As they left,


    the warm smile on Rndo''s lips disappeared, and his face only showed an unfeeling and cold


    expression. His aura was dark, and it seemed like it wasn''t wise for anyone to approach him


    whatsoever.


    Because of this, Lilian couldn''t help but tremble. She eventually loosened her grip on Rndo''s arm


    and raised her head to look into his eyes. However, Rndo didn''t seem to mind her¡ªhe continued to


    walk in a steady pace, leaving hergging behind. She had to trot in order to catch up with him and


    match his speed.


    "Your Majesty."


    Rndo stopped and said expressionlessly, "Let''s go. I''ll send you back to the Bliss Pce."


    Lilian held her handkerchief close to her chest as her eyes started to fill up with tears. But since she


    didn''t want to cry in front of Rndo, she tried her hardest to restrain herself. The emperor had always


    been gentle to her and would always smile at her, but tonight, his expression, as well as his tone, was


    distant and unfeeling. It was the first time he had ever been indifferent towards her. Did she do


    something wrong?


    The distance she walked when she came to the Harmony Pce was short, but now that she was


    going back to the Bliss Pce with Rndo, it seemed never-ending. Even though Rndo was only a


    step away from her, it felt like they were oceans apart. Truly, the cold shoulder he was giving her was


    the most hurtful thing she had experienced ever since she came to the Great Jade Kingdom.


    As soon as the two of them arrived at the Bliss Pce, Rndo turned around to leave without saying


    a word to Lilian. Lilian couldn''t handle that, so she immediately reached out her hand to hold his arm.


    Rndo, however, shook it off subconsciously. Lilian staggered and almost fell over, but she was able


    to stabilize herself. She looked at Rndo with teary eyes and a hurt expression.


    "Your Majesty, did I do something wrong?" Tears then began rolling down her face. "Is it because I


    disturbed your precious time with Aunt Harper?"


    "You are overthinking this, Lilian. Go to sleep," Rndo said coldly and continued to walk out. Lilian,


    however, barricaded herself on the door. There was no way she was letting him go without getting


    some answers. "Your Majesty, if Harper is standing here, will you treat her in this way?"


    "You are clearly emotionally unstable. I will not argue with you."


    "Haha, emotionally unstable? Then exin why everyone calls you Your Majesty, but Harper calls you


    Rndo. Why do you talk with everyone as a sovereign, but you treat her like a friend? Your Majesty,


    tell me¡ªhave you fallen in love with her?" Lilian felt bitter jealousy gnawing her heart, making her lose


    her sight on reason.


    "Lilian, be careful with what you say!"


    "Why? Have I found your little secret out? If I''m wrong, then prove me wrong! Swear to God that you


    haven''t fallen in love with her, right now!" Lilian yelled at the top of her lungs, forgetting who she was,


    and who she was talking to. "I''ve listened to your Lovesick more than a hundred times. The strong


    resentment, the lovesickness, and the loneliness that woulde out of your zither tortured me so


    hard that I couldn''t fall asleep at night. I''ve been thinking, what kind of woman has the ability to open


    your heart, to make you happy, but never in my wildest dreams did I expect it to be her!"


    Rndo didn''t reply, letting Lilian roar. After she got tired, she would stop crying.


    Hearing themotion that seemed to be happening inside Lilian''s room, Daisy immediately rushed in,


    only to be halted by Sean. "It''s none of your business. Stay out of it. You are a servant."


    Daisy was worried. She was afraid that herdy might quarrel with Rndo. The emperor seemed to


    be gentle and easy to get along with, but there were still rules that everyone must abide to, no matter


    what one was feeling. If Lilian fought with him, she would definitely be put in an unfavorable situation.


    "Are you done? Rest now," Rndo said after Lilian''s outburst. He then continued towards the door,


    intending to walk out.


    Lilian rushed to him recklessly and put her arms around his waist. "Your Majesty, please tell me why


    you like her. I will change. I will be what you like."


    "Lilian, you are tired. You need a good rest." Rndo firmly and forcefully pried her arms off him, but


    she wouldn''t give up.


    "Is it because I''m pregnant and can''t serve you?" Lilian wiped the tears on her face, turned around to


    face Rndo, and then closed the door. She began to undress herself in front of him. "I''ve asked the


    imperial physician. He said that the fetus is stable and I can still have sex with you."


    Rndo was disgusted by Lilian''s actions. If he loved her, he would have fallen in love with her a long


    time ago and he wouldn''t have been so indifferent towards her in the past five years. With what she


    was doing, she was just proving this point more¡ªif he loved her, he would have been consumed by his


    want of her right then and there. But right now, he was just feeling annoyed.


    "You must be tired. Next time, don''t do such a dissolute thing. It just makes people feel disgusted,"


    Rndo said in a cold voice.


    Lilian froze and looked at Rndo in disbelief. He said she was dissolute. Weren''t they married? That


    wasn''t something a husband would say to his wife. How could he have said such a thing? That she


    was a dissolute woman and that her actions would make people feel disgusted?


    "Your Majesty... Do you love me, even a little bit?" Lilian asked in a trembling voice. If he didn''t love her,


    why did he agree to the alliance marriage? Why did he sleep with her? And they were even having a


    child! If he didn''t love her, why had he treated her so gently over the years, letting her immerse herself


    in the warmth of his fake love, letting her live in it in delusion?


    Rndo stretched out his hand to open the door. His face looked stone cold, as if there was something


    that he couldn''t stand and he was just so eager to leave the room. It hurt Lilian all over again.


    "Rndo!"


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    "Shut up!" Rndo snapped. "Don''t you dare call me by my name!"


    At this point, Lilian''s heart could not take it anymore. Her heart had been crushed numerous times that


    she felt her soul leave her body, making her just a mere shell of what she used to be.

 Chapter 865 The Siblings Teamed Up (Part One)

    Chapter 865 The Siblings Teamed Up (Part One)


    In an instant, Rndo was gone. He left without even a bit of hesitation.


    Watching his receding figure, Lilian crossed her arms on her chest. She then squatted on the ground


    and began to helplessly cry. She didn''t understand why he was treating her like this. Before Harper


    arrived in the Great Jade Kingdom, Rndo would treat her with utmost care. Even though he didn''t


    love her, she felt content as she enjoyed his attention.


    But since Harper started living in the Harmony Pce, Rndo''s attitude towards her had changed.


    His care and consideration gradually disappeared. It seemed like everything that they had in the past


    were not real. Unfortunately, Lilian was immersed in the delusional world that she had created in her


    head and she didn''t want to wake up.


    Soon after, Daisy came into the room and she was very surprised to see the state that Lilian was in.


    The poor woman looked so distressed and miserable. Daisy quickly picked up her clothes and ced


    them on her shoulder. "Your Highness, what''s wrong? His Majesty seems to be very upset. I''ve never


    seen him so furious before."


    Lilian was crying so much that she was almost out of breath. With Daisy''s help, Lilian walked to the bed


    andy on it. She felt very dejected. Rndo''s love for her was so superficial, but his love for Harper


    seemed so real. There was only one person who was allowed to call him by his real name and that


    happened to be Harper. Not only that, but he would y the zither for her, help her with the dishes, and


    do something that like an ordinary man would do for the woman he loved. Inparison, Rndo''s


    treatment of Lilian was so different. He didn''t even care about her feelings at all.


    Staring into nothingness, Lilian asked, "Why am I not as good as her? That woman is so deceitful and


    cunning. I''m absolutely better than her. Why can''t he see my merits?"


    "Your Highness, are you all right?" Daisy was startled by Lilian''s unusual behavior. She could sense


    that something had happened between Rndo and Lilian when they were at the Harmony Pce, but


    she didn''t know why. When Lilian didn''t answer, Daisy eximed, "I''m going to invite Lady Harper


    over!"


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    "No! Don''t do that! I don''t want to see her!" Lilian cried out, raising her voice.


    "Your Highness..." Daisy looked at Lilian in bewilderment.


    Looking back at Daisy, Lilian saw how surprised the woman was. With a sigh, Lilian closed her eyes, in


    an attempt to calm herself down. "You can go now. Just leave me alone."


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    What Lilian hated the most was the fact that she had given her heart and everything she had to


    Rndo, but it turned out that he didn''t love her at all. She hated Harper as well. If it wasn''t for her,


    Rndo wouldn''t treat her in such a cruel and unkind manner. Even though she was carrying his child,


    it really seemed like Rndo didn''t care about her.


    "Lilian." A voice called out. Lilian suddenly opened her eyes. When she saw the person sitting at the


    table not far from her, she sat up in surprise as if she could not believe it. "Lilian, how have you been?"


    "Francis! It''s you!"


    Right in front of her was Francis, her sixth brother. He was still dressed in white while looking gentle


    and serene, but Lilian knew that he was not as harmless as he seemed to be.


    "What brings you here?" Lilian asked with caution.


    Francis immediately understood what Lilian was thinking. He fidgeted with his jade ring and replied,


    "I''m here to take revenge on someone."


    "Who are you talking about?" Lilian asked with a bit of excitement.


    With resentment and viciousness in his eyes, Francis replied, "Don''t worry. It''s not Rndo. I''m here to


    take revenge on someone who hurt me so terribly and ced me in this kind of situation. Anyway, I''ve


    brought you into the Imperial Pce. But I didn''t expect you to be so useless. You did nothing but hide


    in your room and cry by yourself."


    Lilian looked at Francis in amazement and asked, "What do you mean?"


    "Rndo has romantic affections for Harper. I''ve known about it for so long, even when he was still


    Chodak. Why do you think he would go back to the Great Jade Kingdom and fight his way to the


    throne?" Francis stated with a smile.


    "At that time, the health of the Great Jade Kingdom''s emperor was already declining. He was in such a


    critical condition."


    "No, it was Rndo who made the emperor sick. He agreed to marry you, got you pregnant, and made


    you his wife. There''s a reason behind all of these. He wanted Harper toe here," Francis said while


    he looked at Lilian with so much pity.


    "I don''t believe it!"


    "You saw it with your own eyes tonight and still, you refuse to believe me?" Francis sneered before he


    continued, "Even if you take off all your clothes and stand in front of Rndo, he still wouldn''t care


    about you. But when ites to Harper, he''s willing to give her everything even if she does nothing."


    "That''s a lie. You''re lying to me. It was Harper who seduced Rndo. From the beginning, he would


    have never fallen for her."


    "Seduce him?" The expression on Francis'' eyes darkened. He was actually realizing that Lilian might


    be right. Harper might have seduced Rndo, like she did with him. Harper was very kind to him, but


    she refused to be with him. She even set him up for another man. Francis then added, "Yes, if indeed


    she seduced Rndo, what are you going to do then? Are you going to just let her take away


    Rndo?"


    "Of course not!"


    "Good, very good!" With a satisfied smile, Francis threw a box towards Lilian''s direction. She reached


    out and caught it.


    "What''s this?"


    "That is something that would destroy Harper! But I need your cooperation," Francis said while raising


    his eyebrow at her.


    With a frown, Lilian asked, "What do you want me to do?"


    "The thing inside the box is called Fantasy. It''s specially made for women," Francis said with a smile.


    His gentle and innocent expression made him look more sinister. He licked his lips and continued, "You


    need to find a chance to light it in Harper''s room, and I''ll find a way to lure Rndo in there."


    "Why do you want to lure him there?" Lilian asked, confusion written all over her face.

 Chapter 866 The Siblings Teamed Up (Part Two)

    Chapter 866 The Siblings Teamed Up (Part Two)


    "With that thing, Rndo and Harper could never be together again. My silly sister, I''m sure you know


    that Harper and Uncle Matthew have an intimate rtionship. They''re married, after all. So picture this,


    Harper taking the initiative in tempting Rndo to have sex with her. Even when her consciousness is


    a little hazy, Rndo might go along with it anyway. What do you think Uncle Matthew will do? What do


    you think Harper will do?"


    "Rndo will never do that!"


    Francis pinched Lilian''s chin and said, "Lilian, you clearly don''t know men that well! A man will always


    lose control of himself in front of the one he loves, even someone like Rndo. However, it''s up to you


    if you want to go with this the n or not. I just have to remind you that if you just sit here and wait until


    Rndo sessfully wins Harper''s heart, you''ll eventually be sorry since you had the chance of


    preventing them from being together."


    After that, Francis left the room, but what he had said made a big impression on Lilian. Harper was still


    oblivious about Rndo''s feelings for her, but it was true that she and Rndo had be close


    friends and they werefortable together. Lilian believed that if Rndo kept pursuing her little by


    little, there was no doubt that Harper would eventually fall in love with him sooner rather thanter.


    "No! No! She can''t do that! Rndo belongs to me!" Lilian couldn''t help but scream out loud.


    Meanwhile, Rndo went back to the Dragon Pce as soon as he left the Bliss Pce. He


    immediately soaked himself in the bathtub because he didn''t really want to do anything else. "Your


    Majesty, you''ve been bathing for an hour. It''s time," Lord Sean anxiously said.


    "Get out," Rndo firmly responded.


    Sean was so anxious that he stamped his feet. He turned around and yelled at Dan, "Hurry up! Go and


    get Lady Harper!"


    "If anyone dares to disturb her, I''ll break his legs!" Rndo ordered sternly. Sean''s eyelids twitched


    when he heard Rndo''s words. He waved his hand and let Dan go.


    Sitting in the bathtub alone, Rndo had a gloomy expression on his face. He had actually been


    thinking about what Lilian had said to him. Was he really treating Harper in a very special way? Was it


    true that he had been in love with her for a long time?


    "Sean," he called out.


    "Yes, Your Majesty."


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    "What did I look like when I was with Harper?" Rndo asked in a low voice.


    Sean paused for a few seconds before he cautiously began to reply, "I''ve never seen Your Majesty so


    happy with anyone else. You seem to really enjoy your time with Lady Harper."


    "Was I that happy?" Rndo scooped up handfuls of water and watched it slipped from his fingers. "I


    actually do feel very happy every time I see her. And when I can''t see her, I feel very lonely. I ¡ª"


    Rndo stood up from the bathtub all of the sudden, the water sshing all over the ground. Matthew


    would arrive very soon so he had to get everything ready. "Get changed," Rndo brieflymanded.


    "Yes, Your Majesty." Sean didn''t care what Rndo was going to do as long as he left the bathtub.


    After putting on his clothes, Rndo began reading the files from the ministers. As Sean watched the


    emperor, the corner of his lip twitched. He had thought Rndo was going to see Lady Harper, but to


    his surprise, Rndo had chosen to read some important documents.


    Meanwhile, Matthew finally arrived outside of the city. However, it was alreadyte at night so it wasn''t


    easy to enter the city. Not to mention that Rndo had arranged a lot of people on Matthew''s way to


    stop him. So even though Matthew had been really careful, he had encountered numerous troubles on


    the way.


    "Your Highness." A man''s voice was heard in the darkness. Matthew tilted his head a little to look at the


    city wall. A man was waving at him. His figure was very strange and it seemed like something was


    wrong with his head.


    Matthew looked at the figure calmly and soon realized that it was a Zorro. Matthew approached him,


    finally able to see the man''s face very clearly. There was a little thing standing on Zorro''s head. No


    wonder Matthew felt there was something wrong with his head. "Why are you not following Harper?"


    Zorro thought Matthew was asking him so he replied, "Emperor Rndo is vignt about us so we can''t


    enter the Imperial Pce."


    In fact, Matthew''s eyes were focused on Patrick who was standing on Zorro''s head. The creature


    folded its arms across its chest, red at him, and began to talk. Patrick was so excited that he


    trampled on Zorro''s head in a very furious way, quite a few times.


    Even before they met up with Matthew, Zorro hated having Patrick on top of his head, but he had no


    choice. Patrick was so powerful. If he refused, the creature would make them suffer a lot. In addition,


    Patrick was Harper''s favorite pet and since it was a powerful beast from the Labyrinth Swamp, they


    didn''t dare to pick on it.


    "You mean, Harper asked you to find me and you''re not allowed to go back to her if you can''t do so?"


    Matthew asked. He reached out and grabbed Patrick from Zorro''s head. He held it in his arms and


    started to rub its head violently. "But did you just call me an idiot? Who are you calling an idiot huh?"


    Zorro stared at Matthew in admiration. All this time, he had thought Harper could understand what


    Patrick was saying because she was its master. He couldn''t believe that even Matthew could


    "Your Highness, do you understand what Patrick is saying?"


    "I don''t. But I can read its expression, especially when it red at me with a smug look. I really want to


    beat it up, to be honest," Matthew said with a grin.


    Pretending that it could not understand what Matthew was talking about, Patrick refused to admit that it


    had scolded him. The creature knew that it was no match for Matthew, so it decided it was going to tell


    the man off when it saw Harper.

 Chapter 867 Emergency In The Harmony Palace (Part One)

    Chapter 867 Emergency In The Harmony Pce (Part One)


    Harper had been sleeping soundly, but before she could even open her eyes, she already felt that


    someone was looking at her. It ultimately confused her. She wondered if Rndo had finished their


    imperial court session in the morning. When she finally opened her eyes, she saw Lilian looking at her


    with a pair of wide-opened eyes.


    Sitting up immediately, Harper asked in surprise, "Why did you get up so early? Your face looks a little


    pale too. Do you feel ufortable anywhere?"


    Lilian shook her head and forced a smile. "No, I just didn''t sleep wellst night. As a matter of fact, I


    always had nightmares these days," she replied.


    Hearing these words, Harper got up and quickly put on a robe over her shoulders. Then she


    approached Lilian and felt her pulse. "Well, your vital energy and blood flow show that you''re fatigued.


    You also have too much liver-fire. Since you''re currently pregnant, it will be better if you don''t take any


    medicine. I''ll make a prescription of medicated diet and send it to the kitchen so they can prepare it for


    you."


    Lilian immediately expressed her gratitude. "Thank you very much, Aunt. By the way, I actually came


    here because I realized you haven''t explored the pce here since you arrived. So for today, how


    about I show you around the pce?"


    "That sounds great," Harper responded. After Harper freshened up, she and Lilian had breakfast


    together before they took an idle walk. Meanwhile, Forsythia was actually worried about Harper, so she


    closely followed them. Lilian noticed what the maid was doing but didn''t say anything about it. In a very


    lively mood, she simply introduced all the spots and views on their way to Harper.


    Harper carefully listened to her. In fact, she was a little concerned about Lilian''s behaviorst night.


    Harper had nned to ask her why she had acted that way, but it was hard for her to do so when she


    saw Lilian''s state.


    "Are you tired? If you are, we can take a rest for a bit. After all, you''re carrying a baby. We''ve been


    walking for such a long time. I think it''s time for you to have a rest," Harper suggested.


    Holding Harper''s arm, Lilian said, "Let''s go to the pavilion ahead and have a rest there for a while. By


    the way, Aunt, Uncle Matthew is supposed to arrive soon, right?"


    "I had been informed that the envoy''s team is approaching the capital. He should arrive soon enough.


    But they are rather slow. At most, I thought they would arrive one or two dayster than I did. But it


    turns out they still need a few days more to get here," Harper answered immediately.


    "You must miss Uncle Matthew very much, right?" Lilian asked in a mischievous tone.


    Harper yfully red at her andined, "You''re making fun of me."


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    "Everyone knows you and Uncle Matthew love each other very much and have a very active intimate


    life. I just feel that it''s strange how the two of you didn''te to the Great Jade Kingdom together,"


    Lilian asked. Her voice became unusually lower.


    But Harper didn''t notice it. "I had been treating Wendy''s heart disease, so I couldn''t leave the imperial


    capital when Matthew had to set out. But I actually feel that it''s strange as well. It''s so surprising to me


    that your uncle will arrive muchter than me even though he set out a week earlier."


    Lilian''s eyes lit up at Harper''s words as she suddenly remembered what Francis had said. ording to


    him, Rndo had done everything in order to lure Harper to the capital of the Great Jade Kingdom.


    Now that Matthew would arriveter, she thought that Rndo had been behind it. It was true that


    Lilian herself was only a pawn to draw Harper here.


    "Uncle Matthew will certainly arrive before my coronation ceremony. You don''t need to worry about him,


    Aunt. There is no one in this world who can stop Uncle Matthew," Lilian said slowly. Even though


    Rndo was also capable, it would not be that easy for him to stop Matthew from doing anything,


    especially when it involved his beloved Harper.


    "Are you really okay?" Harper asked while looking at Lilian''s pale face. Even though she had already


    felt Lilian''s pulse, Harper could see that thedy had been worrying too much. Not knowing what could


    make Lilian so worried, Harper asked, "Are you worried about the coronation ceremony? I want you to


    know that it''spletely understandable. After all, you will officially be the empress of the Great


    Jade Kingdom."


    Shaking her head, Lilian answered, "No, these days, I just frequently had nightmares, so I couldn''t


    sleep that well. Don''t worry about me. I''m fine, just a little tired."


    "Let me escort you back to your pce. It would be better for you to have a good rest," Harper


    immediately said. It was bing more apparent that Lilian was not in a good condition.


    "Thank you but it''s fine, Aunt. We''re not far from the Bliss Pce anyway. I was nning to have a


    good walk around the pce, but I didn''t expect that my health is not good enough to do that. I''m sorry


    but I can''t apany you any longer today. I''ll visit youter," Lilian apologetically said.


    "No, don''t worry about it," Harper assured her. She then turned to Daisy and said, "Daisy, take good


    care of your master."


    "Yes, Your Highness," Daisy responded and then helped Lilian to leave.


    As she looked at Lilian''s receding figure, Harper''s eyes were full of confusion. Last night, Lilian seemed


    to have deliberately provoked Rndo, and the man looked very embarrassed. Although he had tried


    his best to cover it, Harper was still able to sense that something was wrong between the couple. "I


    don''t know what but something must have happened between themst night."


    "Your Highness, your servant thinks that Princess Lilian looked rather unusual today. She''s obviously


    not feeling well, but she still forced herself to show you around the pce. But after a while, she


    suddenly felt ufortable and wanted to go back, leaving you alone in here," Forsythia said with a


    frown.


    "Well, I think Lilian means well. She''s pregnant now, so she can''t be too careless. Let''s go back too. It


    seems like the Imperial Pce here is not a special one after all," Harper said. Since walking around


    the pce didn''t really pique her interest, she decided to go back.


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    The two of them headed for the Harmony Pce at a slow pace. Along the way, Harper was thinking


    about Lilian''s unusual behavior. There was only one person in the world who could influence Lilian''s


    thoughts, and that was Rndo. Could it be possible that the couple had a fight because of herst


    night?


    "Forsythia."


    "What''s the matter, Your Highness?" Forsythia asked in confusion.


    "Didn''t Lilian say that she frequently had nightmares and couldn''t sleep well these days? Send this


    bottle of medicine to her. It can help relieve her uneasiness and it won''t do any harm to the baby. Tell


    her to take a pill before she goes to sleep every evening. I''m sure that she can have a good sleep for a


    whole night." Harper thought for a while and decided to leave the pce as soon as possible. It was


    too awkward for her to stay in the pce any longer. She had agreed to stay here for Lilian''s sake. But


    now, for that same reason, it seemed like she needed to leave the pce at the earliest


    opportunity.

 Chapter 868 Emergency In The Harmony Palace (Part Two)

    Chapter 868 Emergency In The Harmony Pce (Part Two)


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    Forsythia immediately turned around to catch up with Lilian, while Harper continued her way to the


    Harmony Pce. When she pushed the door of the pce open, she saw a pot of blooming sweet-


    scented osmanthus on the table. The fragrance overflowed and filled the entire room.


    "Maids," she called out.


    "Your Highness."


    "Where did the flowere from?" Harper asked in confusion. Before they went out, the flower hadn''t


    been in there.


    "The osmanthus in the Imperial Garden is blooming well, so the Imperial Household Bureau sent a pot


    in here. It must have been ordered by His Majesty." Because it was merely a pot of flower sent from the


    Imperial Household Bureau, the maid had not inquired about the details.


    "I see, you can leave now." Harper took the flower to a table by the window. She liked the light


    fragrance of the flowers very much. Since she felt bored sitting there alone, she picked up a book and


    began to read. As time passed by, she didn''t notice that the incense which was burning in the censer


    that day was different from the usual.


    Meanwhile, Rndo was discussing state affairs with the courtiers when a maid suddenly came. She


    then asked Sean, "Lord Sean, is His Majesty busy right now?"


    "Aren''t you Miss Sonia?" Since Rndo cared a lot about thedy staying in the Harmony Pce,


    Sean had acquired the information about all of the maids and eunuchs working in there. As soon as he


    saw Sonia, a maid from the Harmony Pce, he immediately understood that it must have something


    to do with Harper. "Does Lady Harper need something?" he asked.


    "My Lord, Lady Harper fainted."


    "What?" Sean eximed in surprise. He knew that a piece of news like that was very serious. If


    something bad happened to Harper, Rndo might kill all of them. With such thoughts in mind, he


    entered the room in a hurry, despite the fact that Rndo was still discussing the state affairs with the


    courtiers.


    "Your Majesty." Sean directly interrupted the discussion as soon as he was inside the room. Miguel


    unpleasantly frowned and said to him, "Sean, you''re getting more and more unruly as time goes on."


    "What''s the matter?" Rndo asked, turning his attention to Sean.


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    "Sonia, a maid from the Harmony Pce, came and reported that something bad happened in the


    Harmony Pce," Sean informed them. He was actually in a dilemma. He didn''t want to upset Miguel,


    but he knew that thedy staying in the Harmony Pce was of great importance to Rndo.


    As calm as Rndo was a few seconds ago, he rose to his feet and bolted from the room without


    saying anything as soon as he heard the words "bad" and "Harmony Pce" in the same sentence. He


    disappeared in the blink of an eye, leaving all the courtiers behind while they stared at one another in


    disbelief.


    "Prime Minister Miguel, His Majesty..." All the people in the room turned to look at Miguel. After all, he


    was Rndo''s close friend and he knew the emperor the best. While they were in the middle of


    discussing the national affairs, Rndo suddenly left because he was informed that something had


    happened to the Harmony Pce. They had all heard that someone was staying in the Harmony


    Pce, but none of them knew who it was.


    "Let''s just stop where we are today since we''ve all seen what happened. I''m afraid that His Majesty


    won''t be in the mood to deal with state affairs today," Miguel said slowly. He then thought to himself,


    ''Rndo, don''t forget the revenge that you have been nning. Right now, you''re being controlled by a


    woman. Don''t you think her influence on you is too much?''


    "Prime Minister Miguel, I heard that the Harmony Pce has been upied. She must be a daughter


    of an esteemed n. Do you know who she is?" a courtier curiously asked. All the other courtiers


    became extremely attentive when they heard the question. They were all curious about which n was


    in Rndo''s good graces that he even let her stay in the Harmony Pce. They all knew that the Bliss


    Pce was the residence of the empress, but Rndo had paid more attention to the Harmony


    Pce.


    "A daughter of an esteemed n? You''ll know who she is very soon. But she is not the daughter of any


    n," Miguel stated with a sneer.


    Upon seeing that Miguel waved his sleeve and left in a very gloomy mood, everyone else could only


    look at one another, wondering what he meant. "What does Prime Minister Miguel mean?"


    "I don''t know anything about it at all. How can we guess what Prime Minister Miguel is thinking? He''s


    always unfathomable."


    "Have you heard which n had their daughter enter the pce?"


    Everyone shook their heads. One time, they had written a joint letter to Rndo, asking him to select


    more beautiful women to fill his harem. As a result, every courtier who had signed the letter was given


    ten extremely beautiful women, which created conflicts with their wives. In the end, they had no choice


    but to ask Rndo to remove the beautiful women from their families. No one dared mention the matter


    of selecting concubines to fill the royal harem again.


    "I''m really curious. His Majesty has been doting on Princess Lilian from the Bright Dynasty very much.


    If another woman upies the Harmony Pce, why hasn''t she reacted in any way yet?" someone


    mumbled. "It''s said that Princess Lilian of the Bright Dynasty is quite hot-tempered. If His Majesty has


    really brought a woman and is hiding her in the Harmony Pce, Lady Lilian must have known about it


    already."


    "Is it possible that the newdy has been brought to the pce by Lady Lilian herself?"


    "Do you think Lady Lilian is out of her mind? She''s about to be the empress and on top of that,


    she''s pregnant. How could she bring back another woman for His Majesty? She''s going to give birth to


    a prince in order to establish her position. How could she find someone topete with herself for His


    Majesty''s favor?"


    "So, the only possible conclusion is thedy residing in the Harmony Pce was brought back by His


    Majesty?" Everyone began to think about this information. If Rndo had brought a woman back to the


    pce, could it mean that he had changed his mind and was going to fill his harem with more women?


    If so, everyone thought that their daughters would have a chance as well.

 Chapter 869 Being Poisoned (Part One)

    Chapter 869 Being Poisoned (Part One)


    Rndo, who at that point was only pretending to be calm, walked as quickly as possible out of


    anxiety. "Sonia, howe Harper fainted?"


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    "I have no idea," Sonia replied, looking shocked and stressed. "Earlier this morning, Lady Lilian came


    to visit her and invited her to go to the garden. Lady Harper didn''t refuse, and so they went out


    together. After some time, Lady Harper came back and I didn''t notice anything wrong with her¡ªshe


    has always wanted to be alone, and so I didn''t disturb her when she went into her room to read some


    books. Then, all of a sudden, I heard something breaking! I quickly rushed in to see what was


    happening and that was when I found her lying on the ground, losing consciousness!"


    "Did you send for the imperial physician?" Rndo asked calmly. Although the imperial physician might


    not be helpful at all in this situation, he knew that it would be better than nothing. But something about


    this whole thing wasn''t sitting right with him: as a physician with superb medical skills, it was incredibly


    strange that Harper would just faint like that out of the blue.


    "I have already sent someone to call the imperial physician," Sonia replied. She knew very well that the


    lady of the Harmony Pce was much, much more valuable than thedy of the Bliss Pce. Because


    of that, she understood that if anything happened to Harper during the time she served her, Rndo


    would immediately order her execution!


    With everything that was happening inside the imperial pce recently, Rndo couldn''t help but be


    extremely worried. They still had that criminal on the loose, and now, something bad happened to


    Harper. Was it done by the same culprit? A murderous look appeared in Rndo''s eyes. ''Whoever that


    person was, I would never let him or her go!'' he thought.


    "Your Majesty."


    Rndo opened the door and walked in, not even bothering to look at the person kneeling on the


    ground. The imperial physician hadn''t arrived yet, and so he immediately sat beside Harper''s bed in


    order to feel her pulse. He was expecting it to be faint and erratic, but he discovered otherwise:


    Harper''s pulse was smooth and powerful. With his basic medical knowledge, he was able toe to a


    conclusion that whatever happened to Harper wasn''t something one should be worried about. "Where


    is the imperial physician? Why hasn''t he arrived yet?" Rndo asked in an annoyed tone.


    "I will go check on where he is," Sonia immediately said. She then closed the door and left the room.


    Rndo frowned again. He turned to Harper and said in a soft voice, "Harper, please wake up."


    Harper felt like her head was being split open. Thest thing she remembered was that she started


    reading a book and that she fell asleep soon after that. The next thing she knew, she was lying on a


    soft bed, opening her eyes next to a handsome man softly calling her name. Somehow, that filled her


    with so much joy that she immediately put her arms around that man''s waist. Rndo was so taken


    aback by Harper''s sudden action that he did not know whether he should feel happy or shocked that


    she was already conscious. Either way, he didn''t know how to appropriately react.


    "You... you finally understand..."


    "Matthew, you finally came!" Harper''s cheerful voice shattered every bit of happiness and hope residing


    inside Rndo''s body. Harper didn''t understand anything¡ªshe just thought he was Matthew.


    He could feel a bitter feeling taking over his heart. "Harper, I am not..."


    Before Rndo could finish his sentence, however, Harper''s soft lips were already on his. Rndo


    shuddered and felt his blood boiling. His mind was telling him that he must push Harper away, but his


    body wanted more. However, just as he leaned in for a more passionate kiss, Harper let go of him. Her


    arms stayed around his neck as she talked to him in a coquettish tone.


    "Matthew, howe you arrived just now? You departed way earlier than I did, but why did you arrive


    wayter than me? Did anything happen to you on the way?" The expression on her face made her


    extremely charming, while her wide, bright eyes and luscious red lips added to her allure.


    Rndo waspletely smitten by her that his breath began to be bated. Slowly, he opened his


    mouth and asked in a hoarse voice, "Do... do you know who I am?"


    Harper rolled her eyes at Rndo as if she was asked the dumbest question she had ever head and


    said, "Wow. You think your wife will just forget you like that, Matthew? We just haven''t seen each other


    in half a month!"


    Harper''s flirty tone made Rndo feel even more tortured. Unfortunately for him, it was just the


    beginning. Suddenly, Harper then pulled on her cor and said, "I''m so hot. Do you feel hot?"


    "Hot?" Rndo felt hotter than hot. The fire inside his body was so strong that it was burning through


    his reason in record time. But then it was at that moment that Rndo regained his sanity and realized


    that Harper had fallen victim to something!


    Quick thinking led him to look around the things inside the room. Harper was smart and well trained in


    medicine and so it was not easy to plot against her. ''So what is it? What is the thing in this room that is


    making Harper act the way she is now? What is making her not distinguish the person in front of her?''


    he thought.


    "I''m so hot, Matthew." Harper directly put her hands into Rndo''s clothes. Rndo gasped and


    grabbed her hands immediately.


    "Harper, don''t challenge my limits. I''m a man!" Sonia arrived with the imperial physician just in time to


    see Harper sensually resting her hand on Rndo''s body as Rndo breathed heavily. When she tried


    to push open the door and enter the room, however, a gust of strong wind blew, causing the door to


    m shut in front of them before they were even able to step in.


    "Nobody is allowed toe in!" Rndo shouted, his voice sounding heavy and restrained. The


    imperial physician, who was a learned and experienced man, immediately understood what was


    happening. How could he not know? Despite that, he didn''t dare to leave in case Rndo had any


    orders for him. He just took a few steps away from the door and stood quietly.


    All of a sudden, cold air poured into the room. Rndo''s eyes then fell on the censer in the corner of


    the room. ''There seemed to be smokeing from it!'' he thought. Then, he smelled the fragrance of


    osmanthus.


    "It''sing from the incense!" Rndo hissed, and finally understood what was happening. He wanted


    to get up and extinguish it, but before he could act on it, Harper was already pinning him on the bed.


    This shocked him because he didn''t know what Harper might do, but surprisingly, she justy in his


    arms as she hugged him tight.

 Chapter 870 Being Poisoned (Part Two)

    Chapter 870 Being Poisoned (Part Two)


    "Matthew, I missed you. I missed you so, so much." Harpery in Rndo''s strong arms without


    knowing that it wasn''t Matthew. Actually, there was no way for her toe to this realization: Fantasy''s


    effect was too potent for her to fight.


    Rndo once again felt his heart being crushed so hard that he could hardly breathe. As much as he


    was enjoying Harper being this romantic towards him, his pride would not allow him to be a substitute


    for another man. When he finally made up his mind and tried to push Harper away, she looked at him in


    the eye, her expression sweet and innocent, and asked, "Did you miss me like I missed you?"


    At that point, Rndo finally admitted to himself that he loved Harper more than he thought. His self-


    control, which he was proud of, thenpletely copsed in a matter of seconds. ''She hasn''t even


    done anything to you! She just asked whether you missed her!'' he thought. With a sigh, he epted


    that even if Harper was seeing Matthew instead of him, he would not be able to refuse her.


    "Of course, I do. I miss you so much. I even want to hug you tightly and swallow you alive!" Rndo


    wanted to indulge himself. For this one time, he didn''t want to think about the consequences of doing


    so. Even if in the end, Harper would hate him for the rest of her lifetime, he needed to have her. That


    was how crazy he was over her!


    Rndo''s rationality had finally abandoned him. It wasn''t hard to see that all of this was just someone''s


    evil n to ruin his rtionship with Harper, but he no longer wanted to care about all of that. He


    wouldn''t deserve to continue being a man if he still tried to control himself when the woman he wanted


    so much was right in front of him, practically begging him to be with her.


    Rndo then passionately kissed Harper, the woman he had longed for the longest time. Even though


    he had told himself countless times that he had no feelings for her and that all he wanted to do was to


    use her to put his ns into action, at that moment, he became honest enough to admit that he had


    already fallen in love with this woman unconsciously, and that he couldn''t stop himself from doing so!


    "Harper, I love you!" Rndo said affectionately. Unbeknownst to him, it was this sentence that woke


    Harper up from her stupor. Shocked at what was happening, she pushed Rndo away in an instant.


    Rndo was taken aback by Harper''s unexpected move. As he dropped to the ground, he looked at


    Harper with astonishment. Harper shook her head hard. ''The person on the ground has the familiar


    face of Matthew, but for some reason, I know that he is not Matthew!'' she thought. Because Matthew


    had always been the jealous type, he never called her ''Harper'' the way every other people in her life


    called her. If he was in a good mood, he would call her Harp. If he was angry or anything else, he


    would call her by her full name.


    "Harper, what''s wrong with you?" Rndo asked in shock.


    Harper clenched her teeth, and came to realize that someone had sessfully plotted against her.


    Since the best way to keep the brain active was to feel pain, she took off her hairpin and stabbed her


    arm with it.


    Rndo sat on the ground, mouth agape as he saw what Harper was doing to herself. Seeing that she


    was about to stab herself again, he immediately grabbed her hand and pressed one of her acupoints,


    making her unable to move for a while. Then, he picked up the kettle on the table and used the water


    inside it to extinguish the censer.


    "Is anybody out there?" Rndo shouted from inside the room.


    Hearing his voice, Sonia hurriedly opened the door and came in. "Your Majesty, I am here."


    "Call the imperial physician in."


    "Yes."


    As soon as the imperial physician entered, he immediately noticed how messy Rndo looked. When


    he saw Harper, he gasped at how bloodied she was. "Check Harper first. After you''ve examined her


    thoroughly, check the incense in the censer," Rndo ordered at once. Then, he turned to Sonia and


    asked, "Who lit that today?"


    Sonia was so afraid that she would the one who would be med for everything. "Your Majesty, I didn''t


    light the incense," she said earnestly.


    Rndo didn''t answer. His face was pale, and he still felt his blood boiling inside of him. However, what


    troubled him more was Harper''s condition. After the imperial physician examined Harper, his face


    changed in surprise. He looked at Rndo first, and then at Harper.


    "Tell me your diagnosis of the situation immediately," Rndo hissed upon seeing how the imperial


    physician was acting.


    "Well, Your Majesty, thisdy has been poisoned with Fire Toxin."


    Sonia gasped. Immediately, she said, "Your Majesty, I don''t know what''s going on! I really don''t know!"


    "Can you cure her?" Rndo asked, not paying attention to the panicking Sonia.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    "The treatment is simple. It only needs Your Majesty to have sex with her." The imperial physician


    looked cautiously at Rndo. A mouthful of saliva got stuck in Rndo''s throat. If this thing could be


    solely dealt with through that way, would he look so furious and gloomy now?


    "Is there any other way?" Rndo asked seriously.


    "This poison is very strange. It ispletely different from everything I have encountered before. It


    must be from and far from the Great Jade Kingdom. But there is one thing that I know about poisons


    like this¡ªthey are fierce. Although Lady Harper can be restrained now, I''m afraid that she will die of


    bleeding within a few hours." When he heard that, Rndo''s face turned more serious. The imperial


    physician trembled with fear as he really did not know other treatment. Having sex was the quickest


    and most effective way to detoxify.


    "Fernando!"


    "Yes, Your Majesty."


    "Go and find out whoever came in and out of the Harmony Pce today. Don''t let anyone slip away.


    Have everyone put to jail until we discover the mastermind of this heinous crime!"


    "Yes."


    Sonia was trembling all over with fear. Rndo mentioned all those who went in and out of the


    Harmony Pce. It was impossible for them to escape as they were servants and maids of the


    Harmony Pce. "Your Majesty..."


    "Investigate what is in the censer as soon as possible!" After that, Rndo held Harper up and rushed


    out of the Harmony Pce, not caring about what others were thinking.

 Chapter 871 She Was Suspected (Part One)

    Chapter 871 She Was Suspected (Part One)


    Finally, Harper was able to see clearly the man in front of her. He was not her husband Matthew, but


    Rndo who looked so pale and furious. He was holding her arms and walking towards a remote


    pce.


    "Rndo," Harper called out weakly in a hoarse voice.


    "Are you awake?" Lowering his head, Rndo carefully stared at Harper and added, "Don''t worry. I''ll


    take care of you. You''ll be fine."


    The temperate of Harper''s body increased more and more. Even though she had just sobered up, she


    understood right away why her body was unusually hot. Coupled with the fact that their clothes were


    disheveled, she knew what had happened at once, although she had been poisoned.


    "Where are we going?" Harper forced herself to put some distance between her and Rndo''s arms.


    At that moment, he was a great temptation for her and she was afraid that she wouldn''t be able to


    restrain herself if she kept being this close in his arms.


    "We''re going to the freezing Ice Pool. It''s the pce that can contain the Fire Toxin in your body. Hang


    in there; we''re almost there," Rndo quickly replied.


    Soon enough, they arrived at the pool. Rndo kicked open the door of the pce and took Harper


    into a secret chamber where the pool was located. As soon as they dipped into the pool, Harper felt a


    piercing chill seep through her body, which actually helped in regaining some of her strength.


    Rndo still held onto Harper and stepped into the pool without hesitation. The piercing cold almost


    made Harper cry out. She shivered tremendously, unable to bear the cold. Fortunately, the zing heat


    in her body was gradually subsiding.


    Rndo held Harper by the waist and made her stand on the edge of the pool. "Put me down. I can


    stand by myself," Harper said after a short while.


    Rndo stepped back a little and stood a meter away from Harper, without getting out of the pool.


    "You can go now. You don''t have to apany me here. I''m sorry that you got involved in my


    misfortune," Harper said with a faint smile.


    Rndo nced at Harper and said, "If you''re not afraid that I wouldn''t be able to control myself and


    might do something against your will, I don''t mind leaving."


    For a moment, Harper was stunned. She immediately understood that she was not the only one being


    poisoned by the Fire Toxin. It was apparent that Rndo had also been affected by it. But he could still


    hold her in the pool, so he must''ve been restraining himself with so much self-control. Leaning back


    against the Ice Pool, Harper helplessly smiled. "We are kind of sharing the same hardship together."


    A surge of emotions appeared in Rndo''s eyes. But he soon turned back and asked, "Do you have


    any idea who was behind what happened to us today?"


    Harper shook her head and said, "No, but the one who framed me must''ve known me very well. After


    putting the Fire Toxin in my room, I was supposed to find out about it soon enough. However, I didn''t.


    This only meant that the person knows I''m a good physician. They covered up the smell of the Fire


    Toxin with a simr fragrance, osmanthus''s fragrance."


    "Is there anyone you''re suspicious of?" Rndo asked with so much seriousness. If Harper hadn''t


    realized what happened and pushed him away, the consequences would have been unimaginable.


    "It''s my first time being in the Great Jade Kingdom. I''m certain that I didn''t offend anyone here in the


    past. So I have no idea how I could have offended the one who nned this." A bitter smile cracked


    from Harper''s lips.


    Rndo thought about it over but he too couldn''te up with a person who would do this to Harper.


    Then, he asked, "What did you do today?"


    "First, I had breakfast and then, I spent some time with Lilian in the pce. Lilian got tired after a while,


    so I came back to my quarters. Upon my arrival, I saw a blooming osmanthus. Sonia said that it was


    from the Imperial Household Bureau. Then, I read a book and passed out. I''m sure you know what


    happened after that."


    "Where''s Forsythia, the maid who was always by your side?"


    "Lilian said that she had been having nightmares these days. So, I asked Forsythia to send some


    medicine to her." At the thought of this, Harper looked at Rndo with confusion in her eyes. "Didn''t


    you see Forsythia when you came to see me?"


    Rndo shook his head and said, "When I came over, I didn''t see her. One of your maids said that you


    fainted. But when I checked your pulse and your physical condition, I found out that you were fine, but


    when you woke up ¡ª"


    Harper covered her face with her hands and said, "At that time, it seemed like whoever appeared in


    front of me looked like Matthew."


    Rndo didn''t say anything for a while. Although he knew that Harper and Matthew loved each other


    very much, he didn''t know how to react upon hearing the woman he loved so casually express her


    affections for another man.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    "Your Majesty."


    "What is it?" Rndo turned to the door and saw Fernando, the chief of the secret guards, standing


    outside.


    "Your Majesty, we just found out that the thing in the censer is called ''Fantasy''. The one who gets


    poisoned by it will be under a sort of trance. They will regard anyone they see as the one they have


    always wanted to be with. This kind of poison ¡ª"


    "Is from Bright Dynasty." Harper picked up Fernando''s words. She gnashed her teeth and eximed,


    "It was Becky!"


    Rndo turned to Harper briefly before asking Fernando, "Have you found out who''s behind this?"


    "I have investigated almost everyone who entered and left the Harmony Pce. We didn''t find anything


    suspicious with them. However, only one of them hasn''t been investigated yet."


    "And who is that?"


    "It''s Lady Lilian, Your Majesty. The guard said that Lady Lilian brought two maids into the Harmony


    Pce today. But when she left, only Daisy followed her out," Fernando replied right away.


    "No, that''s impossible! Lilian entered my room with only Daisy by her side," Harper retorted.


    The expression on Rndo''s eyes grew dark. Harper didn''t know that Lilian had found out about his


    feelings for her, so she didn''t doubt Lilian. But right then, he was certain then that this must have


    something to do with Lilian!


    If he hadn''t restrained himself and slept with Harper, she would loath him when she woke up. If he


    didn''t, Harper would find out his hidden feelings for her and thus, she would certainly stay away from


    him. He had underestimated Lilian''s capabilities. He had thought that she was a foolish woman who


    was just obsessed with him. He had never thought that she could n against him and Harper like


    this.

 Chapter 872 She Was Suspected (Part Two)

    Chapter 872 She Was Suspected (Part Two)


    Rndo stood up and got out of the pool. Before he left, he turned to Harper and said, "You can stay


    and continue to soak yourself in here. I will find the antidote."


    "Rndo..." Harper called out. "We''re friends, aren''t we?"


    Rndo didn''t answer her question, but instead, he just continued walking away. He didn''t want to be


    just friends with her. In the beginning, it was true that he had actually wanted to be her friend, and at


    the same time, to use her in unraveling the secrets of the Qin n. Now, hepletely understood his


    feelings. So he couldn''t tell her that they were friends. What he wanted was to make Harper his


    woman. A friendship with her would never suffice.


    Rndo went straight to the Bliss Pce where Lilian was embroidering clothes for their unborn child.


    She was aware of everything that had happened in the Harmony Pce. When the imperial physician


    arrived there, Rndo left the pce with Harper in his arms. She was happy about everything, but


    she was also a little worried so she couldn''t focus on her embroidery project. By ident, she pricked


    her hand with the needle.


    "Hiss!"


    "Your Highness, are you alright?" Daisy asked in a rush.


    Noticing some blood dripping from her fingertip, Lilian put down the embroidery pad and wiped her


    fingers with a handkerchief. "I''m fine. It''s just a small wound."


    But Daisy was still so worried and was about to get some medicines. But as soon as she turned


    around, she saw Rndo standing by the door. She couldn''t see his expression because it was being


    obscured by the door''s shadow, but she recognized him at first sight. At once, she respectfully greeted,


    "Your Majesty."


    Lilian stood up and bowed. "Your Majesty, what brings you here?"


    Rndo stepped into the room and turned to Lilian with a cold stare. Daisy looked at Lilian with so


    much anxiousness. Lilianmanded right away, "Daisy, you may leave now and close the door."


    "Yes, Your Highness." Daisy left at once.


    Rndo passed by Lilian and sat in the host''s seat. He stared at her with the same coldness in his


    eyes, but he didn''t say anything. Lilian was very nervous, but the expression on her face looked so


    calm. However, the hands hidden in her sleeves were trembling a little.


    "I heard that something happened in the Harmony Pce. How is my aunt?"


    Surprised by Rndo''s re, Lilian stepped back a little. She almost thought that he was going to kill


    her. But thinking of her pregnancy and that she was the only woman by his side, she had a little more


    courage.


    "What exnation do you have for what happened today?" Rndo continued to re at her


    ferociously. He was giving her a chance to confess everything that she had done. If she didn''t cherish


    it, he would be extremely furious. He wouldn''t have a choice but to ruthlessly force her to reveal


    everything.


    With an innocent expression on her face, Lilian just casually said, "Your Majesty, I am sorry but I don''t


    know what you''re talking about."


    "Do you want me to tell you outright that I''m in love with Harper and you are just her substitute?"


    Rndo said without a bit of remorse while looking at Lilian right into her eyes.


    His tant words caused Lilian''s face to turn pale at once, but still, she forced a smile. "Your Majesty,


    please don''t joke around. Harper is my uncle Matthew''s wife and the princess of the Bright Dynasty.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    She''s a married woman."


    "I don''t care." As he emphasized on his every word, rage and ferocity were evident in Rndo''s eyes.


    "I''ll ask you onest time. What exnation do you have for what happened today?"


    Lilian clenched her teeth and said, "Your Majesty, what do you want me to exin? Please tell me what


    exactly you mean. I have no right to interfere if you do like Harper."


    But Rndo suddenly approached her, stretched out his hands to grab her neck, and hissed in a low


    voice, "Give me the antidote, or you''ll know how formidable I can be."


    Lilian kept on trying to ease Rndo''s hold on her, but his grip on her neck was as tight as iron and


    she couldn''t move it at all. His eyes were so cold and the impassive expression on his face told her that


    he would really kill her if she didn''t do as he had demanded her.


    A few seconds after, Lilian felt the air was being emptied from her lungs while her eyes were starting to


    roll back into her skull. Terrified, she felt death was approaching. She now knew that Rndo really


    wanted to kill her. A tear fell from the corner of her eye. The man she had loved for many years was


    going to kill her because of another woman. Her love for him had turned out to be the biggest joke in


    the world.


    "Your Majesty!" Miguel''s voice was suddenly heard in the room. When he saw what was happening, he


    hit Rndo''s numb acupoint. As a result, Rndo released his grasp on Lilian''s neck. The poor


    woman was falling to the ground. Miguel quickly caught her mid-air to prevent her from touching the


    ground. He then turned to Rndo and said, "Your Majesty, you went too far."


    Rndo stoically looked at the two of them and said, "Lilian, if I don''t see any antidote within two hours,


    I am going to feed you the poison. Don''t try my patience, or you won''t be able to bear the


    consequences!"


    "I don''t have the antidote that you''re talking about. You''d give up your own child for Harper''s sake?"


    Lilian uttered with difficulty.


    "My child?" Rndo responded with a sneer. Miguel''s heart missed a beat. Just as Rndo was about


    to say something, Miguel interrupted, "Your Majesty, he has arrived at the pce. I''m afraid she''ll be


    taken away if you don''t leave and stop him now."


    Rndo turned to Miguel with a cold stare and waved his sleeve before finally leaving. He was going to


    deal with Matthew first.

 Chapter 873 Matthew Finally Arrived (Part One)

    Chapter 873 Matthew Finally Arrived (Part One)


    It was already evening when Matthew arrived at the Great Jade Kingdom''s Imperial Pce to look for


    Harper. Patrick led the way, while he closely followed behind. With Patrick, it was a piece of cake to find


    Harper in the huge ce.


    Patrick, which was leading the way in a very calm manner, suddenly rushed into a pile of rocks and hid.


    Matthew furrowed his eyebrows a little. He was about to take the creature out and teach it a lesson, so


    that it would stop being mischievous at a critical time like this. But he then felt like someone was behind


    him.


    "What a surprise, Prince Matthew! Did youe to the Imperial Pce at this hour just to ask me for a


    cup of hot tea?" Rndo asked in a mocking tone while having a polite smile on his face.


    Matthew turned around and looked at Rndo impassively. "No, thanks. I''m here to pick up my wife."


    "What are you talking about, Your Highness? Didn''t your wife go to the south region to take some rest


    due to her poor health condition? Why did youe to the Imperial Pce of the Great Jade Kingdom


    to see her? The only ones who live here are my women." Rndo gave a sincere smile.


    Matthew narrowed his eyes at him. "Are you instigating a fight with me?"


    "No. On the contrary, I think it''s you who came to look for trouble. To find your wife in this pce, don''t


    you think it''s a little funny?" Rndo said slowly.


    "Cut the crap. Where is my wife?" Matthew firmly asked.


    Rndo looked at him and suddenly smiled. He lifted his cor a little to reveal a red mark like hickey


    on his neck. "I don''t know which one you''re looking for. Is it the one in my bedroom?"


    With his pupils dting, Matthew took out his sword and tried to stab Rndo. In turn, Rndo stepped


    back repeatedly, but didn''t fight back. It seemed like he was just teasing Matthew. He ced his index


    finger beside his lips and said, "I used to wonder why the cold-blooded Prince Matthew fell in love with


    a woman like Harper. Now that I''ve finally owned her, Ipletely understand you."


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    "Go to hell!" Matthew instantly lost his mind because of Rndo''s provocations. Even though he


    trusted Harper, it was hard for him to trust Rndo. He knew that the man was such a shrewd human


    being that he would try every means to get what he wanted. Now, Matthew was regretting that he didn''t


    come to the kingdom with his wife. He knew that Rndo''s target was Harper, but he had chosen to


    leave her, giving Rndo the chance that he had been looking for.


    It wasn''t hard for Rndo to notice that Matthew had lost hisposure. The smile on his lips quickly


    changed. He immediately took out his sword and fought with Matthew. Although he couldn''t use his


    right hand to wield a sword, only a few people knew that he could do it with his left hand.


    An invisible preventing everyone who would dare to sneak into the Imperial Pce from escaping


    had already been set up. As long as Matthew had entered the ce, it would definitely make it


    impossible for him to get out. Rndo intentionally said something vague in order to provoke him and


    make him lose his self-control. This way, it would be easy for Matthew to misjudge, and then step into


    the life and death array that they had prepared for him long ago.


    Being trapped in the array, Matthew realized that he had been tricked. With so much rage in his eyes,


    he looked at Rndo who was standing outside the array. "Rndo, if you even dare to touch her, I''ll


    tear you to pieces! I swear to the heavens!"


    But Rndo didn''t care much about his threats. He just replied, "I''m a simple man. If Harper were to


    throw herself at me, I wouldn''t be able to refuse."


    "You..." Matthew was starting to get extremely anxious. He took a deep breath and reminded himself to


    keep calm and not fall deeper into Rndo''s trap. He finally realized that Rndo''s n was to trigger


    him. His Harp would be fine. Rndo was just taking advantage of his chaotic mind, so he must stay


    calm at such a moment.


    "Go!" Rndo stood aside and looked at Matthew nonchntly. He knew that the array could only trap


    Matthew for a while. He had actually considered killing Matthew. If the prince was dead, could he stay


    by Harper''s side and take her as his own?


    When this idea came to his mind, Rndo suddenly decided that he really wanted to kill Matthew right


    then and there. Only after Matthew died could he possibly have a chance with Harper!


    "Your Majesty." Miguel appeared beside Rndo with a serious look.


    "Give me the antidote," Rndo demanded firmly.


    "We don''t have it. The poison had been given by Prince Francis from the Bright Dynasty. Princess


    Lilian doesn''t have it either." Miguel was feeling extremely helpless.


    The expression on Rndo''s eyes grew cold as he said, "Leave Francis alone. Kill Matthew now."


    Miguel was utterly surprised. That wasn''t in their n. After all, it was not easy to kill Matthew. And if


    they seeded in doing so, it would probably cause amotion. It would enrage Harper and harm


    their kingdom''s status.


    "Your Majesty, I don''t think¡ª"


    "All you need to do is execute mymands." Rndo looked bitterly at Matthew who was struggling


    in the array. He and Matthew were destined to be enemies. And it turned out that they fell in love with


    the same woman. It was just impossible for the two of them to co-exist.


    Before Miguel could do anything, Rndo had already taken the step towards Matthew, who had


    already broken through the array. After all, even though the array were carefully designed, it could only


    trap him for about fifteen minutes.


    Being attacked by Rndo, Matthew protected his vital parts and eximed, "Rndo! I didn''t expect


    you to be even more shameless!"


    "Thank you for thepliment. You and I are destined to be enemies. We would have fought sooner or


    later. It doesn''t matter how or why, as long as I win in the end," Rndo said in a heartless


    tone.

 Chapter 874 Matthew Finally Arrived (Part Two)

    Chapter 874 Matthew Finally Arrived (Part Two)


    "With so few people behind you, do you really think you can make me stay here? It''s not easy to hold


    me down." A gush of blood and energy rushed in Matthew''s body, but he swallowed the blood when it


    reached his throat.


    "Of course I had already expected that you wouldn''t want to stay here, so I''ve prepared a lot of options


    for you. If you leave now, I''ll pretend that nothing happened. If you keep on pestering me, I''ll have to


    make you suffer severely before leaving," Rndo inly said.


    "As long as you give my wife back to me, I''ll leave at once." Matthew didn''t have any interest in the


    Great Jade Kingdom at all. He could pretend nothing had happened as long as Harper was safe and


    sound.


    "Your wife is not in the Imperial Pce!"


    "Rndo, let''s be straightforward here. You clearly know whether my wife is here or not. Hand her over.


    Otherwise, I will destroy your entire pce." Matthew''s murderous intention was overwhelming. What


    he didn''t understand was why Rndo wanted to keep Harper in the Imperial Pce. Was it for the


    Heavenly Book, or for other purposes? He simply didn''t know.


    "I''ve already told you that your wife is not here. The only ones living in here are my women. What then?


    Does the Bright Dynasty want to take back your Princess Lilian?" Rndo asked in a calm manner.


    "Rndo!" Matthew stabbed his sword straight at his opponent. Miguel quickly blocked it, deflecting the


    sword that hade out of nowhere. He attacked Matthew, together with the secret guards.


    "Hurry up and go. Harper is fine. His Majesty won''t hurt her," Miguel whispered to Matthew in the


    middle of the chaotic altercation.


    The expression on Matthew''s face remained unchanged while he stared at Miguel stoically.


    "Listen to me, Matthew Jun. Hurry up and go. If anything happened to you, Harper would really be in


    danger! This pce is full of traps. If you don''t go, you really won''t be able to get out!" Miguel was


    bing anxious because of the situation.


    Frowning a little, with his palm, Matthew hit Miguel on the chest to push him far away. He then


    immediately retreated with his people. "Rndo, I will not let you go."


    "Stop him! Don''t let him escape!"


    "Your Majesty, something is wrong with Lady Harper." Suddenly, Fernando appeared and delivered the


    bad news.


    The expression on Rndo''s face froze. The repressive drug effect in his body unexpectedly surged up


    because of his unstable mind. He almost failed to control himself.


    "Head for the Ice Pool!"


    Rndo quickly rushed towards the Ice Pool. His main concern was not that he couldn''t contain his


    urges, but he was worried about Harper who was still in the Ice Pool. He didn''t know what to do if


    something bad happened to her.


    In the Ice Pool, Harper''s face was pale. A purple shadow rushed in and jumped to her. Then, it stared


    at her in confusion and even pulled her.


    "Patrick... So Matthew is finally in the capital now. Tell him toe to me." Harper opened her eyes to


    look at the creature.


    Patrick squinted at Harper as if it didn''t understand what she was talking about. She gave a wry smile


    in return. "If you don''t do that, I really don''t know what I can do."


    Patrick rolled its eyes upward and bit Harper''s wrist. She felt so much pain and sobered up instantly.


    She widened her eyes and looked at Patrick in disbelief. She could clearly feel that she wasn''t so


    ufortable anymore.


    Surprise was written all over Harper''s face. "Patrick, you can detoxify the Fire Toxin? I didn''t expect that


    I really found a treasure in you. How lucky I am!"


    Patrick looked at Harper with disdain, as if it was saying, "Harper, you are so ignorant. I''m a Holy Beast


    from the Labyrinth Swamp so I''ve seen all kinds of poisons. What poison can ever faze me?"


    After the Fire Toxin was removed, Harper suddenly felt a little cold in the Ice Pool. But she felt spiritual


    power surging inside her body and it seemed to like the environment of the Ice Pool very much.


    "Patrick, stay on guard. If you see something wrong with me, please take me out."


    Patrick widened its eyes and looked at Harper. It seemed like it didn''t understand what she meant by


    taking her out until it saw her spread out her arms and sink into the Ice Pool. It stretched out its little


    ws and grabbed something in the water, as if it was testing out how to take her out.


    As time went by, the coldness in the Ice Pool gradually dissipated. Harper was still deep in the pool.


    When Patrick stretched out its ws to check the water, it found that the pool was not as cold anymore.


    It felt surprised and scratched its head, as if it was thinking whether there was something wrong with


    Harper as she had said earlier.


    Patrick was hesitating whether to go into the pool or not. It thought that it was too small to get Harper


    out of the water and was considering if it should show its original shape. The next instant, a figure


    quickly jumped into the pool and instantly managed to pull Harper out.


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    "Harper, are you okay? Can you hear me?"


    Harper opened her eyes with spiritual energy flowing in them. Rndo was shocked to see that. She


    quickly sat up and said, "I''m fine. I''m sorry that I made you worried."


    "I''m d to hear that. The secret guard said that there''s something wrong with you. So I came in here


    as soon as I could." The worry was still on Rndo''s face and it looked so sincere.


    "Thank you, Rndo. I''m fine, but I think I should leave the Imperial Pce. Matthew should arrive at


    the capital by now."

 Chapter 875 Make Your Life A Living Hell (Part One)

    Chapter 875 Make Your Life A Living Hell (Part One)


    Because of what Harper had said, Rndo was so surprised that he was unable to speak or react for a


    few moments. He hadn''t expected that she would want to leave the Imperial Pce so soon. He was


    flustered for a while but he managed to calm down in an instant. Even Rndo himself thought that it


    was inconceivable for him to do so.


    "We can talk about itter. For now, it would be better if you can go back to the Harmony Pce, take a


    bath, and get changed," Rndo said. Then he reached out, in an attempt to hold Harper in his arms.


    But she stopped him right away.


    "Are you sure you want to go out dressed like this?" Rndo helplessly asked. The weather in the


    Great Jade Kingdom was rtively warm, so they didn''t usually wear thick clothes. After Harper was


    being soaked in water for so long, her clothes clung to her body. It made her exquisite figure even more


    attractive.


    Harper looked down at herself and quickly felt embarrassed. But soon, she got rid of the awkwardness


    by using her own internal force to dry her clothes.


    Complex emotions surged in Rndo''s eyes. Once again, he stretched his hands, wanting to support


    Harper in standing up. But like it had been earlier, Harper subconsciously dodged his touch. Although


    someone had nned something malicious for both of them, she could no longer interact with Rndo


    as naturally as before, especially, after knowing what he was thinking. At the same time, she regretted


    that she had been so careless that she didn''t even realize his intentions earlier.


    Rndo looked at his failing hands, and then at Harper who had turned her back on him, already about


    to leave. He instantly felt that it was hard to breathe. He reached out to hold Harper''s arm and asked,


    "Harper, are you thinking that I''ve nned all of this?"


    Harper didn''t look back at him. She avoided him not because of what happened to them but because of


    Rndo''s affection towards her. She couldn''t ept him. Her heart only had Matthew in it. And this


    time, she almost made a huge mistake. But because of this, she finally understood why Lilian had been


    acting so unusually. It turned out that even Lilian had noticed Rndo''s feelings towards her, but she


    didn''t notice it until now.


    "No, I''m not."


    "Then why are you distancing yourself from me? Didn''t you just say that we''re friends?" Rndo asked


    in a slightly trembling voice.


    Harper opened her mouth but failed to utter a single word. They were indeed friends, but that was the


    only thing that they could be. She couldn''t give him anything more than that. Moreover, she didn''t want


    to give Rndo any false hope. She knew that it would only make him suffer.


    Harper turned around to look at Rndo. "Rndo, I... I want you to be happy, but I know in myself


    that I can''t do that."


    Rndo didn''t loosen his grip on Harper''s hand. He said, "You don''t even want to be my friend now


    because you finally found out my true feelings towards you?"


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    "Rndo, that''s not it. It''s just that I..."


    "Yes, I admit that I have affections for you and I''ve been loving you since a long time ago. But before


    what happened today, had I caused you any trouble? Had I ever told you my true feelings? If it weren''t


    for this obnoxious plot that somebody had nned, you would have never known my feelings for you in


    this lifetime. Don''t I even have the right to love you?" Rndo asked, raising his voice a little.


    "Rndo, you''re misunderstanding me. That''s not what I meant."


    "Yes, I''m in love with you. But I''ve chosen to love you silently. I''m not asking you to respond to me or


    even to love me in return. I just love you on my own. Can''t I do this? Harper, why are you so cruel?


    After knowing my affections towards you, you just draw a line from me without hesitation!" Rndo


    eximed, pouring out his emotions.


    "I''m sorry, Rndo, but that''s not what I''m doing. I just don''t know how to face you at this moment.


    Please give me some time to process, so I can think how I really feel about all of this," Harper said,


    somewhat impatiently.


    Rndo released his grip on Harper''s hand. "Harper! In that case, I would just like to make one thing


    clear. Everyone else would have been driven mad by that poison. If I really wanted to take advantage


    of the situation and do something to you, you would not have been able to stand here, safe and sound


    right now."


    Of course, Harper knew that what he said was true. If Rndo had any malicious intention, things


    would have gotten out of hand. But in fact, nothing had happened.


    "Sorry, Rndo, I..."


    "You don''t have to say sorry to me. I did everything on my own will, just as I did in the past," Rndo


    said. Then he passed by Harper, taking the lead in leaving. "I understand how you need some time to


    think right now. I will arrange for someone to take you back to the Harmony Pce. You can take some


    rest first. I''ll find out the truth and make everything clear for you."


    "Rndo..."


    "Go back and take a rest. I wille and see youter. I''m hoping that you would calm down by then."


    Rndo stretched out his hand, this time, in an attempt to put Harper''s wet hair behind her ears.


    However, he withdrew his hand before it could reach her. "Have a good rest," he then said before he


    left.


    Harper nodded her head. She didn''t really want to face Rndo, at least at the moment. The only


    person she wanted to see right then was Matthew. She wanted to have a calm and peaceful sleep by


    his side, so she didn''t have to worry about anything.


    "Patrick," Harper called out as she remembered that the creature was there. Immediately, Patrick


    turned into a beam of light and rushed into her arms. It turned its head awkwardly in Harper''s arms, as


    if it was very upset that Harper had neglected it.


    Harper held Patrick tightly. It seemed like it was the only way she could calm down a little. Fernando


    curiously looked at the little beast in Harper''s arms, wondering where it came from. From what he


    knew, it hadn''t been there when Harper entered the Ice Pool. He could see that Harper was very


    familiar with it, so he figured that it must be her pet.

 Chapter 876 Make Your Life A Living Hell (Part Two)

    Chapter 876 Make Your Life A Living Hell (Part Two)


    "This way please, Your Highness."


    With Patrick in her arms, Harper headed for the Harmony Pce. On the way, she crossed paths with


    a maid who lowered her head before walking past her. Harper suddenly paused and tried to attack the


    maid. The maid was so surprised and quickly retreated. But the maid didn''t know that her extraordinary


    martial arts skills had been exposed from her speed of reacting to Harper''s attempted attack.


    Squinting her eyes a little, Harper stretched out all of her fingers in a hurry to hit the woman''s face. The


    woman was taken aback and wasn''t able to dodge this time. In an instant, Harper pulled down a mask


    from her face.


    Looking at the woman in front of her eyes, Harper eximed through gritted teeth, "Becky! And now,


    we meet again."


    As soon as Harperunched her attacks, a group of secret guards appeared and surrounded Becky.


    She wanted to escape, but she was unable to defeat Harper by herself, let alone so many secret


    guards.


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    "Do you like the gift that I gave you today, Harper Chu?" Becky asked. Even though she knew that it


    would be impossible to escape today, she was willing to do anything to make Harper upset.


    Looking down at Patrick, who was in her arms, Harper said, "I want her to suffer so much, so that she


    would wish she''d die instead. Give her back the poison that she gave to me."


    "Harper Chu, what do you mean?" Becky asked in surprise. She didn''t understand what Harper meant.


    At the same time, a weird smile appeared at the corners of Harper''s lips. "I''ll make your life a living


    hell," Harper said while looking straight at Becky. Then, the little beast in her arms turned into a stream


    of light and instantly rushed towards Becky. In response, Becky stretched out her arms to block it, but


    her neck was still cut by Patrick''s sharp ws. As she touched her injured neck with her hand, Becky


    was boiling with rage.


    "You little bastard, I''ll kill you!"


    Patrick bounced to the ground and then back to Harper''s arms, and then further jumped to her


    shoulder. Standing there with a defiant look, the creature made a face at Becky. Becky wished she


    could hit the little beast. Although its master had always kept a low profile, the little beast was very


    high-spirited and liked showing off.


    "Well... What''s your name?" Harper asked Fernando after dodging Becky''s attack and turning to look at


    him.


    "My name is Fernando."


    "So, Fernando, I hereby leave this woman to you. Take her and send her to prison. Don''t lock her by


    herself, or she will bleed to death. It''s kind of a revenge for your Emperor Rndo," Harper said


    indifferently.


    Fernando told his subordinates to capture Becky. Although he didn''t understand what Harper meant, he


    knew that whatever was going to happen to Becky, it was definitely not a good thing. Perhaps, they


    would only know the details until it finally happened to the woman.


    "Prince Francis." Becky had thought that Harper was only intimidating her, but after a moment, she


    started to have an illusion in front of her eyes. No matter whom her sight fell on, she saw Francis'' face


    on them. She was astonished. Then, she realized that she had been poisoned by the Fantasy. She


    closed her eyes, but when she opened them again, she still saw Francis'' face. Not one, but several


    faces of Francis were surrounding her.


    Fernando was very much surprised to see that, and Harper was a little astounded too. She looked at


    Patrick and asked, "Why did it affect her so quickly?"


    Patrickcently twitched its buttocks in a sexy manner and said something to Harper. No one


    knew what it had actually said except Harper, who thoughtfully nodded and said, "You''ve strengthened


    the effect of the drug, so it will affect her immediately."


    Patrick stretched its w towards Harper in a coquettish manner. It was evident that it wanted to ask


    Harper for something to eat. Harper smiled helplessly, took out a small porcin bottle, and threw it to


    Patrick. The little beast grabbed it and threw the pills into its mouth, as if the pills were sugar beans.


    "Your Highness, please don''t leave me, Prince Francis... I really love you!" Because of the Fantasy''s


    effect on her, Becky could not control herself. In her eyes, everyone who appeared in front of her would


    look like the person she was thinking of. Harper had known that Becky had affections for Francis. She


    had thought that even so, Becky would not betray the orthodox royal family because she was the


    leader of an imperial department of the Bright Dynasty. However, to her surprise, Becky was willing to


    abandon her duties and be a pawn in Francis'' hands.


    After taking a quick nce at Becky, Harper turned and left. "I''m leaving her to you. Don''t let her die."


    "Yes, Your Highness." Fernando ordered his men to put Becky into prison right away. It was not an


    ordinary prison, but one that was used to incarcerate male criminals.


    "You''re going to put her there?"


    Rolling his eyes at his subordinates, Fernando said, "Haven''t you heard Lady Harper''smand?


    Maybe we can disobey anybody else, but we have to obey thisdy. Otherwise, no one can save you."


    "Yes, yes, chief. I got it. I will put her into the prison at once." The secret guards dragged Becky away


    and threw her into a group of male prisoners without hesitation. "Look at the bitch. How sultry she is!


    I''m afraid she''ll even pounce on a boar."


    "The chief said that we must keep her alive.


    When she''s about to die, we can take her out. After she takes some rest, we can throw her into the


    prison again. If you offend Lady Harper, you would have a miserable ending. Everybody, keep this in


    mind," a senior secret guard firmly stated with a snort.


    "Yes, sir. We''ll keep that in mind. Do whatever Her Highness says!"


    "We are His Majesty''s secret guards. We can only obey His Majesty! But we can''t offend thisdy!" the


    senior secret guards eximed, rolling his eyes.


    "Yes, sir. We must remember not to offend Lady Harper!"

 Chapter 877 Their Relationship Changed Drastically (Part One)

    Chapter 877 Their Rtionship Changed Drastically (Part One)


    When Harper returned to the Harmony Pce, the maids had already prepared hot water and fresh


    clean clothes for her. Her eyshes trembled a little while she looked at the steam over the hot water


    in the bathtub. Rndo had always been so considerate to her. She had been used to it for so long that


    she didn''t feel like anything was wrong with the way he was treating her. But right then, Harper realized


    that she had been sitting on pins and needles all this time.


    "Hmm?" Patrick tried to speak but it sounded more of a squeak. It looked at Harper in confusion. It


    couldn''t understand what she was thinking.


    Harper put the creature down and said, "I''m fine."


    Harper started dipping herself into the tub while Patrick was ying outside. Suddenly, it heard Harper


    call it. Instantly, its eyes lit up. It dashed to the screen and looked up at Harper, drooling a little. ''Are you


    finally willing to let me see you naked?'' it thought.


    "Matthew has arrived in the capital, right?" Harper asked. She then sank into the water, leaving only her


    head above it. Patrick jumped unto the bathtub and stood on its edge. Then, it couldn''t help but


    regretfully sigh. The water was covered by petals, so it couldn''t see anything in the tub, no matter how


    hard it tried.


    "Hmmm, Hmmm," Patrick answered, without much energy.


    "If he has arrived in the capital, why hasn''t hee to me?" Harper asked in confusion. With how she


    knew her husband, Matthew would havee to her as soon as he arrived, so she couldn''t


    understand why he hadn''t.


    Upon hearing Harper''s question, Patrick jumped up and down, as if it was dancing on the edge of the


    bathtub. It not only jumped here and there, but also pretended to be very powerful and vicious. As


    Harper was amused by it, the expression on her face lit up.


    "Do you mean to say that Matthew has alreadye to the pce to look for me, but someone drove


    him away?" Harper asked. From the happiness in Patrick''s eyes, she could clearly figure out that it was


    taking pleasure in Matthew''s misfortune. It was as if seeing Matthew being defeated and driven out by


    others bring Patrick so much joy. Understandably, because Matthew had never been kind to Patrick, it


    could not be happier when it saw Matthew suffer. After all, it was very rare that the prince was


    frustrated.


    "Who drove him away?" Harper asked.


    Upon hearing the question, Patrick suddenly pinched its two fingers and wriggled its fat hip in a sultry


    way. It waddled along the edge of the bathtub. When Harper noticed that it was evidently imitating


    someone, the corner of her mouth could not help but twitch. "Miguel?" she guessed, though she was


    almost sure.


    Patrick desperately nodded. Then it put its two hands on its hips, pretending to be serious. While


    looking straight on, it suddenly turned around with a nasty smile shown on its head. Harper almost


    burst intoughter at the sight of its imitation. "And Rndo?"


    In order to peep at Harper''s naked body, Patrick then squatted on the edge of the bathtub and tried to


    catch the petals over the water with its w. While it was so concentrated on its goal, it didn''t even


    notice the dangerous expression on Harper''s face. Imagining what it was about to see, it felt very


    excited. All of a sudden, however, its head was grabbed and directly pressed into the water. It


    happened so fast that Patrick couldn''t even react, so it was actually choked by the water. When it finally


    raised its head, Harper was already dressed up. She was sitting on the side and wiping her wet long


    hair with a towel.


    Patrick jumped out of the bathtub, shook all of the water on its body, and rushed toward Harper. It


    wanted to let her know that as a Holy Beast, it could not be pushed around so easily. However, before it


    could reach Harper, she pped the creature with her towel. Patrick directly hit a wall but it didn''t give


    up. It kicked on the wall and rushed towards Harper again. But Harper didn''t even look at it. She just


    simply pped it away again.


    Patrick had expected that it would hit the wall as a result of Harper''s force. To its surprise, it was caught


    by someone, who then asked, "Harper, is this beast yours?"


    When she heard that, Harper raised her head to look at the direction of the voice. It was not until then


    that she realized Rndo hade to her quarters. He was staring at Patrick, which he had just


    grabbed, and asked, "Does it have a name?"


    "Patrick," Harper responded.


    As soon as Rndo put Patrick down, the little beast quickly jumped into Harper''s arms and buried its


    head on her arms. It was as if the creature was dering that Harper belonged to it. Rndo''s


    eyebrows twitched a little when he saw that. "That''s a good name," hemented.


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    Harper wiped her semi-dry hair and ced it behind her. Staring at Rndo quietly, she said, "Matthew


    has arrived in the capital."


    Her tone indicated that she was stating a fact rather than asking a question. Rndo immediately


    realized that Harper must have known something about what happened. He thought that there must be


    some specialmunication method between her and Matthew. With such thoughts in mind, he


    admitted, "Yes, he arrived today. And the envoy''s team will arrive in three days."


    With a frown, Harper asked in a low voice, "And the coronation ceremony for the new empress is


    scheduled to take ce in five days, right?"


    "Hum." Rndo''s voice was clear but not rigid. He knew that the empress coronation ceremony would


    not take ce as scheduled.


    Harper fell silent for a moment. By then, she had a clear understanding of the incident that had


    happened yesterday. When Lilian came to the Harmony Pce, she took two maids with her, but when


    she left, there was only one maid with her. The other one must have been Becky who took the chance


    to sneak into the pce. Harper didn''t want to think about the possibility that Lilian knew everything


    that Becky had done.


    After a few moments, Harper still didn''t say anything. Rndo immediately said, "I''ve already told you


    that I will give you an exnation for what happened. Don''t worry. I will find out the truth as soon as


    possible."


    "I should leave the pce right now. Now that Matthew has arrived in the capital, it''s time for me to go.


    Lilian''s health condition is already stable, and there are a lot of imperial physicians in the pce. I''m


    nning to leave the pce today." Harper brought up the topic again.


    Without saying a word in response, Rndo just stared at Harper silently. His face was devoid of any


    expression, so it was impossible for anyone to guess what he was thinking right then.

 Chapter 878 Their Relationship Changed Drastically (Part Two)

    Chapter 878 Their Rtionship Changed Drastically (Part Two)


    When Rndo didn''t respond for a few more minutes, Harper stood up with the intention of leaving.


    There was nothing in there that belonged to her, so she didn''t have to pack any luggage. She just


    needed to leave the pce with her maid.


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    "The Heavenly Book... Don''t you want it anymore?" Rndo softly asked while Harper was walking


    past him.


    When those two words were uttered, Harper was stopped in her tracks. She quickly turned around to


    face Rndo. Looking at him, she didn''t utter a single word.


    Rndo looked Harper into her eyes, without the least intention of avoiding her stare. "Harper, don''t


    you want the Heavenly Book?" he repeated.


    Harper took a deep breath, turned around once again, and continued to walk away from him.


    "Once you step out of the Harmony Pce today, I will destroy the Heavenly Book in my hands,"


    Rndo stated in an extremely gentle voice while looking at Harper''s receding figure.


    Frowning a little, Harper asked, "Are you threatening me?"


    "I''m not threatening you, Harper. The Heavenly Book is utterly useless to me, but it has a different


    meaning to you, right?" Rndo was well-aware that Harper was the only living descendant of the Qin


    n. Because of this, the Heavenly Book was more useful to her than to anyone else.


    Harper turned her head back and looked at the calm expression on Rndo''s face. "You won''t destroy


    it. If the Heavenly Book is useless to you, you wouldn''t have stayed in the Bright Dynasty for five years


    in the first ce."


    With his unique smile stered on his face, Rndo said, "You can give it a try, Harper. Wait and see if


    I will stay true to my words. But we both know that once I destroy the Heavenly Book, you wouldn''t find


    it anywhere else in the entire world."


    The expression on Harper''s face froze. She looked at Rndo with her eyes full ofplicated


    emotions. She didn''t know why her rtionship with Rndo had changed dramatically overnight.


    Ironically, Rndo had been restraining himself until yesterday, but what had happened became the


    prompt that he didn''t restrain himself anymore.


    "Is it really necessary for you to do that to me?" Harper asked. She then firmly closed her eyes and


    when she opened them again, her eyes looked extremely clear.


    Rndo knew exactly what Harper meant, but he would never be willing to let go of her. If what had


    happened yesterday did not happen, he could continue to hide his true feelings as he had always done.


    But after being subjected to yesterday''s events, he had once again clearly seen his own affections


    towards Harper. He realized that he had not been simply using her. Instead, he had unconsciously


    fallen in love with her already, and he could not stop loving her. Such being the case, he would not give


    up.


    He stretched out his arm to touch Harper''s face with the back of his hand. He did it so cautiously as if


    he was cherishing a treasure. "I hadn''t wanted to destroy the Heavenly Book until yesterday. But today,


    once you step out of the pce, I will certainly get rid of it. I will keep my word. Last night, you stayed


    up all night... Kaaahhkkk..."


    Rndo suddenly covered his mouth with his hand while coughing terribly. Before long, blood flowed


    down between his fingers, which extremely startled Harper. She watched as Rndo coughed so


    violently that he even bent over. Subconsciously, she held and supported him. Then she felt his pulse,


    only to find out that the poison in his body had not been detoxified yet. What was happening now was a


    result of how Rndo was trying his best to suppress the poison with all of his internal force.


    "Do you want to die?" she asked.


    Rndo awkwardly wiped the blood from his mouth. "I''m fine; just need to have some rest..."


    "You''re saying that you''re fine? Look at you! Do you think you''re made of iron?" Harper furiously


    eximed. Then, she helped Rndo lie down on the bed while he still struggled to get up.


    "I''m fine, really, I..."


    "If you don''t want me to knock you out, you''d better listen to me!" Harper frantically eximed.


    Upon hearing that, Rndo fell silent and stopped struggling. He just let Harper help him lie down. She


    then untied his waistband, took off his clothes, and gave a quick acupuncture treatment on his skin in


    order to steady the surging internal force inside his body.


    From beginning to end, Rndo just quietly gazed at Harper with his tender eyes. He found that


    Harper cared about his health condition very much. He wondered then if he had a ce in her heart.


    Although he had lost to Matthew because he came to her life a littleter than Matthew did, he would


    not admit defeat so easily.


    "Patrick," Harper called the little beast after she had stabilized the surging internal force inside


    Rndo''s body.


    At that moment, Patrick was on the table. With its arms crossed over its chest, it looked out of the door,


    as if it was still mad at Harper for pressing its head into the bathtub. It didn''t seem to be willing to talk to


    her.


    "It seems like you don''t want to have the pills that I''ve just developed. I was going to let you try some.


    Well, now that you don''t want to take them, then I guess I''ll just have to throw them away..."


    "Squeak! Squeak! Squeak!" When it heard that there were pills for it, Patrick flung itself into Harper''s


    arms. It excessively swept around with its little tail and looked at Harper in an obsequious manner. If it


    could speak like a human, it must be a very unscrupulous smooth-tongued talker.


    While looking at how Harper and the beast interacted, Rndo thought that he was watching a very


    beautiful scene. He then realized that what Sean had said was true. As long as Harper was by his side,


    he would feel very happy. Even if he did nothing but look at her quietly like at that moment, he still felt


    calm and content. He couldn''t let go of her. Even though he knew that his persistence would disgust


    her, there was no way that he could just let her go.


    While Rndo was absentmindedly staring at Harper, lost in his thoughts, Patrick suddenly bit the back


    of his hand. When Rndo was about to draw back his hand out of pain, Patrick loosened its teeth. It


    looked at Harper in the same obsequious manner as earlier, and Harper gave it a porcin bottle.


    Then, Patrick squatted down and yed with the bottle, no longer caring about the two people. Harper


    bandaged Rndo''s wound carefully, as if nothing had happened.

 Chapter 879 Out Of Favor (Part One)

    Chapter 879 Out Of Favor (Part One)


    When Rndo woke up, he couldn''t see Harper anywhere, so he immediately panicked. "Is there


    anyone here?"


    Hearing his voice, Harper who was taking a nap in the outer room, got up, and went to him. "How are


    you feeling?" she asked.


    With one foot on the ground, Rndo had already thrown away the quilt. He felt relieved at the mere


    sight of Harper who was approaching him. "I thought you were gone."


    Harper poured a cup of hot tea and handed it to Rndo. "It is true that I want to leave, but I can''t do


    that unless your men are willing to let me go."


    Rndo took the cup of tea in his hands without saying anything. He understood why Harper wanted to


    leave the Imperial Pce. But he also knew that he just couldn''t let her go at the moment.


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    In a soft voice, Rndo asked, "Can you stay in the pce with me for a few more days? If you want


    the Heavenly Book, I can give it to you."


    Harper didn''t say a word in response. Since Rndo had suddenly changed his attitude, she couldn''t


    figure out what he was thinking. So she had no other choice but to remain silent. The Harmony Pce


    was surrounded by multipleyers of protection with numerous guards in eachyer, so not even flies


    could enter. For Harper, getting out of the pce was as difficult as reaching heaven.


    "Your Majesty, I just got news from the Bliss Pce that Lady Lilian is not feeling well." Sean''s voice


    came from the outside.


    "If she''s not feeling well, she should call for an imperial physician and not me. I can''t help her," Rndo


    impassively said, as if Lilian meant nothing to him.


    "Yes, Your Majesty. I''m going to call for an imperial physician for Lady Lilian right away," Sean said. He


    then left in a hurry. Rndo had been irritable since yesterday. Although his tone while speaking was


    still calm andposed, Sean was sensible enough to figure out his emotional instability at that


    moment.


    After he left, Harper sighed and said, "She''s still your woman and she''s carrying your child right now.


    You''d better go and see her."


    Rndo didn''t respond to Harper''s suggestion. Instead, he slowly asked, "Harper, if I can find out


    who''s behind the plot against us, how are you going to deal with that person?"


    Harper frowned while fondling with Patrick in her arms. The creature was sleeping soundly with its four


    legs facing the sky. It seemed to enjoy Harper''s touch very much. "We''ve already caught her and she''s


    in prison now."


    Upon hearing what Harper said, Rndo immediately understood that she didn''t want to hold Lilian


    ountable. However, he couldn''t just let her go that easily. He had long been thinking of an excuse,


    and this time, Lilian provided him with a great one herself. Rndo believed that Lilian was asking for


    it, and he wouldn''t show mercy to her.


    After he put on his clothes and shoes, he said, "Now that you don''t want to make anyone else


    ountable, I''ll forget about it too. I have a lot of reports to review today, so I''m leaving now. And,


    thank you for detoxifying me."


    Looking at him, Harper slowly called out, "Rndo, there are a lot of ways that you can use to detoxify


    yourself. Why did you keep on suppressing it instead?"


    Rndo raised his head to look at Harper withplex expressions in his eyes. After a while, he


    turned away. Harper was right when she said that he had numerous ways to detoxify himself. After all,


    there were countless maids in the pce, as well as Lilian. However, he didn''t want to do that. He


    didn''t want to touch any other woman.


    "I''m leaving now," he simply said without answering her question.


    "Rndo, are we still friends?" Harper asked in a low voice while fiddling with an empty cup in her


    hand.


    Rndo didn''t answer the question either. What he wanted was much more than that. He didn''t want to


    be just her friend. The reason why he had restrained himself was that he wanted to achieve his goal. In


    order to do that, he didn''t mind constraining himself. But now that it was obvious how he could not


    achieve his goal even if he were to seed in controlling himself, he wouldn''t do it any longer. So he


    didn''t answer Harper''s question. Only time would provide her the answer.


    In the Bliss Pce, Lilian had smashed everything she could get her hands to. Naturally, the entire


    pce was in a mess. Sean just stood there without saying anything. He hadn''t expected that Lilian


    would fall out of Rndo''s favor so soon.


    "Where is His Majesty? I want to see him!"


    "Lady Lilian, His Majesty is too busy toe here and see you. But, he has already called an imperial


    physician for you."


    "Enough!" Lilian eximed, boiling with rage. Despite what had happened yesterday, Rndo had


    stayed in the Harmony Pce for a day. It had gone beyond Lilian''s expectation, making her extremely


    restless. She was afraid that what she had done actually turned out to push Rndo and Harper into


    being a couple. It would have certainly satisfied Rndo but it was the worst thing that could happen to


    her. "I must see His Majesty today!"


    Sean simply shook his head. Lilian had been gentle and decent in his eyes. But at that moment, she


    was like a spoiled brat who would endlessly make trouble for herself and everyone around her. She


    looked unreasonable and vicious.


    "As I have said, His Majesty is too busy toe here and see you, Lady Lilian."


    "He''s busy being together with that bitch? Get out of my way! I''m going to see His Majesty!" Lilian


    eximed. Enraged, she raised her hand, about to p Sean in the face.


    Sean stepped back a little in order to dodge the p. Failing the attempt, Lilian almost fell to the floor.


    Fortunately, Daisy was very attentive and she had agile hands to catch Lilian before she could hit the


    floor.


    "You dog! You''re just a servant! How dare you avoid me?!" Lilian threw insult after insult at Sean, but he


    was a shrewd man who had served in the pce for many years already.


    "Your Highness, you look as ferocious as a tiger. I''m sure there is nothing wrong with your health. But


    His majesty still needs me to serve him, so please excuse me for my absence." With that, Sean directly


    turned around and strode away, leaving no chance for Lilian to respond.


    Lilian was about to catch up with him, but she was stopped by two middle-aged women guarding by the


    door. She was immediately irritated. Without a bit of hesitation, she pped one of the women as hard


    as she could. She had thought that the woman would be hit so bad that she would spit blood. But as it


    turned out, the woman managed to endure her p. Lilian, on the other hand, was thrown back and fell


    to the ground.

 Chapter 880 Out Of Favor (Part Two)

    Chapter 880 Out Of Favor (Part Two)


    "Your Highness, are you all right?" Daisy helped Lilian to stand up right away.


    "You bitch! How dare you attack me?! I''m carrying a baby for His Majesty! How could you?!" Lilian


    snarled. She was so furious that she wanted to kill the woman right then and there.


    However, the woman only gave her an indifferent look and said in a rigid tone, "His Majesty said that


    Your Highness is forbidden to go out of your pce. He also said that if Your Highness threatened us


    with the baby in your womb, we should just bring some abortion medicine for you."


    Lilian was stunned by what the woman said. Looking at her in disbelief, Lilian said, "You''re lying. His


    Majesty can''t do that to me!"


    "I''m telling you the truth. Whatever you want to do, it''s none of my business, Your Highness. But we


    need to follow His Majesty''s orders." Immediately, the two women closed the door right in Lilian''s face.


    While staring at the closed door, and hearing the sound of multiple locks outside, Lilian could not help


    the trembles all over her body. She grabbed Daisy''s hand, constantly adding strength to her grip. "It''s


    impossible. His Majesty can''t treat me this way! It''s impossible!"


    "Your Highness, please calm down. His Majesty is just upset right now. Everything will be all right after


    he gets over it," Daisy said, trying tofort Lilian. But in fact, she was terrified as well. How could


    Rndo have uttered such ruthless words about Lilian? The princess was pregnant with his child for


    heaven''s sake.


    "No! I can''t wait anymore. I want to see His Majesty. I want to ask him in person what''s going on," Lilian


    said. She then began ceaselessly knocking on the door. "Open the door! Let me out! I want to see His


    Majesty! Open the door right now!"


    But even after a while, there was no response outside the door. All of the people outside simply ignored


    Lilian''s cries and screams. In the imperial harem, everyone could stomp and push around ady who


    had been dumped by the emperor. Lilian had once been glorified and respected when she first arrived


    at the pce. But now that she was out of Rndo''s favor, she was nothing but a frantic and


    confounded woman.


    In the Imperial Study, Rndo was reviewing the reports from the courtiers. However, he couldn''t


    concentrate. He irritably threw a document out. When Sean came back, it was the first thing that he


    noticed.


    Sean picked it up and cautiously put it back on the desk. Then he said, "Your Majesty, Lady Lilian is


    suffering from emotional instability. She kept on asking to see you. Is there something that you would


    like me to do?"


    Rndo sneered, "She wants to see me? Didn''t she push me to another woman? Why does she still


    want to see me? Just ignore her."


    "But, Your Majesty, Lady Lilian is carrying your baby..."


    "My baby? There is no such thing. That''s ridiculous!" Rndo scoffed once again.


    Sean raised his head to look at Rndo in astonishment. Then he quickly lowered his head again. He


    felt that he had just heard a big revtion, but he dared not show his reaction to it. He just heard


    Rndo say that there wasn''t a baby of his. So who was the father of the baby that Lilian was


    carrying? Who was so bold as to sleep with the emperor''s woman? The most significant thing was that


    Rndo endured the humiliation without saying anything.


    All of a sudden, Rndo opened a cab under the table, in which a Heavenly Book was located. It


    was the one he had been keeping. Now, ity quietly in the cab. He was willing to give it to Harper.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    But she might leave as soon as she got it, which was thest thing he wanted to happen. His goal was


    to simply keep Harper in there for as long as he could.


    After keeping silent for a long time, Rndomanded slowly, "Call Gary in here."


    "Yes, Your Majesty."


    A downpour startedte in that evening. Along with it came the thunder and lightning. Rndo was


    discussing something in the Imperial Study. Meanwhile, Lilian was still crying and screaming in the


    Bliss Pce, though no one was still responding to her.


    On the other hand, Harper didn''t like such weather at all. She went to bed earlier than usual so she


    was already asleep when Forsythia came back. After taking a quiet look at Harper and seeing that she


    had fallen asleep, Forsythia closed the door and slept outside the bedroom. A lot of things had


    happened in the past few days. Yesterday, she had fallen into a trap and fainted, and she had not been


    released until just now. Although she didn''t know what had happened, she could tell from the multiple


    layers of guards around the Harmony Pce that whatever it was, things were not that simple.


    As fast as a phantom, a figure sneaked into the pce during the storm. Because the weather was so


    terrible, the guards had more or less rxed their vignce. The sound of the storm concealed a lot of


    other sounds, and the rainwater flushed away various traces. Therefore, nobody noticed that someone


    had sneaked into the Harmony Pce.


    From sleeping so soundly, Harper opened her eyes all of a sudden. She then saw a person standing


    beside the bed. As a result, she was startled and was about to protect herself when the person stopped


    her. She wanted to call for help, but her lips were immediately covered by the lips of the person. The


    lips were cold and familiar, but devoid of the tenderness that she had been ustomed with.


    The kisssted so long that she was almost out of breath. It was not until then that the person finally let


    go of her. Gasping for air and catching her breath, Harper mumbled in a weak voice, "Matthew..."


    The person was none other than Matthew. There were too many hidden emotions in his eyes. Harper


    sat up, trying to see the face of the man in front of her with the asional illumination from lightning.


    Matthew looked rigid and cold. Harper stretched out her hand to touch his face, but before she could do


    so, he grabbed her hand instead. With a firm and irritable voice, he asked, "Harper Chu, what did I tell


    you before?"

 Chapter 881 The Punishment On A Rainy Night (Part One)

    Chapter 881 The Punishment On A Rainy Night (Part One)


    The expression on Harper''s face froze. From the first few words that Matthew had spoken, she


    instantly understood that he didn''te here to have a heart to heart talk with her. But instead, he


    came to teach her a lesson. Thinking about how she willfully went to Rndo''s pce and was tricked


    into staying due to her carelessness, she lost her vigor and apologized at once, "Matthew, I''m sorry. I


    didn''t expect that Rndo would¡ª"


    Before she could finish what she was saying, Matthew pushed his lips onto hers to shut her up. He was


    expressing his rage with the kiss. He had warned his wife not to believe in Rndo so easily. He knew


    that she had a tendency to be kind to anyone but he didn''t expect that she would be fooled intoing


    to the pce andter on, being trapped in there.


    Harper was passively responding to the kiss. In fact, she was in a good mood and even chuckled a


    little. Noticing that Harper wasn''t taking it seriously and even had a smile on her face, Matthew was a


    little annoyed. Thus, he bit Harper''s lips very hard.


    "Hiss! Are you a dog?" Harper felt the pain and frowned.


    Matthew''s eyes were as deep as the sea. He suddenly stretched out his hand and pulled away


    Harper''s cor. When he was sure that there was no any mark on her body, he was relieved. But


    thinking about how heedless she had been, he was back to being extremely annoyed. "I was furious. I


    wanted to hit you, but I didn''t want you to be hurt. But I wouldn''t be able to vent my anger if I don''t do


    something to you, so¡ª"


    "So what?" Harper was confused. She knew that he couldn''t beat or scold her. How could his anger


    subside then? Was he going to just re at her for days?


    "I have decided to punish you in another way!" Before he was able to finish his words, he had already


    flung himself on her. He had a lot of ways to punish her. He didn''t have to beat or scold her. The best


    punishment for his woman was to make her unable to get out of bed for three days, at the very least!


    The punishment came as a great shock to her. Yet, she soon smiled and wrapped his arms around his


    neck and said, "I miss you, Matthew."


    The expression on Matthew''s eyes became deeper. He desperately enjoyed these moments with his


    wife. Although it was raining and there was even lightning and thunder outside, it was warm and happy


    inside the room. Harper suppressed her moaning all throughout. Suddenly, she felt something warm


    dripping on her body. Harper could tell that it was not Matthew''s sweat.


    She reached out a hand to feel it, only to find something murky. She ced her hand closer to her and


    immediately realized that her hand had blood all over it. She widened her eyes in shock and eximed,


    "Matthew, you''re wounded!"


    "It doesn''t matter. I just have a bruise." Although he was breathing heavily, he didn''t stop.


    "Stop it! You''re bleeding!" Harper was agitated. The striking red blood fell from Matthew''s body and


    dripped on her body. Her husband was seriously injured, yet he was still making love with her with such


    great passion!


    Matthew grabbed Harper''s hands, raised them above her head, and pressed on them. This way, she


    wouldn''t be able to move both of her arms. With overflowing lust, he said in a deep voice, "You are not


    concentrating. You''re being punished right now."


    Harper struggled very hard to free herself from his grasp. Yet, she found that she could not move at all,


    so she looked at him with beseeching eyes and said, "Matthew, please let me help you stop the


    bleeding first, okay?"


    "No!" Matthew decisively refused. He just continued with what he was doing. Harper was upset and


    anxious. Her husband wouldn''t stop bleeding. If it continued on, he would lose too much blood and die!


    "Don''t make me more annoyed than I already am, Matthew Jun!"


    Matthew stared at her ferociously. "And what if I did that? Will you get rid of me and stay with Rndo


    instead?"


    "Can you stop being so unreasonable? Right now, we''re talking about your injury! Can''t I treat your


    wound first?" There was red in both of Harper''s eyes.


    "It''s not a big deal. Why are you so bothered by it? After Rndo spat out blood, you apanied him


    all the time. Harper, tell me, do you even care about my feelings?" Matthew bitterly asked.


    Harper stared at her husband with wide eyes. Matthew was in the pce at that time. Or to be more


    exact, he had been in the pce all this time. He knew what happened in the Harmony Pce. He


    even knew that she had been framed yesterday, but how tolerant was this man to turn a blind eye to


    everything?


    Harper then closed her eyes, kept silent, and stopped struggling. She did not give any response and


    simply received the reprimand and physical punishment from her husband. Matthew asked if she cared


    about his feelings. ''Don''t you know the answer?'' Harper miserably and silently thought to herself.


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    The more she thought about it, the sadder she became. Tears ran down along the corner of her eyes.


    She had never cried before. Even when she was almost sexually harassed or when she was


    threatened by Rndo, she had never shed a tear. She was never the kind of woman who liked to cry.


    But at that moment, she couldn''t help but do so.


    The moment Matthew noticed that his wife was already crying, he calmed down at once and his rage


    disappeared into thin air. For a while, he was at a loss and forgot how to react. After a long time, he


    stood up, put on his clothes, and silently sat down.


    With her back to Matthew, Harper didn''t say anything either. Time stretched on without one of them


    uttering a single word. Their reunion was supposed to be a warm and joyous event. However, things


    turned out to be a mess due to the jealousy andplications. Matthew wanted to apologize to his wife


    but he didn''t know how to start.

 Chapter 882 The Punishment On A Rainy Night (Part Two)

    Chapter 882 The Punishment On A Rainy Night (Part Two)


    After a long time, Harper put on her clothes and went to the cab. Upon seeing that, Matthew stood


    up, and anxiously asked, "Where are you going?"


    Without answering him, Harper opened the cab, took out a set of clothes, and put it on. Then she


    took out a small medicine box and put it on the table. She impassively looked at him and said, "Take off


    your clothes."


    Without hesitation, Matthew did as she asked in a hurry. His blood had already dried. Yet, he took off


    his clothes too abrasively. The wound that had stopped bleeding started to ooze out blood again.


    Looking at the wound on his body, Harper felt so worried and her eyes showed great concern. She


    cleaned and bandaged the wound with medicine. During the entire time, Matthew didn''t say anything or


    dare to cry out in pain. Earlier, he had the upper hand. However, because of his irrational behaviors, he


    lost that so he couldn''t even dare to say a word.


    After dealing with Matthew''s wound, Harper stated, "You can leave now."


    "Okay, you should go with me. You are my wife, not Rndo''s consort. You can''t live here," Matthew


    said while he put on his clothes.


    "I don''t know if I care about your feelings. So it doesn''t matter if I stay here or not," With a snort, Harper


    took off her shoes,y on the bed, and turned her back to him. It was obvious that she was still upset


    and mad at him.


    Matthew took off his shoes as well andy on the bed. Regardless of Harper''s refusal, he promptly


    dragged her into his arms. "I won''t leave. Let''s sleep now. I had been traveling day and night, and


    haven''t slept for several days."


    Hearing that, Harper stopped struggling, as she was worried that she would hurt his wound again.


    Despite that, she didn''t want to forgive him so easily. In the middle of trying to move away from


    Matthew and being extremely distressed, Harper gradually fell asleep.


    The next morning, when Harper woke up, she didn''t saw anybody beside her. She sat up and noticed


    that the bed sheet was clean. There wasn''t a single drop of blood on it. She was wearing the clean


    underwear that she worest night. Scanning around her room, she didn''t find any trace of anyone


    coming in there.


    A look of confusion appeared in her eyes. Didn''t Matthewest night? Was she thinking about


    something else and having a dream? Was all of it an illusion? But the dream was too real. The feeling


    of the blood dripping from the wound on Matthew''s body was also very real. With these thoughts in


    mind, Harper got up from the bed, stood in front of a bronze mirror, took off her clothes, and found no


    mark on her body!


    "Is it really a dream?" Harper put on her clothes, looking more confused than ever. Soon enough,


    Rndo came to her pce and saw her standing in front of the bronze mirror in a daze.


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    "Harper, what''s the matter? Did you sleep wellst night?"


    Harper nodded slightly. Whatever happened right then was so real, but there was no trace of it left.


    What the hell was going on? Had Matthewe to see her or not? Was everything that happenedst


    night really a dream?


    Rndo waved the box in his hand and said, "I''ve brought the Heavenly Book here."


    Harper looked at Rndo in surprise. She couldn''t believe he would bring the book to her so easily.


    She believed that he had ulterior motives or would make some unreasonable requests.


    Instead of taking the box from him, she looked at him without any expression and asked, "What do you


    want?"


    "Will you give me whatever I want?" Rndo asked softly while looking intently at her.


    Harper shook his head and said, "I can only give you anything that is within my capabilities."


    Rndo smiled bitterly. "Get dressed ande out for breakfast. Let''s talk while eating."


    Looking at her clothes, Harper hid behind the screen and got dressed. After washing up, she then


    came out. Rndo was already sitting at the table, pouring himself and Harper some porridge. "Take a


    seat. We have an imperial chef who can cook the local cuisine of the Bright Dynasty''s imperial capital.


    Have a try and tell me if it suits your taste."


    Harper sat down, took the porridge, and thanked Rndo. As usual, he then picked up more dishes for


    her and said, "Harper, have some more. You look thinner."


    Harper only kept silent and ate her food because she knew that Rndo wouldn''t easily give the book


    to her. For certain, he must have a condition. Yet, she wouldn''t agree to it unless she knew what it was.


    When he noticed that Harper was kind of absent-minded, Rndo knew that she was on guard against


    him. She must be in fear that he would put forward some presumptuous demands. "I''ll give you the


    Heavenly Book, but I have one request," he said.


    Harper put down her bowl and chopsticks, looked at Rndo, and asked seriously, "What kind of


    request?"


    The smile on Rndo''s face looked warm. "I''m sure you can do it. Tell me the contents recorded in the


    book. Is that possible?"


    "That''s it? There''s nothing else that you want?" Harper couldn''t believe her ears. If he just wanted to


    know the contents recorded in the book, she would certainly agree.


    "Do you want me to have other requests?" Rndo asked in a low voice, staring at her.


    "I promise you, it''s the only thing I''m asking for." Averse to meet Rndo''s affectionate eyes, Harper


    turned her head to avoid eye contact with him. She had to refuse his love as she was Matthew''s


    wife.

 Chapter 883 Got The Blank Heavenly Book (Part One)

    Chapter 883 Got The nk Heavenly Book (Part One)


    Looking at the box on the table, Harper didn''t know what to say or how to react. Forsythia wanted to


    say something but stopped herself after thinking about it again. Since Rndo came to Harper''s


    quarters, ced the box on the table and left, Harper hadn''t moved at all.


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    "Are you going to open it, Your Highness?" Forsythia finally asked.


    Harper didn''t respond. She was still thinking about what happenedst night, so she didn''t pay any


    attention to the Heavenly Book or Forsythia''s question. She was still wondering whetherst night was


    a dream and whether Matthew was actually hurt or not.


    After stealing food from somewhere in secret, Patrick sneaked back into the room. Its mouth was full of


    oil as it jumped onto the table. Then, it found afortable position and closed its eyes to sleep while


    leaning on Harper''s arm.


    Seeing that Patrick was back, Harper immediately withdrew her hand with so much force that the


    creature fell on the table. Patrick''s head hit the table so bad that it became dizzy. It jumped up trying to


    fight with Harper.


    She reached out her hand and picked up Patrick. "Was Matthew injured?"


    Patrick looked at Harper with a confused expression on its face. ''It''s great that Matthew got hurt. That


    bastard always bullied me. Oh, that''s such a good thing. I should congratte him.''


    Upon noticing the gloat on Patrick''s face, Harper knew that it didn''t know whether Matthew was injured


    or not, so she immediately threw it away. Then, she went back to being in a daze.


    The corners of Forsythia''s mouth twitched while she thought, ''Your Highness, you''re thinking way


    ahead. You''ve been pondering for a long time. Are you thinking about His Highness instead of the


    Heavenly Book?''


    "Your Highness, are you missing His Highness? Do you want me to contact him?" Forsythia cautiously


    asked.


    "Can you actually get in touch with him?" Harper asked, looking puzzled.


    "The secret guards have their own way ofmunication, but it will be a different case if the message


    can be sent out." Forsythia was feeling helpless. She couldn''t even move a single step in the Imperial


    Pce of the Great Jade Kingdom. What she could do now was stay with Harper and never leave her


    side.


    Harper knew exactly what Forsythia meant. At that moment, the Harmony Pce was surrounded by


    numerous guards. Even a fly couldn''t get out, let alone a message. Matthew couldn''t have sneaked in


    here without disturbing anybody. She really must have been dreamingst night.


    With these thoughts in mind, Harper sighed. She opened the box that Rndo had brought and took


    out the Heavenly Book inside. Opening the book, she saw the characters on it, which were extremely


    familiar to her. It was certainly another Heavenly Book that she hadn''t seen before. To her surprise,


    Rndo had sent two Heavenly Books to her.


    "How could there be two books? Isn''t there only one Heavenly Book in Emperor Rndo''s hand?"


    Forsythia doubtfully asked.


    "The other is the Heavenly Book which belonged to the Bright Dynasty," Harper calmly said. She didn''t


    exactly know how Rndo acquired the book, but she knew that whatever happened must have been


    rted to Matthew. The two must have made some kind of deal which made Matthew give the


    Heavenly Book to Rndo.


    "Now, there is only thest Heavenly Book to be found. Your Highness, there are three Heavenly


    Books, but we only have two of them. It seems useless to have them," Forsythia thoughtfully said.


    "Only one book to be found?" As if murmuring to herself, Harper opened thest Heavenly Book. In her


    hand was the first volume of the book. The Heavenly Book which belonged to Matthew was the second


    volume, while the third one was from Rndo. At that moment, only the third volume was what she


    hadn''t read yet.


    Rndo had ordered Miguel to send her some copies, which was fine because what she wanted to


    know was the contents of the book. But when she skimmed through the pages, she found out that the


    latter part was nk!


    "It''s nk!"


    Forsythia was astonished as well. Thetter part of the third Heavenly Book was nk. There really


    was nothing in the second half of the book. To say the least, it was weird.


    "Your Highness, is there really nothing in the book, or is it a fake one?" Forsythia asked with caution. If


    the Heavenly Book was fake, it would have been very shameless of Rndo.


    Harper carefully touched the nk pages and didn''t find anything significant. There wasn''t a scratch or


    a fold or anything. But, thetter part of the book should definitely not be nk. There should be


    something on it. Perhaps, Harper needed a special way for the book to show the contents. "This is a


    real one. The part in the end is not nk. The contents are just hidden."


    "Will the contents appear if we dip it in the water?" Forsythia handed a cup of tea to Harper, urging her


    to try it. With a smile, Harper shook her head.


    "Rndo must have tried all of themon methods. So definitely, an ordinary way won''t make the


    characters show up." Why were the contents in the book hidden? Was it because the information


    recorded on it was extremely confidential?


    Then, Patrick started pestering Harper. She curled a finger and flicked it into the air. The creature didn''t


    want to let her go so it continued to pounce on her. But Harper used her internal force every time it


    would do so. Although she wouldn''t hurt it, she could still easily throw it out.


    Patrick knew it was not a match for Harper, so it directly grabbed the Heavenly Book on the table and


    ran away. Harper did not get upset with that. She let Patrick grab and y with the Heavenly Book.


    When she saw that Patrick threw the book here and there as a toy, Forsythia was scared and worried


    that the Heavenly Book would be damaged. There were only three of those in the world. If anything


    were to happen to the book, the contents on it would cease to exist.

 Chapter 884 Got The Blank Heavenly Book (Part Two)

    Chapter 884 Got The nk Heavenly Book (Part Two)


    "Your Highness, please tell the little beast to stop it, or else it''ll destroy the book."


    "It can y with the book if it likes. If Patrick ruins it, we can just roast and eat that little beast." Harper


    then red at Patrick. The creature trembled and the book in its w almost fell onto the floor. It


    cautiously looked at Harper. Then it put the book down and ran to a corner to draw circles, as if it was


    comining its master was too scary and it was having a hard life.


    Forsythia quickly took the Heavenly Book and put it in front of Harper. The princess opened it and


    stared at the nk part in a daze. She had already reached the key point of developing her spiritual


    power, but the key part of the book was still gone. There must be a way to make the contents of thest


    part appear.


    Subconsciously, Harper tapped her fingers on the table. It had been her habit if she was thinking quite


    deeply. The three Heavenly Books were now in order, and another one was in the hands of Matthew.


    She had two of them, but the key contents were lost. Even if they got the Sacred Seal from the Wonder


    Kingdom, it would be useless. She still wouldn''t be able to pass the trial in the Death Pool.


    Forsythia didn''t dare to interrupt Harper. She just silently stood behind her, waiting for hermands.


    Suddenly, an idea urred to Harper. ''Would theter part appear when the three Heavenly Books are


    put together?'' she thought.


    She got excited and turned to look at Patrick which was still cursing its unscrupulous master in the


    corner. Suddenly, it felt like the air had turned cold. As it turned around, it saw Harper smiling at it


    maliciously. Patrick was so scared that it immediately leaned against the corner. It rolled its eyes and


    wondered what it had done to make her upset.


    "You can get out of the Imperial Pce," Harper said while attentively looking at Patrick.


    Patrick put on a vignt expression on its face. It had to watch out whenever the heartless master had


    come up with some sort of an idea. But as soon as it was prepared for whatever was toe, it was


    easily bought over by Harper with a bottle of pills.


    "Go and find Matthew. Bring me the Heavenly Book in his hand. If you failed to bring it back, I''ll perform


    a small surgery to make you a female!" Harper then smiled, but to Patrick, it looked more like a smirk.


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    Hearing these words, Patrick hurriedly stood up with its legs. It stopped chewing the pill in its mouth


    and desperately nodded. For the sake of its genitalia, Patrick was determined to bring back the


    Heavenly Book. It didn''t matter if it had to steal the book, and it had to take it back.


    "Go ahead. I''ll be waiting for some good news from you." Harper waved her hand to urge Patrick to


    leave. It jumped up to the window and disappeared right before Harper''s eyes.


    "Can Patrick do it, Your Highness?"


    "Except for that little beast, can anyone of us go out?" Harper put the Heavenly Book back in the box.


    Instead of hiding it, she just casually put it on the dresser.


    It was that time when Miguel came over so he saw what Harper did. He was taken back to when


    Rndo put the book in a closet. Back then, he thought that Rndo was being too casual in keeping


    it. But upon seeing how Harper did it, Miguel thought that she was even more casual in this aspect. It


    was the Heavenly Book that everyone wanted. It was not just amon book that could be found


    everywhere!


    "Your Highness."


    "I heard that you and Rndo attacked my husbandst night." Harper interrogated Miguel, so the


    latter held back what he wanted to say and cautiously answered,


    "No, I didn''t¡ª"


    "But from what I heard, you pped my husband so hard that he spat out blood on the spot." Refusing


    to let it pass, Harper looked at Miguel. Although she didn''t show any emotion on her face, he felt


    intimidated.


    He was so stunned that he couldn''t move for a while. "I was under amand. That''s the only reason


    why I did that. I didn''t want to hurt him either."


    "So, you admit that you hurt my husband?" Harper twisted her wrist while holding a silver needle


    between her fingers. It reflected a sharp light, causing Miguel to step back.


    "Your Highness, please listen to me. His Highness got hurt, but it wasn''t that serious. Besides, I''m here


    to tell you something else." Miguel thought how much of a coward he was in front of Harper, but he had


    no other option. Harper had very powerful martial arts skills and he was not a match for her. What was


    more, Rndo favored her very much. If she reported his misconduct to Rndo, the emperor would


    forget their friendship in front of his beloved Harper. Miguel was sure that Rndo wouldn''t even


    hesitate to deal with him when the time came.


    "What is it?" Harper nonchntly asked.


    Miguel dragged a chair and sat down. "His Majesty has grounded Lady Lilian."


    "What does it have to do with me?" Harper was still indifferent.


    Miguel asked in surprise, "Aren''t you friends with her? Isn''t she a princess from your nation? Howe


    her trouble has nothing to do with you?"


    Looking at Miguel, Harper calmly said, "Prime Minister Miguel, haven''t you seen that I''m under house


    arrest, too? Not only that, but there are also a lot of guards outside. Do you think I can fly out of the


    Harmony Pce to help her?"


    "If you can talk with His Majesty about it, I''m sure he will be more lenient with her."


    Upon hearing that, Harper sneered and then asked, "Be more lenient? Sorry but her business has


    really nothing to do with me!"

 Chapter 885 I Know What Im Doing (Part One)

    Chapter 885 I Know What I''m Doing (Part One)


    ''Her business has nothing to do with you?''


    Miguel looked at Harper in shock. Did he hear it right? Why did Harper say that matters concerning


    Lilian had nothing to do with her? Wasn''t she Lilian''s aunt? Moreover, Lilian was still the princess of the


    Bright Dynasty. It was said that she had a good rtionship with Harper, so Miguel couldn''t understand


    why Harper was acting like Lilian was a total stranger to her.


    "Lady Harper, how ruthless you are! As far as I know, you and Lilian are in good terms. When she was


    still just a princess of the Bright Dynasty, she was friends with you." The expression on Miguel''s face


    turned cold. He had thought that Harper was kind and warm, but he didn''t expect her to be so


    heartless. If the Bright Dynasty were to clearly state that it didn''t care whether Lilian was dead or alive,


    then her fate would definitely be very miserable.


    Upon hearing the usation, Harper smiled and said, "Ruthless? All right, I am ruthless as you said.


    Don''t waste time in my pce ''cause I won''t change my mind about helping her. But what really


    intrigues me is that howe you care about Lilian so much, since she is Rndo''s consort and you


    are his valued prime minister.


    With that, Miguel looked a little awkward. "I''m just showing a little extra concern about everything that


    has to do with you since you saved my life once."


    Harper smiled nonchntly. "Oh, really? If so, thank you very much. But instead of caring about Lilian,


    you should care about me. After all, I''m under house arrest, and it was me who saved you, not Lilian.


    So I''m actually wondering if there is any special rtionship between the two of you."


    "There is nothing going on between us!" Miguel said, obviously a little provoked with the topic.


    Harper folded her arms across her chest and looked at the man with interest. She thought there must


    be something suspicious about him since he was so agitated. But Harper didn''t care about it or want to


    investigate it further. She just hoped that he would leave her pce as soon as possible. So, she


    changed the subject and asked, "Do you know that Rndo was poisoned the day before yesterday?"


    "Poisoned? You were the one who were actually poisoned, weren''t you?" Miguel responded right away.


    In fact, he was confused. His emperor had fought with Matthew that night, and it seemed that it was


    impossible for him to be poisoned during that time.


    "So you knew that I was poisoned and almost forced myself on Rndo. What role did you y in


    this?" Harper rigidly said.


    "I don''t have any idea about this at all."


    "Oh, you didn''t know? Well, it doesn''t matter if you didn''t know. The culprit is in prison anyway and I


    don''t want to investigate it further. But I won''t interfere in anything that has to do with Lilian. Miguel,


    please just leave." Harper''s tone was a little cold.


    She had directly asked Miguel to leave but thetter still wanted to say something. Unfortunately,


    Harper had already turned around and didn''t look at him anymore. It was obvious that there was no


    room for negotiation about this matter. She wouldn''t help Lilian this time. Everyone should be


    responsible for their own behavior.


    When Miguel left the Harmony Pce, he somehow felt that something was wrong. It so happened that


    he came across Sean who was about to deliver something to Harper. "Sean," he called.


    "Prime Minister Miguel," Sean greeted respectfully. He was actually afraid of Miguel. Although thetter


    always wore a smile on his face, Sean knew that he was not as kind as he looked. The man would


    always n something with his own interests in mind. If Sean and the other servants were not careful


    and identally offended him, he would definitely do something to give them a hard time.


    "Delivering something to Lady Harper?"


    "Yes, Prime Minister Miguel. His Majesty had acquired a piece of superior warm jade and asked me to


    bring it to Lady Harper."


    Miguel opened the box and found that it was indeed a superior jade. "Did the Harmony Pce have


    any guests the day before yesterday?"


    "No, it didn''t have any. Lady Lilian was the only one who came here to visit Lady Harper. They had a


    walk in the garden together." Sean didn''t understand what Miguel''s real intention was, but he still told


    the truth. After all, the man would still be able to find out about it anyways.


    "What happened next?"


    "I can''t tell you." Sean was afraid of Miguel, but he knew that he couldn''t tell him more than he already


    did. Even though Miguel was the most important and capable assistant of the emperor, he couldn''t


    reveal all of the emperor''s secrets to him.


    "Then can I ask why His Majesty put Lady Lilian under house arrest?"


    "Lady Lilian made a mistake. His Majesty was worried that the baby might get hurt, so he asked her to


    stay in the Bliss Pce. That way, she could be able to focus on the baby." Sean''s exnation was


    extremely euphemistic. He didn''t want to admit that Lilian was under house arrest.


    "I heard that His Majesty had sent people to put Lady Lilian under house arrest right after he walked


    out of the Harmony Pce. Is that true?"


    "Prime Minister Miguel, I don''t know."


    "You..." Miguel was getting furious by then, but he knew that Sean was just being loyal to the emperor.


    He couldn''t force the man into telling him what he didn''t want to tell. But he was almost sure that Lilian


    being under house arrest was rted to the fact that Harper had been poisoned.


    Miguel then figured out that something wrong with Harper''s statements. She said that she had been


    poisoned and even almost forced herself on Rndo. But, didn''t the emperor had romantic affections


    for her? Why did Harper say that? Miguel racked his brain, trying to find some answers. If the emperor


    had feelings for Harper, shouldn''t he seize the opportunity when she volunteered to get intimate with


    him?


    With all these questions in mind, Miguel headed for the Imperial Study right that instant. The emperor


    gave the Heavenly Book to Harper and ced her under house arrest in the pce. Miguel couldn''t


    figure out what was going on, but it was necessary to poke fun at the emperor.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

 Chapter 886 I Know What Im Doing (Part Two)

    Chapter 886 I Know What I''m Doing (Part Two)


    In the study, Rndo was calmly going through the reports delivered by his officials. Miguel entered the


    room and sat down beside him. ying with the folding fan in his hand, he looked at the emperor with


    great interest. But Rndo was so absorbed in reading that hepletely ignored the uninvited visitor.


    "Your Majesty, I heard that Lady Harper almost forced herself on you the day before yesterday. Is that


    true?"


    Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    Rndo abruptly stopped writing for a few seconds. Yet, he soon continued to read the reports and


    wrote more vigorously. Miguel noticed that there was something wrong with the emperor''s expression.


    "Your Majesty, I''ve always thought that you''re fond of Lady Harper. I didn''t expect you to be indifferent


    to her."


    "Miguel, you are being too talkative!" Rndo frowned a little.


    "Your Majesty, I''m just curious. Don''t you like Lady Harper?"


    Scowling at the visitor, Rndo seriously eximed, "Miguel! You''d better shut up and leave if you


    don''t want me to punish you."


    "Your Majesty, then please release Lady Lilian. After all, she''s pregnant. It''s not a good environment for


    her to take care of the baby," Miguel pleaded at once.


    "What I should do is none of your business. Have you found Matthew?" Rndo nonchntly said.


    "We didn''t find him. I''ve searched the entire Imperial Capital since he escaped yesterday, but still, I


    couldn''t find him anywhere. He seems to have disappeared into thin air." Miguel paused after thinking


    about what he should say next. After a while, he continued, "Your Majesty, are you really going to


    cancel the grand ceremony to bestow Lady Lilian the position of your empress?"


    "You think I am joking about that?"


    "Your Majesty, the envoys of the Bright Dynasty will be here soon. If they find out that you canceled the


    grand ceremony..."


    "I''m not even afraid of Matthew. How could I be afraid of several envoys?" Rndo calmly proimed.


    "Miguel, why do I feel like you''re recently bing more and more sentimental and soft-hearted?"


    Miguel opened the fan and used it to cool his face. "Your Majesty, it''s not that I''m being soft-hearted,


    but you ¡ª You have always been so soft-hearted to Lady Harper."


    Rndo narrowed his eyes and snapped, "You''d better not cross the line, Miguel, or I won''t be polite to


    you."


    Miguel''s heart missed a beat. He held his breath and said, "Your Majesty, you gave the Heavenly Book


    to Lady Harper so easily. Aren''t you afraid that she''ll leave with the book?"


    "I know her better than you do," Rndo said coldly. Harper valued the "friendship" between him and


    her. He knew how much Matthew had been on guard against him, but she didn''t take any precautions


    when interacting with him. It was not because of his harmless appearance, but because he had saved


    her twice. If she didn''t take their long-term friendship into consideration, she would have already left the


    city. Rndo was quite certain that he understood her personality really well.


    "Your Majesty, since that''s what you think about the current situation, then I won''t ask it anymore. By


    the way, there is still a Heavenly Book which is in Matthew''s hands. Since we cannot find him, it will be


    very difficult to get the book."


    "Don''t worry. Harper will get thest book for me," Rndo firmly said. More than anyone, Harper


    wanted to know about the hidden contents on the nk part of Rndo''s Heavenly Book. So there was


    no doubt that she would acquire thest book so she could study the contents. Even though Matthew


    could refuse anyone, he couldn''t refuse his wife Harper.


    All of a sudden, Miguel understood why Rndo gave the Heavenly Book to Harper. All this time, he


    had been assuming that his emperor had romantic affections for Harper, but it was just a cover-up.


    Rndo was still the same person he knew before who would y any trick to achieve his goals!


    "Your Majesty, it''s nice that you''re still the same. You haven''t changed," Miguel said with a lot of


    underlying meanings, for he didn''t know whether it was good for the emperor to do so. As an emperor,


    he should be the one to continue trying his best to reach his goals with any means possible. However,


    he felt uneasy about the emperor''s attitude.


    "Well, you should leave now."


    "Your Majesty, excuse me for leaving." Miguel cupped his hands and left. As soon as he got out of the


    study, the expression on his face darkened instantly. If Harper got thest book and was trapped in the


    Harmony Pce, it would be hard for her to get out of the emperor''s hands. He had thought the


    emperor would treat Harper in a different way, but it seemed like he still chose his kingdom over the


    woman he loved. Indeed, the emperor was quite qualified for the position!


    "Prime Minister Miguel." A eunuch bowed to him.


    "Arise." As Miguel walked forward, the eunuch followed behind and whispered, "Lady Lilian is in a very


    bad condition. Although His Majesty hasn''t changed her treatment after she has been under house


    arrest, she has lost her temper and won''t even eat or drink. She''s a pregnant woman. I''m afraid she


    wouldn''t be able to take it anymore if she keeps on going like this."


    Miguel stopped walking. Then he turned around and headed for the Bliss Pce. He knew that Lilian


    was unaware of her current situation and kept on triggering the limits of the emperor. Although the


    emperor couldn''t find any evidence, Miguel had no doubt that she was involved in what had happened


    these days.


    Out of confusion, the eunuch asked, "Prime Minister Miguel, are you going to visit Lady Lilian? But His


    Majesty has ordered that no one is allowed to enter the Bliss Pce."


    "Don''t worry. They''re going to let me in," Miguel nonchntly said. He had made a mistake before.


    Now, he had to make more mistakes to amend the first one. He wasn''t as tough as iron like the


    emperor and couldn''t be so calm and unmoved in the face of the woman he loved. If he were the


    emperor, he wouldn''t be a good one. So Rndo stood out from every prince and became the


    emperor.

 Chapter 887 Lilian Was Poisoned (Part One)

    Chapter 887 Lilian Was Poisoned (Part One)


    Miguel was able to enter Bliss Pce without anyone stopping him. Upon opening the door, however,


    he was weed by a bowl filled with rice flying straight to his face. Good thing he had good reflexes,


    because if he didn''t, he would have been badly hurt.


    "What''s going on here? Good day, Lady Lilian."


    Curled up on the bed was Lilian, her eyes still moist from crying hard. She was still reeling from what


    had happened¡ªshe couldn''t believe that Rndo would treat her the way he did, and that he would


    detest the baby inside of her womb because of Harper! At this point, she began regretting scheming


    with Francis to make moves against Harper, but there was no way in the world that would allow her to


    undo her decision. ''I''ve already done it!'' she thought, angry and depressed.


    "What are you doing here? Are you here tough at me?" Lilian asked without even raising her head.


    She knew that the news of her not being on Rndo''s good side had already reached everyone in the


    Great Jade Kingdom. Even the maids and eunuchs now had a reason to be rude to her! The only


    usible reason that Miguel, the prime minister, was visiting her at this time was because he wanted to


    take pleasure in seeing her suffer from her misfortunes!


    "Servant, bring food here."


    "Yes, My Lord."


    Miguel then sat down next to Lilian quietly. As he looked at her aggrieved and helpless face, he sighed


    deeply. "Until when do you n on torturing yourself like this?"


    "His Majesty really loves Harper Chu!" Lilian shrieked in response.


    "Nothing happened between His Majesty and Princess Harper," he said. The servant came in with a


    tray full of hot food. Miguel took one of the tes and put it in front of Lilian. As he handed her a pair of


    chopsticks, he said, "If His Majesty is really in love with her, it would be impossible for him to do nothing


    to have her."


    Lilian raised her head to look at Miguel. "You said nothing happened between His Majesty and


    Harper?"


    "Yes," Miguel answered solemnly. "Nothing has happened between them. Now eat. Even though you


    don''t feel like ingesting something, the baby in your belly needs some nutrition to survive." Miguel


    gently put the chopsticks into her hand. "I''ll tell you everything once you''re full."


    "Tell me everything first!" Lilian demanded, her face contorted with anger and determination.


    Miguel wasn''t interested in a stand-off, however. "If you don''t eat, I will leave," he said emotionlessly.


    When Lilian showed no sign of budging, he swiftly stood up to leave.


    "Wait! No! Please don''t leave! I''ll eat now!" Lilian begged as she grabbed Miguel''s arm to stop him from


    leaving.


    Miguel looked at the hand that grabbed his arm before sitting back down slowly. Lilian then picked up


    the utensils and hurriedly stuffed her mouth with the delicious dishes in front of her. "But didn''t His


    Majesty stay in the Harmony Pce the whole day yesterday?" she asked in between spoonfuls of


    food.


    "Well, he was also poisoned," Miguel answered in a serious tone. "The sole reason that he stayed at


    the Harmony Pce the whole day yesterday was because he forced himself to suppress the poison in


    his body with his internal force, which led to aa. Princess Harper saved him." Seeing Lilian was


    eating so fast that she was creating a huge mess, Miguel poured a cup of hot water and handed it to


    her. "Eat slowly. No one will take those from you."


    "How was Princess Harper able to get rid of the Fantasy poison?" Lilian asked right after swallowing a


    huge amount of food.


    "Fantasy?" Miguel was taken aback. First of all, he didn''t expect that Harper had been poisoned with


    Fantasy. ''No wonder His Majesty didn''t do anything: it''s not that he didn''t want to¡ªhe couldn''t. He is so


    proud that he wouldn''t like to be a substitute.''


    After quickly realizing that she had broken her promise, Lilian immediately lowered her head and


    continued to eat. Miguel continued, saying, "I don''t know what kind of poison that is, but one could only


    guess that it must have been Princess Harper who removed it. So you can rest assured that nothing


    happened between His Majesty and her."


    Lilian breathed a sigh of relief. If nothing really happened between Rndo and Harper, it only meant


    that Rndo grounded solely because he was angry with her for the way she behaved. ''If I start being


    obedient to everything he says, I would be fine. His Majesty would not be mad at me anymore!'' she


    thought hopefully.


    "Also, we''ve received news that Prince Matthew has already arrived at the capital. Unfortunately, we


    still haven''t seen him," Miguel said slowly.


    "It''s easy to find Uncle Matthew. As long as you keep your eyes on Princess Harper, you will find him,"


    Lilian responded nonchntly.


    "What do you mean?"


    "She''s the apple of Uncle Matthew''s eye. He loves her so much that there is no way he would be far


    from her if he''s already in the capital. I don''t know where he''s hiding, but I am sure he''ll be lurking


    around where that woman is," said Lilian, as if she knew everything well.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    Miguel stared at Lilian, speechless for a while. Suddenly, he understood why Harper said she had


    nothing to do with any of Lilian''s issues: Lilian didn''t feel an ounce of regret even after poisoning


    Harper. When she called Harper "that woman", he knew that she didn''t deserve Harper''s help.


    "If Princess Harper is truly the apple of Prince Matthew''s eye, wouldn''t that mean that he won''t spare


    anyone who dares hurt her?" Miguel asked in a low voice.


    Lilian immediately froze up the moment she heard what Miguel said, and she almost dropped her


    chopsticks. With eyes wide due to shock, she turned to him. Yes, how could she forget that? People


    could bully and plot against Matthew as they wanted, but once they put their hands on Harper, he


    would definitely make sure that they would regret doing what they did.


    "It''s not me who hurt her. It''s my brother Francis!" Lilian said in a trembling voice. Suddenly, she felt a


    sharp, piercing pain in her abdominal region. She caressed her belly as if to soothe what she was


    feeling and said, "My stomach, my stomach hurts!"

 Chapter 888 Lilian Was Poisoned (Part Two)

    Chapter 888 Lilian Was Poisoned (Part Two)


    "Lady Lilian, are you okay?"


    "Call the imperial physician. My stomach is aching!" Lilian turned deathly pale because of the pain and


    it rendered Miguel terrified. Anyone who would see how Lilian looked like would surely take great pity


    on her and would try to protect her from any harm.


    "Call the imperial physician! Quick!" Miguel once again ordered the servants.


    When the imperial physician arrived, Lilian was already feeling delirious from the pain. Despite that,


    she forced herself up. "My baby! Physician, is my baby okay?" she asked faintly yet earnestly.


    She didn''t care about what she was feeling and what would happen to her¡ªat that point, the only thing


    important to her was her baby. Her inquiry, however, was met with a grim stare from the imperial


    physician. It only meant one thing: it was very likely that she would lose her child if the situation


    continued.


    "Say something. What happened to Lady Lilian?" Miguel angrily demanded as he grabbed the imperial


    physician by the cor.


    This shook the imperial physician up so much that when he answered, his words were barely intelligible


    because of how much his voice trembled. "My Lord, Lady Lilian ate something that is very bad for her


    and the baby. Right now, there is a very high chance that she would suffer a miscarriage."


    "Then why are you still doing nothing? Help her!"


    "Well..." The imperial physician started, but it seemed like he could not find the right words to say. After


    a few moments, he took a deep breath andid everything out. "I''m afraid it''s toote. The baby in her


    belly was the first thing the substance hit. I''ve already felt her pulse, and I know I can''t do anything


    about it. If Lady Lilian consents to have an abortion right at this moment, she will suffer less, because if


    the fetus dies in her womb, her life would be in danger, too!"


    "What?" Miguel took a step backwards and looked at the food on the small table. Before the ident


    happened, Lilian had only eaten this food. "Investigate what was put in it," he ordered.


    "Yes, yes." The imperial physician immediately checked the food on the table.


    "My baby, my baby..." Lilian wailed.


    "Lady Lilian, the baby..."


    "Call Harper Chu!" Lilian suddenly said as she grabbed Miguel''s arm. In a pleading voice, she added,


    "Please, please call Harper Chu! She is one of the most skilled physicians I know. I''m sure she will be


    able to save me and my baby. Please!"


    Indeed, how could Miguel forget Harper? Everyone knew how skilled she was. Out of every medical


    professional in the kingdom, it was only her who could make the impossible possible!


    "My Lord, someone put poison in the food," the imperial physician said in shock. That meant that even


    if he was able to save Lilian''s baby from death, it would be born with the damages caused by the


    poison, torturing him all his life until he eventually died from it.


    Miguel had never been so angry with himself. ''Why didn''t I check Lilian''s food before forcing her to eat!''


    he thought, trembling. If anything happened to Lilian and her baby, he knew that he was the one


    responsible for it.


    "I am going to find Princess Harper," Miguel proimed before rushing to the Harmony Pce.


    With Harper being Lilian''sst hope, he knew that he must make her go and see Lilian, no matter what


    he had to pay.


    Upon arriving at the Harmony Pce, Miguel was met with strong defiance from the guards stationed


    at the gates. Seeing how anxious Miguel was, Fernando said expressionlessly, "I''m sorry but you


    cannot enter. His Majesty hasmanded that no one should disturb Princess Harper."


    "Get out of my way! It''s a matter of life and death. It''s not something to be trifled with!" Miguel bellowed,


    intending to fight his way through the guards.


    Fernando, however, would not let him through and instead, blocked the gate. "Prime Minister Miguel,


    we are under orders from His Majesty. Please don''t make it difficult for us. No one is allowed to enter or


    leave the Harmony Pce!"


    Without any choice, Miguel began shouting, his voice mixed with his internal force. "Your Highness,


    Lady Lilian was just poisoned and her life is in danger. Please help her!"


    At that time, Harper was studying the Heavenly Book. When she heard the deafening noise outside,


    she sneered and said to herself, "Miguel is so interesting. He broke in this ce just to force me to see


    and save Lilian. I wonder¡ªwhat''s the rtionship between them? How is it worth for him toe here


    and ask for help in such an outrageous way?"


    "Your Highness, will you give him an answer?"


    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    "Bring a chair to the gate. I''d like to see how he would persuade me to save her." Harper''s face looked


    hard and cold. Being under house arrest in the Imperial Pce, she could do nothing. Everyone


    wanted to step on her. Was she a pushover?


    "Your Highness, please show mercy and save Lady Lilian and her unborn baby. After all, she is from


    your country..."


    The gate of the Harmony Pce opened slowly and a maid set a chair down. Then, Miguel saw Harper


    slowly sit down, her cold eyes squarely on him, as she asked, "Excuse me, Prime Minister Miguel, what


    makes you think you can convince me?"


    "I''m the prime minister of the Great Jade Kingdom."


    "As far as I know, the courtiers should not interfere in the business of the imperial household. Don''t you


    think it''s inappropriate for you to threaten me here, especially that you''re the prime minister?" Harper''s


    whole aura was deathly cold. She remembered that she had already made it clear that she had nothing


    to do with any of Lilian''s issues. Lilian almost ruined everything for her, and there was no way she


    would return something good for something evil that was done to her!


    "What if I say as a friend?"


    "Prime Minister Miguel, it depends on who you are friends with. If you are my friend, I''m sorry¡ªI don''t


    remember having a friend like you. But if you regard yourself as Lady Lilian''s friend, then you will also


    be held ountable for her sins." With a cold and sharp stare, she red at Miguel. "Have you... had


    an affair with her?"

 Chapter 889 The Mystery Solved (Part One)

    Chapter 889 The Mystery Solved (Part One)


    Harper''s words were so shocking to Miguel that his mouth fell open and his face turned pale. When he


    came to his senses, however, he snapped at her, saying, "Your Highness, please mind your words!"


    "Mind my words?" Harper sneered. "I think it''s you who should pick your words carefully."


    Miguel opened his mouth to respond, but before he was able to, Harper had already interrupted him.


    "Lilian is Rndo''s concubine and she is pregnant with his child. Yet, I don''t see him being as panicked


    as you are right now. You are just a courtier but you really tried to break into the Imperial Pce,


    question me, and even threaten me just to save Lilian? People who don''t know you may think she''s


    your wife and her baby is yours!"


    "Your Highness! Please, stop speaking such nonsense!" Miguel was panicking. A significant number of


    guards were stationed around the Harmony Pce, and after they heard the things that Harper was


    saying, they wouldn''t hesitate to tell it to everyone they knew. He had a notorious reputation for being


    offensive to a lot of other courtiers, and so he was sure that they were eagerly waiting for his downfall!


    Moreover, even though Rndo favored him, it wouldn''t make any difference to his case¡ªin the Great


    Jade Kingdom, it was considered a crime for someone to have an affair with any concubine of the king!


    He would be executed without being given a chance to exin himself!


    "Nonsense? Am I talking nonsense?" Harper stretched her arm out and immediately, Forsythia handed


    her a cup of hot, freshly brewed tea. After taking a sip of it, she asked Miguel, "Tell me. Am I really


    talking nonsense here?"


    "Your Highness, why are you so heartless? Lady Lilian is your niece. As her aunt, why don''t you want


    to help her? She will be forever grateful to you if you could give her a hand. Please!" Miguel tried to ask


    for Harper''s help in a much softer tone. Lilian was in such a dangerous situation and only Harper had


    the ability to save her, so he knew he couldn''t ruin the only chance.


    "Be grateful to me?" Miguel''s words amused Harper so much that she startedughing. "Oh, please!


    Not her gratitude! How can I bear the weight of such a coveted thing?"


    Miguel took a step forward, but Fernando blocked his way. From a distance, he began to beg, saying,


    "Your Highness, please forgive Lady Lilian! She didn''t know what she was doing! Please save her and


    her unborn baby, I beg you! I will do anything for you if you do! I promise!"


    "Well, what if I ask you to kill Rndo?" asked Harper with interest. "Will you go do it?"


    "Your Highness, please don''t make fun of me! This is a matter of life and death! If we''re a minutete...


    Lady Lilian and her unborn baby will..."


    "Well, that''s why I''m asking you. If I ask you to kill Rndo, will you go kill him?"


    "His Majesty is our emperor, and you know that I can''t kill him!"


    "If you can''t do that, then why are you telling me that you''d do everything I want you to do? Who''s


    talking nonsense now?" Harper sneered. "When Lilian needed my help, she came to me and I


    entertained her, but when she stopped finding me useful, she sent me Fantasy, the poison. I''m sorry


    but I don''t need gratitude from either of you two. There is no way I would respond to the crime that she


    did against me with kindness. Actually, she''s lucky I haven''t thought of exacting revenge against her."


    And with that, Harper rose from her seat to leave. Miguel couldn''t bear just watching her go, and so he


    once again tried to get past the guards. Fernando, however, still wouldn''t let him get close to her. "Your


    Highness, Lady Lilian made a mistake, but her baby is innocent! For the sake of her child, please save


    her!" he shouted desperately.


    "Innocent?" Harper stopped. "This world is full of innocent people, Miguel. When two countries go head


    to head in a battle, who dies first? The innocent. Nobody cares about them but they''re the first ones


    affected by the consequences of the decisions made by the ruling ss!"


    "Your Highness, just tell me how I can make you say yes!" Miguel knew that time was running out. If he


    failed to get Harper to Lilian as soon as possible, Lilian would be in grave danger.


    Hearing this somehow made Harper feel suspicious about the true nature of Lilian and Miguel''s


    rtionship. Because of that, she turned around and walked towards Miguel. Fernando tried to stop


    her, but after seemingly realizing something, he went out of her way in an instant. "So am I right? You


    and Lilian..." she asked as soon as she was in front of him.


    "There is nothing between me and Lady Lilian!" Miguel hurriedly denied, shaking his head violently.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    "Oh, Miguel, please. As I told you a while ago, Lilian is Rndo''s concubine. If there''s anyone who


    shoulde to beg me for her life, it''s not you¡ªit''s him! So go back. Just an advice: as a courtier,


    you''d better stay out of the affairs of the imperial harem. Rndo is also a man, and you know how


    men react when other people meddle in their business," Harper said indifferently. She found no


    sympathy for Lilian inside her, because of her, Lilian deserved what she was going through. If she didn''t


    set her up with Francis, she would definitely help her. But after what she had done, Lilian had be


    nothing but a stranger to Harper.


    "Your Highness!" Miguel knelt down and kowtowed hard with a thud. "Please have mercy, Your


    Highness. Save them."


    Looking at how dedicated Miguel was to convincing her to go and help Lilian, Harper couldn''t help but


    be impressed. It was not the first time she met Miguel. Back then, she saved him when he was


    seriously wounded and was under aa. However, even then, she never saw him act the way he


    was acting now. ''He won''t leave until I help Lilian,'' she thought, feeling pity for him.


    After a moment of silence, Harper flicked a pill to Miguel and said, "This pill can control the poison


    coursing inside her veins. However, because she was pregnant, the poison couldn''t bepletely


    removed from her body unless she aborts her baby. Even if she uses that pill, the poison will eventually


    find its way to the baby. If she decides to still give birth to it, it wouldn''t live long."


    "Thank you, thank you very much, Your Highness!" Miguel took the pill and left quickly.


    Harper silently stared at Miguel''s receding figure and also rushed towards the door. Fernando, on the


    other hand, was extremely nervous upon seeing Harper was about to leave. "Your Highness, His


    Majesty ordered..."

 Chapter 890 The Mystery Solved (Part Two)

    Chapter 890 The Mystery Solved (Part Two)


    "I''m going to see him. Are you sure you want to stop me?" asked Harper bluntly.


    "I''ll lead the way for you, Your Highness," said Fernando hesitantly.


    He then took Harper to the Imperial Study. As he was about to inform Rndo of their arrival, Harper


    stopped him. Sean, the eunuch was also going to tell Rndo that they have arrived, but Harper shook


    her head and signaled him to leave. He hesitated for a second but he quietly left.


    Rndo was reading over the files carefully when he saw something that made his blood boil. His hand


    instinctively went for his teacup, as drinking tea had always made him calm, but to his frustration, the


    cup was empty. He took in a deep breath to center himself and decided to ask Sean to fetch another


    one. When he raised his head, however, he found that instead of Sean, Harper was standing in front of


    him.


    "Harper, why are you here?" Surprise and confusion colored Rndo''s face. "What''s happening? Are


    the servants not serving you well?"


    "Lilian was poisoned. Miguel just came to the Harmony Pce and begged me for help," Harper said,


    looking Rndo in the eyes.


    Rndo nodded, replying, "I see. Whether to save her or not, it''s up to you. Don''t feel obligated to it,


    however."


    "Rndo, is Lilian really your consort?" Harper asked seriously. If Lilian was indeed Rndo''s consort


    and was pregnant with his child, Rndo wouldn''t have reacted in such a calm manner. However, he


    did, and it seemed like Lilian was an irrelevant person to him. Lilian was poisoned, and aside from not


    showing any kind of worry on his face, he even asked Harper to make the choice herself and not to feel


    obligated!


    "What do you think?" Rndo didn''t reply but asked her the question.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    Harper wanted to ask if the child inside Lilian''s womb was his. Because if so, she found hisck of


    concern disturbing. A few seconds of silence followed that, and during that time, Harper realized that


    she had no say in the matter and asking about it would be basically invading Rndo and Lilian''s


    privacy. Upon the thought, she turned her back to him to leave.


    "Harper!" Rndo called out as he tried to stop Harper from leaving. "Will you attend the empress


    coronation ceremony?"


    Harper turned around to look at Rndo and replied, "I came here as a representative of the Bright


    Dynasty to celebrate the coronation. Of course I woulde."


    A light flickered in Rndo''s eyes. The coronation was still a go, but the candidate for his empress


    needed changing. To be honest, Lilian was never meant to be the woman to sit beside him on the


    throne¡ªshe was just a disguise. He asked for Harper''s opinion just to see how she would react.


    The light in Harper''s eyes, however, darkened as she once again headed for the door. Rndo had


    just asked her whether she would take part in the coronation, which confused her. ''He is the emperor of


    this kingdom. He should have known what I came here for,'' she thought.


    When Harper returned to the Harmony Pce, she found that Patrick had alreadye back. It stood


    at the table, holding the fruit in its hand and biting it. The moment its eyesid on her, it immediately


    threw the fruit away and ran to her. It excitedly pointed at the stuff on the table. It was as if it was


    presenting Harper a treasure.


    Harper had no choice but to walk over the table and have a look at everything that was on it. It was the


    Heavenly Book she had handed to Matthew. "Where did you find Matthew?" she asked.


    Patrick folded its arms across its chest, as if asking Harper forpensation first before it answered. It


    made Harperugh. She then pulled out a pill and Patrick chased after it. After eating it up, Patrick


    returned in front of Harper and reached out its ws, threatening to scratch her if she didn''t give it


    more pills.


    "Where did you find him?"


    Harper drew a big circle with her finger, and asked. "In the city?"


    Patrick nodded. Yes, it found Matthew in the city, not in the Imperial Pce!


    Squinting her eyes, Harper asked, "Who else did you see besides Matthew?"


    Patrick''s eyes narrowed as if wondering, ''Was there anyone else?'' After thinking for a while, it


    concluded that it didn''t meet anyone else and so it shook its head.


    Harper nodded. "OK. Nobody else, then. I understand."


    Patrick continued to reach out its paws to scratch Harper to ask for more pills. With a chuckle, she


    threw a bottle of pills to it and opened the three Heavenly Books, trying to find a way to unveil its


    hidden content. Unfortunately, she failed.


    Frustrated, she looked at the Heavenly Books and said to herself, "I still couldn''t see the hidden part of


    the Heavenly Books even though I have collected all the three. Was I wrong? How will I be able to


    unveil that?"


    "Squeak!" Patrick suddenly jumped onto the Heavenly Books and asked Harper to y with it. Harper


    impatiently asked it to go away and continued to read the Heavenly Book in a daze.


    "Squeak! Squeak!" Patrick was not pleased. It jumped onto the Heavenly Books again, stomping on


    them viciously. Harper just couldn''t be bothered and angrily waved her hand to get rid of it.


    Unexpectedly, Patrick bit her finger.


    "Hiss!" Harper let out a soft yelp and pulled her finger back. After examining it, she saw that Patrick had


    bitten her badly, and that her finger was bleeding. Soon, a bit of her blood dropped on one of the


    Heavenly Books. She hurriedly wipe it clean, making a mental note to discipline Patrick some other


    time. While she was doing that, however, a strange thing happened: the Heavenly Book with her blood


    started emitting a strange light.


    Harper quickly realized what she had to do and put a bit of her blood on the other two Heavenly Books.


    Suddenly, the three books integrated to form one book, with the hidden content revealing itself. Harper


    watched the scene unfold with wide eyes and mouth agape. It turned out that the key to unravel the


    mystery of the Heavenly Book was her blood!


    "Squeak!" Patrick was frightened by what was happening. It thought that it had made a mistake, so it


    hid itself in a corner, afraid of what Harper would do to it if she caught it. But Harper was busy¡ªshe


    was intently staring at the Heavenly Book and what was happening to it as if it was the only thing inside


    the room.

 Chapter 891 A Ruthless Emperor (Part One)

    Chapter 891 A Ruthless Emperor (Part One)


    As ominous light filled the Harmony Pce, the secret guards stationed in the immediate vicinity


    quickly gathered to report the abnormal phenomenon to Rndo. Rndo was at first rmed and


    confused by this development, but he quickly came to the realization that it must have been Harper


    who caused this. ''She must have already obtained thest Heavenly Book and is now unveiling its


    deepest secrets. That might be the reason for the appearance of such light!'' he thought. And he was


    right¡ªHarper was the only key that would be able to decode the secrets embedded in the Heavenly


    Books.


    "To the Harmony Pce now," he announced at once. He was craving to know more.


    Meanwhile, in the Harmony Pce, Harper was already under a magical state of consciousness. Every


    character that could be found in the Heavenly Book had turned into what seemed like small people,


    and they flew and danced joyously in the air before they rushed into her body. Soon, she began the


    ritual¡ªshe closed her eyes and chanted as her hand performed the chant''s apanying


    choreography. Unfortunately, it turned out that the Heavenly Books of the Qin n did not record any


    method that one could do to achieve immortally¡ªthey merely recorded the cultivation methods of the


    Qin n.


    When Rndo arrived, he found himself unable to enter Harper''s room no matter what he did. It was


    as if there was an invisible wall along its perimeters, preventing any outsider from entering.


    "What''s going on?" Rndo asked in a panicked tone as he stretched his hands out to feel what was


    hindering him from even touching the door. When he felt and confirmed that indeed, there was an


    invisible barrier that was surrounding the room where Harper was, he began to strike it, hoping to break


    it down. His first strike, however, made it clear that it would be impossible for him to do that: his knuckle


    just bounced off of the unseen force field. ''Is this because of the Heavenly Books? What kind of


    powerful secret was it keeping hidden?'' he thought.


    "Your Majesty, I don''t think we would be able to enter Princess Harper''s room no matter what we do,"


    Fernando said helplessly.


    "Ah!" A pained scream suddenly came from inside the room. The moment Rndo heard it, his face


    became drained of blood. "Harper! Harper! What is happening in there? Are you all right? Harper!" he


    screamed at the top of his lungs as he continued to strike the invisible barrier, hoping to break it.


    Inside, Harper was experiencing something she had never experienced before. As the incredibly potent


    and powerful energy came into her body, she felt as if all her bones were about to break. The pure,


    untethered power of the Qin n was so formidable that even though the strength of her willpower was


    above average, she was only barely able to handle it. Soon enough, she found herself spitting out


    blood as the damage on her body worsened. Spiritual powerid heavily on her that she felt like a knife


    was being wedged inside her, slowly cutting her body in half.


    Her agonized screams came one after another, making the people who were helplessly waiting outside


    be filled with anxiety and dread.


    Patrick, upon seeing Harper rolling on the ground screaming in pain, immediately rushed over to help


    her. Before it could even get remotely close to where she was, however, a powerful force had it flying to


    the invisible barrier, and soon, it dropped on the ground, which looked rather hrious.


    At that very moment, Rndo suddenly felt a profound feeling of weakness that even supporting his


    own weight seemed impossible. His hands found his chest and clung to it as if they were trying to


    prevent it from falling apart. Cold sweat began to trickle down his forehead. "Your Majesty, what''s


    happening to you? Are you hurt?" Fernando asked in an rmed tone when he saw what was


    happening.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    As much as Rndo wanted to exin to him what he was going through, he couldn''t. He felt as if his


    heart was being crushed into a million tiny pieces, and his body was being weighed down by something


    unseen. The pain was so unbearable that he felt like it was killing him. At that same time, Harper''s


    screams were bing weaker and weaker, as if she was close to perishing.


    "Harper..." Rndo muttered as sweat continued to drip down his face. He looked so weak and frail


    that one would think he might fall down and lose consciousness at any minute. Fernando immediately


    tried to take him away to have him attended to, but he refused to leave.


    "Call the imperial physicians! Call the imperial physicians!" Fernando called loudly at once.


    Rndo weakly shook his head. While he didn''t fully know or understand what was happening inside


    Harper''s room, he was well aware that the imperial physicians wouldn''t be much of a help to him. The


    only one who could treat and save him was Harper, but she was locked inside the room, experiencing


    something horrible! She was in grave danger and she badly needed help!


    As the Harmony Pce became engulfed with fear and uncertainty, the situation at the Bliss Pce


    didn''t look any better. Miguel''s efforts to seek help for Lilian proved to be fruitless as when he finally


    arrived with the medicine Harper gave him, Lilian already had a miscarriage. With pools of blood


    around her, her servants and maids could not do anything but look on and tremble with fear. The


    imperial physician tending to her looked lost and defeated as he wasn''t able to save the baby.


    Miguel stood still at the doorway of Lilian''s room for a minute, stunned by what he was seeing. Quickly,


    however, he collected himself, helped Lilian sit up, and fed her the medicine. While sad because the


    baby had died, he could not afford to let Lilian suffer the same fate.


    Lilian felt cold to the touch, and so Miguel began transforming his internal force to share it with her. As


    he did that, he ordered the servants to clean up the mess. The imperial physician stood aside, not


    knowing what to do.


    After a while, Lilian began to look like she was feeling much better. She dozed off for a bit, and when


    she woke up, the first thing she saw was Miguel. Deep inside, she felt a sense of disappointment¡ªshe


    was expecting someone else to be by her side, a different man to save her. "My baby. How is my


    baby?" she asked, her voice still crackly.


    Miguel didn''t answer and just averted his gaze so that it wouldn''t meet Lilian''s. Sensing that something


    was gravely wrong, she looked down on her belly to touch it, only to find that her previously bulging


    belly was already t. It only meant one thing¡ªher baby was gone. With wide and teary eyes, she


    shrieked, "My baby! Where is my baby?!"


    "I''m sorry, Lady Lilian. We were not able to save your baby," Miguel responded, sounding devastated.


    He knew that it would be difficult for her to ept this cruel fact. "There was nothing we could do. I am


    so sorry."


    "My baby! My baby! What did you do with my baby!" Lilian hysterically cried out. "I want my baby back!


    Without it, His Majesty would stop caring about me! Give my baby back to me!"


    "He won''t stop caring about you! Trust me on this, Lady Lilian!" Miguel said in a firm tone in an effort to


    comfort the despairing woman. He sympathized with what Lilian was feeling, but he knew that she


    should not let it control her. "Please, you must rest now. It wouldn''t be good for you if you continue to


    stress out yourself like this."

 Chapter 892 A Ruthless Emperor (Part Two)

    Chapter 892 A Ruthless Emperor (Part Two)


    "I just lost my child, I don''t need rest!" Lilian wailed. The baby was her gateway to Rndo''s undying


    love and loyalty, but now that it was gone, she knew that he would not pay attention to her anymore.


    She saw all her hopes and dreams crumble before her very eyes.


    "Lady Lilian, please don''t act this way. His Majesty is not heartless. I''m sure that he is now on his way


    toe see you..." Miguel said.


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    A guard suddenly came in and reported in a hurried manner, "My Lord, please go and have a look at


    His Majesty. He..."


    "What''s wrong with him?" Miguel asked, standing up quickly.


    "He is currently in a terrible situation, so is thatdy in the Harmony Pce," the guard said.


    Miguel''s eyes widened. With this new development, he knew that he wouldn''t have the time and energy


    tofort Lilian anymore, and so he stood up and strode away at once. Lilian wanted toe with


    him, and so she tried to get up from her bed, even though she struggled badly. ''For a guard to rush to


    Bliss Pce, Rndo must have been badly hurt! I need to see him; I need to make sure that he''s


    okay!'' she thought.


    When Miguel arrived at the Harmony Pce, he saw Rndo sitting on the floor and leaning against a


    pir. His face was pale and he was drenched in sweat. This scene shocked Miguel, and so he


    immediately tried to grab Rndo''s hand to feel his pulse. Rndo, however, pulled his hand away.


    Miguel looked at Rndo in disbelief and said, "Your Majesty, you..."


    Rndo did not say anything. Instead, he spat out a mouthful of blood. With every second that passed,


    he looked paler and paler, making him look deathly fragile. While Miguel had known Rndo for a


    significant amount of time, it seemed like he never knew him as much as he thought he did. First, even


    though Rndo liked Harper, Miguel thought that he would still consider his life to be far more


    important than what he felt towards her. With what was happening, he was proven wrong and he was


    reminded of what kind of person Rndo was: he was someone who wouldn''t give up until he got


    something, or someone, he liked. This time, he was set on getting Harper, one way or the other.


    "Is it okay if Lady Harper stays in the room?" a voice asked. At a distance, Matthew and his men were


    keeping a close eye on the Harmony Pce. While Matthew understood how serious the situation was


    inside, he knew couldn''t do anything at that moment.


    "She will be fine!" Matthew proimed coldly. There was no way he was going to let anything happen


    to the love of his life.


    Rndo''s condition was worsening as the seconds ticked by, and so Miguel decided that it was time to


    seek assistance whether Rndo liked it or not. He was just about to call the imperial physician when


    he felt a change in the air. "The barrier''s gone!" Rndo screamed.


    He then rushed inside the room to see if Harper was doing all right. When he found that she had


    fainted, he quickly took her in his arms and tried to wake her, saying, "Harper, Harper, wake up!


    Anyone! Call the Physician Gary! Tell him toe quick! Now!"


    Miguel immediately ordered one of the servants present to fetch the imperial physician and to bring him


    there. Rndo, though still obviously weak, picked Harper up off of the floor andid her on the bed.


    Forsythia brought some warm water and wiped Harper''s face with it, praying that she wake up soon.


    But the panicked Rndo seemed to dislike how slow and gentle she was doing the task. After a while,


    he snatched the towel off of Forsythia''s hands to do the chore himself.


    With the way Rndo was ever-so-gently wiping Harper''s face with the wet towel, one would think that


    he was taking care of an extremely precious treasure. Once again, Miguel was stunned as he watched


    the scene unfold. While it was true that Rndo was kind to everyone, his tenderness was only


    surface-level, even when he was with Lilian. But now, as he was taking care of Harper, his sincerity


    was shining through, and his tenderness wasing directly from the bottom of his heart.


    Miguel turned his head to the other side because he felt ufortable seeing Rndo in such a


    vulnerable state. As he did that, he found the Heavenly Books lying on the table. This time, however,


    they weren''t three separate volumes¡ªthey had already be one! Carefully he picked it up and


    said, "Your Majesty, the book..."


    Unfortunately, Rndo was not listening. All his attention was on Harper, and the way he was taking


    care of her. This annoyed Miguel, and so instead of requesting Rndo toe see the book, he


    decided to hand it to him instead, saying, "The missing part of the Heavenly Book has been revealed.


    Now, you can have what you''ve always wanted!"


    Rndo raised his head. Nonchntly, he looked Miguel in the eyes and simply said, "Really?"


    "Rndo, get a grip of yourself! Let her go!" Miguel bellowed, finally losing his temper. He had been


    trying to calm himself down, but it was thest straw for him. "She is, after all, Matthew''s wife!


    Provoking him by trying to get with his wife won''t do us any good!"


    Rndo had just finished cleaning Harper up and was now tucking her in bed. Patrick immediately ran


    to the bedside, as if to guard Harper. Rndo gave it a cold look and then motioned Miguel to leave the


    room. He needed a word with him in private.


    Miguel went out, followed by Rndo. They stood face to face, but neither of them spoke. Miguel was


    waiting for what Rndo was going to day, but it seemed like Rndo didn''t want to open the


    conversation up.


    Then, all of a sudden, Lilian appeared out of nowhere, breaking the silence. "Your Majesty, are you all


    right?" she asked with concern coloring her voice.


    She ran towards Rndo with the intention enclosing him in a tight hug but Rndo stopped her. With


    what had happened between them, his attitude towards her changed drastically: from pretending to be


    kind to her topletely being distant and indifferent to her. A sense of resentment was also palpable


    in his aura.


    Looking at Rndo''s face, Lilian couldn''t help but cry andugh at the same time. She thought that he


    moved her to the Great Jade Kingdom because he loved her and was willing to make her his wife. It


    turned out that she was just a pawn, a pawn to lure Harper there. She finally understood that Rndo


    had taken advantage of her.


    "Your Majesty, have you ever loved me, even a little?" Lilian asked. She asked that because she was


    unwilling to ept the truth. There was no doubt in her mind how much she loved him, but why


    couldn''t he be the same to her? It didn''t matter whether he was a monk or an emperor¡ªshe fell in love


    with him the first time she met her, and she was willing to give him anything. She even courted him for


    five years! Weren''t five years enough for him to love her, even a little? Just knowing that he had


    learned to love her, even the littlest bit, after all this time would make her the happiest woman on earth.


    But there was only indifference in Rndo''s eyes. If he had the ability to control whatever he was


    feeling, he would have chosen to fall in love with her a long, long time ago. Unfortunately, that was not


    how life worked. No matter what he or she did, he just did not love her. Even if another five years


    passed, he wouldn''t have any kind of feelings for her.


    "Lady Lilian, your body is still too weak. Please go back to the Bliss Pce and have a rest," Miguel


    advised. He felt sorry for her. Lilian loved Rndo with her whole heart, yet thetter only loved Harper.


    The greater irony was that Harper only loved Matthew.


    Lilian shook her head and stared at Rndo stubbornly. She wanted to know the answer, even though


    she actually already knew it deep in her heart. She wanted to hear it from Rndo himself. Otherwise,


    she would not give up.


    "No. Never," Rndo finally said. His tone was firm, cold, and distant. The only time he acted like a


    human being with a range of feelings was whenever he was in front of Harper. When he faced other


    people, he would watch hisposure and be the perfect emperor everyone wanted him to be: gentle


    yet cool, elegant yet ruthless.

 Chapter 893 Be My Empress (Part One)

    Chapter 893 Be My Empress (Part One)


    Lilian wandered outside of the Harmony Pce, lost, confused, and heartbroken. Even the memory of


    how she got where she was muddled. As she came upon the pce gates, she realized how hollow


    she felt inside, and fear was the only emotion nestled within her chest. Her body shook hard, as if it


    was exposed to harshest winter known to man. After taking a deep breath to regainposure, she


    began to look up, and that was when she saw the que that said "Harmony Pce". It was a sign


    written by Rndo himself. Now, as she recalled everything little he had done ever since they met,


    Lilian realized that he actually had expressed his love for Harper from the very beginning¡ªit was just


    no one had paid it any serious thought. It was hard for anyone to believe that Rndo, who upied


    such an esteemed position, would fall in love with a married woman.


    "I was so stupid," Lilian murmured helplessly. Once upon a time, she truly believed that Rndo had


    finally fallen in love with her after all the efforts she had exerted. Now, she was pped with the reality


    that none of that was ever true, and that none of that would ever happen.


    "My Lady, it''s going to be alright," Daisy murmured, trying tofort her master. Deep inside, however,


    she knew that the wound caused by such a rejection would take years to heal, if it even did.


    "Let''s go back," Lilian said sadly and quietly. With her still being in the process of epting that


    Rndo would never see her as a romantic partner, the next thing that was viable for her was to be


    close to him. ''I will never ask for anything. I just... want to be close to him,'' she thought, as they head


    back to the Bliss Pce.


    When Harper finally woke up, Patrick immediately put its head against her chest. Harper rubbed its


    head gently and said, "I''m fine. Don''t worry."


    "You are not fine. You''ve frightened everyone," Rndo said in a concerned tone. "Are you hurting


    anywhere?"


    Harper struggled to sit up. Thest thing she remembered was her body feeling like it was being torn


    apart. She must have fainted during that process because she couldn''t remember anything else. "I just


    feel... sticky, maybe from all the sweating. But I don''t think any part of my body is particrly painful,"


    she responded.


    "Well, that''s good. I will ask someone to bring some warm water here. You can take a bath as long as


    you want," Rndo proposed at once.


    "That would be nice. Thank you, Rndo," said Harper.


    After the warm water was sent in, Harper went to take a bath. Forsythia stood by the door, guarding her


    lady against Rndo. For her, his intentions were crystal clear, and she would never allow him to do


    whatever he wanted.


    Rndo knew what Forsythia was doing. How could he not? But he did not care. He would wait as long


    as necessary and do whatever it took to get what he had been after all these years.


    After Harper bathed and changed her clothes, she looked energetic and refreshed. Rndo was sitting


    at the table, waiting patiently for her to finish. "I''ve read all the contents of the Heavenly Book," she said


    as she sat opposite him.


    "Okay," Rndo answered, looking uninterested.


    "Don''t you want to know what it says?" Harper asked eagerly.


    Rndo, however, merely gazed at her and replied, "If you want to tell me, you will. But if you don''t,


    even if I force you, you won''t tell me anything."


    Harper raised her eyebrows, surprised by the rather snappy attitude Rndo had. Choosing to ignore


    it, she continued, "The Heavenly Book recorded the cultivation methods of the Qin n. It didn''t say


    anything about the methods one should undergo to be immortal."


    "Cultivation methods?" Rndo repeated. He was a little surprised, but then he smiled sarcastically. "I


    didn''t expect that the Heavenly Books everyone in the world would kill to get a hold of merely recorded


    the Qin n''s cultivation methods."


    "Well, that''s the truth," Harper said as she took a nce at the now singr Heavenly Book lying on


    the table. She took it and then began reading for Rndo.


    Rndo listened attentively. He had studied the Heavenly Book himself for many years, so although he


    couldn''t trante the words as smoothly as Harper did, he was still able to read quite a few passages.


    Because of that, he was able to corroborate that what Harper was reciting was true. Indeed, this


    Heavenly Book only recorded the Qin n''s cultivation methods.


    "There was an enchanted barrier around your room. Nobody could get in. Do you have any idea what


    that was and why that happened?" Rndo asked softly. Somehow, he still couldn''t believe that the


    secret held by the Heavenly Book within it was just some record of cultivation methods. He was sure


    that Harper was on the verge of death¡ªthey were connected by the Deathly Kalpa, and he felt the


    immense pain she felt.


    Harper''s finger went over every character in the Heavenly Book as she responded, "That was because


    the cultivation methods were not fully recorded. There was something wrong when I performed them.


    Thus, I was counterattacked by its power."


    Rndo was confused, but he didn''t want to press her for answers anymore. He was not sure about


    whether or not she really suffered from that, but he did feel the pain. It was unbearable, and it was


    something that he didn''t want Harper to feel ever again.


    "Let''s talk about something else. I''m nning on proceeding with the coronation ceremony of the


    empress. What do you think?" Rndo asked with a smile.


    Confused, Harper looked at him and asked, "It''s your business. Why are you asking for my opinion?"


    "I want you to be my empress, Harper," Rndo said slowly as he looked Harper in the eyes.


    The Heavenly Book in Harper''s hand slipped and almost fell to the ground. With her quick instincts,


    however, she was able to catch it in time.


    "Emperor Rndo, shame on you! My Lady is married! How dare you ask such a question!" Forsythia


    raised her voice as she pointed at Rndo usingly. "Besides, Prince Matthew will never allow you


    to do that!"


    Rndo only red at Forsythia in response. Then, he slowly turned his head to look at Harper, his


    eyes dark and serious, and said, "I will have the ceremonial dress sent here. You can try it and see if it


    fits you. If it doesn''t, I''ll have it changed."


    Harper kept silent. After a few moments, however, a sweet smiled blossomed on her lips as she said,


    "For some reason, I feel like this has already happened."


    Forsythia was surprised at Harper''s reaction. ''No, My Lady! Why do you look amused? He is trying to


    separate you from Prince Matthew! Be serious, My Lady!'' she yelled inwardly.


    "Oh, I remember," Harper continued, her face now donned with a serious expression. "Francis had said


    such words to me as well. He even imprisoned me in the Imperial Pce of the Bright Dynasty to make


    sure that I agree."


    Panic shed across Rndo''s eyes for a second, but he was able to get over it quickly. "Harper, you


    can''t leave. I don''t care about what you want, but I wouldn''t let you leave this ce," he said firmly.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    When Harper heard this, her eyes narrowed. She knew that Rndo was unlike Francis¡ªFrancis had


    nned everything for many, many years, but unfortunately, he had been suppressed by other forces


    as he did not have many supporters. In contrast, Rndo, as the emperor of the Great Jade Kingdom,


    had the utmost loyalty of his talented subordinates. It was no exaggeration to say that his strength was


    comparable to that of Matthew''s. ''If he said it, he must be serious about it,'' Harper thought. ''What


    makes him so sure that he would be able to stop me from leaving this ce?''

 Chapter 894 Be My Empress (Part Two)

    Chapter 894 Be My Empress (Part Two)


    "What do you mean by that?" she asked after staying silent for a few seconds.


    Rndo smiled in response. "As I said, Harper: I want you to be my empress, and I will do anything for


    that to happen. I know that Matthew is now in the Imperial Capital. He wants to take you away from


    here, but that isn''t an easy task. But let me ask you one thing, though¡ªwhich do you think is more


    important to him: the whole world or the one he loves?"


    Harper didn''t answer because what Rndo said troubled her immensely. If she remembered correctly,


    Rndo was supposed to hold the coronation ceremony tomorrow. ''What is he going to do?'' she just


    thought silently.


    When he realized that Harper had stopped being responsive to any of his advances, Rndo decided


    to leave. After he had gone, Forsythia bemoaned with resentment, "What should we do, My Lady? It


    seems like he is set on making you his woman while Prince Matthew isn''t by your side! I think it''s better


    if we escape this ce as soon as possible!"


    "Escape?" Harper repeated,ughing almost hysterically. "There are so many guards outside,


    Forsythia. It''s impossible that we beat them all. There is nothing we can do¡ªwe can''t get out of here."


    "Even if I can''t defeat all of them, I will still fight for you!" Forsythia said with a determined face.


    Harper had no choice but to smile helplessly at Forsythia''s unparalleled stubbornness and dedication


    to her. "Don''t be ridiculous, Forsythia. Matthew is still alive, yet there is already someone who wants to


    snatch his wife away. Of course I wouldn''t want that, but if he wouldn''t do anything, I''d be incredibly


    disappointed. In that case, I don''t think marrying Rndo is a bad idea."


    "My Lady! What are you talking about? I doubt Prince Matthew can remain calm if he knows what''s


    happening!" Forsythia said. Even though she had already been serving Harper for a long time, she still


    considered Matthew as one of her masters. What was more, she witnessed the blossoming of their


    beautiful rtionship. Because of this, she was one hundred percent sure that Matthew would never


    allow Harper to be taken away by Rndo.


    "I know. Of course he wouldn''t. We''ll just wait for him toe. What''s the rush anyway?" Harper said


    calmly. From what Rndo had said, Harper guessed that he was nning something for her that


    would put her in a difficult situation. ''But what would he do?'' she thought. Despite thinking hard, she


    couldn''t think of anything.


    "My Lady! We should at least tell His Highness that Emperor Rndo is trying to make you his


    empress!" Forsythia said. She was starting to feel annoyed by Harper''s seemingly nonchnt attitude.


    Since they were trapped inside the Harmony Pce, they had no way to tell Matthew what was


    happening. Now, if Rndo indeed forced Harper to be his wife and Matthew had no idea about it,


    things would undeniably go very, very wrong.


    Looking out of the room, Harper said, "Don''t worry, Forsythia. We both know that Matthew is very


    capable. How could he not know what''s happening here?"


    "I want to believe that, but I still want security that His Highness knows the bad ideas Emperor Rndo


    has in mind!" It was obvious that Forsythia wasn''t beingforted by Harper''s words.


    Harper smiled and replied, "I suddenly feel curious. What if Matthew sees me stand on the tform


    tomorrow?"


    "I think he is going to grow furious and Emperor Rndo and his men will be doomed," Forsythia


    answered at once. She was well aware of Matthew''s temper and she was sure that he would show no


    mercy to anyone who was involved in this issue.


    Harperughed, seemingly to signal that she was only poking fun at Forsythia. She really wasn''t


    sweating about the oing coronation ceremony. When she was reading the Heavenly Book and


    was inheriting the power of the Qin n, she found herself poisoned. It was something she didn''t


    recognize when it had happened. She had a special body. Minor poisons such as those that made


    people fall lethargically asleep and aphrodisiacs wouldn''t pose much threat to her. But the poison


    inside her at that moment seemed different and special. While it seemed to be harmless, Harper was


    still afraid that if it came into effect, it would kill her. What was worse, the poison was umted near


    her elixir field.


    She then began to recall everything that had happened after she entered the Imperial Pce of the


    Great Jade Kingdom. If there was nothing weird about the food and drink she had ingested, how had


    she been poisoned? Was there a venomous insect in her body? If yes, then when did she get in touch


    such insect?


    Suddenly, Harper looked at the Heavenly Book on the table. Rndo did not take it away. Although she


    had learned each and every secret that the book contained, it did not mean that it had be useless


    to her. Did he leave it because he was sure that she would not be able to leave the pce?


    Harper quickly took the book and examined it carefully. As she caressed its cover, she couldn''t help but


    smile. "He has such a sensitive mind. No wonder I didn''t notice anything."


    "My Lady, what is it?" Forsythia asked curiously.


    Harper did not respond. The poison was put on the Heavenly Book, right on the nk page that


    Rndo discovered. He made sure that he showed it to Harper because he was sure that she would


    be all over it, examining it herself with her hands.


    "You may leave now. Leave me alone for a while," Harper said as she waved her hand to ask Forsythia


    to leave. The poison Rndo had for her must be extremely strong because he knew that ordinary


    venomous insect poison wouldn''t have any effect on her. Also, she was a gifted physician, so Rndo


    used something that was somewhat more challenging to be removed from her body. And itsplexity


    was already showing: Harper knew that she had to further examine her body first before being sure


    what kind of poison she was poisoned with.


    Harper slowly took out a silver needle, stabbed it into her elixir field without hesitation, and pulled it out.


    The needle didn''t change its color at all. Confused, she thought, ''Is it not poison? But if it is not poison,


    what on earth is in my body?'' The elixir field was very important for martial cultivators. Whatever was


    inside her stomach was extremely dangerous. Once it came into effect, it would undoubtedly make her


    suffer.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    "Rndo, nothing has put me in a position where I don''t know what to do. Let''s see who''ll have thest


    laugh," she murmured with a determined look on her face.

 Chapter 895 The Urgent Situation (Part One)

    Chapter 895 The Urgent Situation (Part One)


    When Rndo came with the newly tailored ceremonial robes for the empress, Harper was ying


    with Patrick to kill time. He was all smiles and was walking briskly.


    "I have brought the clothes, Harper. I asked them to make them ording to your size, but since I don''t


    really know the specifics of your size, I don''t really know if they''ll fit you. So try them on! Don''t worry if


    they don''t fit¡ªwe have plenty of time to modify them," Rndo said, his tone gentle as he caressed the


    bright red outfit.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    Harper continued to y with Patrick, pretending not to hear what Rndo was saying. No one in the


    world would be able to convince her to try the robes as she knew that she wouldn''t be the empress¡ªin


    the past, in the present, or in the future.


    Rndo surprisingly didn''t feel bad about Harper''s silence and didn''t even press her for a response.


    Instead, he just took the Heavenly Book on the table and said, "Harper, I''ll keep this for the time being.


    I''ll give it back to you after the coronation ceremony."


    Harper nced up at Rndo but still didn''t say anything. It was never her intention to hold on to the


    book or to take it away from him. It really didn''t have any use to her anymore, as she had already


    inherited all its contents and secrets. At that point, the Heavenly Book was already coursing through


    her veins that she had no need for its physical form anymore.


    "The coronation ceremony is going to be held tomorrow, Harper. Don''t you have anything to say about


    that?" Rndo asked. Harper''s silence was starting to get into him as he rarely saw her like this. He


    had seen her angry many, many times, but she was never this quiet.


    "I have nothing to say," Harper answered, as she held Patrick tightly in her arms, rubbing its head.


    Patrick, however, didn''t like it at all and tried to wriggle free from Harper''s clutches. Unfortunately for it,


    she wasn''t budging, so it decided to y dead instead.


    "Well, if that''s the case, you better rest early. Tomorrow will be very busy," Rndo said gently, poised


    to leave. To him, what Harper thought and wanted didn''t matter at all¡ªhis ns woulde to fruition,


    no matter what happened. Even the knowledge that Matthew was lurking in the capital didn''t worry him


    one bit¡ªif worse came to worst and they had to duel it out, he was ready. They had been mortal


    enemies for the longest time now, and it was high time that someone between them triumphed.


    Seeing that Rndo was about to head to the door, Harper suddenly said, "It''s been said that the


    library of the Great Jade Kingdom has the mostplete collection of books in the whole world. I think


    I want to have a look around there."


    Rndo looked surprised but nodded nheless. "Okay. I''ll take you there."


    "Thank you."


    After a bit of preparation, the two of them made their way to the famous library. It was arge building


    with three floors. The books it was housing covered all kinds of fields, including cultivation, martial arts,


    court affairs, and so on.


    "I think I want to stay here and read books today," Harper dered as soon as they arrived. She


    immediately went upstairs to find one book about medicine. Although she didn''t know whether she


    could find it or not, it was better than staying in the Harmony Pce in a daze.


    "Okay," Rndo called behind her. He immediately ordered his people to stand guard outside so that it


    would be impossible for Harper to escape.


    "Your Highness, how could you still be in the mood to read medical books at this time? If I were you, I''d


    be really stressed. I really admire you," Forsythia said with a downcast face. Slowly, she pushed a


    window open and looked at the guards outside. She was awed by Rndo''s dedication to prevent


    them from escaping, but she knew that every n had a weakness. After a few minutes of careful


    calction, however, she had no choice but to give up. Truly, there was no chance for them to escape.


    Harper didn''t answer Forsythia. Instead, she just went through the bookshelf as quickly as she could to


    look for the thing she was searching for. She knew that she couldn''t afford to be anxious at that time, or


    else she would be set up. Rndo was careful and meticulous, and since he sounded confident when


    he revealed his ns to her, it meant that he had nned everything down to the smallest thing. And


    the poison currently inside her body definitely was a key point!


    Soon enough, Harper found the book she wanted. She quickly turned to the Deathly Kalpa which was


    found on thest page. An undecipherable expression briefly contorted her face, but she collected


    herself and put the book back on the shelf.


    "Your Highness, the whole building is heavily guarded. There is no chance for us to escape," Forsythia


    sadly said.


    "Then let''s go." Harper then turned around and went downstairs. As she did, an old man wasing


    up slowly, so she stepped aside to let him up first.


    The old man took a good look at Harper as their paths crossed. Harper didn''t notice and continued


    going downstairs with Forsythia.


    Staring at Harper''s receding figure, the old man, Gary, said, "Is that the woman you like? You


    deliberately let her know that she is suffering from the Deathly Kalpa. Aren''t you afraid that she''ll do


    something impulsive?"


    Rndo watched Harper leave. "She wouldn''t. Other people might do something irreparable on


    impulse, but she wouldn''t. We''re the same type of person. She''s too rational."


    "Your Majesty, if I remember correctly, thisdy, Princess Harper, has extraordinary medical skills."


    "More than that. The streets have said that the legendary Canon of Medicine is currently in her hands.


    And honestly, judging from her medical skills, it might be true. But I believe that what you have put on


    her is not easy to break; otherwise it won''t be called ''Deathly Kalpa'', right?" Rndo said in a low


    voice.


    Gary smiled confidently. "Of course, Your Majesty. Up until now, no one has been able to solve the


    mystery of the Deathly Kalpa. Even if Harper is the best medical expert in the whole world, she


    wouldn''t be able to solve it."


    "Then please be ready for the coronation ceremony tomorrow."


    "Yes, Your Majesty. And please rest assured. You know that I would never disappoint you."


    When Harper returned to the Harmony Pce, she looked calm, as if she hadn''t discovered something


    disastrous. But Forsythia, after being around her for a long, long time, had immediately felt that Harper


    had something on her mind. Considering what was happening tomorrow, however, she believed that no


    one would be able to feel at peace, even for one second.

 Chapter 896 The Urgent Situation (Part Two)

    Chapter 896 The Urgent Situation (Part Two)


    In a hotel in the capital, Diana walked up and down restlessly. "What should we do? My master has


    been trapped in the Imperial Pce. And Prince Matthew is nowhere to be seen. What should we do?"


    "Stop pacing around! You''re making me dizzy! His Highness is not here, so he must have been out to


    find a way to save Princess Harper. Who would have thought that Emperor Rndo would do such a


    shameless thing, like forcing to keep Her Highness inside his pce against her will! What a heartless


    person!" Zorro said agonizingly.


    Diana rolled her eyes. This idiot still thought that Rndo was aiming for Matthew. Rndo''s target


    had probably been Harper ever since the very beginning. Harper''s earlier-than-expected arrival in the


    Great Jade Kingdom, her sessful pration of the Imperial Pce, and her incredible treatment


    even as a foreigner must all have been because of Rndo. The nned coronation ceremony


    tomorrow must have been nned for vengeance!


    "The envoy team has arrived. It is a great opportunity for us to save Her Highness at the ceremony


    tomorrow!" Zorro clenched his fists and hoped that the guards in the pce would ck off tomorrow,


    because no one in their right mind would do anything out of line when something that important would


    happen. They would find the right time to sneak into the Harmony Pce and rescue Harper before


    Rndo was able to marry her!


    Suddenly a small snake climbed into the room through the window and immediately made its way


    towards Diana. It climbed up her leg and to her wrist. Diana was overjoyed to see the creature. "Any


    news?" she asked happily.


    Nobody knew how Diana was able to talk to the snake, but Zorro didn''t care. They needed the


    information. Unfortunately, her face became contorted as if she received bad news. "What''s wrong?"


    Zorro asked.This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Princess Lilian had a miscarriage and was put under house arrest," Diana shared, looking at Zorro


    directly in the eyes.


    "What about Princess Harper?" Zorro further inquired.


    "I was just going to share that next," Diana said, gulping down her saliva. She continued, "Rndo


    decided to have somebody else to be his empress to rece Lilian at thest second. He has chosen


    Princess Harper, and tomorrow, she would be his empress!"


    Zorro''s eyes widened and his mouth fell open. "That despicable asshole, Rndo! How could he do


    this!"


    "That shouldn''t be our main concern! What''s more pressing is Prince Matthew going into the pce to


    find his wife, and he was hurt by Rndo. We all know that he is injured somewhere, but his


    whereabouts are still unknown."


    "What?" Zorro contemted their fate as ofte: the prince asked them to take care of Harper, but she


    was taken away by Rndo, even though she was under their protection; Matthew then went to rescue


    her, but was plotted in secret by Rndo; now, Rndo was actively trying to make Harper his


    empress despite her being someone else''s wife. "Rndo is rather shameless!" he shouted.


    "We have to send someone to the pce to save Her Highness." Zorro immediately stood up and


    walked out.


    "Stop!" Diana shouted, trying to stop him from going. "How do you think you would be able to save her


    especially at this time? Break into the pce and let Rndo''s people kill you? If all of you are dead,


    then nobody can save my master!"


    "Then what do you think we should do?"


    "We will fight for her at the ceremony tomorrow! Although I know my master doesn''t want to attend that


    damned event, we all know that Rndo is very sinister and will force her to attend. When that time


    comes, we will create some aversion so that we would be able to rescue her. That will be much safer


    than just barging in there right now," Diana said decisively.


    "No, I can''t wait that long!" Zorro protested.


    "Zorro, get your head straight! The Imperial Pce is obviously currently heavily guarded. There is a


    high chance that you will be killed before seeing my master, let alone saving her. Isn''t that the dumbest


    thing you can do right now?" Diana was speechless. ''What kind of people are they? How could they be


    this stupid and reckless? My master always said that I don''t think about my actions thoroughly, but it


    seems like her subordinates are worse!''


    "It''s... But the ceremony will be held tomorrow. If Her Highness bes the empress of the Great


    Jade Kingdom, what will His Highness do?"


    "What a fool! We are going to stop the ceremony tomorrow, but how should we stop it? We need to


    discuss and n this carefully, because we will absolutely not let my master marry Rndo!" Diana


    said, her voice sounding incredibly furious.


    Zorro finally calmed down and thought for a while. "I need to send a message to Marquis Shawn. If


    things go on like this, there may be a war between the Great Jade Kingdom and the Bright Dynasty.


    We have to tell him so that he would be able to prepare!"


    "You are right. Shawn is a general guarding the border. If he sends the army to the border and puts


    pressure on Rndo, it will be good for us!" Diana rolled her eyes. "Send a message to Shawn. Ask


    him to stir up the conflict between the two kingdoms first. Attack Rndo off guard."


    "Okay." Zorro sent a message to Shawn immediately. After thinking it over, Diana decided to send a


    message to Catherine. If the Bright Dynasty and the Great Jade Kingdom started a fight, the South


    Kingdom and the Wonder Kingdom would not be able to stand by. She had to tell Catherine to get


    prepared.


    Diana opened the window and whistled. In the dark night, a quick shadow flew into the window and


    stopped on her arm. She tied the letter on its leg. "Go back and tell my sister. You can''t dy."


    Diana sent the message by the exclusive crow of the South Kingdom, which could resist the miasma in


    the kingdom. Because of the special environment, only crows could pass through the miasma in the


    region. So she trained crows to pass the message. When the crow disappeared, she closed the


    window and thought, ''Harper, let me see if you can defeat Rndo.''

 Chapter 897 Harmony Palace Is On Fire (Part One)

    Chapter 897 Harmony Pce Is On Fire (Part One)


    As night fell, the guards in the Harmony Pce were doubled. After she took a quick nce at the


    increasing guards, Harper''s attention was caught by something in the yard. Forsythia followed suit but


    had no idea what Harper was looking at. Somehow, it bothered her that Harper''s demeanor was still so


    calm amid everything that was happening. ''Is she... interested in bing Rndo''s empress?'' she


    thought, scandalized.


    "Your Highness, I think we have to try and escape," Forsythia whispered, her spirit not waning despite


    the urgent situation. "If we don''t leave now, tomorrow you''ll..."


    "Forsythia, you have said that a million times," Harper said emotionlessly without even raising her


    head. "If you really believe that you can go out of there and leave unscathed, then you can have a try."


    "But Your Highness, I don''t think it''s a good idea if we just stay here and do nothing! We have to try and


    do something!" Forsythia was slowly bing manic as Matthew still hadn''t shown up yet. If Harper


    attended tomorrow''s ceremony and truly became Rndo''s empress, things would definitely be


    bad and out of control!


    Suddenly, Harper pped her hands, a look of satisfaction donning on her face. "Well, it''s done," she


    said, breathing deeply.


    "What do you mean by that, Your Highness?" Forsythia asked curiously.


    "The array has been set, my dear Forsythia," Harper answered, her eyes glittering. "Matthew should be


    here now. Let''s get in."


    This statement did not make any sense to Forsythia. She felt lost andpletely confused, but


    somehow, the statement calmed her nerves. Her master''s ways of dealing things were a mystery, but


    she trusted in them.


    "Your Highness, is His Highness already in the pce?" she asked.


    Harper smiled mysteriously. "The array outside can probably stop the secret guards for four hours.


    Rndo, on the other hand, can only be stopped for about an hour. I wonder if one hour is enough for


    us to go out of this ce."


    "Enough!" A disembodied voice abruptly rang out inside the room. Both of the two women turned their


    heads and saw a hole slowly emerging on the ground. Soon, they saw Matthew staring at Harper from


    the entrance of the said hole, his eyes deep and knowing.


    Harper sat still and simply looked at her husband with a profound smile on her lips. He finally stopped


    pretending that he wasn''t there.


    "Well? What are you waiting for? Come over now. Are you waiting for Rndo to stop you?" Matthew


    coughed, pretending to be angry.


    Harper still didn''t move. Instead, she continued to look at him and said with a smile, "I thought you


    wanted to pretend that you were not here? You even changed my clothes and the quilt to make me feel


    that you were not here before. What are you doing here?"


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    Matthew choked and quickly jumped out of the hole. Standing in front of Harper in a condescending


    manner, he asked, "Are you sure you want to argue that with me right now?"


    "Am I the one who''s messing around?" Harper pointedly asked, pulling a long face. ''Rndo had saved


    my life. What he asked me to do was not too much. I should return the favor as a friend. Do you want to


    be married to such an ungrateful person?'' she thought, actually mad.


    Matthew felt that the situation Harper was presenting him was a little bit tricky. Despite that, he still


    said, "The most important thing right now is for us to be able to leave this ce. As for other things,


    can we talk about them after we''ve escaped? Is that okay?"


    "Well, you can leave now, but I won''t!" Harper said stubbornly. There was no way she was letting go of


    the whole matter that easily.


    "All right, Harp, I''m sorry. I know it''s not your fault. If Rndo plots against someone purposely, he can


    be deceived, even if he is extremely cautious. I''m just angry with myself. I have known that Rndo''s


    target was you¡ªit has always been you¡ªand I shouldn''t have let you go to the Great Jade Kingdom


    alone. I am very sorry." Matthew let out a deep sigh. "Now, can you stop being angry with me? We


    have a lot to do."


    "Then why did you ask me if I cared about your feelings?"


    "I..." Matthew''s voice became hoarse. The truth was that he was in a very bad mood because he was


    jealous. In his life, he had done such a stupid thing: Although he had escaped, he still went back to


    battle with Rndo. Yet, his self-esteem didn''t allow him to tell her that.


    "What? You don''t believe me! It''s so obvious!"


    "No, I didn''t..." Matthew staggered. "I''m... I''m not confident in myself, Harper."


    "Have you been bewitched by one of Rndo''s magic potions or what? When Rndo saved me, you


    were angry. When he caught me, you were still angry. Does that mean you''d be angry with everything


    that rtes to Rndo? Then, let me ask you one question: do you love him, or me? Because it


    seemed like you''re in love with him! You two¡ª" Before she could say what she wanted to say, however,


    her lips were already sealed shut by Matthew''s lips.


    After they shared a deeply passionate kiss, Matthew released Harper and said in a threatening voice,


    "Continue saying that, and that''s how you''ll end up!"


    Harper rolled her eyes and snorted, "You always showed that you two love and hate each other so


    much that it makes me think I''m the third wheel."


    Matthew was at a loss for words. Why did his wife think that he and Rndo were in love? There was


    only anger between them and there was no space for love, or any kind of feeling of that sort, to flourish.


    Sometimes, he really wanted to pierce into his wife''s head and check what was inside it. Such peculiar


    thoughts this woman had!


    "Can we just get a move on, please? I am sure that once Rndo finishes taking care of whatever he''s


    taking care of, he will surelye here and guard you. If that happened, our slim chances of escaping


    this ce would be even slimmer!" Matthew wrapped his arm around Harper''s waist and was


    about to take her away when she suddenly said,


    "Wait!" Harper tapped Matthew''s hand as a signal to him to let her go. After he did, she went ahead


    and hung up an oilmp using a thread. She then tied the other end of the thread to a chair. The


    process continued with her lighting a candle which was about four centimeters higher than a certain


    point along the thread. Matthew looked on curiously, but then he immediately understood what she was


    doing: The moment candle reached the thread, it would burn it, effectively cutting it, causing the oil


    lamp to fall to the ground. Once that happened, it would ignite the curtain in the room, burning


    everything down.

 Chapter 898 Harmony Palace Is On Fire (Part Two)

    Chapter 898 Harmony Pce Is On Fire (Part Two)


    "Is it done? If so, let''s go!"


    Fred nced at the simple mechanism that Harper set and thought, ''Her Highness is so smart and


    terrifying. She truly would destroy the Harmony Pce so that Rndo will be unable to find us, as the


    fire will cover up our traces, making it more difficult for Rndo to find us!''


    "Let''s go!" With his arms around Harper''s waist, Matthew jumped into the hole they had dug


    beforehand. Any trace left behind was swept by Fred before he disappeared.


    Rndo and his officials were discussing the details of tomorrow''s coronation ceremony for the


    empress when Harper and Matthew escaped the Harmony Pce. With him making sure that the


    Harmony Pce was heavily guarded and that no one could break in or escape, Rndo felt secure


    that no unprecedented thing would happen. He was sure that Matthew would deem a rescue


    impossible and that he wouldn''t have any choice but to try his luck at tomorrow''s ceremony. Because of


    that, he knew that he must prepare in advance not only to make sure that the ceremony would be


    a sess, but also to secure that Matthew would not return home alive.


    "Your Majesty, everything is ready. Do you have anything else to add?" Miguel asked, his face a bit


    pale. He felt that more things had happened in thest two days than what had happened in the past


    five years.


    Rndo thought it over and said, "Tomorrow, the city gates should not be opened. No one is allowed to


    leave the capital."


    Miguel nodded, understanding why Rndo would order such a thing. If Matthew were to destroy the


    ceremony tomorrow and run away with Harper, the two of them wouldn''t be able to leave the Imperial


    Capital with the gates closed and guarded. Rndo could order his army to search every corner of the


    city to find Matthew, killing him the moment he found him.


    "I am on it," Miguel said, preparing to leave. When he reached the entrance, however, he stopped and


    turned around. "Your Majesty, what are you going to do with Lady Lilian?" he asked.


    "When did I ever give her title?" Rndo asked, sounding confused yet uninterested. He had never


    clearly stated that he gave her any title, but the people started calling her Lady Lilian anyway.


    Miguel turned around and looked at the emperor in disbelief. "Your Majesty, didn''t you acquiesce in her


    title?"


    "I don''t remember, and honestly, I don''t care," Rndo responded in a cold voice. "Miguel, didn''t you


    advise me to not act rashly and ruin our kingdom for women? What is this that you''re doing? Why does


    it feel like you''re willing to ruin all of our ns just for some woman?"


    Miguel opened his mouth to argue back, but he couldn''t find the words to say. At this point, it was clear


    that the emperor loved Harper so much and that he would never let her leave him. But initially, their


    ns included her just because they figured out that she was a key part if they wanted to seed.


    What they failed to consider was human emotions: Rndo fell in love with Harper as he became


    closer to her. Still, it didn''t affect their ns.


    "I understand my duty," Miguel finally said, conceding to Rndo.


    Rndo put down the report of the officials that was in his hand and said, "I know you do, but it''s good


    to know that you understand. Don''t forget: tomorrow will change everything! I feel like I should go to


    Harmony Pce to help guard it. Although most of our forces are already there, Matthew is not


    someone who will give up easily. I wouldn''t feel at ease until I guard Harper myself."


    "I understand. With that, Your Majesty, I''m off to fulfill your orders." Miguel took three steps back, turned


    around and walked out. Just as he reached the door, he saw Sean running in quickly and anxiously.


    "Your Majesty! Bad news! Harmony Pce is on fire!"


    "What?" Rndo and Miguel eximed at the same time, shocked. Without a moment to lose, Rndo


    bolted out towards the Harmony Pce as fast as he could, Miguel close behind him. The two of them


    were having the same doubts: was the fire an ident, or did someone deliberately start it? If it was


    deliberately done, who did it? Was it Matthew?


    The guards were at a loss outside the Harmony Pce. When Rndo arrived, they were still staring


    at the burning building, ck-jawed. Rndo snarled, "Put out the goddamn fire! Why are still standing


    here?"


    "Your Majesty! An array has been set up inside the pce. We can''t go in!" Fernando''s face looked


    grim. He tried several times to break in, but to no avail. The magic array in the yard was so powerful


    that the guards couldn''t even get anywhere near it. The fire in the pce was getting bigger and bigger,


    but they could do nothing.


    Rndo pushed Fernando out of the way to enter the pce, but he was stopped by Miguel. "Your


    Majesty, you can''t just go in. The fire has already gotten too big!"


    "Get out of my way," Rndo hissed. He forcefully pushed Miguel out of the way and went ahead to


    enter the pce. The array set by Harper could sessfully block the secret guards and guards


    outside, but for people like Rndo, it wasn''t a big deal. Rndo then stepped into the array like it was


    nothing. Miguel followed him, as he was afraid that something bad might happen to him.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    Only after the two broke the array did they realize how strong the fire was. Despite it seeming like there


    was no way for them to stop it, Rndo insisted on going in. As Miguel knew that once Rndo set his


    mind on something, he wouldn''t be able to stop him. Thus, he just bit the bullet and followed his


    emperor inside.


    "Harper, Harper, where are you?" Rndo shouted out as he rushed into the sea of me. As he


    rushed towards Harper''s room, Miguel carefully examined everything in his way before the fire


    devoured everything. Between the array outside the hall and the fire currently raging in the Harmony


    Pce, it seemed like someone wanted to kill Harper.


    "Where are the maids and eunuchs here?" Miguel asked in confusion. The pce was on fire, but


    where did the maids and eunuchs go? He hadn''te across a body after his entrance, which he


    found extremely strange considering the level of the fire.


    Rndo continued to look for Harper despite the roaring fire but found nothing. Just then, a beam on


    fire copsed. It took Rndo by surprise, and if it were not for Miguel pushing him away quickly, he


    would have been badly injured. "Your Majesty, let''s get out of here! No one is here, even the maids and


    eunuchs! This didn''t happen by ident¡ªHarper Chu must have escaped!"

 Chapter 899 A Chance To Prove Yourself (Part One)

    Chapter 899 A Chance To Prove Yourself (Part One)


    In order for the guards outside to be able toe into the Harmony Pce and extinguish the fiercely


    raging fire, Miguel destroyed the array set up by Harper. Soon after entering, the guards found the


    pce''s maids and eunuchs in a secluded hall. They all passed out, as if someone drugged them or


    targeted their sleep acupuncture points.


    "Your Majesty, please spare me!" one pleaded as soon as he came around.


    Miguel took a look at the man and his face darkened. "Who knocked you out?" he asked.


    "Princess Harper," answered all the servants who just regained their consciousness. "After she called


    us in, she attacked us, targeting our acupuncture points... And that''s thest thing I remember!"


    "Your Majesty..." Miguel looked worriedly at Rndo, who was looking like a mess as his hair had been


    singed at the ends. "Princess Harper... has escaped."


    Rndo clenched his fists tightly. Of course Harper would escape! Despite everything that he had done


    to deter her from trying to leave, he should have known that she would still try, especially considering


    how strong-headed she was. Was she the one who created the array so that it would cover her tracks


    and prevent people from entering the Harmony Pce?


    "Lock the gates of the city and make sure that no one leaves! Search every house in this goddamn


    capital and don''t stop until you''ve found Harper!" The expression on Rndo''s face was horrifying¡ªit


    was obvious that his anger had already consumed his whole being!


    "Yes, Your Majesty," Miguel responded, asking his people to block the city gates at once and to go


    house to house in search of Harper. He knew that if she had already escaped from the Imperial Pce,


    the first thing she would do was leave the city immediately. ''Though the city gates have been closed in


    preparation for the coronation ceremony which is ted tomorrow, it wouldn''t be hard for her and


    Matthew to find another way out,'' he thought.


    "It''s just been over an hour since this fire started. I''m sure they haven''t gone that far. We can still


    apprehend them," Rndo said. "I''ll lead the guards to look for them."


    The Imperial Pce was flooded with bright lights and hordes of guards were stationed everywhere.


    The servants were extra careful as they were afraid of causing more trouble. When the news of the


    Harmony Pce burning broke out, they trembled in fear even more.


    As soon as Matthew and Harper escaped the Harmony Pce, they immediately tried to make their


    way out of the city.


    "We don''t have much time. We must get out of the city as soon as possible! Once Rndo learns that


    the Harmony Pce has caught on fire, he''ll discover that I''m not there and I''ve escaped. I''m sure he''ll


    order his forces to block the city gates at once and search the whole city for me," said Harper


    decisively.


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Well then, let''s look for Zorro first. There are many ways to exit this city," Matthew said calmly. The


    moment the escape was made known to Rndo, he was sure that Rndo would know he was the


    one who had taken Harper away. With how careful Rndo was, he would definitely be locking the


    whole city down with his men littering the streets, so they needed to be extra cautious. There was no


    way for them to sneak around, so now, their goal was to get underground and navigate their way out to


    safety.


    "We don''t have much time left. Fred, tell your people to disguise as us and walk towards the gates of


    the city. We need to get them distracted so that we''d have an opportunity to look for a way out."


    "No need," Harper interjected, shaking her head. "Our forces are few, so we can''t lose anyone at this


    time. All of us will head to our base and then escape this ce together. We just have to get out of the


    capital, because if we do, it will be almost impossible for Rndo to track us down."


    Matthew, however, disagreed with Harper''s n, saying, "I am not sure whether or not Rndo has


    found out our bases in the capital, but to look one way and row another is the best way to deal with


    this. Besides, we already have an agreement with some people who have lived in the capital for many


    years. They will help us escape as long as they are not caught. So do as I say¡ªsend people to


    disguise as us to attract Rndo''s attention. The others, follow me out of the city!"


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    Rndo led the guards to look for Harper throughout the whole Imperial Pce, but unfortunately, they


    weren''t able to find any trace of her anywhere. With that, he immediately sent his men to raid


    Matthew''s bases in the capital. As he made sure that it wouldn''t be easy for Matthew to smuggle


    Harper out of the capital, he could only be in one of his bases nning their escape.


    "Your Majesty, we have found thirteen bases. Our men are already on their way to find out if Prince


    Matthew and Princess Harper are there. Once any of them finds our escapees, they will send a signal


    to inform us."


    Rndo nodded silently as he sighed deeply. He even hid the Heavenly Book away so that Harper


    would at least have something to stay back for, but it obviously didn''t work. It turned out that he


    overestimated its importance to her. ''The secrets of the Qin n are not important to her at all!'' he


    thought, anger welling inside of him.


    He collected his thoughts and feelings over a period of a few silent minutes. Suddenly, he said,


    "Fernando, follow me out of the city." Rndo was quite aware that Harper would leave the capital as


    soon as she left the Imperial Pce. ''She would do whatever it takes,'' he thought. ''If I want to stop her,


    I must stop her before she gets out of my territory!''


    Harper and Matthew continued on without taking a rest. They even had to rush to the north domain in


    order to remind Shawn to be prepared. After all, Rndo was someone who had nothing to fear: if he


    became too anguished and attacked the Bright Dynasty, he wouldn''t experience any lingering


    repercussions.


    "Before I left the north domain, I had sent a message to Shawn asking him to be careful and to be on


    the lookout in case the Great Jade Kingdom decides to attack them. He is not someone I would


    consider careless, but I''m worried that Rndo may have a back-up n," Matthew said worriedly.


    "We''ll be there in less than three days. Don''t worry," Harper replied, advancing at an equal pace with


    her husband.

 Chapter 900 A Chance To Prove Yourself (Part Two)

    Chapter 900 A Chance To Prove Yourself (Part Two)


    "Master, master. I''ve already sent a message to the north domain a while ago. I told Shawn to get


    ready, but..." Diana suddenly interjected.


    "But what?" asked Harper, looking back.


    "But I think I asked him to think of ways to start a war first."


    The corner of Harper''s mouth twitched slightly. Well, she felt like she had been overthinking things.


    Even if she and Matthew weren''t here, there would be someone who would make a decision for the


    team¡ªDiana. She held the title of the South Kingdom''s princess for many years, making her incredibly


    cognitive of the important decisions that must be made in situations like this. Her n wasn''t entirely


    wrong, but if the Bright Dynasty started such a conflict, they would be at a disadvantage. Hopefully


    Shawn understood the implications of Diana''s n.


    "I don''t think Shawn would like to cause that much trouble. Even if he received the letter, I doubt he


    would dispatch his troops to attack the Great Jade Kingdom. After all, we are still in the territory of the


    kingdom. Unless he''s sure that we are safe, I believe he won''t start a war so carelessly," Matthew


    responded casually.


    "Yes, I''ve realized that now," Diana said, feeling a bit embarrassed and extremely regretful. She truly


    thought the Bright Dynasty was at a position where they could wage a war against the Great Jade


    Kingdom, but apparently, the chance of that happening was slim.


    "But then we don''t know whether or not Rndo will make the first move. He is determined to rule the


    world, and when he decides to act on his n, his first target would undoubtedly be the Bright


    Dynasty," Matthew continued.


    "Really? I personally don''t think so. Rndo would more likely attack the Wonder Kingdom first. You


    are in the Bright Dynasty, Matthew. If two powerful tigers fight, both sides would get hurt. If that


    happens, the Great Jade Kingdom will be prone to being attacked in all sides, making them vulnerable


    than ever before. Rndo will not be so reckless," Harper said.


    "Harp, I''m in the Great Jade Kingdom now, not in our country. The coronation ceremony is nothing but


    a trap¡ªa trap that aims to keep me in this ce!" Matthew was still rankled by the fact that Rndo


    intended to steal his wife away from him. Because of that, even though he knew that the ceremony was


    just a trap, he came to the Great Jade Kingdom without any hesitation. If he didn''t take action, he knew


    that Rndo would just find new ways to try to lure him in, so he just went ahead and yed into the


    ns of his enemy.


    Harper remained silent. Though Rndo and Matthew had always fought each other, deep inside, they


    had always appreciated each other''s skills. Initially, she had thought that since the two men came from


    different countries, there wouldn''t be much conflict between them, but at that time, she found out how


    naive she had been.


    "Let''s change our ns. I think it''s better if we go to the Wonder Kingdom and not the north domain.


    Since everything has already been set up, I''m guessing that the road towards the north domain had


    already been filled with traps and Rndo is just waiting for us to fall victim to them," Harper said after


    pondering about it for a while.


    Matthew''s eyes lit up. "That''s an amazing idea, Harper!"


    "The Wonder Kingdom..." A weird look suddenly donned Diana''s face. She remembered the Wonder


    Kingdom''s Prince Kile, a person she didn''t like one bit.


    "Don''t worry, Diana. Once we''re at the Wonder Kingdom, I promise I won''t let Kile go anywhere near


    you."


    "I know. I think he won''t pounce on me. Last time, when the library copsed, he was so furious. He


    kept on shouting that he would save his beauty," Diana said, looking at Matthew with her eyebrows


    raised.


    With a faint smile, Harper didn''t say anything more. Matthew ignored this matter, which surprised Diana


    to no end. It had been said that Matthew was a very jealous man. Now, however, he seemed like he


    didn''t even care about Kile having a crush on his wife.


    "If we''re going to the Wonder Kingdom, where will we start?" Diana asked, starting to feel tired. "It''s so


    late now. Why don''t we find a ce to rest? We''re already out of the city."


    "We can''t take a rest. It''s highly likely that Rndo is tailing us. If he catches us, even though I''m sure


    we can take him on, it would be too troublesome for us. I don''t want that," Harper said decisively.


    "But... isn''t it better to just take that opportunity to kill Rndo?" Diana asked, looking confused. If they


    killed Rndo, the Great Jade Kingdom would certainly fall into chaos. The Bright Dynasty, the Wonder


    Kingdom, and even the South Kingdom would definitely benefit from that.


    Harper turned to look at Matthew, who nced back at her. As Diana grew up in the South Kingdom,


    her environment had been simple and not asplicated as that in the Bright Dynasty and the Great


    Jade Kingdom. If they killed Rndo, the Great Jade Kingdom would definitely n on not only


    obliterating them, but also the Bright Dynasty. Recing Rndo wouldn''t be a problem for them.


    Though the members of their royal family weren''t many, they could easily find a worthy leader to lead


    them.


    "If you can kill Rndo, I will thank you," Matthew saidzily.


    "Really?" Diana asked excitedly.


    "Sure!" Diana failed to detect the sarcasm in Matthew''s statement and immediately thought, ''As soon


    as Rndo gets out of the Imperial Pce, he won''t have so many guards around to protect him. I can


    definitely use the venomous insect poison to kill him!''


    Harper shook her head, knowing that Diana missed what Matthew was really trying to say. If Rndo


    was that kind of incapable man, how was he as well-known as Matthew? Even if Rndo was alone


    outside, it was impossible for Diana to kill him, unless he was seriously injured and unable to move.


    "Master, could you please be a witness?"


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    "You don''t need a witness. You have a chance to prove yourself now. The person you want to kill is


    coming," said Harper, as she tightened her grip on her horse.


    Diana was stunned. Soon, she saw a man in white on a white horse in front of her. In the dark, he was


    exceptionally conspicuous, his kind face and a gentle smile seemingly glowing. There was no doubt


    that it was Rndo.

 Chapter 901 She Fled (Part One)

    Chapter 901 She Fled (Part One)


    The moment Rndo saw the couple riding their horses side by side,plicated feelings started to


    blossom inside his chest. Although he had been able to deceive her with his gentle mask, he could not


    deny the hurt he was feeling. He felt like the fake mask he put on was shattered into a million little


    pieces.


    "Harper, it''ste. Where are you going?" Rndo softly asked.


    "Go home, Rndo," Harper replied, the smile on her face unchanging, as if she didn''t hold grudge


    against him. Matthew''s face, on the other hand, darkened. His grim expression only meant one thing:


    he wanted to crush Rndo into a million little pieces.


    "Home?" Rndo repeated. ''Home, Harper? Do you still consider the Bright Dynasty your home?


    Didn''t that ce only give you pain?'' he thought, feeling disappointed. "You still don''t consider the


    Great Jade Kingdom your home?"


    Harper shook her head, but her smile never faded. "I''m just a guest here, Rndo. You know that. You


    own the Great Jade Kingdom and I''m just a passerby."


    "The Great Jade Kingdom is your home, Harper! Bright Dynasty has given you nothing but pain!"


    Rndo firmly said in a noticeably louder voice. "Why would you ever want to go back to that wretched


    ce?"


    "Honestly, wherever Matthew is, it is home for me. We can be in the Bright Dynasty, the Wonder


    Kingdom, or the South Kingdom¡ªI don''t care. As long and he and I are together, I am at home,"


    Harper replied, her face looking peaceful.


    The smile on Rndo''s face gradually faded away. Yet, Matthew was feeling and looking the exact


    opposite: the previously cold expression on his face morphed into something warm and happy, with a


    soft smile gracing his lips.


    "In that case, I guess I have no choice: in order to keep you here, I''d also have to keep him here."


    Rndo turned to Matthew, rage and jealousy burning in his eyes. Without any kind of warning, he


    then lunged at him, his movement as smooth, sharp, and quick as lightning. Matthew wasn''t taken by


    surprise, however¡ªhe, too, was now rushing towards Rndo. Soon enough, the two shed, their


    energies neutralizing each other in a dazzling and heart-stopping disy. Harper was unfazed sitting


    on her horse, electing to just look on instead of intervening.


    Diana, on the other hand, was forced off of her horse by the sheer force of the impact between


    Rndo and Matthew. Fortunately she was able to quickly recover and stand up, just in time to see


    how majestic the fight between the two men was. It was her first time seeing them meet, and she was


    stunned by how powerful they both were. Only then did she realize how utterly stupid it was for her to


    even suggest to deal with Rndo alone. Even if Rndo got injured, it would literally take ten of her to


    at the very least neutralize him. ''Actually, even then it would be very hard,'' she thought, feeling sweat


    run down her face.


    Zorro prepared himself for what was about to happen as soon as he saw Rndo blocking their way.


    Quickly, he retreated far, far away so that he wouldn''t be as affected. Seeing Harper stand her ground


    effortlessly, he was astounded. ''I have always known that His Highness''s strength is unfathomable, but


    I didn''t expect that Her Highness''s strength is on par as his! She doesn''t look affected by what is


    happening at all, which is impressive!''


    "Amazing!" Diana whispered in utter disbelief. As she touched her bruised face, searing pain began to


    flood her senses. It only made Harper''s nonchnce more admirable. "I really didn''t expect my master


    to be such a powerful being. No wonder she adores that weirdo, Matthew, another powerful being! But


    Emperor Rndo... is just as strong as them. It''s honestly amazing how she still hasn''t taken a fancy in


    him!" she said.


    Zorro rolled his eyes. How would it be possible for someone like Harper to fall in love with Rndo?


    Yes, Rndo was strong and skillful, but that didn''t mean that Harper would just fancy him. Stories had


    circted that even Matthew found it hard to convince Harper to marry him¡ªhe had to put so much


    effort into courting her! That was why Zorro believed that Harper wouldn''t just let Rndo into her life.


    She wasn''t an ordinary girl, and so there was no way Rndo could trick her that easily!


    As the two men were busy fiercely fighting each other, Harper started her journey once more, with her


    horse galloping right in the middle of the action. After a while, she and her horse vanished into the


    darkness of the night.


    "Harper... just... ran away just like that?" Diana was petrified. She couldn''t believe that Harper escaped


    on her own while her husband was still locked in a dangerous duel with Rndo!


    Zorro was stunned as well. His surprise was so great that his face contorted into something


    unpleasant-looking. Just a few moments ago, he praised Harper for her power and dedication, but the


    next second, she just abandoned everyone as if they were nothing!


    This unexpected action from Harper failed to shake Matthew''s resolve to win the fight against his foe,


    but it quickly disturbed his enemy Rndo, as he had only goal: Harper. She had just imed that any


    ce, as long as Matthew was there, was home for her, but now, as her husband was fighting, she


    escaped just like that!


    "Go and get her!" Rndo immediately ordered.


    Several shadows materialized out of thin air at once. They were Rndo''s secret guards, and soon,


    they were flying towards the way Harper went. Meanwhile, Matthew just took a nce at Zorro and


    Zorro immediately understood what he had to do: take on the secret guards and chase after Harper. It


    seemed like Harper escaped because she didn''t want to distract Matthew from the fight!


    At this development, Rndo couldn''t help but be filled with annoyance. The man he was fighting was


    at the same level as him when it came to power, skills, and determination. As long as the he was in his


    way, none of his people would be able to even remotely get close to Harper. And once she escaped his


    grasp, it would be almost impossible for him to get her back again!


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Matthew, are you aware of the fact that Harper will perish the moment she goes beyond a certain


    distance from me?" Rndo suddenly asked. Matthew paused to think about what he said, but after a


    fast few seconds, he was back in action again.


    "My wife dying because of you? You must be kidding me. It''s not that I don''t believe you, man¡ªI''m just


    highly confident in what she can do!"


    "You don''t believe me?" Rndo retorted, shing Matthew a malicious smile. "Matthew, trust me¡ªyou


    will send that woman back to me sooner than you think. You can''t kill me."


    "Should I consider that a threat?"


    "Well,e and see and if I''m threatening you," Rndo said as he withdrew his hands and stopped


    attacking Matthew. With cold eyes, he red at Matthew, saying, "I''ve long known that Harper is in love


    with you. I can''t keep her, but there is no way I would let go of her. The good thing is that I found a way


    to connect her to me forever. As long as I''m alive, she will be alive; yet if I die, she will also die!"

 Chapter 902 She Fled (Part Two)

    Chapter 902 She Fled (Part Two)


    Matthew''s eyes narrowed ever so slightly. This was something Rndo would really do, so he decided


    that he couldn''t act rashly now, since it seemed that he was making a bet on his wife''s life. "With


    Harper''s medical skills, it''s not easy for you to poison her," he dered after some time of silence.


    He purposefully didn''t tell Rndo that Harper''s body was special: she was immune to all kinds of


    poison. Even the most poisonous creature in the South Kingdom didn''t leave a single scratch on her.


    Even if Rndo hired the best to poison her, it was absolutely impossible to poison Harper!


    "But Deathly Kalpa is not poison." Rndo put his hands behind his back and looked at his opponent


    meaningfully. "Do you know what Deathly Kalpa is, Matthew?"


    Matthew didn''t answer and instead just stared at Rndo, murderous intent filling his eyes. Before


    hand, he had already suspected that Rndo had done something to his wife. Now, he was sure about


    it. What he wasn''t sure about, however, was if Rndo was indeed sessful in tricking his wife.


    Because of that, he needed to catch up with her as soon as possible.


    "The so-called Deathly Kalpa, per se, can''t be resolved even after a person death. Let me tell you this:


    once Harper dies, in her next life, and the life she lives after that, I will always find her, thanks to the


    Deathly Kalpa!" A somewhat feral look contorted Rndo''s face. "We both know that neither of us


    would ever win if we just go up against each other, right? But now that you know what I did, I''m sure


    you''ll let me win, right?"


    A dark, intimidating aura started surrounding Matthew. It was so powerful and affecting that anyone


    near would would for sure feel dread and the looming possibility of death. At that moment, there was


    nothing else he wanted to do more than to cut up Rndo in the tiniest pieces possible. Yet, he forced


    himself to remain as calm. He knew that if he gave in to whatever he was feeling, he would do


    something he mightter regret.


    "I will never let you win, Rndo," Matthew hissed, his hatredcing every word he said. "There is no


    way you''d be able to snatch my wife just like that. It''s time to wake up from your delusion."


    "Oh, really? Well then, let''s just watch and see!" Rndo said as he let out a sinisterugh. With


    another meaningful stare, he continued, "I''ll be waiting for you to send her back!"


    "In your dreams!" Matthew sneered coldly. He would never send his beloved wife to anyone!


    After onest look, Rndo turned around and left with his men. As long as he kept Harper hostage,


    he was sure that Matthew wouldn''t dare to stir up any kind of trouble for him or the Great Jade


    Kingdom. Also, if he was able to control him, he also would effectively be in control of Harper. But then


    he remembered how unpredictable Harper could be. Soon, frustration started eating him up. ''Why does


    she always have to act in an unusual way! Why does she keep ruining the ns I have put in ce!'' he


    thought, his brows furrowing.


    What kind of woman would just run away without hesitation when her husband was locked in a serious


    fight with his nemesis and might be in grave danger? Only a few selects were like those, and


    unfortunately, Harper was one of them!


    As soon as Rndo left, Matthew immediately chased after Harper. He desperately wanted to know if


    she was really poisoned and if she was really not allowed to go beyond a certain distance away from


    Rndo. Because if any of those were true, he needed to ready a n as soon as possible!


    "Fred."


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    "Tell Joshua we''re going on with the n." Fred understood that Matthew was shaken up by what


    Rndo had said. Whether it be true or not, one thing was clear: Matthew would not give his wife to the


    emperor, or to anyone in that regard. Instead of being afraid, Matthew would act on the contrary: he


    would continue to pursue Rndo by all means, and when he did, he would break all his bones, cram


    him in the smallest cage possible, and keep him as Harper''s pet. He would do anything punish him and


    free Harper of any fear!


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    Matthew continued to go the direction where Harper disappeared. As he did, he was in deep thought.


    Due to Harper''s one-of-a-kind body constitution and her more than impressive knowledge about


    medicine, only a few people could plot against her. But he couldn''t discount how meticulous Rndo


    was. Yes, Harper knew how to defend herself, but one could never be too sure.


    Fernando had guards following Harper, not to hurt her, but to keep tabs on her. However, upon seeing


    how unaffected Harper was by the fight that happened between Matthew and Rndo, Fernando had


    to admit to himself that Harper was indeed a strong opponent and that her martial arts skills were not


    low at all.


    Unbeknownst to Fernando, Harper was unscathed not because her strength was that amazing, but


    because both Matthew and Rndo chose not to hurt her. That was why Harper did not experience


    what everyone around her experienced. Still, her power should not be underestimated.


    "Your Highness."


    "Fernando, don''t block my way. If you agitate me, I''ll end my life and then Rndo will go down with


    me," Harper said, a faint smile on her lips. "After all, the Deathly Kalpa can be deadly."


    Fernando''s face became drained of color as he said grimly, "Your Highness, do you know it already?"


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Don''t forget that I''m a physician¡ªa good physician. Every physician is well aware of their physical


    condition," Harper responded nonchntly. "Although I can''t get rid of the Deathly Kalpa for now, it''s


    not a problem for me to seal it. I know exactly what Rndo is nning. He is waiting for me to go


    back. Well then, let me tell you this: I won''t. Moreover, I''m not afraid of going too far from him or the


    Deathly Kalpa at all!"


    "Your Highness, do you know that you''re gambling with your own life?"


    "Gambling?" Harper sneered. "Do you think this is a gamble? I not only know countless ways to protect


    myself, but also know how to make Rndo feel as good as dead!"

 Chapter 903 The Oncoming Storm (Part One)

    Chapter 903 The Oing Storm (Part One)


    Instead of returning to the imperial capital of the Great Jade Kingdom, Rndo headed for the border


    as soon as he left. As he did, he ordered his men to chase after Matthew and kill him right away. He


    also ordered Harper to be followed, but not hurt.


    At that time, Toby was already at the border of the north domain, leading an army of three hundred


    thousand soldiers towards Dragon Pass. Shawn and his army were also in the vicinity, but even though


    they were ready, they were still taken aback when Toby decided tounch a sudden attack against


    them.


    "General, they have an army of three hundred thousand men while we only have two hundred


    thousand. What should we do?" the deputy general asked Shawn as he wiped the sweat on his face.


    "The enemy has appeared overnight and it seems like they are fully ready for battle. I''m afraid the


    Great Jade Kingdom had nned this a long time ago."


    Shawn was standing on the gate tower, blood still dripping down the sword in his hand. As he looked


    out, he answered, "We will not go out and fight them head-on. We only need to protect Dragon Pass


    from inside. We need to make sure that they won''t be able to enter."


    "But if they keep advancing and attacking our forces, I''m afraid..." the deputy general asked in a


    worried tone.


    "Have you seen their leader?" Shawn asked, as he skimmed the scene outside. Soon, his eyesid on


    the person who seemed to be serving as the enemy''s leader. Another moment passed and he was able


    to see the person''s face clearly. Upon doing so, however, he became confused. ''Is that Toby, the


    seventh prince of the Great Jade Kingdom? Why is he here and why is he leading troops towards


    Dragon Pass? If he had such power over arge army, shouldn''t he be attacking Rndo instead?


    Aren''t they fighting for the throne, still?'' he thought.


    "It seems to be Prince Toby of the Great Jade Kingdom," the deputy general answered with uncertainty.


    Everybody knew that after Rndo returned to the imperial capital of the Great Jade Kingdom, he


    either killed or imprisoned all of his brothers. He had no mercy on any of them, and so it would not be


    an exaggeration to say that every prince of the Great Jade Kingdom hated him to the extreme. But out


    of all of them, Toby was the one who hated Rndo the most. So why would he spend his time in


    Dragon Pass instead of just obliterating his merciless brother Rndo? And why wasn''t he afraid that


    Rndo would juste out of nowhere and ambush him and his men?


    "We were fooled. Rndo fooled us all!" Shawn said coldly, more to himself than the deputy general he


    was talking to. "It looks like Toby had defected to Rndo''s side a long time ago. Since it is no easy job


    to bring an army of three hundred thousand soldiers here, Rndo must have had this attack nned


    a long, long time ago. The coronation ceremony of the empress is nothing but a trap! He just intended


    to lure Prince Matthew to the Great Jade Kingdom to trap him!"


    "General, I don''t understand. Prince Matthew is extremely capable and powerful. How would Emperor


    Rndo be able to trap him? Wouldn''t the entirety of the Great Jade Kingdom be in danger of being


    destroyed by Prince Matthew himself?" the deputy general questioned. He truly couldn''t understand the


    fears Shawn was having. In his eyes, Matthew was a furious God of War. No country with sane leaders


    would invite him toe to their shores because he would only bring disaster to theirnd, especially


    once he became enraged.


    "Prince Toby''s presence here means that Emperor Rndo is very likely to have already trapped


    Prince Matthew. Send a message to His Majesty at once. Tell him that we''ve already lost contact with


    Prince Matthew and Lady Harper, and that the Great Jade Kingdom is going to attack us very soon.


    War ising!" Shawn ordered at once, his eyes narrowed and his brows furrowed. ''Today is the day


    of the coronation ceremony, yet Emperor Rndo chose to send an army to conquer Dragon Pass.


    The two countries have been at peace for a long, long time. Why is he trying to start a war?'' he


    wondered.This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The news of the Great Jade Kingdom''s armed advancement against the Bright Dynasty spread all over


    the four kingdoms like wildfire. When Lucas heard the news, however, he wasn''t surprised. Instead, he


    became extremely calm. "The Great Jade Kingdom is provoking us to start a war against us. What do


    you think about it?"


    "Your Majesty, Marquis Shawn is very experienced in battles. We have two hundred thousand strong


    warriors at Dragon Pass. From my point of view, I don''t think we have to worry about this issue too


    much," a civil official said at once. "So I beseech you, Your Majesty. Please issue an imperial edict to


    ask Marquis Shawn to fight back. Hopefully through our resistance, we will send a message to the


    Great Jade Kingdom that it is a bad decision to offend our Bright Dynasty."


    "Zack, what do you think?" Lucas asked.


    With a serious look on his face, Zack started to exin, "Your Majesty, the Great Jade Kingdom chose


    tounch the attack against us on the day of their empress''s coronation ceremony. I''m afraid the said


    event was just a lure intended for Prince Matthew so that he would travel to the Great Jade Kingdom.


    While I am aware of Prince Matthew''s capabilities, I think that he is in grave danger. And apart from


    that, once the two countries begin to fight, Princess Lilian could also be in danger."


    How could Lucas not perceive this evil n? Back when Lilian imed that she would go to the Great


    Jade Kingdom and marry Rndo, he had warned her that she would be the first victim if ever the


    Bright Dynasty and the Great Jade Kingdom fought. Despite this, Lilian still insisted on going. She


    wasn''t a kid anymore, and so she must be responsible for what she had done.


    "When she decided to marry into the Great Jade Kingdom, she should have already known what she


    would have to face," Lucas said as he sighed sadly. Then, his tone became serious. "What I''m worried


    about is Uncle Matthew. Now that Rndo had him cornered in the Great Jade Kingdom, where he


    wanted him to be, it would only be more and more dangerous for him if he doesn''t escape right now."


    "Your Majesty, while the Great Jade Kingdomunches an attack against us in Dragon Pass, we must


    also pay attention to the South Kingdom. Also, although we do not share a border with the Wonder


    Kingdom, we still have to take precautions against them in case they decide to join the Great Jade


    Kingdom in attacking us," Maxwell added. "I am well aware that Marquis Shawn has served in the army


    for many years, but I am afraid that he is not very experienced on the battlefield. Hence I volunteer


    myself to go to the north domain and help him with the management of our troops."


    "Carlson is already guarding Birch Pass in the south domain, so I''m not very worried about that.


    Indeed, I am more worried about Dragon Pass in the north domain. If Rndo decides to show up


    there, Shawn would not be able to resist him, no matter how hard he tries. In the unfortunate instance


    that Rndo takes Dragon pass, it would be easy for him to take the next ten cities. Because of that, it


    is crucial for us to win the brewing battle at Dragon Pass. The ce is essential in our kingdom''s


    security," Lucas said. He then began to feel a nasty headacheing on. With everything that was


    happening, he began to realize how dependent on Matthew he had be. As a result, his absence


    had rendered him clueless about what to do, which was unfortunate, since this time around, their


    enemy wasn''t exactly weak.

 Chapter 904 The Oncoming Storm (Part Two)

    Chapter 904 The Oing Storm (Part Two)


    "Your Majesty, I have an idea," Zack said slowly. "The South Kingdom had just got past violent internal


    struggles. Their queen, Catherine, is currently preupied in cheering her people up and upping their


    slumping economy. With that, we know that we do not need to worry about the South Kingdom


    attacking us. I suggest we focus all our forces on keeping a close eye on the Great Jade Kingdom and


    the Wonder Kingdom. Right now, Emperor Rndo is attacking the Dragon Pass, which means that he


    had been intending to attack the Bright Dynasty for a long time now. He is well prepared, so we are


    sure that Dragon Pass is in grave danger. I also would like to volunteer to go to the north domain in


    order to provide them any support they may need."


    Hearing that, Maxwell turned to look at Zack in surprise. Zack was a thoughtful man who was


    iparable to anyone in the court, even his father. Indeed, if he was in the north domain, he, along


    with Shawn, who was more capable of fighting, might be able to resist the forces of the Great Jade


    Kingdom.


    "I would like to go with you," Maxwell offered once again.


    After thinking about the proposals justid out in front of him, Lucas thought that thebination of


    Shawn, Maxwell, and Zack might actually work in their favor. With a new highly feasible n, he


    agreed to send the two men to the north domain, eximing, "Approved! The military situation we are


    currently faced with is urgent. Go back home and say goodbye to your families. Set off as soon as


    possible."


    "Yes, Your Majesty."


    When Franklin and Isabe heard that Zack offered to go to the border to support Shawn in battle, they


    were severely shocked. Zack was the only male heir of the Bu n, and he was a civil official who had


    no background in martial arts or martial affairs. But now, he would be heading for the border to join a


    war! If anything terrible happened to him, the Bu n would lose its sole inheritor and would definitely


    be facing a desperate situation!


    "Do you really have to go there?" Isabe asked, her voice full of worry and hesitation. "Can''t you


    refuse? The situation over there is very dangerous!"


    "Mother, I must go. Prince Matthew is trapped in the Great Jade Kingdom and Shawn is guarding


    Dragon Pass without anyone supporting him. If Emperor Rndo makes an appearance there and


    decides to fight, Shawn would definitely not stand a chance against him. I must go there to support him


    until Prince Matthew arrives there," Zack hastily exined as he was packing his belongings. He was


    in such a hurry that he did not even have time to raise his head and look at his parents.


    "But why you? You are a civil official, Zack, not a military officer!" Isabe pointed out, sounding more


    anxious than before.


    "Isabe, stop it," Franklin said, trying to stop his wife from having a full-blown panic attack. "Zack may


    not be a military officer, but he currently is the suitable person to aid Shawn in the war at Dragon Pass."


    "That is not true, Franklin!" Isabe cried out, tears now streaming down her cheeks.


    "Emperor Rndo is cunning, nuanced, and tactical. Shawn''s ns are too straightforward, I''m afraid.


    He definitely is no match for someone like Emperor Rndo. If he failed to protect Dragon Pass from


    the oing forces, it would be a big problem for Bright Dynasty," Franklin exined, sighing heavily.


    Slowly, he turned to his son and said, "Zack, please. You must be careful. You muste back to us."


    "Father, Mother!" Caroline cried out as she came in. As soon as she heard that Zack had offered to go


    to the border to fight, she came with her baby. "You can''t let Zack go to the north domain! There is a


    war there!"


    "Caroline, don''t do this! This is an imperial order!" Zack pleaded. He immediately noticed that


    Caroline''s face had turned pale, probably because she just learned the news of his departure. He then


    took the baby in her arms and exined, "I''m going to the north domain just to help Shawn. I am not


    going to die there, so stop acting like I will!"


    "The north domain is now a battlefield, Zack! Please stay! Please stay away from that ce!" The Bu


    n only had one heir, and that was Zack. If he died, the whole Bu n would be doomed and would


    have no hope of flourishing!


    "Do you really think I''m that weak?" Zack asked in a helpless tone. "Father, Mother, Caroline, and


    George, please don''t worry about me. I will be fine and I wille back. I promise!"


    "My Lord, My Lady, General Maxwell is already outside. He said he''s here to pick up Lord Zack," the


    steward said as soon as he came in. Isabe''s, Franklin''s, and Caroline''s eyes widened as soon as


    they heard this, and they all turned to look at Zack. Their anxiety soared to unimaginable levels, but


    they all knew that there was no stopping Zack.


    "General Maxwell is here to pick me up. I should leave now," Zack said, in a firm, calm tone. He


    purposefully tried to look calm and collected in order to appease the fears his family was intensely


    having. "You don''t have to worry too much. I''m a civil official, so I will only serve as a military


    counsellor. I''m not going into the battlefield. I will just create tactics and suggest ns of action behind


    the scenes. Our kingdom has so many capable soldiers. It would be a pity if they died just because of


    wrong directions from theirmanders," he said. With that, he gave his family a tight hug and headed


    out.


    As he exited, he saw that Maxwell was riding a majestic horse. "Since this is an emergency mission,


    we have to ride horses. Carriages are too slow. Is this okay?" he asked.This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "There would be no problem on my end," Zack replied. He then mounted his horse gracefully. After


    taking onest look at his family, he quickly left with Maxwell and his troops.


    Isabe tried hard to stop herself from crying her heart out. The moment Zack was out of sight, she


    turned around to wipe her tears quietly. Franklin, who looked and acted rationally, also began to tear up


    due to sadness and worry. While he knew that Zack was the best person to take the job, as his father,


    he couldn''t help but be filled with anxiety about his son''s safety.


    "He''s a grown up, Isabe. He makes his own decisions now. Besides, he''s just going to the north


    domain to serve as a counsellor and he assured us that he will not be fighting on the battlefield. So let''s


    stop worrying and have some faith in him, okay?" Franklin said, in a bid tofort his wife.


    "I understand that, Franklin, but I just could not stop myself from worrying about him. The situation on


    the battlefield changes every second. No one knows what''s going to happen next and that''s what I''m


    afraid of!" she said, continuing to cry hard. In the imperial capital, everything had changed overnight.


    The once carefree young boys and girls had started to leave their parents to face the oing storm,


    but their parents still weren''t ready to let them go.


    "Mother, don''t worry. He will be fine!" Caroline said firmly. "He will be fine. I trust him!"


    "Yes, he will be fine. He wille back to us safe and sound," Isabe repeated tofort herself as


    well. At that moment, she decided to be a vegetarian since that day and to pray for the safety of her


    son. She also hoped the turmoil would subside as soon as possible.


    It was clear to George that the bnce that kept the four kingdoms from destroying each other was


    about to be broken. He wanted to work for his country and to fight on the battlefield, but looking at his


    wife and son, he knew he couldn''t. He then murmured in a defeated tone, "Why can''t I be more useful


    instead of being just a civil official?"


    Hearing this, Caroline couldn''t help but be shocked. She wanted to say something to her husband, but


    in the end, she elected to stay silent. He was an ambitious man and she knew that she wouldn''t be


    able to stop him if he wanted to do something. But even if she could, she promised herself that she


    wouldn''t.

 Chapter 905 The Secret Weapon (Part One)

    Chapter 905 The Secret Weapon (Part One)


    Since the general leading the Great Jade Kingdom''s army in the Dragon Pass was not Rndo,


    Shawn felt a bit relieved. If Rndo himself was there in person, Shawn knew that he and his army


    would not stand a chance. So somehow, he was grateful that he would only be faced with Toby.


    "Your Highness, Shawn is hiding inside the city and doesn''t respond to our attacks. Also, the Dragon


    Pass is not an easy ce to conquer but a ce easier to defend due to its terrain. If we continue with


    our current attacking n, we would suffer unimaginable losses." For three consecutive days. the


    generals of different battalions gathered together to revise their ns of attack on the Dragon Pass, as


    they still had not broken through the Bright Dynasty''s defense. In addition to that, they had already


    suffered great losses.


    "How many of Shawn''s men have we killed? Indeed, the Dragon Pass is easy to defend and extremely


    difficult to be conquered. Shawn knows what he is doing, and he is making sure none of our ns can


    break through their sturdy defense. But no matter whatever it costs, we need to conquer that city," Toby


    said calmly.


    The generals were still at a loss for how to effectively tackle their problem. If they tried to force an


    attack, there was a high possibility that most of their men would be killed. When the former prince


    Kevin was still guarding the Dragon Pass, it had been not as difficult to attack as it was now.


    Unfortunately, his rebellion failed and Shawn took over the Northern Expeditionary Army. He then was


    in charge of guarding the Dragon Pass, making it be a solid border with a hard barrier. Aside from


    that, the defensive forces that were put around it had be ten times stronger.


    "I don''t think a sudden and front attack is a good idea..."


    "But what other choice do we have?" Toby asked coldly. He had been talking big to Rndo, but after


    three days of attacks, he still had no result to show him. The Dragon Pass still hadn''t been conquered.


    If Rndo knew about it, he wouldugh at him.


    "Your Highness, if I may ask¡ªdoesn''t His Majesty want to announce the Bright Dynasty''s Princess


    Lilian as his empress? If so, why is he attacking the Bright Dynasty? Wouldn''t that create unwanted


    tensions and conflicts between the two kingdoms?" one general curiously asked. Well, it made sense¡ª


    why would the king of one kingdom attack the kingdom where his queen hailed from? To say that it was


    incredibly strange would be an understatement.


    "Princess Lilian is an assassin sent by the Bright Dynasty to kill His Majesty. They did offer a marriage


    alliance, but it was in name only, revealing the fact that they just wanted to get close to His Majesty.


    Once they seed in doing that, they would murder him, which would throw the Great Jade Kingdom


    in endless turmoil. If that happened, they would go in and try to wrestle the throne away from its


    righteous inheritor. This n deeply hurt His Majesty. Because of that, we must make the Bright


    Dynasty pay. We have to seek justice for our king," Toby exined.


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Was... His Majesty injured?"


    "Yes."


    "The Bright Dynasty has gone too far!"


    "We must continue attacking the city tonight so that by tomorrow, the Dragon Pass would be already


    ours!" Since Toby sessfully riled up all of his generals, a menacing grin graced his lips. "Make sure


    you catch Shawn. We have to kill him to worship our g!"


    "Yes, Your Highness!"


    Though the Great Jade Kingdom''s attacks and advancements against the Bright Dynasty in the Dragon


    Pass wagered on, Shawn didn''t feel any kind of pressure. He felt nothing looking at his enemies


    continuously toiling on the other side of the fortress, trying to break in, as everything on their side was


    peaceful. Themon people inhabiting the area would even go up to them from time to time to offer


    delicious homemade food or help in carrying their soldiers'' weapons.


    "General, you haven''t slept for three days and nights. Please go and take a rest first. If you continue


    doing this, you won''t be able to hang on. The Great Jade Kingdom seems to be intent on conquering


    this area, so I think it will be a longst battle," the deputy general said, concerned.


    Shawn shook his head and replied, "Judging by the current situation, the Great Jade Kingdom is


    determined to defeat us here and take over the Dragon Pass. Their attacks will be relentless, so we


    have to keep a close eye on the situation. I do not want us to bex and lose this battle¡ªour kingdom


    needs us. They are counting on our victory."


    "But you have to take a rest!"


    "I know, but it is not the time to rest now." Shawn then noticed the many flickering lights just outside the


    city limits. With brows furrowed, he thought, ''Is Toby really going to attack the city tonight? A very good


    idea, I must say. I should send him a big gift.''


    "Go and fetch the things left by Princess Harper when she left." "The things left by Her Highness? Are


    you referring to that ck box?" the deputy general inquired.


    Shawn nodded. "That''s right. Go ahead and get it. I think it''s time for us to use it."


    The deputy general was confused by what Shawn was ordering him to do, but since he was a soldier,


    his primary mission was to obey. Without asking any more questions, he ordered his underlings to take


    the said box out of Shawn''s room and put it in front of the city gate tower. As he climbed up, the deputy


    general noticed the sheer number of soldiers seemingly advancing towards them. He felt his blood


    freeze with fear.


    Shawn immediately reached out his hand the moment he saw the box. "Firelighter," he ordered.


    "Firelighter?" the deputy general asked. Secondster he realized that Shawn was asking him for a


    firelighter, and so he went on to try every pocket on his clothes to find one. Unfortunately, he didn''t find


    any, so he immediately asked someone else to fetch one. Within a few moments, a firelighter was


    ced on Shawn''s waiting palm.


    Shawn then opened the box and saw that it was chock full of ck mud balls. He took out one ball,


    ignited it with the firelighter, and threw in the direction of the oing enemy soldiers.


    The side of the deputy general''s lips twitched when he saw what Shawn was doing. ''General, are you


    going crazy because you haven''t slept for three days and nights? What would a mud ball do in this


    situation, exactly? Even if you ignite the whole box and throw down, it wouldn''t kill anyone! It probably


    would just make a mess¡ª'' Bang!


    The fiery mud ball emitted a sound so loud that it actually shook the ground. Smoke filled the air, and


    the moment it cleared, a spine-tingling scene came into view: a huge hole on the oing swarm of


    enemies had appeared, with numerous soldiers spotted to either be extremely bloodied or blown up.


    Everyone from the Great Jade Kingdom was taken aback by the sudden explosion. Their confusion


    was worsened by the blood bath unveiled in front of them. They didn''t see anyone approach them, so


    where was the enemy?


    As the general realized what happened, he immediately gave out an order, saying: "There has been an


    attack but please keep calm! Be mindful of yourselves and your fellow soldiers, and most of all, don''t


    mess up the array!" However, as soon as he finished speaking, several more mud balls were thrown


    into their general direction. mes and explosions began to happen and appear everywhere, with bits


    of human flesh and dust flying and filling the air after every loud bang. Soon enough, no one could hear


    a thing as their eardrums were blown out by the loud sounds of the mud ball explosions. The fires of


    their torches also started to flicker due to the impact each bomb had.

 Chapter 906 The Secret Weapon (Part Two)

    Chapter 906 The Secret Weapon (Part Two)


    "What is going on?" each soldier screamed as they tried to hide from the invisible enemy. The Great


    Jade Kingdom''s previously impable formation quickly spiraled into chaos as the surviving soldiers in


    the frontlines kept retreating in fear of being blown up by the unpredictable explosions. Within minutes,


    their forces had already lost a lot of men.


    Shawn only stared coldly as he continued to attack and decimate the number of the invading forces. He


    felt like a devil, but in the grander scheme of things, he knew he was only doing the right thing.


    The deputy general was petrified. Slowly, he turned his wide eyes from the massacre that was


    happening below due to the box that was by Shawn''s side. He never thought such things held that


    much power! Shawn had onlyunched a dozen of the mud balls at the Great Jade Kingdom''s army,


    but he had already halved the number of their soldiers. His men were also wide-eyed at what was


    happening.


    Toby was on the ground trying to make sense of things when a st went off and he was swept away


    by its apanying air wave. Immediately, his ears felt like they were shot, with buzzing, the only


    thing he could hear. He touched his head to check for injuries, and indeed, he was already bleeding.


    "What happened?" Toby roared.


    "General, people from the Bright Dynasty are attacking us!" The soldiers who were close to Toby


    dragged him back hurriedly, worried about his safety. Toby felt his blood churning. In the dark night, he


    raised his head to look at the upper floor of the city gate tower, where Shawn was standing.


    "Shawn Shen, you bastard! What are you doing? What are you attacking us with?" Toby was anything


    but a damned fool. He knew that Shawn had something to do with these nightmarish attacks. What he


    didn''t understand, however, was what he was using. As far as he knew, no weapon had been made


    that could kill so many people at once!


    The cold look Shawn donned on his face made him look like a devil. With his internal force he was able


    to amplify his voice across thend as he said: "Toby, the people of the Bright Dynasty are not afraid of


    you and your puny army. The Great Jade Kingdom has destroyed the alliance between the two


    kingdoms, and now you have started this war. We will respond as needed, as you have seen. This is a


    lesson for you¡ªretreat now and live, or continue on and perish."


    Toby''s eyes widened with surprise and anger. As he heard Shawn admit causing the explosions that


    had killed his men, his body began to tremble. He wanted to retaliate, but he knew that the wisest thing


    he could do at the moment was to retreat.


    They had expected that their sudden attack would yield a different oue, but they had to retreat and


    deal with the great and unprecedented losses they incurred. More urgently, they needed to know what


    had caused the sudden explosions.


    "Did anyone see clearly what happened at that time?" Toby inquired after being tended to in their camp.


    If Shawn really had powerful weapons, it would be difficult for them to conquer the Dragon Pass.


    "General, the enemy seemed to have thrown explosive stones to our men. I saw it with my own two


    eyes. The stones had sparks," someone shared, looking scared.


    "It''s not a stone. It was a mud ball that had been ignited. I saw when Shawn threw it," someone else


    interjected.


    "Could a mud ball do this much harm?" Toby asked angrily. These people thought he was either foolish


    or easily cheated. If a mud ball could inflict so much damage, he would have made a lot of mud balls


    beforehand and killed Shawn!


    The crowd looked at each other and didn''t know how to answer. They really didn''t know what happened


    in the darknessst night. The explosions were so sudden that none of them really had time to process


    what was happening.


    "How about we have another try in the daytime to see what kind of method Shawn used? I doubt he''ll


    change tactics if it worked extremely well the first time," someone suggested. Aside from the


    explosions, the darkness was their main enemy then. Attacking during the daytime would help them


    see the secret weapon clearly.


    Toby immediately liked the idea and felt excited. If Shawn really had a powerful, secret weapon, he


    must find a way to steal it from him. Starting then, he not only wanted to conquer the Dragon Pass but


    also nned to have the world''s most powerful explosive!


    "We lost a lot of men when we attacked the Dragon Passst night. The soldiers who survived are still


    shell shocked and traumatized. We need toy low for a bit; if we attack again, I''m afraid we''ll suffer the


    same fate. Many of our soldiers have been badly mutted or justpletely blown to pieces. It''s a


    cruel scene I wish not to see again," a general said, almost tearing up. There was no way he would


    send his men to that kind of environment again.


    "If we don''t find out what that explosive was, we will never seed in conquering the Dragon Pass. If


    that happens, more soldiers will die the same way as the ones who diedst night! Do you want to be


    killed, without knowing what kills you?" Toby said, sounding agitated.


    "We don''t want to, Your Highness!" the generals said in unison.


    "Since none of you would want to suffer that fate, go and gather your soldiers and tell them to get ready


    to attack the Dragon Pass again. This time, we''ll know what Shawn is attacking us with and we''ll be


    ready for it!"


    "Yes, Your Highness!"


    Outside the gate of the Dragon Pass, Shawn wasmanding his subordinates as they cleaned the


    numerous carcasses strewn about. A lot of people clearly remembered the horrible scene that


    happenedst night, and many generals had alreadye to ask him about the kind of weapon he


    used that caused such extreme damage. He, however, elected to say nothing and just asked the


    soldiers to bury more mud balls on the battlefield.


    "General, why are we burying these balls here?" one general asked.


    "Toby is so self-absorbed and stubborn that he will not give up until he discovers what we used against


    them. They have suffered a great lossst night, but I am sure that he is already leading his troops to


    attack the Dragon Pass again. These are gifts I specially prepared for them. I hope that his luck will be


    better today," Shawn answered calmly.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    The deputy general swallowed his saliva thinking about Toby being a victim of Shawn''s mud balls. ''It


    would only take one for him to turn into a muddy pool of blood and flesh!'' he thought, wincing. But


    considering the fact that they had such powerful weapons, the deputy was able to heave a sigh of


    relief, saying, "General, you can finally have a good rest tonight!"


    "Rest is something we still cannot afford to do. Is there still no news from Prince Matthew?"


    "None, general."


    "Let''s go back to work then."

 Chapter 907 Separated For Different Missions (Part One)

    Chapter 907 Separated For Different Missions (Part One)


    Toby dispatched a number of his soldiers to keep a close eye on the Dragon Pass. In order to avoid


    being exposed, he specifically told them to camp at a far distance. Unfortunately, the soldiers stayed so


    far back that they couldn''t see clearly what Shawn and his people were doing outside the city gates.


    Because of that, they thought they were simply cleaning up the battlefield.


    "Your Highness, at dawn, Shawn brought some soldiers to the battlefield to clean it up. They threw all


    the corpses and amputated limbs into a pit and buried them there," reported one soldier as soon as he


    came back.


    "Hypocrite. If he hates to see such a scene, why would he use a weapon so destructive in the first


    ce?" Toby scoffed.


    "Your Highness, shall we advance toward the enemy lines?" the general leading the army asked.


    "Move ahead. We must find out today what the hell Shawn is doing!"


    Harper and Matthew were still trying to escape the Great Jade Kingdom, and in the process, attempting


    to eliminate the killers that were sent after them. They seemed to be not able to shake them off, and


    soon, Harper understood why: she must be the reason why they kept finding them out. With that, a


    grim expression graced her face.


    "Harp, Rndo said you were poisoned. Is that true?" It was a question that was eating Matthew up


    from the inside. However, Harper looked unharmed, so he was beginning to doubt what Rndo had


    told him.


    "I wasn''t poisoned. I was drugged with poisonous insects. He put it on the Heavenly Book, to be sure


    that I get it to my system. But it''s not a big deal, Matthew. I used my spiritual power to seal it up. The


    unfortunate thing is, there''s no way for me to remove it," Harper exined, pointing at her elixir field.


    Matthew''s face became grim. "Rndo also told me that if you go too far away from him, your life


    would be in danger."


    "And you believed him? At this point in time, Rndo might being up to the Dragon Pass. If what


    he said was true, the poison would have already worked and I would have died by now. But I''m still


    alive, aren''t I?" Harper asked with a smile.


    "Are you sure you''re okay, Harp?" Matthew asked, sounding extremely concerned.


    "I''m all right, Matthew. You don''t have to worry. I just don''t know how to get rid of this Deathly Kalpa


    inside of me but my life isn''t threatened. Believe me." Harper held Patrick in her arms. "Anyway, as I


    said, Rndo is already on his way to the Dragon Pass. Even though I have prepared something for


    Shawn in advance, I''m afraid it won''tst too long. Because of that, we need to get separated here.


    You''ll go to the Dragon Pass, and I''ll go meet Kile."


    "No way." Matthew wouldn''t let Harper travel alone no matter what. "Kile is a rascal. If you go to see


    him alone, I''m afraid he may hurt you!" he rejected at once.


    "Matthew, not everyone in the world is Rndo," Harper responded calmly.


    "Harper, even without Rndo, there is still Francis hidden in the dark."


    Harper sighed helplessly. "Without Becky, Francis can''t do anything to me. Besides, I''m not alone. I


    have bodyguards with me."


    "The twelve secret guards are of no use, you know that."


    Upon hearing that, Zorro silently stepped aside. The twelve secret guards were indeed of no use. Even


    though they were with the princess when Rndo took her away, they were able to do nothing but


    watch.


    "Matthew, stop it. Kile is not bad, so stop making him out to be someone like that. And if you''re afraid


    that he''ll do something to me, trust me, no. I am not gold¡ªnot everyone likes me. And even if I am


    gold, there will always be someone who wouldn''t like me," Harper said, vexed.


    Matthew didn''t share the same thinking. His wife was a charmingdy, and he knew that once menid


    their eyes on her, she would be their object of affection. Hell, he even wanted to hide her at home and


    never let anyone see her! Now, especially after everything that happened between her and Rndo, he


    promised himself that he wouldn''t dare let her go to the Wonder Kingdom alone. Moreover, Kile was a


    bastard who wanted to woo every beautiful woman he saw!


    "I have been a good friend of Kile for years, Matthew. He does that just to protect himself," Harper


    continued. She believed in Kile. The imperial family of the Wonder Kingdom was by no means a loving


    family. If Kile did not disguise himself as a yboy without any interest in power, he would have been


    killed by the other princes because hecked power and backing support.


    Of course, Matthew knew that Kile was just pretending. That was the reason why he just couldn''t let his


    wife near him. How could he leave his wife all alone with a cunning wolf?


    "My brother is also in the Wonder Kingdom!" Harper finally said.


    "Howard Chu?" asked Matthew slowly.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    "Yes."


    "Well, if that''s the case, let''s get on with your n. After I deal with Rndo, I''ll go to the Wonder


    Kingdom to find you." With Howard around, any man who wanted to flirt with Harper would give it a


    second thought.


    Harper didn''t expect Matthew to change his mind so quickly, but she didn''t want to inquire further. "I''ll


    meet you in the Dragon Pass after I get the Sacred Seal."


    "Take care."


    Harper nodded her head and turned away. Before she went on her way, she turned around and said,


    "Felton is already at the Dragon Pass. If you need anything, just go find him. I believe he can help you."


    Immediately, the image of the sickly man filled Matthew''s head. Felton was in such a bad shape that


    anyone wouldn''t be able to help himself but feel sorry for him. Despite that, he knew better than to


    underestimate him and his skills.


    "I understand. The twelve secret guards will keep protecting you. I''ll also ask Fred to go with you."


    "You won''t have people to protect you if you do that."


    "I still have three guys with me. I just... couldn''t feel secure leaving you with the twelve secret guards. I


    need someonepetent to apany you," Matthew said casually. Zorro, once again, elected to


    remain silent. If the prince thought that, he couldn''t argue back.

 Chapter 908 Separated For Different Missions (Part Two)

    Chapter 908 Separated For Different Missions (Part Two)


    "Okay." In order to keep Matthew''s mind at ease, Harper agreed. Besides, it was about time for Kile to


    do something. Not long before, she had made a deal with him that if the Great Jade Kingdom started


    any kind of conflict, he would persuade the king of the Wonder Kingdom to side with the Bright Dynasty


    and send his troops to fight against the Great Jade Kingdom.


    Matthew then made his way to the Dragon Pass in a hurry. Harper, on the other hand, came face to


    face with Miguel at the border of the Wonder Kingdom. This surprised Harper, as she expected him to


    be at the capital of the Great Jade Kingdom. "His Majesty guessed right. You actually parted with


    Matthew," Miguel said, a small, knowing smile on his lips.


    Harper looked at Miguel, full of alert. The two had always been at odds. After she escaped from


    Rndo''s pce, it was definitely not a good thing for her to meet the prime minister there.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    "Prime Minister Miguel, are you here to catch me?" Although she didn''t consider Miguel as someone


    who could match her power, she still understood that she could not afford to be careless. She knew


    that if she got caught, it would be exponentially harder for her to escape Rndo''s clutches.


    As he heard Harper''s question, the corners of Miguel''s mouth curled into an indifferent smile. "Yes, and


    no," he answered emotionlessly.


    "The reason Rndo sent you here at the border of the Wonder Kingdom is to prevent them from


    attacking your territory, isn''t it?"


    Miguel answered, but his face continued to show no emotion. "As the rift between the Great Jade


    Kingdom and the Bright Dynasty worsens, the two other countries will naturally take actions based on


    what they hear in the news. While the South Kingdom is far away, the Wonder Kingdom is just next to


    our kingdom. Besides, we received news that when you were in the South Kingdom, the Wonder


    Kingdom''s Prince Kile was exceptionally nice to you. Because of that, we have to make moves to make


    sure they don''t go against us." His face then turned grim. "And you know what? Lilian''s baby died."


    Harper scoffed. "Why does it seem like you''re pinning the me on me?" she asked.


    Miguel''s clenched fists started shaking. "If you had helped her as soon as I came to you, you could


    have saved her child. But what did you do? You did nothing. She adores you so much, but you refused


    to help her. How ruthless can you be? Do you even have a conscience?"


    Harper didn''t respond to Miguel''s prodding and usations. In his eyes, she was the one in the wrong


    ¡ªthe murderer of Lilian''s unborn baby. There was no way he would listen to her, so she wasn''t


    intending on doing so. After all, for her, both he and Lilian were just passers-by.


    "Cut to the chase, Prime Minister Miguel. Tell me what you want. Don''t bore me with the love story


    between you and Lilian!" Harper said indifferently.


    At this, Miguel red at her, his eyes bing tinged with a murderous glint. He had been especially


    indifferent to her because Rndo seemed to have already been treating her with so much care.


    However, ever since she didn''t save Lilian''s baby, he felt an aversion towards her, even an urge to


    murder her.


    "Do you hear yourself, Harper? Is your heart really that rotten?" Miguel hissed. "How could you not feel


    any ounce of guilt? You even have the audacity to hurl insults at me! You are a special kind of bitch!"


    "Why should I feel guilty, Prime Minister Miguel?" Harper responded, further agitating the man she was


    talking to with the smile she stered on her lips. "But enough of you questioning me. It''s my turn.


    Rndo said that he never had sex with Lilian. If that''s the case, I''m curious¡ªwho is her baby''s


    father?"


    Miguel''s previously murderous expression turned to shock and fear for a moment. Harper immediately


    caught that, sending her into aughing fit. After recovering, she said, "I knew it. It''s you! You


    impregnated Lilian. Rndo''s favorite subordinate and his only consort¡ªwho knew! Seems like you


    don''t deserve his trust. No wonder he wanted to poison her and have her child aborted."


    "Nonsense! His Majesty wouldn''t do that!" Miguel roared emotionally.


    "Come on, Miguel. Who would dare to poison Lilian under the watchful eyes? And consider why


    Rndo didn''t pay her a visit even though he knew what happened to her. She was pregnant and if


    Rndo really was the father of the child she had been carrying, wouldn''t he be the first one to be by


    her side?" Harper said sharply.


    Miguel hesitated and said, "Nonsense! Nonsense! Nonsense! His Majesty is not that kind of person!"


    "Oh, you must know more about Rndo than I do. Please tell me what kind of person he is, Prime


    Minister Miguel." Harper was doing her best to buy herself some time¡ªshe knew what intentions


    Miguel had towards her, and she had ordered Patrick to find Howard and inform him of what was


    happening. She needed to continue this conversation until Howard showed up with his army.


    Miguel''s face was at its most grimness. He and Rndo had grown up together, and the affair between


    him and Lilian was just an ident. In all the years that he had worked for Rndo, he began to


    understand what kind of person he was: a man who would do anything to achieve his goal. Since he


    loved Harper so much, he would risk his life for her. But when it came down the wire, he knew that his


    emperor would use anybody, notwithstanding who they were to him. He would never show mercy to


    someone like Lilian¡ªhe even started a war with the excuse that she tried to murder him! Although


    Miguel was well aware of all of these, he couldn''t bring himself to admit that Rndo wasn''t that kind of


    vicious person.


    "His Majesty is not such a man!" Miguel bellowed, continuing to deceive himself.


    Harper echoed this sentiment, but with a sneer. "Right, Rndo isn''t such a man. He didn''t use you to


    make sure Lilian got pregnant, or tricked her into believing she was being favored by him. Most


    importantly, he didn''t try to kill Lilian after his trick was exposed. He is indeed the most perfect emperor


    in the world."

 Chapter 909 Mess The Whole World Up (Part One)

    Chapter 909 Mess The Whole World Up (Part One)


    Miguel quickly understood that Harper was only taunting him. As anger took hold of his heart, he


    thought of what his purpose was, and was able to calm himself down. "His Majesty and you are sharing


    the Deathly Kalpa. To ensure that it won''t hurt His Majesty, I have to arrest you. Lady Harper, I''m so


    sorry. I''ll have to cripple your martial arts and break your limbs before I bring you back to the Great


    Jade Kingdom."


    Harper''s eyes immediately turned cold and with a wink of an eye, sheunched an attack against


    Miguel. This stunned Miguel at first, but then he immediately collected himself and fought back. He


    already sustained a bruise on his face because of this sneak attack.


    "Harper Chu!" Miguel snarled.


    "I can hear you. You don''t have to yell like that," Harper said coldly. "In order to thank you for what you


    have prepared for me, I will give you a gift. Today, I''ll break one of your legs!"


    As Harper and Miguel began fighting, the 12 secret guards too started to take on the imperial secret


    guards led by Miguel simultaneously. With this development, Harper knew she only needed to deal with


    Miguel.


    Miguel perceived Harper as someone who was merely good at martial arts and not a first-ss master.


    The thing he didn''t expect was the fact that she was a match for him. If she escaped, he knew that it


    wouldn''t be easy for him to catch her again.


    With this thought in his mind, Miguel knew that he had to aplish what he set out to do right then


    and there. A murderous look then shed across his eyes. ''As long as she''s not killed, I can use some


    special moves to injure her and make her less agile!'' he thought. He was never an upright man, and


    just like Rndo, he would do anything as long as he could catch her!


    Harper decided not to use her spiritual power, so she was fighting Miguel mainly with her internal force.


    Miguel''s eyes shed with malice. Suddenly, heunched some kind of powder towards Harper and


    quickly stepped back. Harper instinctively stepped back as well, waving her sleeves so that the powder


    would not get anywhere near her. "The Internal Force Ruining Powder! You''re good."


    Miguel frowned and said, "I forgot you''re a physician."


    "No offense taken. I''m actually d that you remembered. Do you remember when I treated your


    injuries once?" asked Harper slowly.


    Miguel asked in surprise, "What did you do to me?"


    "I love that you think I''m stupid." Harper sneered. "I acted very friendly towards Rndo because he


    saved my life twice. Despite that, never have I ever dropped my guard whenever he''s around me. From


    the beginning, I knew that the coronation ceremony he invited me to was a trap of some sort. Matthew


    tried to tell me that several times, though indirectly, because he was afraid that I might misunderstand


    him and think he was only trying to sow dissension between me and Rndo. But I knew what was


    happening, and I never loosen my guard against you two."


    "You... you are so scheming."


    "Scheming?" Harper snickered. "If I was just a simple-minded woman, I would have already died in the


    filthy mansion of the Chu n. So yes, I am scheming. I''m also heartless, vicious."


    Miguel clenched his fists in anger. He still didn''t know what Harper did to him and now, he was


    discovering that he and his emperor had been set up¡ªshe had been plotting against them the whole


    time! ''Maybe even the Heavenly Book was a part of this bitch''s ns!'' he thought.


    "You approached His Majesty..."N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    "For the sake of the Heavenly Book," Harper replied tly. "If I wanted to get that myself, I knew it


    would require an ungodly amount of effort on my part. Because of that, I chose to have Rndo get it


    for me. But you should note that without me, that book would be useless. No one can solve that book''s


    mystery aside from me. So if you think about it, what happened is actually beneficial to both parties."


    "But have you..."


    "I''m not a promiscuous person, Miguel. Never was, and never will be. There''s only one person in my


    heart," Harper said calmly. "You know what? We''ve been talking too much. It''s almost time."


    "You were only buying time?!" Miguel finally realized what Harper was doing, but it seemed like it was


    toote. He and his guards were already surrounded by a group of men that he didn''t even notice had


    already shown up. Kile was there, front and center, looking dashing in white. Harper waved at him


    earnestly, as if he was a longtime friend she was seeing again for the first time.


    "Beauty, I''m here to pick you up!" announced Kile as he jumped to Harper''s side. "Are you touched?"


    Harper rolled her eyes but chuckled a bit. Then, she looked over Kile''s shoulders and raised her


    eyebrows¡ªHoward was behind him. "Hi, brother," she said.


    Howard nodded, and Patrick immediately jumped out of his arms into Harper''s. She hurriedly caught it,


    caressed its head, and gave it some pills. "Thank you."


    "What about me?" Kile pointed at himself, pouting. He was the one who brought people there to save


    her!


    Harper stretched out her hand and rubbed Kile''s head. "Good boy, thank you."


    Kile nodded his head without a second thought. But then, after a few seconds, he shook her hand off of


    him and growled, "I''m not a child anymore, Harper! You have to stop doing that to me!"


    Harper giggled. Even though Kile was almost just as old as her, the way he acted could not be more


    different than how she did. Despite that, for her, it was adorable how his personality directly contrasted


    with his looks: While he looked incredibly mature, he acted like a child.


    Miguel looked at the two happily interacting with one another and asked, "Since when did Prince Kile of


    the Wonder Kingdom be so close to Lady Harper of Bright Dynasty?"


    Kile turned to Miguel, red at him, folded his arms across his chest, and said, "Who I am on good


    terms with is none of your business! Seems to me that you''re tired of being the prime minister of the


    Great Jade Kingdom. Do want to be my little eunuch?"


    As soon as Miguel heard such insulting words, his face changed dramatically and he snapped, "Kile


    Mu!"

 Chapter 910 Mess The Whole World Up (Part Two)

    Chapter 910 Mess The Whole World Up (Part Two)


    "Yes, tiny Miguel?" Kileughed mockingly. When he was a child, he had to disguise himself as a weak


    and inferior prince, but ever since he met Harper, he knew that he couldn''t do that anymore. She was


    able to pretend to be weaker way better than him that even if people were so mad at her, they still


    believed her more than him! Onlyter did they find out that they had been set up by her.


    "You are only courting death, you fool!" Miguel scowled. Although he often smiled and seemingly didn''t


    pose any danger to anyone, his true nature could not be farther from it: he was someone who couldn''t


    get along with anyone because of his sinister personality. Those who knew him well knew that the


    moment he became serious only meant that he was angry, and that whoever caused his bad mood


    would pay severely.


    Harperzily reached out her hand and pulled Kile back. Kile immediately stepped back just in time to


    dodge an sneak attackunched against him by Miguel. His eyes widened and he shouted, "You dirty,


    dirty rat!"


    "Get out of the way," Harper said, slowly getting in front of Kile. She thenunched a potent counter-


    attack against Miguel, which effectively forced him to back down.


    "Miguel, I advise you not to use your internal force anymore," Harper persuaded at once. "The poison


    in your body has already been triggered. Continuously using your internal force will lead to the back


    flow of the blood in your body, making you bleed from your eyes, nose, and mouth, and shortly after,


    your death."


    Miguel just knitted his eyebrows and then tried to initiate his internal force. Surprisingly, his blood


    cirction was indeed messed up. He then realized that if he didn''t take Harper''s advice and continued


    to use his internal force, he would spit out blood on the spot. "Lady Harper, you are so good at


    scheming!" he said exasperatedly. "You make sure you hurt the people you saved!"


    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    "People?" The expression on Harper''s face was cold and grim. "Do you consider yourself a person?"


    "Harper Chu, don''t be too arrogant!" Miguel felt his anger surge within him. "The Wonder Kingdom


    won''t be able to protect you!"


    "I don''t need their protection," Harper said nonchntly. "Between you and I, Prime Minster Miguel, you


    are the one who needs protecting. And unfortunately, the Great Jade Kingdom won''t be able to protect


    you."


    "You..."


    "Let''s go, Kile," Harper said calmly. "He won''t be able to stop us."


    "All right, beauty! Let''s go to the Wonder Kingdom! There, you can do anything you like! If anything bad


    happens, I''ll help you solve it! But, if I can''t solve it..." Kile paused and thought carefully. After a few


    seconds, he added, "Let''s run away together!"


    "That''s the best thing you coulde up with?!" Howard said, rolling his eyes at Kile. Harper had


    originally thought Kile was a powerful figure in the Wonder Kingdom, but the harsh truth was that he


    was not. He would run away when he couldn''t find a way to protect her.


    "I''m just a prince, not the emperor of our kingdom, man! If I were the emperor, I would be able to


    protect Harper no matter how big of a trouble she meets!" Kile stared at Howard and asked proudly,


    "But don''t worry about it! She''ll be plenty safe in the Wonder Kingdom. What can you do to protect


    her?"


    Howard kept silent and didn''t say anything more, mainly because he didn''t want to argue with him. It


    was not easy for Kile to go back to the capital of the Wonder Kingdom. Since Miguel showed up here, it


    only proved that Rndo had a big n plotted. His target was not only the Bright Dynasty, but also


    the Wonder Kingdom. Rndo wanted to mess the whole world up and drag all the countries into


    crisis.


    "Beauty, what on earth does Rndo want to do?" Kile asked seriously. Rndo sent Miguel to the


    northern border of the Wonder Kingdom with arge army. If the emperor''s purpose was only to catch


    Harper, why would he send such a big force?


    "Throw the world into chaos, break up the current peaceful political situation, and shuffle the cards,"


    Harper responded calmly. "I''m not Miguel''s only target. His real target is the Wonder Kingdom. You


    have to send a message to your father at once that the Great Jade Kingdom has already taken actions.


    Tell him he can''t just sit still and wait for death. More importantly, he should take relevant actions to


    protect his kingdom."


    "Isn''t Rndo afraid that the other three kingdoms will join forces to deal with him?" Kile asked in


    surprise. The South Kingdom and the Bright Dynasty were on good terms. It wouldn''te off a


    surprise if the two kingdoms, plus the Wonder Kingdom, worked together to fight against the Great


    Jade Kingdom!


    "Kile, you are too naive," Harper said calmly. "The Great Jade Kingdom and Bright Dynasty are


    adjacent to the Wonder Kingdom. The South Kingdom is adjacent to Bright Dynasty and Wonder


    Kingdom. Is the Wonder Kingdom willing to let the army of the South Kingdom pass through it to attack


    the Great Jade Kingdom?"


    "Of course not!"


    "Simrly, Bright Dynasty won''t allow the South Kingdom to pass through its kingdom to deal with Great


    Jade Kingdom. As long as Rndo can resist the attack of the Wonder Kingdom and Bright Dynasty,


    he will win and the South Kingdom will just be onlookers. If the two kingdoms win, he will still be safe


    and sound and rule his own kingdom. If the Great Jade Kingdom wins, the South Kingdom will take


    advantage of the opportunity to divide part of thend next to the Bright Dynasty and Wonder


    Kingdom."


    Kile soon replied, "But after Bright Dynasty and Wonder Kingdom fall, Rndo will definitely not spare


    the South Kingdom."


    "What if the South Kingdom surrenders to Great Jade Kingdom?" Harper asked as she looked right into


    Kile''s eyes. If South Kingdom was willing to surrender and became a state of the Great Jade Kingdom,


    Rndo would never attack the South Kingdom. It would be a heavy loss for his country to resist two


    countries alone. Thus, he wouldn''t take actions against the South Kingdom in the next ten years. In the


    end, the kingdom which would benefit most in this turmoil turned out to be the South


    Kingdom!

 Chapter 911 Keep Attacking The Dragon Pass (Part One)

    Chapter 911 Keep Attacking The Dragon Pass (Part One)


    The Mountain Pass was the border between the Wonder Kingdom and the Great Jade Kingdom. The


    Bright Dynasty had the Dragon Pass, while the Wonder Kingdom had the Mountain Pass. Both were


    easy to defend but difficult to attack and for years, they had been the reason why the three kingdoms


    lived in peace.


    "Beauty, are we going to stay here for a long time?" Kile asked as he idled about.


    "Not us. You. Miguel is for sure going tounch an attack, but I''m not sure what signal he''ll use. He''ll


    take his action soon, though. I can feel it," Harper said as she pointed at somewhere on the map.


    That caught Kile by surprise, yet he knew he couldn''t do anything but agree. He then asked, "By the


    way, what did you do to that feminine man? Why did he let us go so easily that day?" Miguel was not


    easy to deal with, it seemed, so Kile became curious as to what Harper did to him.


    "Nothing special. The first time I met him, I was on my way to the Great Jade Kingdom and I saw him


    seriously injured. I was afraid that it was only a ruse, so I decided to poison him when I was treating


    him. I told him that if I was fine, he would be fine, but if he harbored any kind of malicious intention


    against me, I wouldn''t let him get away with it."


    Upon learning this, Kile choked on his own saliva. He quickly touched his pulse and asked, "Have you


    poisoned me, too? Would I be poisoned to death?"


    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    Harper rolled her eyes at Kile''s annoying attempt at humor, but she ultimately decided that she was


    going to ignore him. Once again, she was deep in thought: because Miguel still hadn''t made his move,


    she couldn''t leave just like that. At that point, she wondered how the Dragon Pass was doing and


    whether or not Matthew had arrived there.


    When Rndo arrived at the entrance of the Dragon Pass, he witnessed a tragedy: countless soldiers


    were blown up in broad daylight, their flesh beingunched to the sky as the ground became filled with


    broken limbs and flesh. The air was filled with a smell so foul, as well as all kinds of cries and screams


    from agonized soldiers. It was hell on earth.


    Toby was out of luck this time. His left leg was cleanly cut off by one of the explosions. He fell on the


    ground, screaming in pain.


    They suffered another crushing defeat. What was worse was as soon as theyunched their attack, the


    explosions started to happen. As the soldiers were so concentrated on their own offensive tactics, tens


    of thousands of them were instantly killed as they were not prepared for any counterattack.


    Rndo was speechless. He knew that the battle was fierce and that death woulde to both


    kingdoms, but he never expected this level of violence. Immediately, he called the general of the Bright


    Dynasty, "Shawn Shen!"


    "I was wondering who hase. Well, well, well, it''s Emperor Rndo!" Shawn replied as he stood on


    the gate tower. He then drew his bow, aiming it squarely at Rndo, who then had already wielded his


    sword.


    "I didn''t know that such a powerful weapon can be found here in the Dragon Pass!" Rndo bellowed,


    his eyes narrowed.


    "You can find a lot of things in our country, believe it or not. Why don''t you visit and see by yourself!


    Let''s see what''s more powerful: your martial arts skills or our explosives!" Shawn bellowed back. He


    then saw that Toby passed out on the battlefield, bloodied with one of his legs missing. He had never


    been a bloodthirsty person, but in the name of his country, his friends, and his family, he was willing to


    kill anyone in his way.


    Rndo red at Shawn as he asked his men to retrieve Toby''s unconscious body. After that, he


    ordered everyone to retreat. Before they could face their enemies, they must find out what the hell


    caused such terrible injuries and numerous deaths!


    The faces of Rndo''s soldiers showed deep hurt and sadness. If they fought against swords and


    spears and got killed by them, they wouldn''t be feeling what they were feeling at the moment as they


    knew exactly what killed theirrades. Unfortunately, this time around, their friends and fellow


    warriors were transformed into puddles of blood and flesh by something they did not understand. It was


    hard to ept that they had been massacred in a way that was so brutal.


    Back in the camp of the Great Jade Kingdom, physicians were doing their best to save Toby. Rndo,


    on the other hand, gathered all the generals, whose eyes were red, filled with tears, and asked them,


    "Do you feel aggrieved and pained?"


    "Your Majesty, the people from the Bright Dynasty have gone too far!" One of the generals wiped his


    eyes. "How cruel it was to fight with us in such a vicious way. How inhuman!"


    "This is a battlefield. The winners take all and the losers always suffer. The people from the Bright


    Dynasty are our enemies. Do you still hope that our enemies will be kind to us and open the city gate


    when they see use over to attack?" Rndo''s voice was soft, but full of sarcasm. The Bright


    Dynasty was not a coward, and Shawn was passionate. How many cowards could do such a cruel


    thing?


    Many generals fell into silence. The other side, of course, would not open the city gate to let them in.


    Their purpose of attacking the Dragon Pass was to intrude the Bright Dynasty. The soldiers would fight


    to the end to protect their home and country behind them. Shawn should be cruel, but they could not


    vent their anger.


    "Your Majesty, Shawn is so sinister. He has made many inexplicable things to make lots of us die and


    get injured. He refused toe out of the city to fight, and our force attack is very unfavorable to us.


    Our morale will be low if we fight against them for a long time."


    "Of course I know this. But haven''t you had enough lessons from attacking recklessly without knowing


    the enemy''s situation?" Rndo was a little disappointed. He had thought Toby was smart, but it turned


    out that he made the same mistake twice!

 Chapter 912 Keep Attacking The Dragon Pass (Part Two)

    Chapter 912 Keep Attacking The Dragon Pass (Part Two)


    "Your Majesty, please let us know."


    Rndo picked up the tea cup and took a sip. "Do you know what caused such a big harm?"


    Everyone shook their heads. If they had known it, they might have prepared the same thing, and would


    not feel confused here.


    "Then why didn''t you clean up the battlefield carefully?" After Rndo went back to the barrack, he


    carefully asked about what had happenedst night and today. The situation was small-scaledst


    night, and then it wasrge-scaled today. During this period, Shawn had taken people to clean up the


    battlefield, and they might not only have cleaned the battlefield, but also set a trap, which caused a


    large range of death and injury today.


    Everyone looked at each other. They were stunned by the explosionst night. They didn''t think of


    cleaning up the battlefield at all. They just wanted to retreat quickly and stay away from that horrible


    thing. However, they never thought that if they had carefully cleaned up the battlefield, they would have


    found some clues.


    "Your Majesty, have you sent people to clean the battlefield in order to find clues?"


    "Everything will leave some clues after it is done. No matter how thoughtful and cautious Shawn is, it is


    inevitable that he has missed something. As long as we find some traces, we can solve his mystery,"


    Rndo said coldly.


    "Your Majesty." A man walked in quickly. "We have found it."


    Rndo''s eyes lit up. "Submit it to me."


    The guard brought a mud ball to them, which they had found when they were cleaning up the


    battlefield. Coincidentally, it did not explode, and was found by the Cyan Garment Guards.


    Rndo wanted to get it, but was stopped by the leader of the Cyan Garment Guards, Bastian. "Your


    Majesty, it..."


    Rndo pushed Bastian away, took the mud ball and looked at it carefully. "This is Shawn''s secret


    weapon which killed and hurt many people in our army?"


    "I suppose so."


    "How can a small mud ball cause such a damage?" all people asked in disbelief. They couldn''t believe


    that they were defeated by such mud balls.


    "Only this one?" Rndo examined the mud ball carefully. It was rough and smelt strange. There


    seemed to be carbon, with something odd mixed in it. He could not tell what was in it.


    "We''ve found this one only after we cleaned up the whole battlefield. I''m not sure if it is the one that


    could cause such a big damage," Bastian said honestly.


    "We''ll know if it is after we have a try." Rndo went outside with the mud ball in his hand, followed by


    many others. They wondered whether this mud ball was the cause of the damage.


    Rndo asked someone to put it outside in the open space and then told a soldier to bring a fire arrow.


    There were burning marks on the ball and it should explode with fire. As for how to get it triggered, he


    hadn''t worked out the solution. So he asked them to bring a fire arrow and shoot it at the mud ball.


    When the arrow fell beside the ball, the fire burned it. Everyone''s eyes were wide open, but nothing


    happened.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    "It should not be caused by this thing."


    "Maybe we used a wrong way..."


    All of a sudden, a loud bang erupted. Everyone was startled. The bluestone road that had been ced


    in the open space was blown to pieces, smoke flying, and even the house shook three times.


    "Yes, that''s it. I will never forget the sound! Your Majesty, it is this thing!" someone eximed.


    Rndo''s eyes were as cold as ice. The Bright Dynasty shouldn''t have such things. They should be


    given by someone else. If the Bright Dynasty had such powerful weapons, they would have fought


    against several countries, and no country would be a match. With this weapon, the Bright Dynasty


    could be called the king of the world, but they didn''t do it, which meant they didn''t have many of such


    weapons.


    "Go and check who hase to the Dragon Passtely, or if there is someone special there!" Rndo


    gave the order calmly. The only mud ball in their hands had exploded, so they could not use it for


    research. They could only investigate the people in the Dragon Pass, or get another ball next time.


    "Yes, Your Majesty."


    Most of the generals turned to Rndo and asked, "Your Majesty, the Dragon Pass has such powerful


    weapons. Do we still need to attack it?"


    "Yes! But, we don''t need to attack with so many people. Use the ballistas to suppress the soldiers on


    the gate tower, and then prepare to attack the city with the ballistas. Tomorrow, go on attacking!"


    Rndo said resolutely.


    "The enemy has such weapons. If we attack the city, aren''t we going to die?" Some people questioned


    Rndo''s decision. After all, Shawn had scared them. The most terrible thing was not the death in


    battle, but that they just died inexplicably as soon as they showed up. They knew they would die, but


    they still had to go one after another. They were people and would be scared sometimes.


    "If Shawn really has so many secret weapons, he wouldn''t have taken them out sote. I guess he


    doesn''t have many of them at hand. His attack is just a feeler. Go and see how many such things


    Shawn has in his hands," Rndo said slowly.


    "Your Majesty, if Shawn has a lot of them, we will be seriously damaged. We just met with him, but we


    have already lost fifty thousand people. If it goes on like this, we will probably..."


    "If there are really so many things in his hands, do you think they would be hidden in the Dragon Pass?


    I don''t think he has a lot. The top priority now is to find out who made it!" Rndo said sternly.

 Chapter 913 The Tricky Situation (Part One)

    Chapter 913 The Tricky Situation (Part One)


    Shawn gathered all his generals and had an emergency meeting. Rndo was already here, but they


    still hadn''t heard from Matthew yet. Shawn was worried that their prince wouldn''t get back to the


    Dragon Pass in time, ultimately leading to their defeat. He remembered the time when Rndo was


    still the crown prince of the Great Jade Kingdom and how people feared him. Now that he was their


    emperor, he ignored his own safety and personally appeared on the battlefield.


    Shawn knew that as an emperor, Rndo only had hostile intentions for them. If Rndo didn''te,


    Shawn and his soldiers might have time to rest. After all, Toby, the one leading them before Rndo


    showed up, was injured badly. They would surely halt their attacks for a few days to let him recover.


    Unfortunately for them, Rndo was already there.


    "What are you afraid of, My Lord? So what if Emperor Rndo came? We have amazing explosives!


    Why not just use that and send him straight to heaven? We shouldn''t be afraid of him. If anything, he


    should be afraid of us!" the deputy general, Harry Zhong, said excitedly.


    Shawn looked at the other subordinates and all of them were on the same cloud nine as Harry Zhong


    was. It seemed like all of them stopped having fears once they saw how powerful Harper''s mud balls


    were.


    "We have used up all our bombs," he suddenly dered. And just like that, it seemed like Shawn


    poured cold water over his subordinates'' burning fire. It was almostical how each of them stiffened


    up, their eyes wide with surprise and fear.


    "Used up?" one subordinate repeated.


    "Yes, that is right. We have used all of our mud balls in our trap yesterday. Because of that, we will


    have to work hard in besting them in hand-to-handbat. We only used our huge bombs in hopes


    that it will shock the Great Jade Kingdom for a period of time, giving us a bit of time to rest and wait for


    Prince Matthew. Unfortunately for us, Emperor Rndo has already appeared, which means that we


    won''t be able to frighten the enemy for too long," Shawn exined casually.


    "Can''t we make new bombs after we''ve really used them all up? My Lord, I think we can do that! I


    believe that it is a nice strategy as we won''t have to meet them on the battlefield ourselves. We can


    save many of our men!" a subordinate suggested.


    "Make bombs? Do you know how to make one?" Shawn asked, smiling.


    The deputy general who suggested that blushed out of embarrassment, but quickly recovered. "No, I


    can''t, My Lord," he responded. "But who made those bombs anyway? Can''t we tell them to make


    more?"


    "The person who made the bombs is now trapped in the Great Jade Kingdom. I gathered all of you


    today because I wanted to tell you not to becent. Our bombs have run out, and now, the fight


    will only get harder. Rndo is on par with our Prince Matthew, which means he is incredibly skilled


    and can take all of us down in an instant."


    The expression on everyone''s face was grave. Without the bombs, they would have no real advantage


    over the Great Jade Kingdom. To add to that, Rndo was already there, a leader who was good at


    launching attacks in new and varied ways. If Matthew failed to show up, there was a huge possibility


    that they would lose the Dragon Pass.


    "My Lord, do you know where Prince Matthew is now?"


    "Somewhere in the Great Jade Kingdom. The main purpose of the coronation ceremony which Prince


    Matthew was invited to was to lock the prince up in the Great Jade Kingdom. After doing that, Rndo


    would lead an army to conquer the Dragon Pass and the cities next to it. From the information we


    know, Rndo had been nning this for a while now. So I am asking all of you to be vignt and


    always on guard. We have to win this battle for the Bright Dynasty!"


    "When will the reinforcements from the imperial court arrive?" another deputy general asked. Since


    they couldn''t count on Matthew, the only thing they could do was turn to the help of the government.


    They had long called the imperial court to beg for help, and it was time for the emperor to take actions.


    Shawn had no idea who would lead the reinforcements of the government. Now, there were only two


    generals, Maxwell and his father left in the imperial court. The emperor should send Maxwell to support


    him as his father was too old. Maxwell had richbat experience, but he was no match for Rndo in


    strategy, so they needed a military counsellor with wisdom.


    At that time, Shawn was eager to meet Zack. If Zack was here, Shawn would not be so passive.


    Rndo was resourceful, but Zack was not inferior to him.


    "My Lord, when will Emperor Rndo attack again?" The atmosphere became more dignified. They


    were well aware of Emperor Rndo''s fame. At that time, he and Matthew were on equal terms, and


    both of them were extremely talented. Now Matthew was trapped in the Great Jade Kingdom, and


    Shawn had to face Rndo alone, so they might not insist for a long time.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    "Who knows? Maybe today or tomorrow." Shawn had a headache. These days, the Great Jade


    Kingdom kept on attacking. If Matthew didn''te back, Shawn would have to risk his life to guard the


    Dragon Pass.


    Rndounched another attack on the same day, and it was just a tentative one to check how many


    bombs Shawn had. However, to resist this small group''s attack, instead of using the bombs, Shawn


    ordered his men to shoot arrows to keep the enemies away from the city gates.


    "Your Majesty, they doesn''t use mud balls. They have been using arrows to keep us from approaching


    the gates. Are we going to keep trying?" a general reported to Rndo.


    "Tomorrow, send one more squad to attack the Dragon Pass." Rndo spoke without raising his head


    as he was busy dealing with other reports. He wanted to see how many cards Shawn had in hand.

 Chapter 914 The Tricky Situation (Part Two)

    Chapter 914 The Tricky Situation (Part Two)


    "Yes, Your Majesty."


    After the general withdrew from the camp, Bastian strode in and reported, "Your Majesty, the spies sent


    to the Bright Dynasty got some news. The mud ball is called fire bomb and it is said toe from


    Prince Matthew''s mansion."


    Rndo''s hand, which was writing, suddenly stopped. He looked up at Bastian and asked, "Is it from


    Prince Matthew''s mansion, or someone in the mansion?"


    "We haven''t found it yet. I just heard that Princess Harper''s secret guards sent them to the Dragon


    Pass. If they are from Prince Matthew''s mansion, maybe Shawn has more than enough bombs, right?"


    Bastian frowned.


    Rndo was deep in thought with a frown. The bombs came from Prince Matthew''s mansion. He knew


    clearly what kind of person Matthew was and that it was reasonable for him to have such a back-up


    n. ''After all, he could think of a way to guard against me in advance. He would definitely let Shawn


    have the ability to guard before he returns to the Dragon Pass.''


    "Give out my orders. Go all out to capture Matthew and dy his returning to the Dragon Pass."


    "Yes, Your Majesty."


    "Besides, have you found out the outsidersing to the Dragon Pass recently as I told you to?"


    Rndo continued to read over the reports from the officials. He would not lose control of the imperial


    court even on the battlefield.


    "Your Majesty, we found that Shawn and Princess Harper came to the Dragon Pass together. She was


    apanied by a man called Felton Qin. Now he stays at the Dragon Pass. But Felton doesn''t have


    much contact with other people, and even Shawn is not familiar with him." Bastian was confused. He


    didn''t understand why Rndo was so interested in Felton.


    "Felton Qin!" Rndo instantly understood that Felton belonged to the Qin n. Harper must have


    contacted the members of the Qin n. That was to say, all the living people of the Qin n were


    obeyed to her.


    Rndo was lost in thought. Something urred to him all of a sudden when he thought of the Qin


    n. He asked Bastian, "Who came to the Dragon Pass with Shawn as you said?"


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    "Princess Harper."


    Rndo''s pen was cut in half. Even if he didn''t want to, he had to admit the fact that Harper must have


    taken precautions against him a long time ago. He thought he had a perfect n, but he didn''t know


    Harper would make use of his n! His purpose was the Heavenly Book, and so was Harper''s. It


    turned out that the two had the same plot in mind.


    "I''m afraid the bomb was made by Harper." Rndo felt ufortable. He always made use of others,


    but never had he imagined that he would be one of those people that would be calcted.


    "Princess Harper made it! How is it possible? She is just a woman. How could she make such a terrible


    thing?" Bastian asked in disbelief.


    Rndo smiled bitterly. "She''s not an ordinary woman, but a very capable woman. However, I didn''t


    know that she had been on alert against me to this level. She came here with Shawn, and left the


    bombs to him, in order to guard against me when I attack the Dragon Pass. "


    "Your Majesty..." Bastian was a little worried. As the leader of the Cyan Garment Guards, he knew


    clearly that the emperor was obsessed with Harper and wouldn''t turn down any of her requests. It was


    outrageous that she treated him in return in this way.


    "Now that it is designed by Harper, Felton is the key point. Tell the spies in the Dragon Pass to catch


    him alive!" Rndo had a murderous look in his eyes. He would not stop Harper from escaping. Yet, he


    would put all thend in his territory. At that time, wherever she was, she would be in his territory.


    "Yes, Your Majesty."


    In the Dragon Pass, Felton sat in a cane chair at the foot of the corridor, covering his mouth and


    coughing repeatedly. "The weather in the Dragon Pass is too dry, and my throat always tickles. I am not


    feeling well."


    "Master, it''s time for you to take your medicine. Princess Harper is about toe back, right?" Mathias


    said as he put the medicine on the small table near Felton.


    "She won''t be back so soon. But the weather is changing." Felton looked up at the gray sky and


    thought, ''Tonight it''s going to rain. It''s the best time to kill people and rob. The rain will wash away all


    the evidence.''


    "Master, when are we leaving here?" Mathias asked in confusion. It was useless for them to stay at the


    Dragon Pass all the time. They''d better go back to Phoenix City.


    "Pretty soon," whispered Felton, taking the medicine bowl and blew gently, which misted his eyes.


    "Are we going back to Phoenix City with Princess Harper after she returns here?" Mathias asked


    cautiously. They never called Harper as their leader in public, but instead they called her Lady Harper


    or Princess Harper in order to protect her.


    "Sort of." Although Felton didn''t know when Harper would go back to the Phoenix City, she needed to


    go back there if she wanted to uncover the secret of the Qin n. So he was sure she would return to


    Phoenix City. But when and how she would go back would be another story.


    "Mathias, get ready. We have guests tonight." Felton put down the empty medicine bowl. The guests


    tonight were not his friends. With the help of bombs, Shawn failed to frighten the generals from the


    Great Jade Kingdom. Rndo came here at that time, which put the Dragon Pass in grave danger.


    Upon hearing this, Mathias immediately took the empty bowl away. Now that some guests would arrive,


    he should prepare well to wee them.


    The wind bell under the eave was swaying in the breeze and made a pleasing sound. Felton looked up


    at it and mumbled with a faint smile, "The wind is rising. It''s not safe here. I''ll help you guard the


    Dragon Pass just for now. You shoulde back as soon as possible."

 Chapter 915 Assassination On A Stormy Night (Part One)

    Chapter 915 Assassination On A Stormy Night (Part One)


    Before it even got dark, rain had already began to pour hard. As it got progressively darker, the


    booming thunder and crackling lightning made people feel very depressed. For Shawn, however, the


    storm gave him an opportunity to breathe a sigh of relief as it could give him and his men a chance to


    rest. With such a heavy downpour, the Great Jade Kingdom wouldn''t be able to continue attacking the


    Dragon Pass.


    "Guard," Shawn authoritatively called out.


    "Yes, General," a guard replied respectfully.


    "I believe the heavy rains would deter the Great Jade Kingdom from trying to stage another attack


    against us. Despite that, we must not let our guards down. So deliver this message to every one of our


    soldiers: be alert and do not let your guard down. A sudden attack from the Great Jade Kingdom


    cannot be ruled out, so we all need to get ready." Shawn was always very scrupulous. Although he


    knew that Rndo wouldn''t attack the pass at such a time, he still ordered his men to be on high alert.


    "Yes, general," the guard replied, leaving at once to fulfill his duties.


    As he stood by the corridor watching the rain drench everything around him, Shawn suddenly thought


    of Felton. Before Harper left, she asked him to keep an eye on him, but he hadn''t had the opportunity


    to see him. Now that he had a bit of a downtime, he figured out it would be best if he paid him a visit.


    "General, where are you going? The rain is pouring really hard outside," the guard at the entrance


    remarked as he saw his general getting ready to leave. "You will be soaked, General, so I suggest you


    just stay inside."


    "I just want to go out for a walk." As soon as he said that, he disappeared in the rain.


    The guard scratched his head in confusion as he asked his fellow guards, "Who the hell would want to


    go on a walk in such weather?"


    His fellow guards in the entrance looked at each other and shook their heads at the same time. They all


    knew that no sane human being would want to have a walk when it was raining so hard outside that


    one couldn''t see what was in front of him. Besides that, the roaring thunder and lightning would be


    enough to make anyone reconsider their ns.


    "The general has been so stressedtely. This is the first time he has had time to rest, so maybe he


    just really wants to go out and rx for a while, notwithstanding the storm."


    "Rxing... under the rain?" another guard said incredulously. "Our general sure has a peculiar way to


    rx."


    Felton lived in a quiet house located in a somewhat remote alley. While there were people passing by


    from time to time, they were generally scarce. That day''s heavy rain made sure that no one else would


    be there, except Shawn.


    When he arrived at the entrance of the alley, something made him stop before he set foot on Felton''s


    property. Though very vague, he felt the energies of some murderous assassins lurking around. He


    didn''t know whether their target was him or Felton. If it was him, the assassins might have been


    surprised by his sudden decision to take a stroll in this raging storm; if it was Felton, well, it was his


    lucky day!


    ''Why is Shawn here?'' The assassins¡ªall of whom were hiding behind vegetation that surrounded


    Felton''s house¡ªwere shocked. They knew that Shawn was a central figure in the Dragon Pass. Now


    that they were under intense attack by the Great Jade Kingdom, how could he have time to be there?


    They were are clueless about his reasons, but they all knew that if he stayed, their job would be a lot


    more difficult.


    Shawn hesitated for a while, but soon enough, turned around and left, disappearing into the rain.


    Because of this, the assassins breathed a collective sigh of relief. If Shawn continued to walk inside


    Felton''s house, they would definitely be exposed by him. An alerted Felton was almost impossible to


    capture, so they were thankful.


    Shawn didn''t leave, however. Instead, he entered Felton''s house from the other side of the alley. When


    the assassins didn''t follow him, he immediately knew that they were there for Felton. ''But why?'' he


    thought, confused by what was happening. As far as he was concerned, Felton was just an ordinary


    person. Why would someone hire assassins to kill him? But no matter what the reason was, he knew


    that he couldn''t let Felton get hurt.


    In the courtyard, Felton was ying the zither. The melody sounded soft and soothing, making Mathias


    feel a little bit strange. His master had told him that guests would show up that day, but it was already


    dark and the guests hadn''t appeared yet. Aside from that, it was raining hard! But soon enough, he


    realized that the melody his master was ying wasced with his spiritual power! That only meant


    one thing: the "guests" he was talking about were enemies!


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Mathias knew that he shouldn''t continue letting Felton use his spiritual power, but since the enemies


    surrounding them seemed to outnumber them and their guards, he couldn''t do anything. His master''s


    ying could be considered a protective barrier!


    Shawn had to climb the wall to get into Felton''s house, and when he did, both Felton and Mathias


    turned their heads to look at him. Although he looked like a mess¡ªwet all over and disheveled from


    scaling the wall, Shawn wasn''t embarrassed at all. "There are numerous assassins along the front


    door''s alley. I have no choice but to climb over the wall to get in."


    "What are you doing here at this time?" asked Felton, confused and shocked. Especially in such heavy


    rain, why would Shawn think of visiting him? Somehow, he was sure that the assassins that were send


    to hurt him were top of the ss, and so he was not sure whether or not they would survive. Even


    Shawn''s life might be in danger!


    "I don''t know. I just had a sudden impulse toe here and see you. I didn''t expect that you''d have


    dangerous visitors tonight!" Shawn wiped the rain on his face. "But who are they? Do you have any


    idea?"


    "Our Qin n has many enemies. I don''t know who they are. But I''m sure they are hostile." Of course,


    Felton knew who the people lurking outside his house were. There were many spies of his enemies in


    the Dragon Pass. Besides, before Harper left, she had reminded him to be careful. But he just didn''t


    want to tell Shawn in case he might be involved in it.

 Chapter 916 Assassination On A Stormy Night (Part Two)

    Chapter 916 Assassination On A Stormy Night (Part Two)


    "You have no idea who exactly they are?"


    "Not at all," Felton said nonchntly. "Before they attack, you''d better leave as soon as possible."


    Shawn pulled out a chair, with a sword in his hand, and sat facing the door. "When Harper left, she


    asked me to take good care of you. I''ve sent someone to ask my people to be here, and I''ll stay here


    with you before the supporte."


    "They are not easy to deal with. Their internal force seems quite strong. They all should be highly


    skilled. The guards here can''t fight against the assassins outside," Felton said with a frown. "If you


    leave now, there''s still time for you to leave safely."


    "Felton, you underestimated me. I''m not afraid of death," Shawn said indifferently. "What''s more, if


    something bad happens to you under my watch, I will be too ashamed to meet Harper."


    Hearing that, Felton smiled faintly and no longer drove Shawn away. He didn''t fear no matter how many


    people were outside. The Qin n had been in silence for twenty years. So, they wouldn''t keep silent


    any more. If the people hiding in the dark still thought that the people of the Qin n were easy to


    bully, they would be totally wrong.


    As Felton continued to y, the melody was no longer low and depressing, but melodious, jubnt and


    loud. From now on, Qin n didn''t need to hide anymore. So, he ordered, "Arrange the array to


    wee the guests tonight."


    There were not only Felton, Shawn and Mathias in the courtyard. Most of the secret guars of the Qin


    n were hiding in the dark. As soon as the assassins entered the courtyard, they fell into the array.


    Thus, Felton chatted happily with Shawn while looking at the assassins struggling in the array.


    "Shawn, you know what? I''ve been waiting for this moment for a long time." With an indescribable


    sense of relief on his face, Felton felt like he had waited too long for this day.


    Shawn then nodded and asked, "You are from the Qin n in the imperial capital, right?"


    "Yes, that''s right. My mother and Harper''s mother are sisters," Felton admitted frankly. "From now on,


    the Qin n doesn''t need to hide anymore."


    Shawn understood what he meant. The Qin n had been under siege of the four kingdoms and only a


    few people survived. Harper survived because of the protection of the Chu n. As for the rest who


    could survive, most of them were from the coteral branches of the Qin n.


    "I''m d to hear that." Shawn looked rxed.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    "Why do you say that?"


    "Because what you said proves that she is safe and sound," Shawn said slowly. "I haven''t had a


    chance to return her a favor after she saved me that year. Now that there is a chance, I won''t miss it."


    Feltonughed. The melody he was ying suddenly became murderous. It pierced into the ears of the


    assassins trapped in the array, making them feel ufortable and hallucinate. Not everyone could


    resist the attacking power of the melody.


    Shawn, sitting next to Felton, was also disturbed by the melody. Seeing this, Felton immediately


    pricked at Shawn''s two acupoints, blocking his hearing. In this way, Shawn wouldn''t get hurt or had a


    wrong cirction of the energy inside his body after he listened to the music for a long time.


    During the night, the rain didn''t stop and no one knew that the blood on both sides of the alley had


    been washed clean by the rain, and the dead bodies were dragged away and buried. When it was


    dawn, the rain stopped. Felton leaned back on the chair tiredly. Shawn looked tired too. The yard was


    as clean as the early morning sky, clean and clear, without any bloodstain.


    "It''s dawn."


    "Yeah, it''s dawn," Shawn said slowly as he looked at the rising sun. "It''s a good day today. I should go


    back. If Rndoes here, I''m afraid he won''t slow down his attacks on the Dragon Pass. If the


    Dragon Pass was conquered, you should leave here in advance."


    "What? Do you want to guard the Dragon Pass until thest moment of your life?"


    "His Majesty and Prince Matthew trust me and asked me to guard the Dragon Pass. Of course, I will


    share life and death with the soldiers and people of the Dragon Pass, but you don''t have to do that,"


    Shawn said. Then, he stood up and was about to walked out. "Felton, take care," he added.


    Seeing Shawn striding out of the yard, Felton smiled and said, "Don''t worry. The Dragon Pass will be


    fine. I have sent the new batch of explosives to your mansion."


    Shawn stopped, smiled helplessly and said, "Felton, thank you. But I don''t want to use the explosives


    for the time being. On one hand, the leaders in the army are too dependent on weapons, and they


    be overconfident. On the other hand, during the battle between the two armies, it''s better if I


    interweave the true information of my army with the false information to confuse the enemies. If I show


    all my cards at once, what should I doter?"


    Instead of answering Shawn, Felton just watched him leave. He finally understood why the Harper


    would have chosen Shawn to guard the Dragon Pass. She was right. This man was the most suitable


    candidate.


    "Mathias," Felton called abruptly.


    Mathias showed up at once and replied, "Master." Felton asked at once, "When will the reinforcements


    of the imperial capital arrive?"


    "It is General Maxwell thates to support this time. After a rough calction, I think they will arrive


    in three days," Mathias answered after thinking for a while. "I guess Marquis Shawn should be able to


    resist the enemies for another three days."


    "Three days? I am not sure about that. Shawn and his army may still need hang on three days. Yet, if


    that people arrives to help, it will be no problem for Shawn to hold on to the days when Matthew


    arrives, let alone three days," Felton said with a faint smile. "Inform our people to get ready to wee


    the leader of our n. It''s time for us to take action now."


    "Yes, master."

 Chapter 917 Found The Secret Path (Part One)

    Chapter 917 Found The Secret Path (Part One)


    As there was no ill will between the Great Jade Kingdom and the Wonder Kingdom, Miguel never


    expected thetter tounch an attack against the former, specifically him and his army. It came as a


    shock to him. But what shook him to the core was the identity of their leader: Harper. Aside from


    assaulting his men in the middle of the night, she also had her men burn all their food and supplies.


    "Harper Chu!" Miguel hissed through his gritted teeth. Anger coursed through his vein as he looked at


    their two warehouses that had been burned to the ground. But while the Wonder Kingdom was never a


    part of his ns, the reason he brought his troops to where they were was because he wanted to deter


    them from involving themselves in the war that was brewing between the Great Jade Kingdom and the


    Bright Dynasty. He had nned everything in advance, but Harper swooped in just like that and ruined


    it all.


    To be fair, Harper and Kile''s friendship was not a new discovery for him. But he never thought Kile


    would hand over his army to Harper and basically allow her to stir up trouble between the Wonder


    Kingdom and the Great Jade Kingdom. Would the emperor of the Wonder Kingdom approve of what


    Kile did?


    "My Lord, what should we do? Nothing is left of our supplies. Worse, no one would be able to deliver us


    new ones on such short notice. If we decide to take on the Wonder Kingdom right now, I''m afraid we


    will be no match for them," one of the soldiers reported.


    Miguel had seen thising from a mile away. Frustration and self-pity fueled his anger as he knew


    that he could not help his troops. Without any other choice left, he ordered, "Retreat to the ce thirty


    miles away. We need to ask for provisions from the surrounding ten cities before we can continue with


    our ns."


    "Yes, My Lord."


    Standing on top of the city''s watch tower, Harper looked on as her enemies retreated like waves going


    back to the sea. An evil smile appeared on her face as she said jokingly, "Kile, I think I''ll have to rely on


    you from now on."


    Kileughed. "It will surely be difficult for you if you go to the Wonder Kingdom without me by your side.


    I suggest leaving him here and ordering him to guard the Mountain Pass. I will go back with you," Kile


    said as he cast a look at Howard. He knew that Howard had been a brave general when he was still


    serving in the army of Bright Dynasty. Unfortunately, he lost his way because of the trivial matters that


    gued the Chu n. Despite that, he was still a talentedmander, one that could not be


    underestimated.


    Harper noticed Kile looking at Howard, making her look at him too. ''He is indeed a goodmander,''


    she thought. ''But he isn''t a person from the Wonder Kingdom.'' With that, she turned to Kile and asked,


    "Do you trust him to guard the Mountain Pass? He isn''t one of your citizens."


    "Just the fact that he is your brother makes me trust him," Kile said with a knowing smile. "Besides, he


    won''t be here all alone. I will ask one other person to stand guard with him."


    "Wow. May I ask who?" asked Harper, surprised and intrigued.


    Kile pouted and looked in another direction. Harper followed suit, and she saw the person he was


    referring to, though her facial features had been distorted. "Princess Wanda!"


    A profound smile blossomed on Kile''s lips. "You know me, Harper. I''m no good at scheming. I had to


    take her with me to help me," he exined. As he said this, he looked very proud. Wanda Murong was


    his sister and shared the same mother with him. He loved her. Although she had a fragile body, she


    was very smart and always helped him by providing him with the best and most appropriate ideas. If it


    weren''t for her, it wouldn''t have been possible for him to grow up to be a mature man.


    "What? Are you sure you will let Howard take care of her?" Harper asked in surprise.


    "Stop worrying, Harper. Have a little trust in your brother!" Kile said as he winked at her. "There is


    literally nothing my sister can''t do. I know your brother will listen to whatever she says as she has the


    best ideas. So I''m not worried about her one bit. If your brother tries any funny business, her guards


    would easily disable him."


    Upon hearing that, Harper smiled. "That''s good to hear. In that case, I don''t need to worry about


    anything."


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    "Harper, Kile," Wanda Murong sweetly called out to them as she walked towards them slowly. She


    looked so calm and grounded that it was as if nothing would be able to disturb her and her emotions.


    Her self-confidence and security soared despite being physically weak.


    "Wanda, thank you so much for your help," Harper said.


    "Don''t mention it, Harper. That''s what I do," Wanda Murong replied. "My home country lies beyond the


    pass. It is my duty to protect it."


    With that, Harper''s face brightened up. "Thank you very much. In the next few days, my brother will be


    here to provide you with assistance."


    Wanda Murong looked incredibly surprised by this statement. After a short pause, she looked at Kile,


    looking for an exnation. And Kile immediately gave her one, saying, "Harper''s brother, Howard, will


    stay here to guard Mountain Pass with you. Miguel is a cunning man, so I beseech you to stay with


    him. I also want to avoid the instance where Howard is framed or challenged by soldiers dissatisfied


    with the way he is leading them, so I''m counting on you to keep them in line. You are needed here, so I


    hope you stay."


    "I see. So, Harper, you and my brother will go back. Am I right?" Wanda Murong asked. She


    immediately understood that Kile was going to go back with Harper. As for the purpose, it should be


    searching for the object that her brother had been looking for all the time.


    "Well, I''ll go find something with her," Kile admitted frankly.


    "Father always loses his temper recently. You must be careful after you go back there. Watch out when


    faced with the queen and the crown prince," Wanda Murong warned. She was still worried about him.


    "Kile, you were supposed to lead the army this time, but Father was worried about your temper and


    character, so he appointed the othermander. So no one will sayin about you when you go


    back. After all, everyone knows that you have always been uninhibited." She then turned to look at


    Harper and said in a soft voice, "Harper, your identity is very sensible to everyone now. You''d better go


    there in disguise and don''t reveal who you are. Otherwise, it would bring trouble to you."


    "Yes, I will. Don''t worry. We will be careful," Harper replied with a smile.


    "That''s good. You''d better leave as soon as possible. It will be bad if the news that you are going there


    is known by others," Wanda Murong said considerately. "Have you already packed everything up?"

 Chapter 918 Found The Secret Path (Part Two)

    Chapter 918 Found The Secret Path (Part Two)


    "Yes, everything is ready. We will leave soon."


    "You can rest assured. I will order people to pretend that you are still in the army to confuse the


    enemy," Wanda Murong added. Although she had a weak body, she had a sophisticated mind. That


    was a blessing in disguise.


    After dressing up to cover their true identities, Harper and Kile quietly left and headed for their


    destination. On the other side, Matthew was looking at the map and investigating the road he had


    found.


    "Your Highness, we''ve been wandering around here for a long time. Wouldn''t it be toote for us to go


    back to Dragon Pass?" Barry asked with a worried face. "Emperor Rndo has reached Dragon Pass.


    If we can''t go back there, I''m afraid that Marquis Shawn will not be able to hold on."


    "Don''t worry. Felton is still there. He will take care of that," Matthew replied in a t tone. He didn''t


    worry about Dragon Pass at all. He was now focusing on studying the very path. It was recorded that it


    led straight to Dragon Pass, but this fact was rarely known. Harper once read the record about this path


    and shared this information with him. If he could find this secret path, it would be very beneficial to him.


    "Mister Felton?" Barry repeated. On hearing this, he remembered Felton who was weak in body yet


    cunning in mind. Then he fell into silence. Yes, Felton was still at Dragon Pass. What was more, he


    trusted that his emperor would never allow Dragon Pass to be controlled by Rndo. The emperor


    surely had already sent people to support Dragon Pass. Even though Rndo led the army to attack in


    person, it would not be an easy job to take over Dragon Pass.


    "Send someone to search for this path again. We must find it!" Matthew immediately gave an order to


    his men. If they found the very path, they could use this shortcut and arrive at Dragon Pass quickly.


    That way, they would strike Rndo off guard all of a sudden. Now, Matthew was very angry. He would


    do whatever he could to Rndo after what Rndo had done to him and Harper.


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    The secret guards continued to go deep into the mountains, searching for the legendary shortcut. They


    had already searched for five or six days here, but still couldn''t find any trace. They were afraid that


    they could not afford to waste time searching for that path anymore. Things might go worse.


    "What''s wrong with His Highness? Why does he have to find this path?" Jack asked in confusion. If it


    were not for the fact that they were ordered to search for this path, they could have arrived at Dragon


    Pass long ago.


    "He must have his own reason for this. We don''t need to guess it. All we need to do is follow his


    orders," Barry replied as he continued his search. This path should be very important. That was why


    Matthew had worked so hard to find it.


    Jack pressed his lips. "I''m so envious of Fred. It must be very fun to stay with Lady Harper."


    "What? Fun?" When Barry heard hisments, the corners of his eyes twitched a bit. He didn''t think it


    was fun to follow Harper all the time. He had heard that the twelve secret guards had been tricked into


    the Labyrinth Swamp by her once. Although everyone''s strength had been improved since then, they


    all looked frightened when speaking of what happened in the swamp as if they didn''t want to go there


    again. It could be seen that it might be very fun to stay with Harper, but it sometimes meant risking


    one''s life to follow her.


    At the moment, Jack was bing bored and began to beat the weeds with a stick impatiently. "Of


    course it''s fun staying with her. There are always various interesting things happening around her, both


    dangerous and exciting. That is just so... Ouch!"


    Jack cried out miserably as hegged behind. Hearing that, Barry turned his head but did not see any


    trace of Jack. He couldn''t help but feel a chill in his heart. Could it be an enemy who was attacking


    him? "Jack, Jack, where are you?"


    It turned out that Jack identally slipped down and fell directly into the dense grass. He rolled down


    along the slope for a long time until he finally stopped and felt dizzy.


    "Barry, try to pull me up," Jack cried out as he rubbed his head with his hand. But after waiting for a


    long time, he did not receive any response. He immediately grew alert and began to check his


    surroundings. Then, he noticed that he had fallen into a strange valley. Both the two sides were


    mountains, except for a narrow and hidden path in the middle. The path was covered by weeds. As a


    result, people rarely noticed it.


    "Oh! This is it! This should be the path His Highness is searching for!" Jack murmured joyfully. He then


    immediately went back. After he pulled away the thick weeds, he saw Barry was looking for him


    everywhere.


    "Barry! I found it! I found the secret passage His Highness mentioned! Go inform him now!" shouted


    Jack with excitement.


    At first, Barry had been worried about the safety of Jack. When he saw that Jack popped out from


    nowhere with a dirty face and told him excitedly that he had found the shortcut mentioned by Matthew,


    he was both surprised and delighted. Then he immediately went back and reported the news to


    Matthew.


    When Matthew came with his men, he noticed the path that had been covered in the grass. He finally


    understood that no wonder they hadn''t found it. If it hadn''t been for Jack''s reckless behavior, he would


    never have thought that this path was a downward one even after they had searched the whole ce


    thoroughly.


    "Let''s go down to explore the way," Matthew ordered at once.


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    They pulled apart the grass and went down one by one. Looking at the man-made path, they could not


    help but feel happy. It seemed that this was exactly the path they had been looking for.


    All of a sudden, Matthew noticed a stone tablet by the roadside, and read the words carefully. After he


    finished reading it, he was relieved. "This is indeed the path we are looking for. It''s time for us to go to


    Dragon Pass."


    Hearing that, everybody heaved a sigh of relief. They then turned around and were about to climb up.


    However, when they were halfway through the climbing, Matthew asked,


    "What are you doing?"


    "We are going up so we can go to Dragon Pass," one of the secret guards answered in a careful tone.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    "The path leading to Dragon Pass is here!" We should go along this way," Matthew said slowly, pointing


    to the winding path in the valley.

 Chapter 919 Reinforcements Arrived (Part One)

    Chapter 919 Reinforcements Arrived (Part One)


    Rndounched fierce attacks against the forces of Bright Dynasty stationed at the Dragon Pass


    continuously for many days and nights that Shawn started to grow exhausted in dealing with them.


    Shawn decided to wait for them to get tired or run out of supplies, but it seemed like it would not


    happen, as the morale of the soldiers from the Great Jade Kingdom were at an all-time high, mainly


    because their emperor was fighting alongside them.


    "General, with the Great Jade Kingdom continuously attacking us, I''m afraid our surviving men will die


    of exhaustion, not of war violence," the deputy general said with great anxiety.


    Shawn couldn''t be more aware of that. Furthermore, he had already tried to manage what he had: he


    divided his soldiers into three teams and ordered them to fight on the battlefield alternately. But even


    so, they still couldn''t stand the violent attacks from Rndo''s army. They were going to die if the


    attacks didn''t stop.


    "General! General! General!" one guard called out as he hurried upstairs. "The reinforcements are


    here!"


    "Reinforcements are here!" All of them breathed a collective sigh of relief. "How many soldiers came?"


    Shawn asked.


    "Well¡ªtwo..." the messenger replied gingerly. He was telling the truth, though¡ªonly two people came.


    And out of the two, one was a frail schr, who seemed like he would fall unconscious out of the blue


    at any time. Such reinforcements were no use to them!


    The tone of the deputy general turned from pleasant surprise to unmatched horror. "Wait, I might have


    heard you wrong. Can you repeat what you just said? How many reinforcements came?"


    "Two."


    "What? What the hell! How would two people help us?!" the deputy general bellowed. He massaged his


    temples in an attempt to calm his nerves down. "Is His Majesty crazy or what? Did he really send two


    people as our support? Doesn''t he know that we are fighting against Emperor Rndo?"


    "Who are they? Did you recognize any of them?" Shawn asked curiously. He was sure that his emperor


    knew that Dragon Pass was in great danger, so even though only two people came, he felt that they


    couldn''t not be underestimated. Somehow, somewhere deep inside him, he knew who the two might


    be. He, however, doubted it as his emperor would be heartbroken if any of them was killed.


    "A man with a servant by his side. He didn''t tell us who he was. He just asked me to give this note to


    the general." The messenger promptly gave the note to Shawn.


    Shawn opened it at once and read it carefully. Suddenly, a bemused smile appeared on his face. "I


    didn''t expect that he would reallye. Now, we need not worry. With him around, we''ll defend this


    ce for at least half a month!"


    "What? General, who came?" the deputy general asked in confusion.


    "Prime Minister Zack Bu."


    Surprise appeared on the deputy general''s face and soon, his previously troubled visage outwardly


    became relieved. Zack was an equivalent of a thousand¡ªif not more¡ªsoldiers, and his presence


    alone could up their morale at an all-time high. Shawn also revealed what was in the letter, saying:


    "General Maxwell will arrive soon with a hundred thousand soldiers. Zack is asking us to hold on for a


    while, and he is still preparing the weapons that would repeal the enemies."


    "Weapons that would repeal the enemies?" At this, the deputy general''s eyes lit up, thinking that the


    weapons Zack was referring to must be something like the explosives Shawn used a while back. He


    then immediately barked an order, saying, "Jonny, lead a group of people and assist Prime Minister


    Zack at once."


    "Yes, deputy general."


    Benjamin Wu was nowmanding the Great Jade Kingdom''s army towards the city gates in an


    attempt to better organize their attacks against Bright Dynasty. His emperor was right¡ªthe number of


    explosives Shawn had was limited, and it seemed like he had already used all of them up as he hadn''t


    utilized it for the past few days. Now, what they needed to do was to sessfully break into Dragon


    Pass before Shawn''s reinforcements arrived.


    "General, something seems to be happening on the other side of Dragon Pass," Benjamin Wu''s


    counsellor suddenly told him. "Do you think their reinforcement have already arrived?"


    "That''s impossible. I just got information from our spies that their reinforcements are still hundreds of


    miles away. We have already sent people to stop them. There is no way they''d be here this early."


    "Is Prince Matthew back here, in Dragon Pass?" the counsellor deduced. He was a very cautious man,


    and Rndo appreciated that. Because of that, Rndo ordered him to stay with Benjamin Wu to lend


    him his counsel as he was a keen observer and had the ability to perceive even the smallest change in


    the battlefield.


    "Again, that''s impossible. If Matthew has already arrived, they would have opened the gates and fought


    us. Hiding behind their gates like a coward isn''t exactly Matthew''s move," Benjamin Wu responded. He


    clearly knew why his enemies were on the defense, stubbornly refusing to have a head-on fight against


    them: they wanted to buy more time for their reinforcements. Though he, too, noticed that the enemy


    soldiers seemed to be acting more confident abruptly, he believed that it was only because they


    thought their reinforcements wereing soon. He wasn''t worried about that one bit, as he was sure


    that they were killed before those reinforcements could reach Dragon Pass.


    "Let''s wait and see. If there is an emergency, I suggest we withdraw the troops immediately," the


    counsellor suggested.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    Benjamin Wu didn''t answer, as he was starting to get annoyed by the counsellor''s abundance of


    caution. His army had just positioned themselves below the city gates, ready to bust in any time. There


    was no way he would withdraw the attacks they had nned a long time ago.


    "Bring out the battering ram and attack the gates!" Benjamin ordered sternly. "Soldiers with armor and


    shields, make sure that the ones handling the ram are protected. We will conquer Dragon Pass today!"


    "Yes, general!"


    The soldiers protected the ram and went straight to the gate. On the tower of the city, arrows were


    flying all over the sky in order to prevent the ram from approaching. However, with the soldiers covering


    for them, they could not stop the other soldiers holding the ram from moving forward.


    The heavy stumps of the ram hit the city gate violently, making a loud noise. The tower suddenly


    became quiet, and then buckets of wet things were thrown down from the tower.


    "What is it?" "Is it raining?"


    "No, it seems to be... The wood oil!"

 Chapter 920 Reinforcements Arrived (Part Two)

    Chapter 920 Reinforcements Arrived (Part Two)


    The originally clean ground was wet by the oil and became slippery. The soldiers of the Great Jade


    Kingdom couldn''t stand steadily at all and all fell down. The attacking ram also lost its bnce and hit


    the city wall directly. Everything under the city gate was in a mess.


    "Oh, no! General, tell them to retreat quickly!" The counsellor could tell something was wrong when he


    saw the soldiers of Bright Dynasty were pouring something down. He knew that the object was


    absolutely not a good thing when he saw that the soldiers fell and piled on the ground one by one.


    "Retreat!"


    But the order was toote. When the bonfire finally fell from the city andnded on the ground, arge


    fire burst out. The wood oil could easily burn, so all the soldiers who tried to attack the city were set into


    fire. The soldiers'' screech drowned the fighting sound of the battle field.


    The remaining soldiers of the Great Jade Kingdom wanted to put out the fire and save the soldiers on


    fire, but at the same time, the soldiers at the tower began to shoot intense feathery arrows. They


    couldn''t get close to those on fire at all. As a result, they could only watch them being burned to death.


    The air on the battlefield was reeking with the nasty smell of burnt meat, which made people feel sick.


    Shawn controlled his disgust. It seemed that not only he was in a bad mood, so was Zack. Otherwise,


    he would not repel the enemies in such an extreme way as soon as he arrived here.


    Benjamin Wu'' face paled. Firstly, the Bright Dynasty had used the explosives to blow up their soldiers,


    which had made them cry for mercy. Now, he had burned their soldiers to death with the oil. His eyes


    turned red and ferocious!


    "Shawn, I swear I will cut you into pieces!" Benjamin Wu roared angrily.


    Standing on the tower, Shawn looked calm and said coldly, "I''ll wait; if you have the ability,e here."


    "I..."


    "General, the most important thing is to retreat," the counsellor persuaded at once. He knew how


    insidious and cunning these people of the Bright Dynasty were. There must be many traps waiting for


    them. They couldn''t act rashly, lest they would fall into the trap of the enemies again.


    Even though Benjamin Wu didn''t want to admit defeat, he had no choice but to ask his soldiers to


    retreat in a short time. He had thought that the Dragon Pass would be under his control soon. Yet, he


    didn''t expect that Shawn became so aggressive that he used such a despicable means to repel them.


    "Retreat!" The soldiers of the Great Jade Kingdom retreated like tide. Shawn looked at them


    indifferently and turned to go downstairs. Since Zack had arrived, he should go to see him and have a


    good talk with his old friend.


    In the general''s house, Zack sat at the guest seat and sipped his tea gracefully, as if he had already


    guessed the result. When he saw Shawn, he greeted with a smile, "You are back."


    "It''s out of my expectation that His Majesty and Grand Secretary Franklin would have sent you here,"


    Shawn said as he handed his sword to his deputy general and took off his helmet. "How was your trip?


    Was it smooth?"


    "I walked separately from General Maxwell, so my trip here was quite smooth. But the general and the


    army''s trip are not so smooth," Zack said calmly. "And you? How are you?"


    "I am fine!" Shawn said, raising his eyebrows. "But look at you. You look pale and may faint at any


    time."


    "I''m a schr who''s weak in physical strength. Since I rushed to the Dragon Pass and didn''t have any


    rest, it''s understandable that I''m in a bad state. But look at you: you have ck eyes! You seemed to


    have been beaten hard by others. How long did you not sleep well?" Zack asked slowly. "If your father


    saw you like this, he would be heartbroken."


    Shawn sat down next to Zack and drank up a cup of tea. "Rndo is so shameless and insidious. He


    didn''t give me the chance to rest. In the past half a month, I haven''t had a sound sleep. Luckily, you are


    here now. Otherwise, I don''t know how long I can hold on."


    "Don''t worry. Prince Matthew should be back in any minute," Zack said in a low voice. "Is there any


    news about Harper?"


    "Before the Great Jade Kingdom attacked the Dragon Pass, we got the news that she was under


    house arrest in the Imperial Pce of the Great Jade Kingdom by Rndo. Now, since Rndo


    appeared in the Dragon Pass, it means she should have escaped and be with Prince Matthew on the


    way back here," Shawn said, trying tofort Zack. "Don''t worry. Harper''s smart. She''ll be fine."


    "I heard that the Wonder Kingdom and the Great Jade Kingdom were also fighting at the Mountain


    Pass." Zack had more thoughts on mind. Based onmon sense, at this time, the Wonder Kingdom


    should wait and see and then make a move. Since it took action at such a time, somehow, Zack


    suspected that it was helping the Bright Dynasty. But why did it do that?


    "Yeah. It is said that the prime minister of the Great Jade Kingdom has been hurt."


    "Why did the Wonder Kingdom help our Bright Dynasty?" Zack was confused. After all, Wonder


    Kingdom and Bright Dynasty didn''t have any connection. Why did it offer help now?


    "Speaking of this, I think of one thing." Shawn had heard a saying that at the South Kingdom, Harper


    was pestered by the third prince of Wonder Kingdom, Kile.


    "What is it?" Zack asked at once.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    "When Harper went to the South Kingdom, she were pestered by the prince of Wonder Kingdom, Kile.


    Butter, the South Kingdom attacked Harper. Kile then left the South Kingdom. Besides, before he left,


    he had been looking for Harper."


    "You mean Harper and Kile know each other?" Zack came to realize that if the prince made friends with


    Harper, everything about the behaviors of the Wonder Kingdom now made sense.


    Shawn thought over his words and said, "I''m afraid it''s not that simple as that. They should be on good


    terms."


    "So it means that Prince Matthew is not with Harper now," Zackmented with a frown. "I''m afraid


    that Harper is in the Mountain Pass now, while Prince Matthew is on the way back to the Dragon


    Pass."

 Chapter 921 She Has To Die (Part One)

    Chapter 921 She Has To Die (Part One)


    It was the first time the Great Jade Kingdom suffered such a huge loss ever since Rndo arrived to


    lead them against the Bright Dynasty. Rndo''s face was devoid of any expression, and Benjamin was


    so stunned and afraid that he didn''t even dare take a deep breath. He remembered how the general


    had told him that something had changed with their enemies, but he didn''t take it seriously. The result


    of that nonpliance had led them to this position, and he was extremely regretful.


    "Someone from the Bright Dynasty hase," Rndo dered tly. As for who it was, he gave it a


    thought and figured out that that person could not be Matthew. If he was already here, he would


    definitelye out and challenge him, one-on-one. It also could not be Felton, as he was not a person


    of the imperial court. Besides, since the annihtion of the Qin n was rted to the royal families of


    the four kingdoms, he would not dare help any imperial court in public. ''It''s someone from the Bright


    Dynasty''s imperial capital,'' Rndo said inwardly.


    "Your Majesty, I know that the people from the Bright Dynasty are vicious, but I have never seen them


    like this."


    "This is the battlefield. You can''t judge anyone based on their actions, as everyone is only operating


    under orders, or for their survival. It''s Zack. Zack has arrived," Rndo said quietly.


    "Who is Zack?" Everyone began to ask, as they had never heard of him. "How would he be able to lead


    the Bright Dynasty''s army just like that?" one even asked.


    "You haven''t heard of Zack before, but I''m sure you''re familiar with the Bright Dynasty''s Bu n. Zack


    is the present head of that n, as well as the youngest grand secretary of his country. He is smart and


    meticulous, two attributes needed for a battle, but I didn''t expect that Lucas is willing to send him to the


    battlefield," Rndo said after ruling out everyone who might havee to the Dragon Pass to help


    the Bright Dynasty. With the intelligence report that he had gotten, it seemed Zack came on his own, as


    his men hadn''t seen any sign of an army that apanied him.


    "Six men from the Bu n worked as the grand secretary of the Bright Dynasty''s imperial court." The


    military counsellor remembered the rumor he heard from the Bright Dynasty. It was said that even if the


    royal family was overthrown, the Bu n wouldn''t. They said it was because the Bu n had a longer


    history than that royal family themselves.


    Benjamin was a military official, so he didn''t know much about civil officials. Since the military officials


    were destined to fight on the battlefield, they just knew the famous and most impressive military


    generals. They had heard of all the well-known generals in the Bright Dynasty, but hadn''t paid much


    attention to its civil officials.


    "Zack cannot be underestimated. He is more cunning than a normal citizen, maybe even some of our


    top officials," Rndo said. He and Zack made acquaintance in the Holy Chant Temple. They became


    friends, and would often y Go, which would always end up in a draw despite both of them carefully


    mapping out their tactics.


    ''He always cares for the people around him. How did he stomach attacking my men with wood oil?''


    Rndo thought, his brows now tightly knitted. All of a sudden, his eyes lit up. Chuckling, he said, "I


    almost forgot that Zack is not a saint with no desires of his own. He has his bottom line, and I may have


    already stepped on it."


    "Bottom line? What is it?"


    "He and Harper are sworn friends. If it weren''t from Matthew''s tricks and whatnot, he might have been


    the one Harper married," Rndo replied.


    "Then... he must hate Prince Matthew for essentially stealing his future wife?" Benjamin asked


    excitedly. ''If such a heartless and cruel person chooses to fight against Matthew, chaos would definitely


    ensue on their side! If that happens, there would be no need for us to do anything¡ªthey''d take


    themselves out!'' he thought.


    Rndo nced at Benjamin and asked, "Have you seen Zack and Matthew fight?"


    "Uh..."


    "You know, Zack and Matthew are gentlemen. Zack is inferior to Matthew when ites to martial arts,


    so he knows better than trying to fight him. But now, things are different. If something bad happens to


    Harper because of Matthew..." Rndo said with a sneer. If something bad happened to Harper


    because of Matthew, Zack would never forgive him.


    Benjamin stared at Rndo. Rumor had it that Rndo wanted Princess Harper to be his empress, but


    now that he mentioned her by name directly, it seemed like it wasn''t true after all. So what was the


    truth?


    Fernando also stared at Rndo, knowing how he truly felt about her. He mentioned Harper in such a


    direct and emotionless way mainly because he knew showing his people how much he cared about her


    was useless and would not do any good. All he could do at that point was let here back on her


    own.


    "Your Majesty, we just got news from the Mountain Pass."


    "Hand me it." Rndo''s calm face contorted into something undecipherable. Fernando thought, ''I knew


    it! The one His Majesty cares about the most is still the heartless Princess Harper!''


    Rndo opened the paper, and read it thoroughly. His face darkened as he threw it to Bastian. "Have a


    look," he ordered.


    Bastian picked it up, opened it and checked it carefully. He was surprised. "Princess Harper leads the


    army to attack the Mountain Pass. How is that possible?"


    "Miguel will not lie." Rndo rubbed his temples as he had a headache. Sometimes he couldn''t figure


    out what Harper was thinking about.


    "Then we''ll stop fighting for three days. Since Zack has arrived, we will only let him vent his anger if we


    keep attacking the city. We''ll just tell the soldiers to have a good rest during the next three days."


    Rndo waved his hand to order his people to leave. "Bastian, stay here."


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Yes, Your Majesty."

 Chapter 922 She Has To Die (Part Two)

    Chapter 922 She Has To Die (Part Two)


    When all the others were out of sight, Rndo said slowly, "Bastian, go to investigate something for


    me, something important."


    "I am listening, Your Majesty."


    "Check whether Harper has any rtionship with Phoenix City." Rndo thought of something that he


    had ignored. The current queen of the South Kingdom had forced Harper to enter the Labyrinth


    Swamp, and then Harper traversed through the swamp and got out of Phoenix City. He was clear about


    how severe the control of Phoenix City was. Darren in that city was a man difficult to get along with,


    and how could Harper have left Phoenix City secretly?


    "Yes, Your Majesty." Bastian was shocked. It was horrible that Harper might have something to do with


    Phoenix City. If it was true... Bastian could hardly imagine that. Harper was a direct descendant of the


    Qin n. This princess from the Bright Dynasty had a good rtionship with Prince Kile from the


    Wonder Kingdom, the emperor of his country, and even Diana from the South Kingdom. Cold sweat


    broke out on Bastian''s forehead.


    He recalled that the Qin n had once persuaded many people to divide their country into four parts.


    Now that Harper had something to do with the four kingdoms, did she want to unite the kingdoms into


    one?


    "Your Majesty, if Princess Harper has something to do with Phoenix City, will you..."


    Rndo didn''t answer him. The game yed by Harper was too big. He found that he knew nothing


    about her. In order to get the Sacred Seal, Harper could turn the whole South Kingdom upside down.


    For the sake of the Heavenly Books, she went to the Great Jade Kingdom alone and even took risks. It


    was said that he was a person who would do anything to achieve his goal. So was Harper.


    "You may leave now."


    "Yes, Your Majesty."


    After Bastian left, Rndo took out a small portrait from his pocket, and opened it. It was the portrait of


    Harper. "Harper, we are the same kind of people who would do anything to get what we want. We are


    born to be a couple. You will eventuallye back to me. Now, just do whatever you want. Come back


    if it''s enough."


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Fernando was helpless. ''Why are you so stubborn, Your Majesty? Princess Harper never falls in love


    with you. From the beginning to the end, she only sees Prince Matthew in her eyes. No matter how


    much you have done for her and sacrificed yourself, she would never respond to your love.''


    "Fernando."


    "Yes, Your Majesty."


    "Pass on a message to Louis. Tell him to go to the Mountain Pass to assist Miguel. Miguel is not good


    at military tactics. I asked him to guard the Mountain Pass in order to intimidate the Wonder Kingdom. I


    didn''t expect that Harper has a good rtionship with the Wonder Kingdom and told Prince Kile to take


    the initiative to attack us. Later, our kingdom will suffer a lot in all directions," Rndo ordered in a low


    voice.


    "Your Majesty, why not kill Princess Harper?" Fernando didn''t know why. As long as they killed Harper,


    many problems could be solved. But the emperor didn''t want to, and he indulged her. If things went on


    like this, Fernando didn''t know what she would do next. Perhaps she would do something dramatically


    and overthrow the rule of the Bright Dynasty''s current emperor.


    Rndo looked up at Fernando and said, "I have my own decision. Never tell me what I should do."


    "I am sorry. It''s all my fault. I''m just confused. Princess Harper has done so many bad things to us.


    Shall we just let her keep acting recklessly?" Fernando immediately knelt down and apologized.


    "If she does enough, she won''t do it again. Well, just carry out my order. Leave her alone," Rndo


    said slowly.


    "Your Majesty..."


    "Fuck off!" Rndo hissed in a low voice. He didn''t want to hear anyone talk about Harper now. What


    she had done did hurt him a lot. He didn''t need others to tear up his wound again and again and add


    salt to it, or to tell him that he couldn''t keep her alive!


    He knew better than anyone if he could keep Harper alive. What if she couldn''t be kept alive? He had


    enough tolerance for her. What others thought had nothing to do with him.


    "Yes." Fernando left and sent a message to Louis Mo. He not only asked Louis to support Miguel, but


    also told him to kill Harper.


    Fernando did it in a secret manner and told Louis Mo to take action in secret, so nobody knew about it.


    The situation in the Dragon Pass had reached a stalemate. Rndo didn''t take any actions, and


    people inside the city wouldn''t do anything. Soldiers from the Great Jade Kingdom had been oppressed


    from the moment they attacked the Dragon Pass. They had been stupefied by the bombs at the


    beginning. And now, the enemies were using wood oil to help attack. They couldn''t even guess what


    kind of method the Bright Dynasty would use next, because there was nothing that the cruel enemies


    couldn''t do!


    The Great Jade Kingdom stopped attacking for a moment, and Shawn was relieved. At the same time,


    he was a little worried that the sinister Rndo was plotting something. He couldn''t even sleep


    peacefully.


    "Zack, what do you think Rndo wants to do?" Since Shawn couldn''t fall asleep, he decided to have a


    good chat with Zack. Zack was too tired after a long journey that night and was not in the mood to talk,


    but he kept his manners and asionally talked to him.


    The questions kept popping out of Shawn''s mind. However, after waiting for a long time, nobody


    replied. He turned his head to look at Zack who had fallen asleep on his soft couch. Annoyed by his


    carelessness, Shawn could not help ming himself. Zack was already worn out after arriving here at


    night, but he could not stop bothering him.


    Shawn took a nket and covered it on Zack. Then he turned around and left the room.

 Chapter 923 His Twin Brother (Part One)

    Chapter 923 His Twin Brother (Part One)


    Soon after Zack arrived in the Dragon Pass, the Great Jade Kingdom stopped attacking the Bright


    Dynasty. With the warring sides ceasing all their attacks against each other, the area quieted down,


    though eerily. The blood-soaked soil on the battlefield was also a grim reminder that the peace was


    short-lived, and could be shattered at any minute.


    At that same time, Maxwell, who was leading the Bright Dynasty''s reinforcements to the Dragon Pass,


    was starting to feel helpless. They still had to pass a river wide enough to drown every one of his men.


    A stone bridge had initially been set across it to help people traverse it, but due to the heavy downpour


    in the past few days, the said bridge had been destroyed. This forced them to wait until it was repaired.


    "General, I''m afraid it will take days before we can cross this river," one of Maxwell''s generals reported.


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    A grim expression contorted Maxwell''s face, as he walked towards the river to see how damaged the


    bridge was. To him, the bridge copsing just like that was suspicious. Had it been a wooden bridge, he


    would have understood, but a stone one? They had been attacked by enemy forces numerous times,


    and he was sure this was one of their little tricks to further dy them from reaching their destination.


    The bridge hadn''t been thoroughly washed out¡ªsome stones still remained so that a martial artist who


    was equipped with the ability to jump high could cross it. Unfortunately, most of his soldiers did not


    have that kind of skill.


    At that point, he admitted that Zack had the amazing gift for foresight. He was with them when they


    started the journey, but he decided to break from the group and go first. If he continued traveling with


    them, then he might have also been stranded, which was the worst case scenario for them. ''I''m sure he


    has already arrived in the Dragon Pass,'' Maxwell thought, annoyed. ''While our reinforcements are still


    stuck here!''


    "I was thinking maybe we can swim across, but the river current is still so fast that it would be


    impossible to do so. Moreover, not everyone in our army can swim well," Maxwell''s military counselor


    said, sounding anxious and frustrated at their current situation.


    "The only way we can cross this is with a bridge. If there is none, we have no choice but to make one,"


    said Maxwell calmly. "Ask the troops to find ropes. The thicker, the better."


    "Yes, My Lord."


    With the ropes, the soldiers were ordered to make some kind of a. After that, the few soldiers who


    had great flying skills were asked to fly over the river to tie one end of the over there. When that got


    done, the soldiers carefully put wooden boards on it and steadied them, effectively creating a


    temporary bridge.


    "Ten people form one group, and one group crosses the bridge at a time. Pass fast but be careful not to


    destroy anything," Maxwell ordered immediately after everyone was back from their duties. Their


    journey could not be dyed any longer¡ªRndo was treacherous, and even if Zack had reached the


    Dragon Pass, they couldn''t ck off. The forces of the Bright Dynasty protecting the Dragon Pass had


    already lost many men, so they needed to be there as soon as possible.


    "Yes, general!"


    Maxwell knew that Rndo wouldn''t let them get to the Dragon Pass that easily, but he also knew that


    he couldn''t be too careful as it would only slow them down. He also knew that they couldn''t afford to be


    separated, as once they did, they would be vulnerable to any attacksunched by the Great Jade


    Kingdom. They needed to get to the Dragon Pass as a whole, as their kingdom needed them to be.


    In contrast to the brief period of peace in the Dragon Pass, forces in the Mountain Pass were going


    after each other as fiercely as they could. Louis, after arriving at the Mountain Pass, reced Miguel as


    themander in chief of the army. He gave orders immediately tounch attacks against the forces of


    the Wonder Kingdom and to arrest Prince Kile alive.


    "My Lord, General Louis is already attacking the Mountain Pass." Looking at Miguel as he leisurelyy


    on his bed, York said, "Weapons are blind. The battle is fierce, but if anything happens to Princess


    Harper..."


    "It''s all because of Louis! It has nothing to do with me!" Miguel said indifferently. ''But it''s great if Harper


    gets injured. Actually, it''s better if she dies, because if she''s alive, she can hurt His Majesty!''


    With a frown, York answered, "His Majesty''s anger is beyond whatever you imagine, My Lord. Once he


    gets mad, there is no way he''d listen to anything you say."


    Miguel understood Rndo wouldn''t listen to his exnation. But if Louis wanted to hurt Harper, it


    would depend on whether he was powerful enough. Miguel knew that the reason why Rndo sent


    Louis here was to restrain the Wonder Kingdom, but Louis'' action didn''t seem to be so. Instead, he


    wanted to take the advantage to conquer the Mountain Pass.


    "York, please go and check what order His Majesty has given to Louis." Miguel wasn''t interested in


    Louis, and even though they both worked for the emperor, they didn''t get on well with each other


    because of the political conflicts. They seldom worked together. This time, Rndo sent Louis to the


    Mountain Pass, which meant he didn''t trust Miguel.


    Miguel understood that no matter what Louis was doing, he couldn''t stop him. The only thing he could


    do was turn a blind eye to it. Therefore, he chose to stay indoors with the excuse of healing his


    wounds. Moreover, he was indeed injured.


    "Yes, My Lord."


    After York left, Miguel rested his head on the pillow and sank into contemtion. ''At present, the Great


    Jade Kingdom is fighting with the Bright Dynasty and the Wonder Kingdom at the same time. It would


    be extremely disadvantageous for us if the two countries formed an alliance. But His Majesty still did


    so, which means that he knows it well or has a back-up n. However, Matthew and his wife would


    never sit still and wait for death. As long as the couple are still alive, nobody could defeat the Bright


    Dynasty. His Majesty is reluctant to hurt Harper. Did he n to let Louis kill


    her?''

 Chapter 924 His Twin Brother (Part Two)

    Chapter 924 His Twin Brother (Part Two)


    "Rupert," Miguel said abruptly.


    "What a surprise that you think of me," a man responded in the darkness. "What''s wrong with you? Are


    you really injured that you can''t move now?"


    "The smell of your perfume is too strong. I found it as soon as you came in. Why did youe to me?


    Do you have anything to tell me?" Miguel said.


    "Harper is not at the Mountain Pass now." The man came out of the darkness with almost the same


    face as Miguel, making people firmly believe they were twins.


    Miguel sat up and said, with a glint in his eyes, "Harper instigated Kile to attack the Great Jade


    Kingdom in order to suppress the Wonder Kingdom with the power of our country, and then she would


    go to the Wonder Kingdom to get the Sacred Seal. Now she has known the contents of the three


    Heavenly Books and taken a half of the Sacred Seal from the South Kingdom. Thus, she only needs


    the other half of the Sacred Seal in the Wonder Kingdom."


    "What''s more, Prince Kile is not in the Mountain Pass, either. Now it is Princess Wanda from the


    Wonder Kingdom and Howard who guard the pass. Brother, what are you going to do?" Rupert Hua


    asked as he slowly sat down.


    "What''s the rtionship between Prince Kile and Harper?" Being curious, Miguel asked. "You''ve been


    lurking in the Wonder Kingdom for years. You must know a lot about the kingdom."


    Rupert Hua rolled his eyes at Miguel and remarked, "Prince Kile is ascivious yboy. Nobody thinks


    highly of him. The old emperor doesn''t care about this son and never pays attention to what he is


    doing. When you sent the letter to me, I''ve investigated him, but I didn''t find any trace."


    "No any trace?" Miguel was surprised. He had believed that every time someone did something, there


    would be signs left. However, his brother didn''t find any trace, which meant that Kile had hidden it well,


    or the rtionship between the two was so secret that no one knew.


    "Right, there is no trace, not even a clue. Prince Kile has been in the Wonder Kingdom, and Harper has


    been in the Bright Dynasty. The two seem to have no connection. I''ve checked it all, but I couldn''t find


    any information about it," Rupert Hua answered helplessly.


    "Then it''s strange. The rtionship between Harper and Kile is absolutely not simple. By now, Kile


    might have gone to the capital of the Wonder Kingdom with Harper to get the other half of the Sacred


    Seal." Miguel started to get worried. ''The thing His Majesty always wants is the secret treasure of the


    Qin n, but he looks that he is not so eager to get anything from the n. On the contrary, he wants


    Harper. Although Harper is the key point of the Qin n''s secret treasure, the performance of His


    Majesty is so strange.''


    "Speaking of the Sacred Seal, I''m also curious. I''ve searched all the ssics and pces, but didn''t


    find it. Is there really a Sacred Seal in the Wonder Kingdom?" Rupert Hua hesitated.


    Miguel was taken aback. He looked at his brother and asked, "Do you doubt that the Wonder Kingdom


    has no Sacred Seal?"


    "If there is, I think there should be signs, but there are no signs or traces at all. I have searched


    everywhere, but I can''t find any clue. There must be something unusual where the Sacred Seal is, but


    there is nowhere unusual in the Wonder Kingdom. However, I found that seven years ago, there was a


    case of theft in the royal pce of the Wonder Kingdom, and a lot of treasures were lost. So far, they


    haven''t found them," Rupert Hua slowly responded.


    "Seven years ago..." Miguel''s eyes twinkled. Seven years ago, Rndo was still the crown prince. He


    had returned from outside and been seriously injured. He had to recuperate for half a year before he


    had a battle with Matthew. In the battle, he was defeated by Matthew. Then, thetter led the army to


    the city and forced thete emperor to deprive Rndo of his title as the crown prince. And since then,


    he went to the Bright Dynasty and became a monk!


    Miguel gasped in astonishment. "I finally understood why His Majesty said Harper woulde back to


    him sooner orter," he said.


    "What did His Majesty mean?"


    "The Sacred Seal in the Wonder Kingdom probably fell into the hands of His Majesty seven years ago."


    Miguel was suddenly enlightened. Rndo had the Sacred Seal in his hand, and Harper would


    eventually return to the Great Jade Kingdom. If she was caught by him again then, it would be


    impossible for her to escape!


    "If Harper goes to the Wonder Kingdom, she will get nothing, right? Since the Sacred Seal is in the


    hands of His Majesty, why didn''t he tell it to her directly? Why did he wait for her to make her efforts in


    vain?" Rupert Hua asked in confusion.


    "His Majesty wants to know how many powerful people withplicated backgrounds are behind


    Harper and whether he can fight against them alone. Rupert, I want you to do me a favor." Miguel was


    excited.


    "What?"


    "Catch Diana! When the Great Jade Kingdom fought with the Bright Dynasty and the Wonder Kingdom,


    Diana had left Harper. She is on her way to the South Kingdom now. Catch her. She followed Harper to


    enter the Labyrinth Swamp and came out alive. She must have known something that I want to know.


    Be sure to capture her before she returns to the South Kingdom," Miguel replied quickly.


    "She doesn''t know Harper''s secrets, does she? Harper wouldn''t tell her secrets to others easily. I''m


    afraid that even her husband, Matthew doesn''t know much about her secrets," Rupert Hua said with


    doubt.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    "But Diana must know the rtion between Harper and Phoenix City! Because they havee out


    from that city!" Miguel said firmly.

 Chapter 925 The Missing Sacred Seal (Part One)

    Chapter 925 The Missing Sacred Seal (Part One)


    Harper and Kile were able to travel to the capital city of the Wonder Kingdom without a hitch. As soon


    as they entered the city, Harper paused, closed her eyes and released her spiritual power. She didn''t


    feel anything. Even the Sacred Seal on her didn''t react.


    "Harper, what''s wrong? Why did you stop?" Kile asked curiously.


    Harper opened her eyes and replied calmly, "Nothing. Let''s go."


    Kile didn''t know what Harper was doing, but he noticed that she had a weird expression on her face. It


    was as if there was something suspicious near them.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    He quickly let what he was feeling go and said, "Let''s head to my mansion first. My identity as a prince


    is a must if we want to enter the Imperial Pce. Otherwise, it would be next to impossible to get into


    the pce." His voice was low and he looked around to see if there was any shady character who


    could hear them.


    Harper frowned as she felt that something was wrong. When she first came to the capital city of the


    South Kingdom, she had a faint feeling that something was dragging her near to it. When she was in


    the Starry Pce, the Sacred Seal sensed something as soon as she released her spiritual power and


    she was led into the pce''s library. This time, however, nothing like that happened.


    With that feeling swirling deep inside her, she followed Kile closely, disguised as a man. It was known


    to everyone that Kile was such a lecherous and greedy man that he was housing countless beauties in


    his mansion. Some of them were sent by other princes and princesses and the emperor, and he also


    personally took some of them home. As soon as he crossed the doorway, thesedies came flocking to


    him, like ants would do to honey.


    Kile, surrounded in the middle of the huge crowd of women, showed Harper how incredibly adept he


    was in dealing with these women. He was so good at it that Harper couldn''t help herself but admire


    him! ''He is indeed a capable man,'' she thought, smiling to herself.


    "Well, well, I just came back from the Mountain Pass. I''m tired and hungry, but I still have to go to the


    pce to see my father. After I report to him, I wille back to take good care of you all." After driving


    thedies away, Kile slumped into his chair. "It''s not a good thing to have too many women, Harper. I''m


    so tired."


    "Isn''t it such a pleasure for a man to have so many girls around you? Why are you tired?" Harper joked.


    "How can I not be tired? There are about fifty of them in this mansion! I don''t have enough energy to


    make them all happy, Harper! But let''s stop talking about them. If you want to know where the Sacred


    Seal is, you have to ask my father. So let''s go there right now. I myself have been looking for it for five


    years now, but I still haven''t found it. I don''t think it would be easy for us to find it," Kile said helplessly.


    Harper had an idea in mind, but she still had to see Kile''s father to make sure she was on the right


    track. "Let''s go to see your father."


    The news that Kile hade back to the capital city quickly spread in the Imperial Pce. His father


    was reading some important files when he received the news. "I knew that rogue monkey wouldn''t stay


    long in the Mountain Pass. Wanda must be cleaning up his mess for him," he whispered to himself.


    "Kile has always been a yboy. I was surprised when he went to the Mountain Pass, but I knew that


    he woulde back as soon as he could. And I was right." The empress was preparing ink for him.


    "Your Majesty, you have indulged your son too much. He''s already an adult but he still clings to


    beautiful women without thinking about anything else. How will he survive the real world in the future?"


    The emperor''s expression didn''t change. "I have told him time and time again that he had to change


    and mature for his own good. If he doesn''t want to, I don''t think I can do anything. And you know what?


    That''s okay. As long as the crown prince is an obedient son, I don''t think I''ll have a problem."


    At the mention of the crown prince, the empress showed a gentle and loving smile. The crown prince


    was her pride and she knew that he would never let her or the emperor worry about him. "Indeed. The


    crown prince is so sensible."


    "It''s good to be sensible. I love that I don''t need to worry about him. Anyway, I think it''s getting toote


    now. You may go back and have a rest now," the emperor ordered.


    "Your Majesty, tonight..."


    "I''ll stay here tonight," the emperor replied. He often stayed in the Imperial Study after he had read over


    the official files if it was already toote into the night. The empress didn''t give it any mind, so she


    stood up and left at once.


    After the empress left, the emperor put his pen down. He stared at her receding figure, his eyes


    bing so deep that no one could decipher what he was thinking about.


    "Lenard."


    "Yes, Your Majesty."


    "Is Prince Kile in the pce?" Something inside of him told him that Kile had arrived.


    "His Highness has entered the pce with an attendant. It seems like he is very, very happy," Lenard


    said cautiously.


    "Happy?" The emperor raised his eyebrows. ''The bad boy Kile? Happy?'' he thought. Instead of being


    pleased, however, he felt scared, as the more pleased Kile was, the more terrifying his n would be.


    The emperor rubbed his temples as he felt a nasty headacheing on. As long as the boy wouldn''t


    make trouble, he was fine with whatever he wanted to do. They could have just stood by and watched,


    but this time, Kile took the initiative to attack the Great Jade Kingdom. If the Great Jade Kingdom


    confronted them about their actions, he would never be able to exin anything to them.

 Chapter 926 The Missing Sacred Seal (Part Two)

    Chapter 926 The Missing Sacred Seal (Part Two)


    "Herees Prince Kile."


    "He really doese when we''re talking about him, huh? Let that rascal in," the emperor ordered,


    laughing.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    "Father, good to see you! We haven''t seen each other for days! Seems like you''re as healthy as


    always. I am quite relieved," Kile greeted as he bowed to his father with respect.


    "Why are you talking like that? Are you trying to do something terrible?" The emperor knew Kile very


    well. He looked like a yboy, but he saw everything more clearly than anyone else and preferred to


    be a fool in disguise.


    "Father, you wronged me." Kile stepped forward and handed a cup of tea to the emperor. "I heard that


    you have a treasure?"


    The emperor took a look at Kile indifferently and then looked at the young man following him. Since the


    young man came in, he kept silent, but it appeared that he was not an ordinary person.


    "Everyone, get out of here."


    "Yes, Your Majesty." Lenard immediately drove everyone out of the Imperial Study and understood that


    the emperor wanted to talk to Kile in private. But he felt very surprised. ''His majesty has a treasure? He


    has a lot of treasures. What does Prince Kile want to get from His Majesty?''


    "Who are you?" the emperor asked the young man directly.


    Harper saluted with cupped hands. "I''m Harper Chu from the Bright Dynasty. Nice to meet you, Your


    Majesty."


    "Harper Chu, Matthew Jun''s wife." The emperor came to his senses in an instant. "Are you here to


    persuade me to work together with the Bright Dynasty to resist the Great Jade Kingdom?"


    "No, you are wrong." Harper shook her head. "I came here only for one thing, but I''m afraid it''s not in


    your hands anymore."


    The emperor, squinting slightly, asked, "One thing? What is it?"


    "Twenty years ago, you took it away from the Qin n," Harper said word by word.


    The eyes of the emperor widened in shock, but he looked calm. "Are you from the Qin n?"


    Harper nodded slowly. "I''m a descendant of the Qin n. I''m here today to ask you if the thing you took


    away has been lost."


    "Why do you say that?" The emperor was struck dumb with amazement. Why would Harper think that


    the Sacred Seal had been lost? No one should know about it.


    "I can''t feel its existence, which means it is no longer in the capital city of the Wonder Kingdom. I heard


    that your kingdom once had a theft case. Has the stuff been stolen?" Harper asked unhurriedly.


    The emperor sighed and responded after a long silence, "The Sacred Seal was stolen seven years


    ago. It was of great importance, so I chose to keep it as a secret."


    "Do you know who stole it?" asked Harper.


    The emperor shook his head and said, "If I knew, I would have found a way to grab it back. That man


    was so strong in martial arts that he broke into the Imperial Pce, went through various traps, and


    took away the Sacred Seal that had been sealed in the forbidden area."


    Harper frowned. If the Sacred Seal was robbed away, looking for it would be like fishing for a needle in


    a haystack. "Can you take me to the ce where the Sacred Seal was sealed?"


    "Sure. Come with me. Kile, you can as well join us."


    "Yes, Father."


    The emperor took them to an inner room of the Imperial Study. Then he opened a secret device under


    the soft couch. Not until then did Kile find that there was a secret passage under the couch.


    The emperor led them to walk down. "The secret passage was set in the Imperial Study, which was


    heavily guarded. That man sneaked into the study and broke through the device to enter the secret


    passage, without disturbing anyone. Apparently, he is very powerful. You must have known about the


    Qin n. I suspected that the people from the n had stolen the Sacred Seal. Therefore, I dared not


    investigate, nor dare I reveal it."


    "They will pay for it sooner orter," Harper said. Twenty years had passed and she had deep


    animosity towards those who ruined the Qin n. She would take revenge on them sooner orter.


    What was more, she had to get the Sacred Seal and find thend where the ancestors of the Qin n


    lived toplete the baptism. Otherwise, she would die under the sufficient spiritual power someday.


    "You probably don''t know how terrible those people are. If I were you, I would find a ce to live


    peacefully. After all, it''s not easy for a member of the Qin n to survive."


    Harper didn''t answer that it was easy. The members of the Qin n couldn''t live more than thirty years


    if they didn''t receive the baptism. Women would die when they gave birth, which meant that the whole


    Qin n would be wiped out sooner orter. They didn''t need anyone to do that. What she needed to


    do was solve the problem that all the n members must be baptized, so that they could live a normal


    life.


    Harper carefully observed the devices in the secret passage and manyplicated patterns on the


    wall. "These are incantations."


    "Sure enough, you have the bloodline of the Qin n. You can even understand those incantations."


    The emperor nced at Harper. "The Sacred Seal contained a special power and must be sealed with


    the incantations in order not to be exposed and perceived by somebody, but it was still found."


    The emperor led them to a room, where it was empty, withplicated sealing incantations drawn. The


    stone table in the middle was empty, so it must be the ce where the Sacred Seal had been ced.


    Hesitating for a moment, Harper suddenly walked into the center of the sealing incantations. She sat


    down, closed her eyes, and gathered all the spiritual power in her body. The incantations, which had


    been depressed, unexpectedly lit up. All the incantations floated up and surrounded Harper to spin.


    The emperor was shocked. "Hmm... what''s going on?"

 Chapter 927 She Gave Up

    Chapter 927 She Gave Up


    Harper tried to look for traces using her spiritual power, which she used to make the incantations work,


    and the half of the Sacred Seal she still had. It had already been seven years, and she wasn''t confident


    at all that she would be able discover as to where it was. She then decided that it wouldn''t be bad to


    look for clues first.


    ''I''ve been very lucky, but not lucky enough,'' she thought herself. Yes, there had been clues that kept


    her search going, but she still saw some iplete images. It was a man who destroyed the


    incantations with his blood. She was very familiar with his face.


    Suddenly, Harper''s eyes flew open. The incantations around her broke into a million pieces, like they


    did in the dream. Upon seeing this, Kile immediately went to her side to help her up. "Harper, are you


    all right?" he asked with great concern.


    With her hands on her chest and heaving somewhat heavily, Harper waved her hand and responded,


    "I''m fine, Kile. I''m just having a little trouble breathing."


    "Did you find any clues?" Kile asked cautiously. Harper looked a little pale, and by the looks of it, either


    because she was too tired or because she was so frightened.


    After a minute of silence, Harper took a deep breath and answered, "Rndo."


    Kile''s father, the emperor of the Wonder Kingdom, gasped in surprised. "How could that be possible?


    Rndo was only sixteen years old seven years ago! How was he able to break into our Imperial


    Pce to steal the Sacred Seal?" he asked in disbelief.


    "Blood," Harper said slowly. "Rndo''s blood destroyed the incantations!"


    "That''s impossible! How could his blood destroy them?" What the emperor was hearing from Harper


    wasn''t making any lick of sense. For him, even seven years ago, no sixteen-year-old teenage would be


    able to sneak into his pce, let alone steal the Sacred Seal! But if what Harper was saying was true,


    Rndo, even at that age, must have been incredibly powerful already. Now, that begged the question:


    how powerful was Rndo now?


    Only Harper knew how powerful Rndo really was: a match for Matthew, although his right hand had


    been crippled after saving her life. What was bothering her at that moment, however, was the fact that


    Rndo was able to use his blood to break the incantations. ''That only means he is very special, like


    me!"


    "I need to go back to Dragon Pass right away," Harper said at once. "Your Majesty, thank you for taking


    me here."


    The emperor just stared at Harper, wanting to find out more from her. "You..." he started. But after


    pausing for a while, he let her go. "Forget it. Go, and make sure you take care of yourself."


    "Thank you very much, Your Majesty. I''m going now," Harper said, leaving.


    "Father, I''ll walk her out." Kile followed her out of the pce. It never urred to him that the Sacred


    Seal of the Wonder Kingdom was stolen by Rndo. ''He truly is incredibly powerful,'' he thought.


    "Harper, how powerful is Rndo?"


    "Very. The only way to describe it that he is a match for Matthew," Harper said slowly. "I know that they


    had dueled once, but at that time, none of them gave it their best. If they did, nobody knows what''s


    going to happen."


    "If he''s that powerful, how will you be able to take the Sacred Seal from him?" Kile asked with a worried


    face. Rndo certainly wouldn''t fall into the same trap again. Moreover, he had already taken


    advantage of Harper once by using the Heavenly Book. If she wanted the half of the Sacred Seal that


    was with Rndo, he definitely would also want to have the half in her hands.


    "It''s not easy to get anything from him," Harper replied calmly. She didn''t mind giving the Heavenly


    Books to Rndo since she already had the contents of the books, but with the Sacred Seal, she knew


    she had to pay bigger price for it.


    "I don''t want it," she said at once, responding to the thought she had in her mind rather than Kile, who


    was with her.


    "What?" Kile responded back, looking at Harper in confusion. "You don''t want what?"


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "I don''t need the Sacred Seal," Harper said calmly. "If getting the Sacred Seal means I''m going against


    my initial wish, I''d rather give it up."


    "But you need that, don''t you?" Kile was puzzled. During all these years, she had been looking for the


    Sacred Seal and the Heavenly Book. But it was not easy to get either of them. Now, she had known all


    the contents in the Heavenly Book There was only half Sacred Seal left. Why did she give up at this


    time?


    "Rndo wouldn''t allow me to take the Sacred Seal away," Harper said in a low voice. She didn''t feel


    anything abnormal when she released her spiritual power in the Great Jade Kingdom. It only meant


    Rndo gave her the Heavenly Book because knew how to seal the power in the Sacred Seal. He


    would never give her the other half seal, and if she wanted it, the cost she needed to pay would be out


    of her imagination.


    Kile never believed that Harper would give up so easily. So, he blurted out, "As far as I am concerned,


    you won''t give up easily."


    Harper smiled and said, "Kile, I might not have admitted defeat before and would try every means to


    get what I want from Rndo. But now, I won''t do that, because I know what I want the most."


    "What is it?" Kile asked curiously. What she wanted most was the freedom of the Qin n, right?


    "Man!" said Harper jokingly. "Of course, what I want most is man."


    Kile raised his lips and pressed his fingers together like a sissy, asking proudly, "What do you think of


    me?"


    "Good. But it''s a pity that you are not my man." Harper smiled, covering her mouth with her hand. "I


    only want to be with Matthew, and that''s all I want. The rest are second to him."


    "Why do you like that man?" Kile said indignantly. "Back then, when youmented on him, you just


    called him demon. Now you married him."


    Harper smiled slightly. "Things are always changing. I didn''t expect that I would be with him."


    Kile shrugged his shoulders and replied indifferently, "As long as you are happy, I don''t mind. But


    what''s going on between you and Rndo? Why do I feel something weird between you two?"


    "For him, I''m a useful person," Harper said nonchntly. Rndo was a very rational man and knew


    very well what he wanted. He would remember his mission even under the circumstance of being


    poisoned by aphrodisiac. A man like him was both cold and frightening. The woman who loved him or


    the woman he loved deeply would eventually be the sacrifice of his ambition.


    "You really think highly of him."


    "He deserves it." Harper made the fairments on Rndo. "As apetitor, he deserves respect."


    "I thought you would like to tear him into pieces, but I didn''t expect you to give him such a high


    comment." Kile couldn''t see through Harper at all. If he was used ruthlessly by someone, he certainly


    couldn''t give such a reasonablement.


    Harper smiled and said, "Thank you, Kile. I''m leaving."


    "Let''s go back to the Mountain Pass together. I''m worried about my sister if she stays at the customs


    alone." Kile mounted his horse and followed Harper.


    "Why don''t you say goodbye to your father?" Harper asked.


    "I don''t need to say goodbye to anyone wherever I go. Besides, once I leave the city, the old man will


    know where I go and why I need to go," Kile muttered. Although his father seemed to be indifferent to


    the world, his heart was actually dark and full of schemes.


    "Kile." A voice came behind abruptly and stopped the two from leaving.


    There was a hint of impatience in Kile''s eyes. Yet, he turned his head and smiled brightly. "Hey, long


    time no see, brother. You are still so noble. I feel ashamed in front of you and even dare not look


    straight at you."


    The crown prince Magee was good-looking and noble. Harper had praised the royal family of the


    Wonder Kingdom more than once. They were all good-looking men and women, and it was impossible


    to find an ugly face. Even the maids and eunuchs in the pce were also quite good-looking.


    "I''ve heard that you have returned to our capital. I thought you would stay a little longer this time. Why


    are you leaving so soon?" Magee asked gently.


    "Well, Father asked me to be themander in chief of the Mountain Pass. As the prime minister of


    Great Jade Kingdom took away the beauty that I like, I had a big fight with him. I came back to exin


    to Father why I fought against the Great Jade Kingdom. After I finished exining, I have to go back to


    the Mountain Pass,"


    Kile grumbled. "Brother, you know what, Mountain Pass is a nasty ce. There are no delicacies of


    every kind, no soft pillow andfortable bed. And the most frightening thing is that the women there


    are all stocky, ugly and terrifying. I was so scared at the beginning that I didn''t dare to go out for a few


    days."


    "Really?" Obviously, Magee didn''t believe it. He stared at Harper who was in men''s clothes, but her


    outstanding appearance couldn''t be concealed. "This is..."


    "My new favorite." Kile smiled broadly. "I bet my taste is not bad this time. I can''t find a new favorite like


    him in the world."


    "New favorite? A man?" Magee asked his brother, but he looked at Harper. Getting angry, Kile patted


    his horse to stand in front of Harper and grumbled, "Brother, if anyone dares to take him away from me,


    I will fight back."


    Magee smiled slowly. "I''m just curious. You used to be surrounded by beauties, but today you came


    with a handsome man. So I paid attention to him for a few more second. Is he also going back to the


    Mountain Pass with you?"


    "Of course," Kile said innocently. "Women at mountains are so rude. In order to make me feel better, I


    have to bring such a gorgeous beauty with me. Otherwise, I won''t be able to eat anything."


    Magee had a meaningful smile on his face and said, "Well, in that case, I won''t hold you up. Good bye."


    "Okay. Let''s go," Kile said indifferently and drove away with Harper. Magee stopped the horse and


    looked at the receding backs of the two.


    "Guards, see my younger brother off!" Magee sneered. "I''ve heard that the Mountain Pass is in turmoil


    and chaos. If he were killed unfortunately, nobody would suspect me."


    "Yes, Your Highness."

 Chapter 928 The Emperor Was Tricked (Part One)

    Chapter 928 The Emperor Was Tricked (Part One)


    It had been two days since a huge portion of the Great Jade Kingdom''s army fell from the Bright


    Dynasty''s attacks. Fernando had no idea why the battle had been paused as soon as Zack arrived.


    "Your Majesty, shall wemence attacking the enemy?"


    Instead of responding, Rndo just ordered sternly, "Raise the tent and call the generals of the army.


    We will have a meeting." After much calction, he figured out that night was the night that they would


    conquer the Dragon Pass.


    "Yes, Your Majesty."


    As Rndo stopped staging any kind of attack against the Dragon Pass for the past two days, both


    Shawn and Zack were starting to feel uneasy. Rndo wasn''t someone easily frightened, nor was he


    someone who would just retreat out of fear of further losses. His silence meant something, and they


    both knew it was part of arger ploy.


    "Shawn, it seems like a big storm is on the way. Is there still no news about His Highness?" Zack asked


    worriedly.


    "No," Shawn replied somberly, shaking his head. Ever since he set sail for the Great Jade Kingdom,


    Matthew had never contacted them. What was strange was even Harper hadn''t made any contact with


    them. Diana was the first and only person who sent a message to them during that period.


    He then turned to an underling, saying in an authoritative tone, "Go around and tell everyone to stay


    alert. The Great Jade Kingdom is not done, and may actually attack the city again soon. Never ck


    off!" Aside from that, he reminded his soldiers to never let Rndo set foot in the Dragon Pass, no


    matter what happened.


    It was midnight. Thick, ominous fog filled the area, and there were no stars in the sky. Darkness


    enveloped everything that one could not even see his fingers once he stretched his arm out.


    "The fog in this ce is so thick," the soldiers on the city gate tower collectivelyined. Under


    such weather, they wouldn''t be able to see any of the approaching enemy.


    "It''s messing up my vision. I can''t see anything!" someone cried out.


    Then, all of a sudden, one saw something sh in the thick fog. He rubbed his eyes, checking if his


    eyes were working¡ªand they were. But now that the said sh was gone, he became unsure of what


    happened. Once again, the whole area became dark.


    "When will this fog dissipate? I know the weather''s bad but this is too much! Unbelievable."


    Dong! The sound of heavy collision rang out, which immediately scared every guard that was on the


    gate tower. One quickly approached the rm bell and rang it, screaming, "Enemy attack, enemy


    attack! We are under attack!"


    And indeed, the heavy fog was there for a purpose: Rndo and his men were using it as a cover as


    they went ahead andunched an attack in an orderly manner. They were all in position, ready to fight.


    When Shawn arrived at the gate tower, he heard the constant sound of a huge battering ram banging


    against their gates. As desperate times called for desperate measures, he shouted, "Use the bombs!


    Blow up the enemies near the city gates!"


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    "No way! If we destroy the gates, it will do us no good!" Zack said, contradicting Shawn.


    "The gates would also be destroyed if we don''t do anything! So better destroy it now, when we''re ready,


    rather thanter! Now is the time we need His Highness. If he still doesn''t show up, we''ll have no


    choice but to leave our destiny to God!" Shawn said firmly.


    Without any further ado, he ordered the bombs to be fetched and all of them to be thrown at the


    advancing enemy. The rumbling was bing louder and louder as more and more soldiers of the


    Great Jade Kingdom attacked the city gates. Despite the first bomb detonating, the fog didn''t dissipate.


    "Your Majesty, they''re using the bombs again. Should we continue attacking the city?" Benjamin asked


    in astonishment.


    "Go on." And with that, Rndo took his bow and arrows from the back of his horse and targeted the


    sparkling falling mud balls. He then immediately found out that when he did that, they wouldn''t explode.


    A sneer spread on Rndo''s lips. "Pick ten good archers and shoot the bombs. That way, they won''t


    explode," he ordered.


    "Right away, Your Majesty."


    Since the bombs had exploded at the very beginning, there had been no further explosion. Shawn had


    a grim expression, but Zack immediately had his men boil water and then dump the hot water down


    from the city wall. This move would greatly hurt the enemies downstairs.


    "Preparedders. Let''s go upstairs." Rndo gave an order calmly. Matthew was nowhere to be seen,


    and it was a rare chance. He had to seize the chance to conquer the Dragon Pass.


    "Come on."


    The soldiers from the Great Jade Kingdom, carryingdders, rushed towards the gate tower. The fog


    tonight was good for them. They would definitely pay a huge price to defeat the Dragon Pass if they


    missed today''s chance.


    "Zack, go downstairs," Shawn said. The city gate tower was in chaos and the army was out of control.


    Shawn didn''t know how to exin if anything bad happened to Zack as he was a frail schr.


    Zack also knew that if he stayed there, he would not be able to help Shawn, but might be a burden for


    him. So he didn''t refuse. He went downstairs immediately and supported Shawn silently behind him.


    They just had to resist till dawn, when the thick fog would disappear.


    The soldiers from the Great Jade Kingdom had been depressed these days. When they finally had a


    chance to revenge, they looked very brave and aggressive. The soldiers from the Bright Dynasty didn''t


    show any sign of weakness. All the people who climbed to the city gate tower were cut into half. The


    city was locked in a fierce battle. The city gates were constantly banged by the battering ram. After


    several collisions, the heavy gates finally were to be loosened.


    "Protect the gates!" The deputy general told the soldiers to hold the city gates and they couldn''t let the


    enemies break through. "It''s going to be dawn soon. Then we don''t need to worry."


    "We will protect the city gates till death!"


    Yet, numerous enemies were attacking outside the Dragon Pass. Finally, the city gates, which had


    been solid for many years, copsed under the fierce attack of the battering ram, and many soldiers


    from the Bright Dynasty were pressed under it.

 Chapter 929 The Emperor Was Tricked (Part Two)

    Chapter 929 The Emperor Was Tricked (Part Two)


    Shawn had already dispatched soldiers to wait at the gates. The moment the gates fell, he ordered,


    "Get out of the city, and attack the enemies. Kill."


    Benjamin was not resigned to ying second fiddle. "Come on. I will give you a reward of ten thousand


    taels of silver and you will be promoted to higher position if you kill Shawn!" he shouted.


    The two armies were engaged in a battle here. It was the first time that they fought against each other


    since the Great Jade Kingdom had been attacking the Dragon Pass for almost one month. Before the


    gates of the city were broken, Shawn had been in the city and refused to fight. Now the gates had been


    destroyed, so he had to get out of the city to fight back!


    "Your Majesty, the gates are broken. Shawn and his soldiers came out, ready to fight."


    "Fernando! Go to kill Shawn! And then ask someone to take a group of people into the Dragon Pass to


    capture Zack alive!" Rndo said slowly. Harper was not a person who had many weaknesses, and


    unfortunately, Zack was one of them. Since Zack came himself, Rndo would not hesitate to capture


    him.


    "Yes, Your Majesty."


    Rndo was happy to see the struggling of the soldiers in the Dragon Pass. His smile was cold and


    cruel. No one could tell what he was thinking about from his expression.


    In such thick fog, they could not see their enemies or tell who they were, but they could only kill. The


    smell of blood spread on the battlefield, covering up all other smells.


    It seemed that something was shuttling through the fog, and there were people falling, but no one


    noticed. When Rndo found something wrong, many of the soldiers behind him had fallen.


    "Left and right army, be careful of the attack from behind!" Rndo''s voice pierced through the whole


    battlefield.


    The ck g Army hiding in the darkness didn''t stop their actions at all, and turned into the ck


    shadows on the battlefield to ruthlessly kill the enemies.


    Hearing that the attack was from behind, Shawn was overjoyed. "His Highness hase. Kill.


    Cooperate with him from inside and outside. Kill Rndo and you will be promoted to a noble!"


    Rndo''s expression changed a little. It was not the right time for Matthew toe. But now that they


    were both attacked from inside and outside, the whole situation was rather disadvantageous to him.


    Fernando quickly retreated and reported urgently, "Your Majesty, it''s Matthew''s ck g Army. The


    ck g Army hase."


    "Son of a bitch, Rndo! I am here!" A loud voice came from behind Shawn. Soldiers in heavy armor


    flocked out of the Dragon Pass.


    "General Maxwell." Shawn raised his head and roared to the sky. "God helps me! Kill!"


    But Rndo didn''t bother to give a damn about Shawn. He turned to look back and said, "I know you''re


    here, Matthew. Come out."


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    A powerful force suddenly burst out and shook away the people around within a distance of fifty


    meters. Even the thick fog had dispersed. Matthew, with a sword in his hand, stood not far away and


    looked at Rndo coldly.


    He pointed his sword at Rndo. "Today, I''m sure that you''ll be dead."


    Rndo squinted. "Are you sure you will stay here and make me impossible to go back home? Aren''t


    you afraid that if you don''t go to save Harper now, you will be toote and only have to collect her


    body?"


    Matthew moved, drew his sword and stabbed at Rndo. Rndo waved his sword to resist the


    attack. After a short while, they had fought more than one hundred rounds. The soldiers around had


    retreated and dared not approach the two.


    "Your men want to hurt her? Stop daydreaming!" Rndo, guess where the two hundred thousand


    soldiers of mine went," Matthew questioned confidently.


    Rndo suddenly realized something and eximed, "The capital of the Great Jade Kingdom."


    "You are so smart. You even know that my ck g Army is heading straight for the capital of your


    kingdom. You want to defeat the Bright Dynasty, but do you know that I also want to conquer your


    kingdom? I have been tolerating you for a long time. Do you think I would put up with you all the time if


    I didn''t want to transfer you away from the capital?" Matthew said slowly.


    Rndo was startled. ''When did Matthew start to y tricks on me? Did Harper go to the Wonder


    Kingdom not to get the Sacred Seal, but to cooperate with the kingdom?'' he wondered!


    "You have long cooperated with the Wonder Kingdom!" Rndo stated calmly. The Bright Dynasty and


    the Wonder Kingdom had cooperated with each other, and Diana had been with Harper all the time,


    which meant that the South Kingdom must have cooperated with the Bright Dynasty. It meant that all


    his schemes were in vain.


    "You have been scheming since the Worship Ceremony in the South Kingdom!" It didn''t take Rndo


    much time to realize everything. The purpose Harper and Matthew went to the South Kingdom was not


    only to get the Sacred Seal from the royal family of that kingdom, but also to threaten the kingdom and


    ally with it. They were cheated by everything on the surface, or, in other words, Harper was good at


    acting!


    "It''s not toote for you to know. Rndo, today I''ll give you a chance topete with me, and make


    the cause of your death clear." Matthewughed.


    "If I''m dead, Harper can''t stay alive. Even if I don''t fight back, do you dare to kill me?" Rndo shed


    an evil smile.


    "Don''t you know that my Harp is immune to all kinds of poisons? You poisoned her, but it couldn''t affect


    her at all. On the contrary, if she gets hurt, you would be affected," Matthew responded slowly.


    "No way!" Rndo shouted in shock.


    "Nothing is impossible! There is no drug in the world that can poison her, and no poisonous insect can


    get close to her. Although you used the poison cleverly, you can''t hurt her at all. However, I have to


    make you pay for it!"

 Chapter 930 The Deal (Part One)

    Chapter 930 The Deal (Part One)


    After being seriously injured by Matthew in their duel in Dragon Pass, Rndo had no other choice but


    to flee. Meanwhile, the remaining soldiers of the Great Jade Kingdom were all in disarray and


    surrendered under the siege of the two forces.


    Then, Matthew, leading his army of two hundred thousand ck g Army soldiers, appeared outside


    the capital of the Great Jade Kingdom, setting up camp and looking intimidating. The regent official saw


    this and immediately ordered his soldiers to fight the intruders, but ultimately lost. He still was


    indomitable until he learned that his emperor Rndo had escaped and was seriously injured. With


    that, he had no choice but to surrender, as their court had effectively lost its emperor.


    As all of that was happening, the Wonder Kingdomunched an attack against Louis and his army.


    Although Louis was a good general, he couldn''t stand the violent ways of Howard''s fighting. But what


    really frustrated Louis and his soldiers was the news that Matthew had already conquered the Great


    Jade Kingdom after defeating Rndo. Thus, Louis'' army started to lose their will to fight, and so no


    matter how good his directives were, they still ended up defeated.


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    But before that happened, Miguel had already disappeared. Rndo, who had gained the upper hand,


    lost everything overnight and escaped like an unskilled, cowardly warrior. People couldn''t help but find


    this pitiful.


    Harper was heading for the Dragon Pass unhurriedly as she was relieved to hear the news that


    Matthew had won. She thought the worst was over, until she met the escaped Rndo at the way.


    ''Is he here just waiting for me, or is he here to kidnap me?'' Harper thought at once.


    "Rndo, you seem thinner than I remember. Have you lost weight?" Harper asked, a sweet smile on


    her lips. "I just heard that you fled away after being defeated by Matthew. Apparently, they''re calling


    you ''the emperor of a conquered kingdom''."


    Rndo shed her a gentle smile and said, "Stop teasing me, Harper." After a while, his smile faded,


    making him look more serious. "I want to enter into a deal with you," he said.


    "A deal?" Harper asked warily. "What kind of deal are we talking about here, Rndo?"


    "About the Qin n," Rndo said slowly. "You should have known that the other half of the Sacred


    Seal is in my hand."


    Harper nodded and said, "I know. I also know that won''t give it to me. Besides, I won''t give my half to


    you. So what is your deal? Are you nning on robbing it from me?"


    Rndo chuckled and shook his head. "No, no, silly. I won''t rob from you. I just want you to go to


    somewhere with me."


    "Somewhere. Where is that somewhere, Rndo?" Harper asked in a low voice. "Are you nning on


    taking me to the Harmony Pce of the Great Jade Kingdom once again?"


    Rndo sighed deeply. "The capital of the Great Jade Kingdom has been conquered by Matthew. His


    two hundred thousand ck g Army soldiers have even upied the whole city. The whole world


    knows that the Great Jade Kingdom has perished, so why would I go with you there?" A smile


    blossomed on Rndo''s lips. "I want you to go to Phoenix City with me."


    Harper rolled her eyes as she couldn''t believe what she heard. Rndo still had the nerve to ask her to


    go to Phoenix City, even though he knew Darren was ruling the ce. Like Matthew, Darren was not


    easy to deal with, so much so that he would attack anyone whom he found annoying without any


    hesitation. If Rndo dared enter the Phoenix City, Darren immediately have him beat up.


    "Aren''t you afraid of the way Darren will deal with you?"


    "You are with me. Aren''t you two good friends? I''m sure Phoenix City won''tpromise me or my


    safety since you are the one who will bring me there."


    "So you just want me to bring you to the city?" Harper couldn''t believe how simple Rndo''s request


    was. If he wanted to enter the city, he had plenty of ways to do so. He really didn''t need her. But since


    he was insisting to go there with her, there must be one particr reason that he was still hiding from


    her.


    "Of course not," Rndo said as he slowly walked towards Harper. "I need you to go there with me and


    open something with the Sacred Seal."


    The shine of a de blinded Rndo for a second, and his clothes were cut through. He backed off


    immediately and looked at Harper incredulously, saying, "Harper, you... Why are you doing this to me?"


    "You seem to have already forgotten the fact that you attacked me in the general''s mansion." Harper


    had a pure and innocent smile on her face. "You almost killed me with that palm attack."


    The expression on Rndo''s face changed. His gentle smile stiffened as he said, "So you recalled


    everything."


    "Yes, but only recently," Harper said calmly. "I recalled it in the secret forbidden chamber of the Wonder


    Kingdom."


    "At that time..." Rndo started to exin, but hesitated.


    "You just wanted to test me, but you didn''t expect that you''d almost kill me, did you?" Harper


    interrupted in a t, emotionless tone, as if what she was talking something that happened to someone


    else.


    "I just didn''t expect you to be so weak. I''m sorry, Harper. I didn''t mean to kill you," said Rndo


    apologetically.


    "You know what, I do not need your apology. All is in the past." Now, she was wearing a big smile. "But


    I won''t let the same thing happen again."


    "What do you mean?" Rndo asked in confusion.


    "You should have been practicing your spiritual power in your free time," Harper said somewhat


    yfully. "That''s why your blood could destroy the spell of the Sacred Seal."


    Rndo''s eyes darkened as he realized that Harper must have known a lot of things. "Do you know


    who else besides me practices spiritual power?" he asked


    Harper didn''t reply. She looked at the man quietly, waiting for what he was going to


    say.

 Chapter 931 The Deal (Part Two)

    Chapter 931 The Deal (Part Two)


    "Your husband, Matthew."


    "Not just him." ying with the long hair on her temples, Harper cast a cold nce at Rndo. "Darren


    also practices it."


    "Yes, there are also many people in Phoenix City practicing spiritual power, but most of them are the


    people of your n who have survived and settled down there," Rndo exined slowly. "I don''t hide


    anything from you. If you want to leave here, you have to pass through the Phoenix City. The key to


    leave here is the Sacred Seal. You can''t leave with only half of it."


    "I''m not going to leave here." Harper had a big smile on her face. "I have never nned to leave this


    ce. But I think you really want to leave here, even by sacrificing your Great Jade Kingdom."


    Rndo was rendered speechless. He indeed wanted to leave here, because this was not the right


    ce for him to stay. Harper had always been disguised so well that he could not find the other half


    Sacred Seal from her. In the end, he had no choice but to kill her. He wouldn''t leave this damned ce


    until Harper died and his task was finished.


    "So that is to say, we can''t reach the deal?" Rndo slowly questioned. "Harper, you are no match for


    me."


    "Of course I know I''m not your match." Harper shrugged helplessly. "That''s why I asked someone to


    pick me up."


    Rndo was a little shocked, and he stepped back quickly as he sensed an abrupt attack from


    nowhere. The ce where he stood just now became a crater. If he didn''t dodge fast enough, he would


    probably be seriously injured even if he didn''t die.


    "Matthew Jun!"


    Matthew put his arms around Harper''s waist and disyed his love to his wife as if no outsider was


    there. "Honey, I am here to pick you up. Are you happy?"


    Harper grinned and said, "Yeah, I''m so happy that I am about to burst into tears!"


    "Shouldn''t you reward me since you are so happy?" Matthew looked as if Harper should give him the


    reward right there and then. Thus, she couldn''t helpughing, both amused and annoyed by her


    husband''s behaviors.


    "There are still people here," she reminded.


    "People? I have never seen anyone except you." Matthew then pressed his lips on hers. After what


    seemed ages, he finally released her and said, "I got my reward."


    Harper giggled silently. The flirting between the couple became a total ridicule in Rndo''s eyes. He


    admitted that he liked Harper and thought he held a little ce in her heart, but the fact told him that he


    had no ce in her heart at all.


    "You two are just too overweening and arrogant!" The voice of Rndo was cold and murderous.


    "Harper, are you sure that you don''t want to cooperate with me? You have to know, it concerns your


    life."


    Harper looked at Rndo and said, "There''s no need to cooperate with you. For me, it doesn''t matter


    how long I''ll live. It''s enough for me as long as I am with the one I love."


    Rndo''s face was set in a grim expression. He looked at Matthew and asked, "You also agree with


    her?"


    Matthew didn''t answer, but was about to attack him. He wanted to tell Rndo by action that he could


    kill him and rob the thing of him.


    Rndo had been injured in the battle at the Dragon Pass, and hadn''t recovered. Matthew''s condition


    was not any better. Although Rndo had a little bit advantage over Matthew, he didn''t want to fight


    against Matthew at that moment.


    "Harper, You should know where to find me if you have made up your mind." As soon as Rndo


    finished his words, he stepped back quickly. Matthew was about to chase after him, but Harper stopped


    him.


    "No need to go after him. He didn''t bring the Sacred Seal with him," Harper said, looking at the


    direction in which Rndo disappeared. "Sooner orter, we''ll get it. We can take our time."


    "Harp, what on earth is Rndo''s n?" Matthew felt uneasy somehow. The Phoenix City was the key


    point for Harper to leave. So was it a premeditated n that Harper made friends with Darren? Did she


    want to leave here a long time ago?


    Harper shook her head and replied honestly, "I don''t know, either. I guess we have to go to Phoenix


    City and ask Darren''s father."


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    "You don''t know?" Matthew was astonished. Harper and Darren were good friends, but she knew


    nothing about it.


    Harper shook her head again. The people of Qin n who had survived had been hiding in Phoenix


    City. To avoid the investigation of the four kingdoms, Phoenix City was their only choice, because it was


    not easy for people from the four kingdoms to enter the city and investigate anyone living there. And


    she established friendship with Darren purely due to an ident. Phoenix City was the key for her to


    leave, and she was indeed unaware of it.


    "Are we going to the Phoenix City?"


    Harper shook her head. "I don''t want to go to there now. Rndo is not a person who will give up


    easily. I am worried about Alexander and Gianna. Let''s go back to the imperial capital first."


    "Alexander and Gianna are fine. Allen and Pearce are not easy to deal with, especially Pearce who


    suffered such a great loss once. He won''t allow someone to hurt Alexander. We will go to Dragon Pass


    now. After we get things done there, we will head for Phoenix City directly," Matthew suggested. He


    knew what Harper was running away from, but she had to face it after all, especially when the whole


    thing had rtion with her own life.


    "What about the Bright Dynasty..."


    "The Bright Dynasty can''t rely on me all the time," Matthew said slowly. "Now without Rndo, it has


    no threat at all. If Lucas can''t even manage the country well under such a circumstance, then he is not


    qualified to be the emperor."

 Chapter 932 Set Off For The Phoenix City (Part One)

    Chapter 932 Set Off For The Phoenix City (Part One)


    When Matthew and Harper returned to the Dragon Pass, Zack was just about to go back to the imperial


    capital as there was no need for him to stay anymore. He should be back home, fulfilling his promise to


    his family.


    "I thought I wouldn''t see you. I didn''t expect you toe here. You look thinner these days. It seems


    that you had a hard time for the past few days," Zack said as he looked at Harper with wide smile on


    his lips.


    Harper smiled back, asking him, "Zack, are you going back to the imperial capital?"


    "Yes. The Great Jade Kingdom is no longer a threat, and more importantly, Prince Matthew is here.


    Since I''m not needed here anymore, I''m going back," Zack said as he poured Harper a warm cup of


    newly brewed tea. "It seems like you have something on your mind."


    "Rndo has escaped," said Harper softly before sipping from the tea.


    "I knew it," Zack said, knowing that her dilemma involved none other than Rndo. "When we were


    outside the Dragon Pass, Rndo fought with His Highness. It was an earth-shaking duel! Though His


    Highness was able to inflict Rndo with injuries that are far more serious and devastating, he was still


    injured. Taking the chance, Rndo escaped."


    Harper nodded slightly. Silence followed that, but after a while, she finally revealed what happened


    between her and Rndo, saying, "Rndo came to find me." She was deep in thought, idly looking at


    the tea leaves that were floating in her cup. "He has the other half of the Sacred Seal, but I want to give


    it up," she continued.


    "You can''t give up." As soon as Zack finished his sentence, he realized that he got too excited, and that


    he had to exin why he thought that. He then continued, "Felton told me that the Sacred Seal is a


    matter of life and death for everyone in the Qin n, including you. Harper, you can''t give up no matter


    how much you want to."


    Harper knew that. She knew that she just couldn''t give it all up, because this was not only about her. If


    she was under the threat of losing her life, the other members of the Qin n were as well! After


    twenty years they have been struggling, should they give up now?


    "Rndo is a very determined person and hard to deal with. When he became a monk, he endured


    endless humiliation. He hid for five years in our country, just to get the Heavenly Book which was, back


    in, in the hands of the royal family. He won''t give it to you that easily, Harper, but you don''t have to give


    up. I believe that you won''t lose to Rndo." Zack''s trust in Harper''s abilities was endless. If it were


    somebody else, he might worry about them not being as strong as Rndo, but when it came to


    Harper, he didn''t worry about that.


    "Do you trust me so much, Zack?"


    "I believe in you, Harper. I believe in you more than I believe in myself. So you should not give up!


    Besides, you are already so far into this. If you give up, all the efforts you''ve painstakingly done would


    be for naught. So don''t give up!" Zack said seriously, looking at Harper straight in the eyes.


    Harper took a deep breath, put down the cup and replied, "I see. Don''t worry. I won''t give up. No matter


    how cunning or terrible Rndo is, I won''t be afraid."


    "I hope you never forget that. And if you have time, remember to go back home. Anyway, General


    Maxwell must be waiting for me. I should go now." As Zack said this, his eyes started to be a little


    red. It was because he couldn''t help but feel that Harper was drifting farther and farther away from him.


    Even though she was just in front of him and he could touch her, he still felt they were oceans away,


    making him feel incredibly ufortable and emotional.


    "Zack, wish you have a happy life," Harper said, as if reading his mind.


    Without turning around, he paused for a second and said, "Don''t worry, Harper. By the way, you should,


    too. Always take care of yourself."


    Zack then left. He didn''t persuade Harper to stay in their country, nor did he ask her if she would leave,


    because he knew that it would be useless. Harper wasn''t an ordinary woman who would just stay at


    home¡ªshe was destined to be unusual.


    Harper went to see Zack and the others off. She stood at the entrance of the city gates, looking at their


    receding figures. Her eyes were deep and mysterious, and no one could see through them.


    "Your Highness," Shawn saluted.


    "Shawn, why are you still using honorifics? I have told you countless times that you can just call me by


    name," Harper said firmly. "By the way, how is your family?"


    "Great! My father has already arranged my younger sister''s marriage." Shawn looked happy. He then


    looked into the distance and continued, "There was news from Marquis Pearce. Some people attacked


    his mansion. Apparently they were nning on kidnapping Alexander. Fortunately, the whole ploy was


    found out early and Alexander is safe."


    Harper nodded. "I see. Marquis Pearce is capable indeed. By the way, General Maxwell is looking good


    lately."


    "After the death of thete emperor, General Maxwell dismissed the women in his mansion silently, and


    then married a woman. It is said that the couple have a good rtionship. It''s quite enviable." Shawn


    had clearly realized that the country was getting better and better. The current emperor was not like his


    father and wouldn''t have so many dirty tricks.


    "Shawn, you have reached the age of getting married. Do you have a girl you like?" asked Harper


    suddenly.


    Shawn flushed and didn''t know what to say. But Harper noticed that and thought she had guessed


    right.


    "You have a girl? If you have one, don''t hesitate, or you won''t even have a ce to cry if someone


    snatches her," Harper said knowingly.


    Shawn would be alright if they didn''t talk about this matter. At the mention of this, he felt that it was so


    bad. At the very beginning, he had thought that Harper was still young and he could wait for a few


    years. But it turned out he made the wrong decision, as she got married while he was still waiting.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

 Chapter 933 Set Off For The Phoenix City (Part Two)

    Chapter 933 Set Off For The Phoenix City (Part Two)


    "I''ll keep it in mind. If I meet a girl I like, I won''t hesitate."


    "Your Highness." Fred had a grim face and walked to Harper. "Something happened."


    Harper frowned. "Is it that Felton''s condition gets worse?"


    "The courtyard was in chaos. Felton and his servants were missing," responded Fred, shaking his


    head.


    Harper was shocked and couldn''t believe what she heard. She knew about Felton''s capability. What


    kind of person was able to take him away from the Dragon Pass without being noticed?


    "No way!" Shawn said first. He had witnessed how powerful Felton was. Even so many martial arts


    masters failed to defeat him that night. If someone wanted to threaten him, they must be at the same


    level as Matthew.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    "Let''s go and have a look first." Anxiety was written all over Harper''s face. Felton was weak in health,


    and he couldn''t afford to suffer."


    Inside the courtyard, Matthew had been there for a long time. When he saw Harpere in, he


    immediately went over and said, "There is no trace of fighting, but it is very messy inside. The property


    hasn''t been burgled. It seems that the other side is looking for something in the courtyard."


    Standing at the door, Harper frowned at the messy room after being searched. "Darling, is it Rndo?"


    "No. Rndo is not silly. He suffered a great loss from us and even lost the Great Jade Kingdom. He


    would not have taken a risk to enter the Dragon Pass and take away Felton at this time. Moreover, if he


    wants to threaten you with one person, wouldn''t it be more useful to kidnap Zack? What''s more, Zack is


    a bookish and powerless schr, while Felton is highly skilled in martial arts." Matthew analyzed the


    situation for Harper. "Besides, there is no trace of fighting here, which means that Felton didn''t resist


    and agreed to go with them."


    "Agree to go with them..." Harper thought carefully about the people Felton might have followed


    willingly. "It is someone from the Qin n."


    "Why did someone from the Qin n take Felton away?" Matthew asked in surprise. The people of the


    Qin n had always kept a low profile and seldom walked outside in order to hide their tracks. Why did


    they take actions at that time?


    Harper didn''t understand, either. The people of the Qin n wouldn''te out of Phoenix City if it was


    not necessary. When Felton left Phoenix City, he just wanted to find a way to cure his physical


    condition. After all, he was very weak. It was not wise for the Qin n to take him away then. What


    was more, they could have left the city calmly or even sent someone to inform the general''s mansion,


    so that she wouldn''t be worried.


    "On the other hand, I feel like that Felton was forced to leave. I think the Qin n you are talking about


    should not be Felton''s family. His family shouldn''t treat him like this." Shawn expressed his own


    thought.


    Then Matthew looked at Harper and asked, "Do you know anything about the Qin n?"


    Harper shook her head. "I''m only familiar with Felton and his servants as the Qin n lives in seclusion


    all the time and doesn''t have contact with outsiders. Even I don''t know anything about its members."


    "It seems that we have to go to Phoenix City as soon as possible. At least, we have to confirm if Felton


    was taken away by the Qin n," Matthew said in a low voice. If the Qin n had taken Felton away,


    he would have to praise that the people of the n were really so capable that they had taken a man


    away secretly under his nose.


    "All right. After we have got things done, we''re going to Phoenix City," Harper said decisively. If it was in


    the past, she would hesitate whether she should go to the city, but now she had to.


    "It''s almost all settled now. I''ve told them about the things that should be told. As for the territory of the


    Great Jade Kingdom, the part near the Wonder Kingdom would be under control of the Wonder


    Kingdom, and the part close to the Great Jade Kingdom will be taken care of by the Great Jade


    Kingdom. Shawn, you have to work hard for a while, and after His Majesty makes the decision, you can


    make another n. The ck g Army will guard the capital of the Great Jade Kingdom and wait for


    you to take the capital over."


    "Your Highness, you are not going to... I''ll take care of it." Actually, Shawn wanted to ask if Matthew


    didn''t intend to clean up all the rest power of the Great Jade Kingdom. But when he thought that


    Rndo was no longer left in the kingdom, and that he didn''t need to be afraid of the rest of the people,


    he took the job immediately.


    "Next, let''s go straight to Phoenix City," Matthew said. Rndo might have arrived there. So when they


    entered the city, they were in a ce where they couldn''t show the power. The couple had to be


    extremely careful and even Matthew was incapable of arranging a spy in it. Even though Harper was


    on good terms with Darren, he couldn''t be too careless.


    "Okay. If we go there as soon as possible, we will make sure Felton''s safety earlier." Harper took a


    deep breath, looked at Shawn and asked, "Are you done with the bombs I gave you?"


    "Not yet. There are several left."


    "Then keep them in case of need." At first, Harper didn''t want to take out the bombs, as such a


    powerful weapon shouldn''t appear in this ce. But she was very afraid of Rndo, so she had


    prepared them.


    "Let''s go."


    "Don''t we pack our luggage?" asked Harper in surprise.


    "When I heard of Felton''s ident, I already ordered my people to pack our luggage. Now they have


    been waiting outside. Let''s go. I know you''re worried about Felton''s safety, and I also want to see the


    young lord Darren."

 Chapter 934 Francis Sudden Visit

    Chapter 934 Francis'' Sudden Visit


    Harper was worried about Felton''s condition but unfortunately she and Matthew couldn''t get any news


    about him¡ªhow he was or even where he was. It was like he vanished from the face of the earth, just


    like the rest of the Qin n.


    The members of the Qin n used to contact her through Felton. She wasn''t even sure if they really


    existed, so the only thing she could do at the moment was go to Phoenix City, the known base of the


    n, and search there.


    Phoenix City was its usual busy, beautiful, and peaceful self when Harper and Matthew arrived. It was


    not Matthew''s first time visiting the city, but he still felt a renewed awe when he stepped foot on itsnd


    once again.


    After the couple checked in at a hotel, they immediately went ahead and looked for the base of the Qin


    n. Standing at the gates of the closed orphanage, Harper donned a veryplicated expression on


    her face. ''Why is this closed? Is there anything wrong with the n? Where are the children?'' she


    thought.


    "Little Harper!" A female voice suddenly rang out. The person put her arm around Harper''s neck as


    soon as she was near her and said, "Why are you like this? How dare you not inform me that you''re


    back here in Phoenix City!"


    "Daphne!" Harper tried to shake Daphne off her but she failed. "Daphne, you''re strangling me. I''m


    already out of breath! Please let me go!"


    Daphne relented but it seemed to be because she saw Matthew next to her. "Who is this man? Is this


    your man? Doesn''t seem so good looking, why?"


    Matthew''s eyes rolled slightly. His sleeve brushed against Daphne''s wrist, and thetter suddenly felt


    her wrist bing numb. Harper noticed this immediately and was about to say something about it,


    but Matthew spoke first. "Why are you making friends with such a slut? I don''t want her filth


    contaminating you."


    "Slut?" Daphne was ready to fight. "Who are you calling slut, boy?"


    Harper couldn''t help but face palm. How could she forge? The personality of these two were so alike


    that they would sh as soon as they met. "Matthew, stop it. You know we''ve been friends for a long


    time now. Why do you two always argue when you meet each other?"


    "It''s because of him!"


    "It''s because of her!"


    Matthew and Daphne replied at the same time, both turning away from each other and unwilling to look


    at each other''s faces. Harper was helpless. Felton had disappeared and the Qin n''s base was


    closed, but the two were bickering like little children.


    "Anyway, Daphne, do you know why the orphanage is closed? Where are the people?" In Phoenix City,


    if anyone wanted to know what happened, the best people to ask were Daphne and Darren.


    Daphne nced at the closed gates of the orphanage, her face unreadable. "Immediately after I


    learned that you''de here, I knew this would be the first ce you visit. Well, three days ago, the


    people in the orphanage just vanished. No sign of where they went or what happened to them.


    Disappeared, just like that."


    "What? How is that possible?" Harper asked, shocked. This was Phoenix City¡ªone of the most


    populous city in the world¡ªhow could that happen?


    "I''ve ordered my people to search for them far and wide, but after three days, we still haven''t had any


    leads, clues, whatever. Everyone just... vanished out of thin air I want to have answers for you, but I


    just do not right now. I am so sorry," Daphne said, sounding sad and apologetic.


    Harper frowned and exchanged a nce with Matthew. After a while, they decided to break into the


    orphanage. Cautiously, the three of them climbed over its wall and sneaked inside. "There must be a


    clue here somewhere. No matter how careful and terrible the enemies are, it''s impossible that they


    haven''t left any trace," Harper whispered.


    The orphanage was very clean, as if someone had been there. Seeing the tidy floor, Harper looked at


    Daphne and asked, "Have you sent someone to clean it?"


    "No. When we found that the orphanage wasn''t opened, we sent people over to check and found that it


    was very clean. Even at that time, the hot water was still boiling on the furnace, as if the people here


    had suddenly disappeared from the world." Daphne was very concerned about this issue. It was not a


    small matter that the children in the orphanage were missing from Phoenix City, not to mention that


    Harper had a special feeling for the children here. "My brother has been investigating this matter in


    these days. We originally wanted to send message to you, but we got news that you arrived."


    After being silent for a moment, Harper said, "Thank you."


    "I''m sorry, Harper. Those kids were gone under our watch..."


    "It''s not your fault." Although Harper was worried about the children, she wouldn''t vent her anger on


    Daphne. "Daphne, can you help me investigate one thing?"


    "What is it?"


    "Find out where the Qin n is hiding." Harper didn''t mind exposing the Qin n''s traces now. They


    had been hiding for twenty years, and now Felton and the people of the Qin n''s base in Phoenix


    City had disappeared for no reason. She was afraid that something really happened to the n, so she


    must take action.


    "Okay, I''ll have someone look into it. You... Where are you staying? How about staying in the lord''s


    mansion?" Daphne asked tentatively.


    "We are now staying in the Joy Inn. If you have anything urgent, just ask someone toe to the hotel


    to look for me." Harper didn''t want to go to the lord''s mansion. Instead of staying there, she preferred to


    stay in a hotel.


    "The inn is much worse than the lord''s mansion!"


    Harper just stubbornly looked at Daphne. Daphne shrugged helplessly and said, "Okay, it''s up to you. If


    there is any news, I will go to the Joy Inn to see you."


    "Okay." Harper stared at Daphne''s back as she left, full of worry in her eyes. What happened to Felton


    and the orphanage was so strange. They disappeared at the same time without any trace of fighting.


    Especially the people in the orphanage seemed determined to leave all of a sudden, in a hurry and


    rash state.


    After they returned to the inn, Matthew closed the door. He looked at Harper and said, "The Qin n


    left willingly."


    Harper nodded. "It should be. Otherwise, no one can make a move in Phoenix City and take all the


    people away from the orphanage without disturbing the people in the lord''s mansion. But I don''t


    understand why the Qin n retreated at this time."


    "Maybe we''ll know the answer when we find Felton." Matthew had a guess on his mind, but he didn''t


    want to tell it, which would make Harper sad.


    "Knock, knock, knock." There was a knock at the door.


    "Who is it?"


    "Sir, I am a waiter. I have brought some food here." The waiter''s voice came from outside the door.


    Matthew walked to the door, opened it, took the food, closed the door, and put down the food. He


    looked out of the window and said, "Since you''re here, don''t hide."


    A figure flew in. It was Francis who had disappeared for a long time. Although he was still pale, he was


    not sick. Instead, he looked much more energetic.


    "Long time no see, Harper."


    Harper sneered. "We have met each other in the Great Jade Kingdom, right? I remember clearly that


    you gave me the Fantasy and poisoned me."


    Without feeling embarrassed after being debunked, Francis replied, "I just wanted to see if you would


    take Rndo as Uncle Matthew when you were poisoned by the Fantasy."


    Matthew''s eyes narrowed ferociously, as if he wanted to take action. Francis sensed the danger and


    said, "I''m not here for fighting. Uncle Matthew, calm down. I''m here to tell you that I know Felton''s


    whereabouts."


    "Did you take him away?" asked Harper.


    "No. I ran into him on the way to Phoenix City by ident. I didn''t expect an intelligent person like you


    to be taken advantage of, Harper," Francis said calmly.


    Harper smiled bitterly and said, "I have been used many times. And even you made use of me. Have


    you already forgotten it so soon?"


    All of a sudden, Francis felt that Harper became a hedgehog covered with spines, ready to stab anyone


    she met. "Felton was willing to go with others. He was in a carriage with an undisturbed look then, and


    the servant by his side drove the carriage."


    "Samuel."


    "Yes, other four men followed them. But they seemed to be protecting him rather than monitoring."


    Harper thought carefully. When the people from the Qin n found her, they brought her a Heavenly


    Book to show their sincerity, and that was why so many people had spied on her and searched


    everywhere in her residence but hadn''t found it. It wasn''t with her at the beginning, but in the hands of


    the Qin n.


    "Why did you tell me this?" Harper asked calmly, staring at Francis. What he had done was trying to


    destroy her. Why did hee to tell her that the Qin n had broken up with her? What was he up to?


    "I''m just curious who destroyed the Qin n in the first ce and affected the four kingdoms," replied


    Francis, looking at Matthew.


    "Just that? Nothing else?"


    "More than that. Everyone knows that the Qin n has a secret. The whole n was exterminated due


    to it. I want to know the secret," responded Francis, turning to Harper.


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    "The secret about longevity?" Harper asked frankly. "If you want to know the secret about longevity, I''m


    sorry to tell you that there is no such a secret in the hands of the Qin n. It''s just a rumor."


    "If it''s really a rumor, would Rndo be so determined to get it and even sacrifice his own Great Jade


    Kingdom?" Francis had believed that there was a big secret hidden in the Qin n which could be able


    to shake the world. But this secret was well concealed, and he wanted to see what it could be.


    Harper''s face turned livid at the mention of Rndo. He had been hiding in the dark. She even


    suspected that Rndo had attacked the Qin n. But outsiders would be closely monitored by the


    secret spies as long as they entered Phoenix City, and have no chance to attack anybody. The secret


    spies in Phoenix City was the reason why the city was peaceful all the time. Any unsafe things couldn''t


    escape from the control of Phoenix City after entering the city.


    "What do you want?" Harper stared at Francis and asked seriously. Francis wanted to seize the throne


    in the past, but he failed atst. Now what did he want? Still the throne?


    "Will you give it to me if I want it?" asked Francis in a sarcastic tone.


    "It depends on what it is. If I can, I will give it to you. But if I can''t, I won''t give it even if you kill me,"


    Harper answered in a cold tone.


    "Rest assured. I don''t have any other wishes. I just want to see how you will treat the other members of


    the Qin n. That''s all!"

 Chapter 935 The Qin Clans Sudden Visit (Part One)

    Chapter 935 The Qin n''s Sudden Visit (Part One)


    The reason why Francis told Harper what happened to Felton was because he wanted to see how she


    was going to react to it. Back then, she had made a move without any hesitation because of what he


    himself had done. What would she do if it were someone from the Qin n? To be more specific, when


    it came to this case, he was curious about whether or not Harper would be as cold and ruthless as she


    was before.


    After Francis left, Harper didn''t make any moves or take any immediate action. She and Matthew just


    kept living their normal lives, eating, sleeping and being happy all around, as if the dealings concerning


    the Qin n had nothing to do with her.


    The next day, Darren came to visit Harper. After exchanging formalities, he went straight to the point


    and handed Harper a pile of documents. "Here you go; it''s all you asked for."


    "Thank you, Darren."


    "We are friends. There is no need for those polite words," Darren said.


    Harper only smiled as she took the documents and leafed through them one by one. During this


    process, Darren noticed that a man was standing by the window¡ªMatthew. He started to study him. It


    had been rumored that he was a merciless and bloodthirsty man, but from what he was sensing, the


    man was abnormally calm and peaceful.


    "I''ve heard that Your Highness is a bloodsucking monster. Now that I''ve met you in person, I don''t think


    that''s true," Darren suddenly admitted. "Well, at least, I don''t feel any murderous intent from you right


    now," he added.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    "I''m not a lunatic that would kill without reasons," returned Matthew, his facial expression unchanging.


    Darren choked, but not because he felt embarrassed. Actually, he immediately turned to Harper and


    said, "Well, His Highness is really so straightforward."


    Still going through the files in her hand, Harper said without even looking at Darren, "He''s been like that


    as far as I remember. Just don''t pay too much attention to it, and you will get used to it in no time."


    ying with the tea cup in his hand with an unreadable smile, Darren did not continue to make jokes


    about Matthew. But his opinion about Matthew did change. He had heard many rumors about him, but


    now that he had seen him in person, he realized that this man was not as terrifying as people had said


    he was.


    "The whole Qin n are actually hiding themselves from the rest of the world. As for why they have


    done it, I have no clue just yet. Do you want me to dig into it?" Darren asked, changing the topic. His


    voice was so pleasing to the ear and somehow incredibly rxing. It was just like the wind blowing in


    one''s face on a hot day.


    Harper shook her head and said, "Since they chose to hide away, it meant that they don''t want to get in


    touch with people. Since they don''t want to have anything to do with people not in their n, I will


    respect that and won''t bother them. After all, they have already been living a rtively quiet life for 20


    years. Disturbing them is the least of my desires."


    "A clear, rational head you have," said Darren.


    "I''ve always been like this, Darren," Harper replied, emphasizing each word. She then threw the


    documents into the copper pot to burn. As they turned into ashes, she looked away and said, "Well, I


    had no chance to chat with you thest time I was here. Now that we''re together, I''m thinking you might


    be able to help me with some questions that bother me."


    "What questions?" Darren asked, a puzzled look on his face. "It''s so... out of the ordinary that you will


    ask me for my help."


    "A powerful outsider can hardly afford to neglect local bullies. What''s more, I''m very weak now and no


    match for you at all. It will be too difficult to investigate the matter by myself. It''s more convenient to ask


    for your help directly, don''t you think?" With that, Harper donned a huge smile and continued, "Do you


    know of any secrets the Phoenix City holds?"


    Upon hearing these words, Darren smiled. His expression, however, was incredibly difficult to decipher.


    "You know, Harper, every ce has its secrets¡ªby which I mean the dark secrets, those ones that are


    kept from most people."


    Harper nodded, "I''m just asking. Because Rndo once told me that the key to solving the mysteries


    surrounding the Qin n is hidden within the Phoenix City. I''m basically just trying my luck here," she


    exined.


    Her words surprised Darren. "The key to solving the mysteries surrounding the Qin n is hidden


    within the Phoenix City?" he repeated with genuine bewilderment.


    Truth be told, Darren really didn''t know anything about this. The only thing he knew was that the Qin


    n was hiding in the Phoenix City. After all, except for this ce, no ce in its right mind would


    ept a n that was being hunted down by the four kingdoms. However, it never urred to him that


    there might be another reason why the Qin n chose to stay in the Phoenix City.


    "So basically what you''re telling me is that the Qin n suddenly hid themselves again this time


    around because of some things that are concerning this city?" asked Darren inplete confusion.


    Harper shook her head again. "Darren, to be honest with you, I have no idea. But you see, after the


    Great Jade Kingdom was conquered, Rndo escaped. Soon after Felton disappeared. I once


    suspected that it was Rndo who took him away, but someone told me that Felton was back in the


    Phoenix City. He was not forced to return, as far as I know."


    Darren was also a smart person, like Matthew. When he heard what Harper said, he came up with the


    same exnation Matthew had. "Is it possible that the Qin n asked him to go back?"


    "Judging from the evidence we have now, that is the most likely scenario."


    "But that doesn''t make sense! I mean what the Qin n has done," Darren pointed out as he frowned.


    "The Qin n has always taken the initiative to contact you. Now, as soon as the Great Jade Kingdom


    has fallen, they suddenly refused to keep in touch. Unless the Qin n feels that they are safe forever


    and don''t need any of your help, or they are threatened by something or someone and have no choice


    but to cut off all ties."


    Harper fell into silence. Francis once reminded her that there was something wrong with the Qin n,


    and that all the evidences were pointing back to the Qin n themselves. But she didn''t want to go


    deep into it. After all, the Heavenly Book was in Rndo''s hands now, so was the other half of the


    Sacred Seal. This meant that she couldn''t help the Qin n anymore, even herself.


    "How about this? I''ll search for more information about the Qin n for you. When things be


    clearer, you can decide whether to meet them or not." Seeing that Harper had no idea what to make of


    the situation, Darren took the initiative to assist her further.


    "Okay. I think that''s the best we can do for now. Thank you very much, Darren."

 Chapter 936 The Qin Clans Sudden Visit (Part Two)

    Chapter 936 The Qin n''s Sudden Visit (Part Two)


    "Don''t be so formal with me, please. I think we are close enough to forgo all these polite remarks."


    Darren stretched out his hand and tried to rub Harper''s head, but was stopped by Matthew at once.


    "Behave yourself!" the protective husband demanded. As he shook off Darren''s hand, a look of danger


    filled his eyes.


    "Oh, I forgot. You''re married, so you''re no longer the little girl you used to be. I''ll go back then. I will let


    you know if I''vee upon any news," Darren finally said, forcing a polite smile.


    "Okay," Harper replied. She nodded her head quickly, hinting that Darren should run out as fast as he


    could. An air of hostility was already running high in the air, an aura way different from what she sensed


    whenever Zack was around. Matthew was on the guard against Darren somehow, and it showed on his


    face every time Darren was near.


    After Darren left, Harper looked at Matthew in confusion and asked, "Honey, why are you so hostile


    towards him?"


    "I don''t like that man!" That was the only exnation Matthew gave amidst his fit of unhappiness. He


    then deepened his frown to further show his low opinion of her friend. But aside from that, he said no


    more. This had embarrassed Harper a lot, to the extent that she found it hard to pick the right words to


    continue the topic, so she just started a new one. "Matthew, do you think that Rndo is here, in the


    Phoenix City?"


    "No, I don''t think so," Matthew answered firmly. "There are too many spies here in the Phoenix City. If


    he sets foot in here, he might as well be thoroughly exposed, inviting everyone to find him. He won''t be


    that stupid. And even if he does slip inside, he will disguise himself as an ordinary person so that no


    one will be suspicious of him."


    Harper nodded in agreement. Rndo was indeed a careful person. ''A persistent one, too,'' she


    thought. He would not give up snatching the other half of the Sacred Seal from her, especially now that


    he had the Heavenly Book and the other half of the seal. Rndo would do everything to find her and


    to get what he wanted from her.


    But to Harper''s surprise, instead of Rndo, it was a middle-aged woman who turned out to be a


    member of the long-hidden Qin n that came knocking on her door soon after Darren''s visit.


    "My name is Beth Qin, and I''m from the Qin n," the woman revealed, looking at Harper rather


    indifferently.


    Harper could not sense even the slightest friendliness from the woman in front of her. Actually, the


    woman seemed to be defensive towards her, even though she was the one who came to them first.


    She and Matthew hadn''t even started looking for the members of the n.


    "How is Felton?" asked Harper as she lifted her tea cup, blew on it, and sipped on it, "Is he all right?"


    Beth Qin looked at Harper, and frowned the moment she noticed that her cold demeanor wasn''t


    causing her to be rmed. "He''s fine," she replied, still indifferently.


    "How are the children in the orphanage?" Harper then asked, without even looking at Beth Qin''s face.


    For her, she was just a stranger. No matter what the Qin n wanted from her, it all depended on


    whether she was willing to cooperate with them or not.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    "Not bad." Looking at the calm andposed face of Harper, Beth Qin was quite unhappy. "Lady


    Victoria wants to see you."


    Harper finally raised her head and asked the woman, "Who are you talking about?"


    "Victoria, your grandmother." Beth Qin was frowning with a darkened face, showing no intention to hide


    her dissatisfaction. For all these years, they had helped Harper a lot. Now it was time for the girl to


    repay them.


    "But my grandmother died 20 years ago," Harper said indifferently. No one escaped from the disaster


    back in the imperial capital, except her herself. The olddy this woman mentioned couldn''t be her


    grandmother.


    The middle-aged woman didn''t expect that Harper would react like this. Normally, one should be happy


    to hear that his or her grandmother was still alive. Why was Harper still so calm hearing the news?


    "Victoria is our lord''s concubine."


    "Then whoever you are talking about is not my grandmother." Harper put down her tea cup and asked,


    "With due respect, is that all you want to saying all this way to find me? If that is everything, then


    you may leave now," Harper demanded in a casual air.


    "What did you say, Harper Chu? Don''t forget that you are a member of the Qin n!" Beth Qin said in


    an angry voice. She hade and invited Harper in person, but this girl had gone too far as to be this


    unappreciative.


    With a forced sneer, Harper looked at the woman and said, "Beth, it seems to me you know that my


    name is Harper Chu now. So you must have also realized that my family name is Chu, not Qin."


    "You..." Beth Qin stretched out her finger and pointed at Harper, trembling with fury. In the past, none


    other than Felton in the n had ever contacted with Harper. Harper was only a name mentioned


    sometimes to most of them. But she didn''t expect that after Harper had gained her current position,


    with their help of course, she would just turn her back on the whole n. This was outrageous!


    "So, are you trying to deny that you are a member of the Qin n?" she asked Harper again for


    confirmation.


    "Have you and your n ever considered me as a member of you?" Harper asked in reply. For all


    these years, she had met only a few people of the Qin n. Other than Felton, his servants, and


    people in the orphanage, she had only heard about other few members. But she didn''t know too much


    about them, to tell the truth. It was fair to say that she didn''t know how big the n was, and how many


    people were there. Now, Felton disappeared out of thin air, so did the children of the orphanage. And at


    this point, the n sent someone to summon her. It was inevitable that she felt she was being


    threatened with the safety of Felton and those children.


    Beth Qin blurted out, "Of course, without the help of our whole n, you wouldn''t have gained what you


    have in hand today! Don''t be so ungrateful!"


    Hearing this, Harper was pissed off andughed out loud. The woman in front of her imed that the


    Qin n had helped her a lot in the past years. But for all she knew, they had only told her some


    information and asked her to find a way to help them get rid of the influence of the spiritual power. They


    had never helped her in any way other than that.


    "Let me make it clear today. If the n wants to see me, fine. Send Felton to invite me. Otherwise, who


    knows whether you are from the Qin n or not? Now, security,e and see thisdy out!" Without


    hesitation, Harper drove the woman away. She was not fond of, or interested in anyone from the Qin


    n except for Felton!

 Chapter 937 Asking For Help

    Chapter 937 Asking For Help


    Beth trembled with anger as she was forced out of the Joy Inn "Shame on you! Do you really think it''s


    only you the Qin n can rely on? Just wait and see. You wille begging us someday."


    Matthew stood by the window and watched Beth disappear into the crowd. His tone was serious when


    he said, "Harp, the Qin n should still be in Phoenix City, but they are hiding somewhere. This time


    they came to you, and maybe it''s to gauge your limits."


    "I agree. But I''m curious to know what drove them to this. After all these years, they should have known


    by now that I''m not the one who will makepromise easily." Something had been confusing Harper.


    If Rndo was a threat to the Qin n, they would havee back after he escaped. But why were


    they hiding? Did his escape endanger them? Or was there something else going on?


    "You''ll find out soon enough." With how powerful Harper was now, Matthew didn''t think the Qin n


    would give up. They must have some hidden ns to exploit her with.


    Killing intent stormed out of Matthew as he thought of how the Qin n nned to take advantage of


    his wife. He wouldn''t allow anyone to use her or bully her.


    Harper frowned. "I am wondering if Felton..."


    "If Felton behaves like the rest of the Qin n, I will kill them all and start with him. You have been too


    tolerant of them. You should treat them the way you treated the Chu n. Then, the Qin n wouldn''t


    dare to be so presumptuous with you." Matthew''s voice was cold and cruel.


    Staring at him, Harper asked, "Do you think I''m that soft-hearted?"


    "It''s not that you are soft-hearted. You just blindly believe in the Qin n. You know nothing about


    them. Excluding Felton, do you know any of the other power holders of the Qin n?" Matthew looked


    at Harper and asked seriously. He knew she wasn''t reckless enough to decide to help the Qin n


    without knowing all their history and background.


    Harper smiled indifferently. "Darling, I have you. Besides, I''m not interested in any members of the Qin


    n except Felton, so there is no need for me to contact them. I helped the n for Felton''s sake. It


    was mutually beneficial. The Qin n provided me with the information I wanted and I found a solution.


    After all, just like them, I need to solve the whole matter."


    "What would you do if Felton betrays you and sides with the other members of the Qin n?" Matthew


    asked calmly, looking into Harper''s eyes. If Harper showed any sign of hurt over such a thing


    happening, he would help her get rid of Felton.


    Harper replied sullenly, "Then we will no longer be friends."


    "It''s good that you ept that." Even though Matthew thought it was a cruel thing to say that, he still


    had to remind Harper. Over the years, she was getting soft-hearted.


    Harper lowered her head, deep in thought. She realized that she had been too kind over the years. She


    had never rejected the Qin n''s requests, nor revealed that she''d had any contact with them. When


    they met in public, she pretended she didn''t know Felton to avoid exposing the traces of the Qin n.


    But now it seemed that her thoughtfulness had backfired. It became the reason for the Qin n''s


    members, those who had been hiding in the darkness all year round, to act shamelessly.


    A little after midnight, a man fell into Harper''s room. Instead of fighting, Matthew lit a candle in the room


    and said, "I didn''t expect you toe so soon."


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    The man was dressed in a night suit, looking badly injured. He looked from Harper''s sleeping form to


    Matthew. "Stop staring at her. I knew someone from the Qin n woulde, so I put her to sleep,


    and she won''t be waking up anytime soon."


    The man took off the mask and showed a pale but familiar face. "Your Highness, I''m Samuel, Master


    Felton''s servant. We have met before."


    "So, where is Felton?" Matthew asked gloomily. "Using my wife is a serious crime. You know I can''t


    tolerate anyone hurting her, either physically or emotionally. In my book, it''s unforgivable to even make


    her a little sad."


    The corners of Samuel''s mouth twitched. In his mind, the prince was too domineering. But he didn''t


    dare say that right now.


    "Lady Victoria, the olddy of the Qin n, has put him under house arrest." Samuel took a deep


    breath. "Master Felton is in poor health, but Lady Victoria won''t let him out. There is no doubt he''ll die if


    he continues like this."


    "Why is the Qin n treating him like this?" Matthew asked indifferently. He wasn''t interested in the Qin


    n. His only interest was his wife, so he had to protect her from those who would mean her harm.


    Samuel sighed helplessly. "The inner works of the Qin n aren''t as harmonious as they seem. Living


    in darkness for twenty years destroyed the n''s original morals and purpose. Although Master Felton


    is one of the inheritors, his weak body has left him incapable of ruling the whole n. So Lady Victoria


    appointed Dous, her second grandson, to be the heir. His followers have different ideas from Master


    Felton''s. And Master Felton often traveled outside. That''s why things are what they are today."


    "That is to say, the Qin n has split."


    "No. Master Felton has been pushed aside." Samuel covered his wound and pleaded, "Your Highness,


    please save my master. He is imprisoned because he doesn''t want to betray your wife."


    "Oh... Is that so? People from the Qin n are so interesting. I didn''t want to get involved in their


    affairs at first, but now it seems that I should pay them a visit." Matthew smirked.


    "Your Highness, Princess Harper..."


    Matthew nced at Harper, who was still in a sound sleep. "She is sleeping. You better leave her


    alone. Since you can''t go back to the Qin n, just stay here. As for Felton, she will bring him back."


    "The Qin n has been hiding for twenty years. Things aren''t simple as they look. In these years, it


    wasn''t just Master Felton who left the nest for their own agenda. Your Highness, please remind


    Princess Harper that the Qin n is not her family," Samuel said with some difficulty. The Qin n was


    definitely not Harper''s family.


    Matthew''s face finally changed. "Don''t worry. My wife has never regarded them as her family, but it''s


    only Felton she trusts. That''s why I asked you about him. Otherwise, I would have killed you straight


    away."


    Cold sweat began to trickle down Samuel''s forehead. He couldn''t help but feel lucky that they had


    always been on Harper''s side. They would have died if it wasn''t for that.


    "I don''t know who is behind Dous. Some mysterious force is supporting him." Samuel set his mind at


    ease. Since his master decided to side with Harper, all they needed to do was give up on the Qin n.


    It was worthless to them anyway.


    Matthew was very satisfied with Samuel''s perception of the situation. He called a servant and said,


    "Help him with his wound."


    "Thank you, Your Highness."


    Matthew called off the rest of the servants, and went back to bed. Tomorrow, the Qin n would


    probably send someone else. As for who that would be, he didn''t know. It might be the second young


    master of the Qin n, Dous Qin.


    When Harper woke up in the morning, she saw Matthew setting up the breakfast on the table. "You are


    awake. Get up and wash yourself. Guests will be arriving today."


    Harper got up from bed and went to wash up. In the washroom, she found that Matthew had already


    prepared the hot water for her. "You made me sleepst night?"


    "Yeah. I was worried that you wouldn''t be able to sleep well, so I hit your sleeping acupuncture point."


    Matthew was not embarrassed after his trick was found out. "Besides, you had refused the Qin n. I


    worried that they would wake you up in the middle of the night."


    "So, someone from the Qin n camest night. Who was it?" After washing her face, Harper went


    back to the room and took a bowl from Matthew. She sat at the table and asked, "Was it a killer?"


    "A man escaped from the Qin n. Guess who it was," Matthew asked while eating a bowl of porridge.


    "Samuel." Harper picked up a steamed stuffed bun for Matthew and said, "This bun tastes good. Try it."


    "You anticipated this earlier, right?" Matthew asked slowly, taking a bite of the steamed bun.


    "There are only two people who might flee from the Qin n. One is Felton, and the other is Samuel.


    Felton is in a prominent position, and he must be under close guard. So it must have been Samuel who


    managed to escape. He is a member of the Qin n, but loyal only to Felton. If he came to me, it


    means that Felton is in danger." Harper put down her bowl and chopsticks. "It appears I will have to pay


    the Qin n a visit."


    "There''s no hurry." Matthew put down the tableware too. "You are eating three times faster than you


    normally do. You are too rushed."


    Harper froze. She was a little anxious and so worried about Felton''s safety that it showed in how


    quickly she was eating. She sighed helplessly. "I''m just afraid of what might happen to Felton. He is


    already in poor health."


    "Being hasty in this matter will only cause more problems to arise." Matthew handed over a white


    handkerchief and said, "How about we take a walk in Phoenix City today? I haven''t hang around the


    city yet. Besides, I want to show those keeping watch over us that we don''t care about the Qin n."


    Harper pped her hands and said, "That''s a good idea. How about asking Darren and Daphne to join


    us?"


    "Absolutely not!" Matthew''s vehement response came so quickly that she had to backtrack. Darren


    made Matthew ufortable every time they met. Even Rndo didn''t make him feel that way. His


    deep hostility against Darren was something she didn''t understand. "Today, only the two of


    us."

 Chapter 938 The Lady Is Too Soft-Hearted (Part One)

    Chapter 938 The Lady Is Too Soft-Hearted (Part One)


    Part of the reason why Samuel was able to run away was because the Qin n let him escape on


    purpose. They wanted to know how much Felton meant to Harper so that they would know how to


    negotiate with her. With the way she worked, they knew that only when they had sufficient chips could


    they move on with any kind of negotiation.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    To the Qin n''s surprise, even after receiving Samuel''s message to save his master Felton, Harper


    didn''t take any action. Actually, they did the exact opposite: Harper and her husband hung out in the


    Phoenix City like a normal couple, as if Felton''s disappearance meant nothing to either of them.


    "Does Harper not care about Felton at all?" Beth asked, shocked and bewildered. She had initially


    thought that as soon as Harper heard that Felton was in trouble, she would immediately go to the Qin


    n''s mansion to save him, a scenario which Beth could take advantage of. With the way Harper was


    acting, it seemed like no negotiation would happen, and that she would let Felton rot wherever he was.


    "Little Harper," a voice called out as a figure draped in red cloak swooped down in front of Harper. This


    stunned Harper, and Matthew had to pull her away so that she wouldn''t get toppled by the unknown


    figure. Soon enough, they found out that it was only Daphne, and she was intending onnding on


    Harper.


    With Harper out of the way, Daphne almostnded on the ground. She quickly stood straight and


    red at Matthew. "What the hell are you doing, you stinky man?!"


    Without even sparing Daphne a nce, Matthew took a handmade wooden hairpin from the stand in


    front of them, handed it to Harper and said, "This is a beautiful one. Try it on."


    Harper obediently took the hairpin from Matthew''s hand and looked at it carefully. "This is very


    exquisite. Its craftsmanship is exceptional¡ªa quality that is rare to see."


    Matthew nodded in agreement. Daphne was being ignored by the couple, intending not to let her join in


    their own conversation. "You are going too far, little Harper! You and your husband are bullying me!"


    she protested, pouting and donning a face contorted by frustration.


    With that, Harper sighed deeply and turned to her, her stare indifferent. She said, "You deserve it. Why


    do you still do that when I have told you many, many times not to do that! What if I wasn''t able to catch


    you? You could hurt somebody else, you know!"


    "No, I won''t. I know what I am doing. I believe that you''ll always be able to catch me," Daphne said, her


    previously sad face bing joyful. She leaned over to Harper and added in a low voice, "By the way,


    we''ve already uncovered clues about the Qin n. My brother asked me to tell you that the n is


    taking action now."


    "Yes, I already know that. Someone from the n itself came to our inn yesterday," Harper said in a


    calm tone. "The man said that the head of the Qin n wanted to see me. He even told me to visit her


    obediently."


    "Why is everyone in the Qin n so arrogant?" Daphne felt annoyed upon hearing what Harper said.


    Were the people of the Qin family stupid or what? Did they forget that Harper was now Matthew''s wife?


    Did they think that Matthew would not be able to do anything to them since they were hiding in Phoenix


    City? It should be known that if they irritated him, his three hundred thousand ck g Army soldiers


    would attack Phoenix City, and the city would have no choice but to hand them to Matthew in order to


    not to go into unnecessary battles.


    "Arrogant..." Harper pondered on the word carefully. ''That''s right. The Qin n is too arrogant. Maybe


    the people of the n thought that I am afraid of them because they are holding Felton hostage. That''s


    why they''re acting so unscrupulously,'' she thought. "Arrogance is good. It only means that they are


    capable," she outwardly continued.


    "But I think that they''re just a group of ipetent idiots," Daphnemented disdainfully. "We have


    found their foothold. My brother was nning to tell you in person, but he didn''t want to see the mean


    man that''s always by your side, so he sent me to inform you."


    "The foothold of the Qin n is not in the city, isn''t it?" Harper guessed. Suddenly, she noticed a weird


    person staring at them in the crowed. ''Beth!'' she eximed inwardly the moment she recognized her.


    She then prepared herself for the iing danger as a sneer crept into the corners of her lips. On one


    hand, the Qin n wanted to deal with her; on the other hand, it also wanted to take advantage of her.


    If she was still the isted and helpless Harper in the Chu n''s mansion, she might surrender to


    them easily, but she wasn''t that girl anymore.


    Now that she found her own strength, and had a husband that would back her no matter what


    happened, she felt confident. If the Qin n thought that they could deal with her easily, they were


    completely wrong. But what was keeping her more interested was the identity of the person who


    instigated the Qin n. If no one instigated the leader of the n, they would not dare trouble her like


    this.


    "Harper, did you hear me?" Daphne said, sounding a little annoyed when she noticed that Harper was


    not listening to her. "My brother has found out something, but he is not sure about it yet. But he asked


    me to tell you to be careful."


    Harper got out of her head and nodded, saying, "I''m sorry I got you into so much trouble."


    "Indeed, you have brought us so much trouble!" Daphne said awkwardly. "But we''re already used to it."


    "Murderous auras all around," Matthew suddenly reminded and approached Harper to protect her. On


    the busy street, they actually felt the murderous auras. Who were they? From the Qin n or other


    forces?

 Chapter 939 The Lady Is Too Soft-Hearted (Part Two)

    Chapter 939 The Lady Is Too Soft-Hearted (Part Two)


    A dark arrow flew straight at Daphne. Startled, Harper reached out and pushed Daphne away. Daphne


    grabbed the whip at her waist as being pushed away. It was her weapon. When she stood still, she had


    stabilized herself.


    "So, the target is me!" Daphne was a little surprised, but didn''t show much expression. She was


    already used to assassination. "Themon people immediately retreat now."


    Daphne''s voice magnified by her internal force spread across the street. Themon people instantly


    retreated like the tide, leaving only the three people in the street.


    The assassins took action and besieged the three people without scruple when they saw themon


    people retreating from the street. They seemed to kill Daphne, but they focused on attacking Harper.


    Harper stood back to back with Matthew, and could easily deal with the assassins'' attacks.


    "ording to the skills the assassins are using, it can be seen that they are professional training


    daredevils, and an ordinary n can''t raise them," Harper calmly analyzed.


    Matthew attacked quickly, sharply and ruthlessly. His eyes look cold and he killed the enemies without


    the slightest scruple. Darren quietly watched this scene in the tower. He appreciated the calmness and


    coldness of Matthew a lot. Although Harper also didn''t show mercy, she still distracted her attention to


    check the situation of Daphne. Compared to her husband, Harper was obviously more softhearted.


    "Young master,"


    "What is it?"


    "The Qin n''s foothold is in the Cloud Mountain outside the city. Our people went into the mountain


    several times and didn''t find any trace of them. These people are very good at hiding," the captain of


    the city guards said calmly. "Should we continue to find them out?"


    "No need. We just need to wait and see. The goal of the Qin n is Harper. As long as she is still in


    Phoenix City, they will appear. We don''t need to look for them," Darren said coldly. "Moreover, people


    from Qin n underestimated her and they have to pay heavy price for that."


    "But I''m afraid that Lady Harper can''t attack them freely in Phoenix City," the captain said hesitantly.


    Anyone who entered the Phoenix City would be under the city''s control, even including the emperors of


    the four countries.


    "As you said, the Qin n''s foothold is outside the city." With a meaningful smile on his face, the


    corners of Darren''s mouth curled up. "Outside the city, no one can stop her."


    "The assassins we sent to the Qin n..."


    "There is no need to withdraw them. Leave them there to test the Qin n''s strength. The Qin n


    has been hiding in the Phoenix City for more than twenty years, but their hatred doesn''t die down. On


    the contrary, they have developed the will to rebel. It''s a good thing that we can solve them. It will also


    be the favor we offer to Harper."


    Looking at the receding figure of Darren, the captain uttered in a low voice, "Young master, you have a


    strange taste."


    "Strange taste?" Darren repeated with a smile. "I don''t think it''s strange. Being softhearted doesn''t help


    her solve the problem. She needs to be stronger. It''s hard for a softhearted woman to have some


    big achievements. I thought she grew up in a ce full of all kinds of people like the imperial capital


    and experienced all kinds of intrigues, she would be as hard as iron and have no weakness. But it


    seems that she is still too naive."


    "Young master, do you want Lady Harper to be a monster without feelings?" the captain asked


    doubtfully.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    "A monster without feelings?" Darren thought about the words carefully. It would be awful to see Harper


    like that. "No, what I want is that she bes extremely cold and powerful, so strong that no one can


    hurt her."


    "Young master, everyone has his weakness," said the captain as he chased after his young master. "As


    long as Lady Harper is still human, she will have a weakness."


    "So we need to help her get rid of this weakness." A cold killing intent broke out from Darren''s eyes. As


    long as her weakness was gone, Harper would be stronger, so powerful that no one could hurt


    her!


    A strong airflow ran straight to Darren. Darren slightly tilted his head, stretched out two fingers and


    grabbed the hidden weapon. It was a knife in the shape of willow leaf with a note tied on it.


    Darren shot his nce at one direction abruptly and moved forward to the direction at lightning speed.


    The man who tried to shot Darren by the hidden weapon was shocked by Darren''s speed and missed


    the best time to escape. When he came to his senses and wanted to escape, he found his neck was


    grabbed by Darren.


    Snap! Before he could say anything, he heard the sound of his neck breaking. It was the sound of


    death. As soon as Darren released his hand, the corpse copsed to the ground. Darren took out a


    handkerchief and carefully cleaned his hands before reading the note.


    "Young master, what did the note say?"


    "Rndo wants to make a deal with me," Darren said coldly. "Do you think I should take the opportunity


    to kill him?"


    "Rndo has the Heavenly Book and half of the Sacred Seal which are worth the deal. Young master,


    please don''t be willful and act recklessly." The captain looked helpless. "If Rndo was killed silently,


    how could we find the two things he has? Moreover, Lady Harper needs the two things. Even if it is not


    for the sake of Phoenix City, please think for Lady Harper."


    "Then, after I rob his of the two things, I''ll kill him," Darren said gracefully and coldly, as if he was not


    going to kill the former emperor of the Great Jade Kingdom, but a lowly ant.

 Chapter 940 The Rescue At Night (Part One)

    Chapter 940 The Rescue At Night (Part One)


    The guards of Phoenix City quickly arrived on the scene, further proving how heavily guarded the city


    was. Instead of feeling relieved that they wereing, Daphne felt annoyed more than anything. She


    finally had a chance to show her strength, but the guards just had to spoil it for her!


    Beth stepped aside and watched the drama unfold as Harper and the others came under attack. But


    the moment she realized that the assassins couldn''t hurt Harper at all, a n manifested inside her


    head and she left quietly.


    Unbeknownst to her, Harper saw her slipping away. Also unknown to her was the fact that someone


    was right behind her, following her closely and secretly.


    As the daughter of the old lord, Daphne was left to deal with what had happened while Harper and


    Matthew went back to the Joy Inn in silence. Everyone thought that they came to Phoenix City alone.


    Even the people of the Qin n thought they finally came upon a good opportunity to ambush them.


    They didn''t know that they had their secret guards with them until the ambush took ce.


    "I never knew Harper is more than capable of fighting. It''s highly probable that if we meet and engage


    in some kind of battle, the result will be a draw," Dous, the second young master of the Qin n,


    tly said.


    "Master Dous, don''t you think that sending assassins to kill Princess Harper is not appropriate?"


    Steven Qin, the steward of the Qin n, one of Dous'' underlings, asked cautiously. Once Princess


    Harper found out what they did, it would only be a matter of time she sent them something more


    sinister. She was a heartlessdy after all, and was pretty unpredictable.


    "If we are found out, I guess we can always put the me on Darren. We can tell everyone that we


    busted his n andy it all on him. It should be easy, I guess," Dous added.


    "Do you think Princess Harper would believe all of that?" Steven Qin asked, genuinely surprised.


    ''Princess Harper is not stupid. She and Darren are on good terms. How could she believe that Darren


    sent someone to assassinate her? Do you think Darren is a fool? And if he did want her dead, he


    wouldn''t send anyone after her right now unless he wants to experience the wrath of the Bright


    Dynasty!''


    Everyone in the world knew that Prince Matthew was obsessed with his wife, so it only made sense


    that he would be overprotective of her. One could beat, scold, frame him for all kinds of crime¡ªhe


    wouldn''t care nor would he take it seriously. But he would waste no time if anyone daredy a finger on


    his wife.


    "It doesn''t matter if she believes it or not. As long as she finds out that we are involved, we can just


    ce the me on Darren. You know, Harper would definitely find it difficult to ask Darren, a close


    acquaintance, whether he really sent assassins after her or not," Dous exined.


    Steven Qin cast a nce at Dous and sighed discreetly. If it were Felton, he would never do such a


    stupid thing. However, the olddy Victoria had already given up on the wise Felton as his body was


    already too weak and he might die at any time soon. She then chose Dous, a leader with a weak


    sense of strategy.


    Steven Qin wasn''t intending to say anything more. He would just do whatever Dous asked him to


    do, because as a servant, he had no right to question the decisions his higher-up made. All their duty


    entailed was to obey.


    "Well, then. Let''s go back home." After discovering Harper''s true level of martial artpetence,


    Dous immediately wanted to discuss countermeasures. Now that they found out that Felton was of


    no importance to Harper, they had to get rid of him. Although he was his elder brother, there was no


    need for him to keep him, basically a useless person, in the Qin n.


    That evening, Harper changed into one of her night suits. Just as she was preparing to leave, her


    husband caught the corner of her eye: he was also dressed in a night suit, just like her. It turned out


    they had the same idea.


    "Somehow I just knew you''d be going to the Qin n''s residence tonight. That''s why I got ready


    myself! So, do you want to massacre everyone in there or shall we just blow the mansion up into tiny


    little pieces?" Matthew asked as he looked Harper in the eye.


    "Darling, how could you think of such a terrible thing? I just want to have a look around the base of the


    Qin n, and that''s all. But since I''m so helpless and weak, wouldn''t you help me?" Harper asked,


    smiling sweetly.


    Upon hearing that, Matthew couldn''t help but roll his eyes. With a chuckle, he said, "All right, darling.


    Now let''s go see what that Qin n is all about as they really had the audacity to offend and provoke


    us!"


    Harper smiled awkwardly at that. To be fair, she was the only one the Qin n was trying to provoke


    and they really got into her nerves. But since she and Matthew were a couple, he apparently felt


    provoked as well. ''Well, they also looked down on him,'' Harper thought.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    But before Harper and Matthew even arrived at the Qin n''s residence, one secret guard had already


    gone through the entirety of the Qin n''s base. Just after Beth went back to the base, he returned


    and reported to his masters. The couple then went on their way straight to the Cloud Mountain with the


    surrounding darkness effectively bing their cover.


    "One thing I admire about the Qin n is that they''re smart. They knew that their base couldn''t be


    erected in Phoenix City, so they put it on the outskirts. Their wise counsellors truly are their treasure.


    We can never underestimate them."


    "Well, you know what kind of person Felton is. Only smart produces smart." Matthew and Harper


    pierced through the darkness and soon, they were already climbing to the peak of the Cloud


    Mountain.

 Chapter 941 The Rescue At Night (Part Two)

    Chapter 941 The Rescue At Night (Part Two)


    The mountain was high and dangerous, as numerous rabid beasts roamed its forests. Even during the


    daytime, few people would willingly climb it. This was where the Qin n had set their base, an


    example of their impable decision making and financial strength.


    Under the lead of the secret guard, the two sneaked into the base of the Qin n. When Harper


    entered the base on the mountain, she was surprised. Not only were there secret traps at the entrance


    to the base, but it was also well guarded inside.


    "Well trained. No wonder they have the confidence to challenge me," Matthew said in a low voice.


    "They do have some skills. After all, they are from the Qin n. Darling, let''s go separately. I''m going


    to look for Felton," Harper responded.


    "I''m going to meet the second young master of the Qin n and see what kind of person he is. Be


    careful, and take the signal re with you. Show it if anything happens. I''lle to you at once,"


    Matthew said slowly.


    Harper nodded, and a purple figure flew up to her shoulder. It was Patrick that they hadn''t seen for a


    long time. After taking a look at it, Matthew immediately realized that Harper might have sent Patrick a


    long time ago to look for Felton''s traces. Although she looked calm on the face, in her heart, she was


    extremely worried about Felton.


    "Okay, take care of yourself."


    After the separation, under Patrick''s leadership, Harper escaped from the guards again and again, and


    approached the small yard where Felton was imprisoned. Although he was under house arrest, he was


    a young master of the Qin n. They just imprisoned him in the yard, and did not go too far.


    When Harper got close to Felton, a man sitting on the roof and Felton in the room both opened their


    eyes.


    "No way!" Felton was worried about Harper''s safety, while the man on the roof sensed a strange aura


    approaching and got into a battle state instantly.


    "Stay there!" Felton''s voice mixed with the internal force came out and made Harper stop. She had


    sensed the murderous aura. In addition to Felton, there was only one person on the roof in the yard.


    ''It seems that the Qin n has purposely let Samuel escape to ask us for help.'' As Harper looked at


    the man on the roof, a cold light shed in her eyes. Then she looked at Patrick. "Can you handle


    him?"


    Patrick looked at Harper with its head tilted to one side, as if it didn''t understand what she meant. She


    took out a bottle of pills, pointed at the man on the roof, and ordered, "Knock him down. Or if you can''t,


    just draw him away."


    Patrick''s eyes lit up. It snatched the China bottle from Harper and poured them all into its mouth. Then


    it jumped onto the roof.


    Looking at the little purple beast in front of him, the man on the roof, who was the chief elder of the Qin


    n, frowned and murmured, "A cat? Dog or mouse?"


    Patrick fiercely pounced on the chief elder. It was unforgivable that he imed that it was a cat, dog or


    mouse. He was simply courting death.


    The chief elder dodged Patrick''s attack and looked around. He thought it was a n to drive him away.


    But was it possible that someone would use a cat to lure him away?


    The chief elder had sensed the presence of one person, but now it was gone. Besides, he heard


    Felton''s roar. Could it be that the person came to save him? Was it someone sent by Harper?


    While dodging Patrick''s attack, the elder observed the surroundings. He sneered and thought it was so


    naive trying to distract him with a cat. He pped Patrick away, intending to sit still and wait for the


    enemy toe to him.


    Patrick fell from the wall to the ground. After making a few angry cries, it climbed up to the roof again.


    In front of the elder, it changed from a little kitten to a huge beast. It reached out a w to him and the


    wind caused by it blew the tiles of the roof away. The elder was so shocked that he had to retreat and


    dodge.


    The chief elder reached out his hand and touched his face. Even though he had dodged the attack


    from Patrick, his face had been scratched by the strong wind caused by its attack, and was bleeding.


    When the elder was attracted by Patrick''s body change, Harper sneaked into Felton''s room. Seeing the


    slim figure of theer in ck who had sneaked in, Felton could tell that it was a woman.


    "You are crazy! How can you break into this ce by yourself?" Felton lowered his voice and


    reproached.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    Harper pulled down the veil on her face, and knocked him out with a single punch. He was weak in


    health, and had suffered a lot of mental torment during this period. How could he stand Harper''s


    punch? So he passed out directly.


    Harper caught the fainted guy, put him on her shoulder, and sneaked out. Patrick was fighting with the


    chief elder, and other members of the n would soon be attracted by what was going on here, so


    Harper had to leave as soon as possible.


    The fight between Patrick and the chief elder attracted arge number of people from the Qin n,


    especially when they knew that something happened in Felton''s yard. The n''s secret guards


    immediately gathered around the yard, and it was impossible for Harper to leave with Felton.


    Harper whistled and flew onto the roof. Patrick which was fighting with the chief elder immediately


    stepped back to catch her. Sheid Felton on Patrick''s back and leisurely sat on its back. Looking at


    the chief elder, she smiled meaningfully.


    "I didn''t expect that there is such a great master in the Qin n who can fight against my Patrick. I


    underestimated the n." Harper''s voice sounded especially clear in the dark night.

 Chapter 942 You Are Just An Outsider (Part One)

    Chapter 942 You Are Just An Outsider (Part One)


    Harper''s sudden appearance surprised everyone in the Qin n. Their shock, however, exponentially


    increased when they saw her riding beast: none other than the Holy Beast. It looked like as if their


    faces were drained of blood as it was the first time it was made known to them that she was actually


    able to tame the mythical animal.


    "Your Highness, wee. I am sorry that I wasn''t able toe to greet you personally," Victoria said


    apologetically as looked up at Harper, who was on the roof of her house. With a polite tone, she


    continued, "But, Your Highness, I am just wondering: why did you break into our house in the middle of


    the night?"


    "Break into your house?" Harper sounded surprised and confused. "Don''t you remember? You invited


    me here!"


    Victoria''s face turned cold and grim. She almost forgot the fact that she sent Beth to invite Harper, but


    the prince turned down Beth and even drove her out. ''But isn''t it way toote? Why would she visit us


    in the middle of the night?'' she thought, her brows knitted. She couldn''t help but think that the princess


    had malicious intentions against them.


    "I see. But Your Highness, even though we have invited you, you should follow the rules. Don''t you


    think it''s rather impolite for you to break into our house at midnight and desetroy our yard in the


    process?" As the head of the n, Victoria knew she had to be the one doing this confrontation. "Or do


    you think that you and your husband are so influential that you can just do whatever you want?"


    "You are right. I really think I can do whatever I want," Harper calmly said, a soft smile forming on her


    lips. "Since your n does whatever it wants, I think it''s just fair that you all let me do whatever I want.


    It would be hypocritical if you don''t, methinks."


    "Your Highness, what do you mean?" Victoria replied.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    "Don''t y dumb, Victoria. I know you know what I mean," Harper said. In front of everyone, she


    unbuttoned Felton''s clothes and started performing the appropriate acupuncture treatment for him. "If


    something bad happens to this man, I swear to God, Victoria, I will make sure every member of your


    n pays," she said calmly.


    "What an arrogant thing to say!" Victoria responded furiously, already losing her cool. "Have you


    forgotten? You''re a part of this n!"


    "I don''t think my surname reflects that," Harper replied, not even looking up from what she was doing.


    "Your mother bore the surname, child!" Victoria responded firmly. "Felton is a part of the Qin n. We


    decide whether he lives or dies. An outsider like you do not have any say on that matter!"


    "So now I''m just an outsider, with no say in any decisions made by this n." Harper continued treating


    Felton without looking up. She was so absorbed with what she was doing, as if no one else was


    present. "You all think I''m an outsider. How can I view myself as part of the Qin n?"


    Victoria''s face darkened. "Your Highness, please don''t say such things."


    Harper stopped talking to her and concentrated on curing Felton. If anyone tried to even approach her,


    the Holy Beast, Patrick, would at once attack him or her.


    "Mother, Dous was kidnapped!" Beth cried out as she rushed out of the room. There were wounds


    all over her body. The moment she quieted down, a figure suddenly appeared beside Harper,


    seemingly carrying a young man who was in aa. This figure turned out to be Matthew.


    "What the hell are you trying to do?" Victoria asked as her facepletely became stone cold. The Qin


    n only had two grandsons. The elder grandson was Felton, who was born weak and was expected


    to have a rather short lifespan; the younger one was Dous who was in good health. Now, if


    something bad happened to Dous, the Qin n would essentially lose their only heir.


    "Oh please. We''re not ''trying to do anything''. But let me tell you this: remember what you did that one


    day? This is just an equivalent. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, as they say," Matthew replied


    nonchntly. He then shoved Dous'' body to the side, with Dous not reacting at all. Victoria was


    very worried about her grandson¡ªwith him being in hostage, she couldn''t order their top ten elders to


    besiege them.


    What was worse was Harper wasn''t showing any kind of weak point. The chief elder could not


    approach her, let alone take action against her. Victoria''s eyes then swept across the area quickly,


    looking at everyone present and noting that the appearance of the Holy Beast was indeed extremely


    disadvantageous for them now. And given how skilled Matthew in martial arts, he would definitely be


    there if Harper needed any kind of help or protection. If anyone made the wrong move against his wife,


    Victoria was sure that he would immediately slit his hostage''s throat.


    "Your Highnesses, if you don''t mind, we can sit down and have a good talk. After all, the Qin n is


    also your mother''s family. It has helped you a lot over the years," Victoria proposed humbly as she


    forced herself to calm down. She had to handle the situation carefully.


    Matthew stood still and said nothing, while Harper took pains to rescue Felton. At that time, Felton was


    in poor health and looked like a fragile porcin doll that could be broken at any time. Harper didn''t


    dare to be careless and put all her attention to save her cousin.


    As for Matthew, he was like a god, standing beside Harper to protect her. From time to time, he poked


    at Patrick. Thetter was dissatisfied with what he did, but it didn''t dare to move for fear that any slight


    movement would affect Harper. It just red at Matthew furiously and posed a threat silently.


    "Is that the Holy Beast?" the second elder of the Qin n asked, trembling.


    Victoria knew the situation was unfavorable to her and her n. Then, she said, "I don''t think so. The


    Holy Beast has disappeared for so many years. That one can''t be the Holy Beast. Moreover, the Holy


    Beast is responsible for guarding people of our Qin n. It''s impossible for it to attack any of our


    people."

 Chapter 943 You Are Just An Outsider (Part Two)

    Chapter 943 You Are Just An Outsider (Part Two)


    "But it looks exactly the same as the record..."


    "I said it''s not. Then, it''s not!" Victoria snapped in a tough tone. Then she turned to the couple on the


    roof and said, "Your Highnesses, you are so arrogant. You have broken into our house rudely. We''ll not


    let you off easily. You''d better let go of Dous and Felton."


    After putting away thest needle and putting on clothes for Felton, Harper stood up with Matthew,


    looked down at the all the people below and said sternly,


    "That year, you must have betrayed the Qin n in the imperial capital. Otherwise, you couldn''t have


    lived till now." Her sudden words shocked everyone on the spot. "You are all traitors!"


    "No!" Victoria denied agitatedly. "We didn''t."


    "The top ten elders of the Qin n are here, which is the best proof," Harper said slowly as she


    pointed at the top ten elders. "The top ten elders were not allowed to give up their master to protect a


    mistress living outside our mansion, so it meant that they also betrayed their master."


    "Nonsense!" the chief elder retorted. "We didn''t betray the Qin n."


    "Then how are you going to exin why you attacked me, a legitimate granddaughter of Qin n''s


    master?" Harper questioned grimly. "Do you think the concubine''s son can rece the wife''s child as


    the master of the Qin n just because the wife doesn''t have a son?"


    The chief elder was choked. "Your Highness, I attacked you because I thought there was an enemy


    invasion. I didn''t know it was you."


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Harper smiled indifferently and said, "If so, I can get out of here now, right?"


    "Of course," the chief elder said subconsciously, but he felt something was wrong as soon as he


    finished his words. How could he say that Harper could leave? It was a great chance, a chance to keep


    her, but they couldn''t take action rashly, because the two young masters of the Qin n were both in


    her hands now.


    They had thought Felton was not important to Harper, and she would hesitate in her attacks against


    them at most if they held Felton as the hostage. However, they were wrong. Felton meant so much to


    her that she even risked her life to break into the foothold of Qin n for him.


    "In that case, I''m leaving now," Harper said with a grin. Matthew lifted up Dous and sat on Patrick''s


    back. Patrick moved as fast as lightning and disappeared in front of everyone.


    "Go after them."


    "We don''t have to," Victoria said calmly. "As long as Felton is alive, Dous will be fine. He will protect


    Dous."


    "But, Mother, I''m afraid that Felton is unable to stop Matthew from doing what he wants to do!" Beth


    said anxiously as she was so worried. After all, Dous was her son, but Felton wasn''t.


    "Harper took the risk and broke into our house with her husband to save Felton. It is obvious that she


    values her cousin a lot. Although they may not listen to every word Felton says, they will keep Dous


    alive if Felton wants to protect Dous," Mavis said calmly with no expression on her face. She


    believed that Felton would definitely save Dous.


    "Mother, but what if Felton is unwilling to help Dous?"


    "He will!" Victoria said in an affirmative tone. "After all, he is also a member of the Qin n. He knows


    his mission as a member of our n. The only thing I''m worried about now is what Harper will do. She


    is heartless and cruel. She wasn''t soft-hearted to the person who brought her up, let alone us who


    seldom get along with her."


    "Then, Mother, we can''t give Dous to her!" Beth became even more anxious. "Mother, please save


    Dous. He is my only son."


    Victoria didn''t respond. They had no bargaining chip with Harper up to now, so they had to ept it.


    They didn''t have a chance before Harper made a request. The key point was, how they could rescue


    Dous from Harper and realize their original purpose at the same time.


    "You may leave now. Leave the thing to me," Victoriaforted her daughter-inw. "Dous will be


    fine."


    "Mother, will Dous really be fine?" Beth didn''t believe what Victoria said. She couldn''t be more aware


    that in the eyes of Victoria, whether it was Felton or Dous, they were only something that could be


    used to sacrifice.


    "Dous will be fine," Victoria said decisively. Even if he was not fine, it didn''t matter. As long as she


    could get what she wanted most, she would be satisfied. In the past twenty years, she had been living


    in darkness and struggling hard for the thing she wanted. Now that she finally came close to her goal,


    she would never give up.


    Victoria went back to her room and wrote a letter. She let the carrier pigeon send out the letter for her.


    Now she needed to have a meeting with Harper. Harper was so powerful. Also, Qin n had offended


    her and lost their best chip, Felton. Thus, it was almost impossible for them to get the Sacred Seal from


    her. So Victoria had to take another way.


    When Harper sneaked into the house of Qin n, the former emperor Rndo was running for his life.


    He had always thought that in the world only Matthew couldpete with him. But he forgot that there


    were more outstanding people than him. Especially in Phoenix City, it was a secret ce full of strong


    masters. And since the Qin n had been hiding in the city for many years, there were countless


    people who cast greedy eyes on the precious staff owned by the n!


    "Oh, crap! I made such a mistake!" Rndo was annoyed with himself. The first decision he had made


    to give up the Great Jade Kingdom and go to the Phoenix City was wrong. If he were still holding his


    military power, he would not be so passive now. If he could escape sessfully this time, he would


    have to think of a safe way to protect himself and get the thing from the Qin n at the same time!

 Chapter 944 Being Tortured And Questioned (Part One)

    Chapter 944 Being Tortured And Questioned (Part One)


    When Dous woke up, he found himself tied to a tree trunk. Felton, on the other hand, was leaning


    against another one not far from where he was, his head tilted to the side. Dous didn''t know if his


    brother was alive, but immediately felt his blood run cold when he saw the man and woman sitting side


    by side by the fire.


    "Your Highnesses, what are you doing? We are family, remember? Why did you tie me up?" Since


    Dous knocked out by Matthew the time he saw him, he had no idea what the couple did to the rest


    of the Qin n. As for him, he initially thought that they kidnapped him mainly because they wanted to


    use him to threaten his n and save Felton. Now that he realized that Felton was already saved, he


    became confused as to why they still took him.


    "You''re awake," Harper said as soon as she noticed Dous had alreadye to his senses. "That''s


    good. You''re here because I want to ask you a few questions. If your answers satisfy me, there will be


    rewards. If you fail to do so, you will be punished," she continued as she roasted hare meat on the


    raging fire.


    "Princess Harper, we are cousins. You can ask whatever you want to and I will tell you everything I


    know. But can you untie me first?" Dous pleaded.


    This plea seemed to fall on deaf ear because instead of responding, Harper just started asking


    questions. "What is the purpose of the Qin n?" she asked, her eyes deep and her facial expression


    undecipherable.


    "Purpose? Is there any other purpose other than trying to remove the curse its members inherited?


    You''ve seen Felton. If things go on like this, he will be the first one to not survive," Dous said with a


    grin.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    Harper turned to look at Dous, her stare piercing. As she looked away, she sent a potent surge of


    her vital energy towards him, leaving him a huge gash on his shoulder.


    Dous screamed at the top of his lung because of the pain. The pained shriek was so loud that it


    startled and disturbed the birds within a mile radius. It took him a good while to calm himself down, and


    when he did, he red at Harper as tears welled in his eyes. He was shocked that she dared treat him


    like that.


    Harper ripped some roasted hare meat from its bones and fed it to Patrick, which was sitting next to her


    like a guard intent on protecting its master. It seemed to be enjoying the treatment it was being given,


    looking fully satisfied.


    "Next time, think thoroughly before you answer. I''m not into sarcastic, annoying responses. Try that


    again and I promise you your forehead will be my next target." Harper''s voice was so sweet and soft,


    and her smile hadn''t left her lips. The sharp contract between the threating words she just said and her


    angelic demeanor was enough for anyone to tremble in fear.


    Matthew wasn''t meddling with his wife''s business. While all of this was happening, he was just carefully


    cutting the roasted hare meat into tiny pieces and feeding it to Harper. He would asionally eat some,


    but just seeing his little wife torture a bastard was already satisfying to him.


    "I''m just telling the truth!" Dous murmured in between his gasps for air. With his arms tied, he


    couldn''t tend to his injury, so he was trying to stabilize himself by taking in deep breaths.


    "I decide whether you''re telling the truth or not. If I think you''re lying, I''ll continue cutting up your flesh


    like it''s this hare meat. Again, try not yelling out dumb answers. I would enjoy them if I was in a good


    mood, but unfortunately I am not. That first attack was just the tip of the iceberg¡ªI have more ways to


    torture you than you''ll ever learn. And if you think I''d hesitate to kill you, don''t. Most of the members of


    the Qin n died twenty years ago. Adding you to that list would not be a big deal. Get it?" Harper said


    coldly.


    Dous'' jaw dropped. Harper was not bluffing¡ªshe would kill him!


    "What do you want to know?" Dous said exasperatedly. He was starting to feel uneasy, and


    honestly, scared. At that moment, all he was wishing for was that Felton would wake up soon. He knew


    with him around, Harper wouldn''t be as vicious as she currently was.


    Instead of answering, Harper put a bone directly into Patrick''s mouth. Patrick seemed displeased with


    this, but with Matthew around, it didn''t dare act up. It gnawed the bone resentfully as it stared at


    Dous with its bright green eyes, thinking, ''If you annoy my master once again, I, too, would leave a


    gash on your body!''


    "I know the Qin n works with so many people. Name them all." Harper asked straightforwardly. She


    thought the Qin n had the courage to battle against Matthew in public because their background


    was strong enough topete with him.


    Dous was confused and asked, "Aren''t you the one who cooperates with us?"


    Harper rolled her eyes. The next minute, Patrick shot out like a sh of lightning, followed by a shrill


    scream. Patrick drew out its sharp w, on which there was still blood dropping, but Dous was so


    painful that his face was distorted and his eyes were widen out of anger. If he could move, he would


    definitely risk his life to fight Harper.


    "Dous, it seems that you haven''t learned your lesson. If I am the one who cooperates with the Qin


    n, do you dare to oppose me like this? Do you think I''m easy to fool?" Harper said slowly.


    With the veins on his forehead standing out, Dous ground his teeth in anger. After a long while, he


    opened his mouth and called, "Darren."


    The resentment was burning in Harper''s eyes. Before Dous could say something to stop it, Patrick,


    which was standing on his shoulder, wed him again with its sharp nails piercing into his corbone. It


    was so painful that he couldn''t help but tremble. This woman was not a human being. His life was


    worthless in her eyes.

 Chapter 945 Being Tortured And Questioned (Part Two)

    Chapter 945 Being Tortured And Questioned (Part Two)


    "Yes, it''s really Darren. Even the assassins who tried to assassinate you yesterday were arranged by


    him. I didn''t lie to you!" Dous gasped for breath, with cold sweating out on his forehead. He


    underestimated Harper. That was right. She even dared to do something to her father without


    hesitation. To her distant rtives, he was afraid that her means would be more ruthless and cruel.


    Chewing the hare meat, Harper thought for a while. "I can''t figure out why Darren sent somebody to


    assassinate me, but you can let it pass first. At least, you have told me that the cooperative partner of


    the Qin n is from Phoenix City. Otherwise, so many assassins from the Qin n couldn''t have


    entered the city and tried to kill us."


    Dous tried his best to control his emotions and reminded himself not to be led by Harper, but his


    mind had already been in a mess. The pain was like a maggot which had attached to his bone, as if it


    was painful in his head and could not be dispelled in any way.


    "I''ve told you the truth. It''s your business whether you believe it or not."


    "Why is Felton the only one in the Qin n who has a weak body?" Harper asked about Felton''s


    physical condition. People from the Qin n were born with the spiritual power, which would make


    them weak and unable to bear. So, why didn''t Harper have a weak body but Felton did?


    Dous fell into silence by surprise. He didn''t know whether he should talk about Felton''s poor health.


    There was a method to solve the problem caused by the innate spiritual power of the Qin n, but this


    method was cruel. He had no idea whether he should say it or not.


    "Is it difficult to answer the question?" Harper asked, while Patrick instantly showed its paws.


    "Because all the people who have blood rtionship with Felton transferred their spiritual power to him,


    and his body can''t bear that much spiritual power, so he is so weak. Of course, I transferred my own


    spiritual power to him, too," Dous replied hurriedly.


    Harper finally understood the reason. "That''s why I feel the spiritual power in his body is a mess. It


    turns out that several people transferred their spiritual power to him. That''s to say, you''ve chosen to


    sacrifice him from the very beginning and used him as a container to collect everyone''s spiritual


    power."


    "I should have been the container. But for some unknown reason, I was born with a special physical


    condition, and I couldn''t absorb others'' spiritual power. That''s why the Qin n turned to use him as


    the container." Dous took a deep breath.


    Harper nodded. She finally understood why the Qin n let Felton go out and why they abandoned


    him so easily. It turned out that he was the one that was abandoned in the first ce.


    Harper stared at Dous and asked seriously, "How much does the Qin n know about the Heavenly


    Books? Don''t try to deceive me. After all, I have hundreds of ways to give you a living death. I have


    means to make you spit out everything you know. I haven''t killed you only for the sake of Felton."


    Dous clenched his teeth. "The n know everything that they should know. They had wanted to get


    the Heavenly Books. However, Rndo and Matthew are hard to deal with. And they both pay attention


    to you. That''s why Felton found you with the Heavenly Book from the Qin n. We wanted to use you


    to lure them out and get the other Heavenly Books from them. But the Qin n didn''t expect that you


    would give the Heavenly Books to Rndo."


    Harper got excited. That was to say, the Qin n didn''t know about the heritage yet. They thought only


    the Death Pool was able to cleanse their bone marrow to save them?


    "Have you taken away my mother''s body?" Harper asked the question that had been hidden in her


    heart for a long time.


    "Wasn''t your mother''s body buried in... You dug up her tomb!" Dous fell silent at once.


    Harper didn''t answer. She had dug her mother''s tomb in order to make sure that she was dead, but she


    didn''t get any news in the end. She just knew that her mother''s remains were not in the family grave.


    "I don''t know about it. Maybe we need to ask Grandma. She is in charge of the domestic affairs in the


    n. My mother is the mistress in name, but in fact, she has no real power. Grandma is the decision-


    maker." Dous was telling the truth. He had no idea what was going on with Harper''s mother.


    Harper looked at Matthew, who nodded his head without being noticed and said, "I''ll transfer the ck


    g Army here."


    Dous'' pupils shrank in an instant after he heard that. What did he mean by transferring the ck


    g Army here? In order to help his wife vent her anger, Matthew intended to use the ck g Army


    with three hundred thousand soldiers to tten the Cloud Mountain?


    "Harper Chu, you are a part of the Qin n anyway."


    "Lady Victoria saidst night in front of everyone that my wife is just an outsider. Since she is an


    outsider, how can she be regarded as a part of the Qin n? As for you, Mister Dous, you''d better


    think about yourself. Does the Qin n treat you as a human?" Matthew said coldly.


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Matthew''sst few words provoked Dous and he squinted. He was born and grew up in the Qin


    n. He had a deep understanding of the inside intrigues and dirty tricks of the family, as well as the


    thoughts of the women and the top ten elders. At that moment, Matthew''s words urately described


    his position in the Qin n. It was so sad for him to admit such a fact.

 Chapter 946 Working Together To Repel The Assassins

    Chapter 946 Working Together To Repel The Assassins


    As Dous pondered silently, a red rose suddenly bloomed in the sky. Much like a firework, it was


    beautiful but temporary.


    Matthew gave Harper a searching look. This was the special signal bomb she used to inform him she


    needed rescue. But she was right by his side now, so who was giving off that signal?


    "Rndo is in danger, and he''s asking for our help."


    Feeling slightly guilty at what she''d done, Harper chuckled ruefully. "I was worried that if Rndo ran


    away, finding him would be difficult since I had no way to contact him. So I gave him a signal bomb."


    "You do know that his death would save us a lot of trouble, right? There''s no need to worry about him,"


    Matthew saidzily. "Even if we don''t save that bastard, it''s not as if he''ll die."


    Harper pushed him lightly and said, "We can take this opportunity to coerce Rndo to hand over the


    Heavenly Books and the half Sacred Seal. It''s the perfect chance, and we can''t miss it. It won''t be that


    easy to catch him next time if he runs."


    Matthew looked at Harper and asked, "That''s all there is?"


    "I swear, that''s all!"


    Harper said immediately. She wouldn''t dare to have anything else to do with Rndo, not with such an


    overtly jealous husband around. There was no telling what cruel way he''d choose to release that anger.


    Her reaction pleased him. At once, he stood up and called his subordinate, "Barry!"


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    "Take the two of them back to the stronghold outside the city. I''ll go with Harper to see if Rndo is


    dead."


    With that, he put his arm around Harper''s waist and flew away instantly. Patrick, who had been


    gnawing at a bone, was surprised to find its master had vanished. After giving the beast a pitiful look,


    Barry tried to soothe it.


    "His Highness and Her Highness will be back soon," he said.


    Barry didn''t know if Patrick could understand him, but it jumped from Dous''s head to his, then


    solemnly continued biting on the bone.


    Rndo never dreamed that he would have to go to Matthew one day for help, but he knew he was no


    match for his rivals. Seriously injured, Miguel and Rupert were still stubbornly by his side.


    Blood dripped down Rndo''s hand that was holding the sword. The killers surrounding him still kept


    coming closer, intent on killing him.


    "Your Majesty, we will create a diversion to help you escape. Please run as soon as you get an


    opening."


    Miguel''s face had turned deathly pale. He was used to being unrestrained, but he had to curb this


    considering the situation.


    "Hand over the Heavenly Books as well as the Sacred Seal, and I''ll spare your life,"


    the assassin in the lead said coldly. He wore a bronze mask that hid his face.


    Rndo gave his left hand a slight shake to rid it of the blood. Despite being at a disadvantage, he


    stood his ground. "No, it''s the only thing saving my life right now."


    "Your kingdom has been overthrown. You''re no longer an emperor. Why don''t you just give the things


    up?"


    "Even though I am no longer an emperor, I still won''t give them to you."


    On the surface, Rndo appeared kind and gentle. Few knew that behind his kind facade was a


    ruthless heart. He would deal his enemies a deadly blow without hesitation whenever he had the


    chance.


    "Go to hell!"


    the leader said in a low voice. "Kill him."


    Following the man''s order, the assassins once again blockaded them. They had caught Rndo and


    his men before making it to Phoenix City, despite the three hiding their identities. At first, Rndo had


    assumed the assassins were Matthews'' men. Once he discovered they weren''t, he decided to plead to


    the man for help.


    When Harper and Matthew arrived, they sat on the side and observed the fight. Matthew said, "The


    leader is a man with unfathomable strength. If I join hands with Rndo, perhaps we can win."


    That surprised Harper. "Is he that powerful?"


    "Rndo seems to be weak right now. Yes, the assassins surrounding them are powerful, but why is


    Rndo so weak? I thought he would be stronger."


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    "He has been poisoned,"


    Harper pointed out. She knew what Rndo was really like. Good at disguise, he hid a ruthless heart


    behind a smiling face. Although charming on the surface, he would be the first to stab you in the back


    when your guard was down. But Rndo looked different today. He looked like he was forced into a


    corner. There was no other reason for him to ask Matthew, of all people, for help.


    "Matthew, you have been taking your time watching this show. Are you nning to help?"


    Rndo was pretty angry. Matthew hadn''t made a move since he arrived. He just hided in the dark and


    watched him struggle in embarrassment. What a bastard!


    Matthew gestured for Harper not to move and made his way into the fray. He said, "You are in such a


    pitiful state. I''ve never seen you like this, so excuse me for taking a minute to take it in."


    "Have you seen enough?"


    Rndo knew that Matthew was heartless, but the man''s indifference still bothered him. He was


    starting to regret asking him for help.


    Matthew said frigidly, "You asked for my help. How about you show the proper respect I deserve and


    ask me to save you."


    Rndo choked on his own blood. His anger at Matthew seemed to get the best of him.


    "Your Highness, can''t we talk about itter?" Miguel begged Matthew, not having the heart to see his


    master in this state.


    "No, we can''t,"


    Matthew said icily. "Your master is as cunning as a fox. If I save him, he will run away immediately.


    Perhaps I won''t be able to catch him when he does, so we need to strike a deal first. Then, we''ll talk


    about the rescue."


    The assassin leader frowned at Matthew''s sudden appearance. He seemed to ponder something.


    "Your Highness, this is a private matter. Please don''t interfere."


    "Private matter?" Matthew swaggered up to him.


    "Yes. Please don''t meddle, and I''ll show eternally grateful to you."


    The leader''s voice sounded hoarse, like a polished stone lying in the desert for years, steady and


    lifeless.


    "Your Highness, don''t be fooled by this man. He is trying to kill us. This is not a private matter, at all!"


    Rupert turned anxious. "He wants..."


    Before Rupert could finish speaking, the leader made his move and went after his vital organs. The


    man hadn''t done anything since their arrival, but he was now out for blood.


    However, that was when Matthew and Rndo attacked him at the same time. Although they were


    sworn enemies, they worked well together. They were well-versed in each other''s moves.


    The man seemed to have foreseen this. He forced Matthew back with one hand, and caught Rndo''s


    sword with the other, stilling Rndo''s movement.


    The leader grinned. Just then, a figure appeared like a ghost out of nowhere, stabbing the leader in the


    stomach. Shocked, the leader tightened his hold, breaking the tip of Rndo''s sword. Turning livid, he


    was determined to get back at the figure who''d ambushed him and aimed the tip at his attacker.


    "Watch out!" With a cry of surprise, Rndo released his sword and pulled Harper into his arms. Then


    he turned around, intending to block the man''s attack with his body.


    As the tip of the sword flew in their direction, a light flickered in Harper''s eyes. Suddenly, the sword tip


    bounced off of them by a enchanted light barrier. The leader retreated, covering the wound in his


    stomach and looking at the woman in Rndo''s arms.


    Finally catching up to what had happened, Matthew pulled Harper from the arms of Rndo, "She is


    my woman. Don''t you dare touch her again."


    Rndo smiled and waved his hand. "If you don''t take good care of her, I will take her away from you."


    "You shouldn''t save him and let him die instead."


    Matthew held Harper in his arms, slightly trembling and grateful for what Rndo had done. If it hadn''t


    been for him, Harper would have been injured and wouldn''t have time to activate the enchanted light


    barrier.


    Harper looked at the wounded man and said, "You''d better leave now."


    The leader narrowed his eyes, intent on killing them. He was about to ask his men to kill them when he


    caught sight of what Harper was holding. It was the dagger that had stabbed him. Although it was


    stained with blood, it didn''t look red. Instead, it looked a strange blue. There was obviously something


    covering the dagger.


    The man looked at his abdomen in surprise. "You poisoned me!"


    Harper smiled cheekily. "Yes, it''s the Spiritual Poison. If you don''t find a ce to get the poison out,


    you''ll lose all your martial arts."


    The leader''s lips shivered violently. Unwilling as he was, he ordered his men to retreat. Once their


    enemies had all left, Rndo sat on the ground and said, "You two are more cunning than me."


    "Is that something to say to your saviors?"


    Harper rolled her eyes at Rndo and threw him a pill. "Take this. It''s an antidote."


    Rndo didn''t hesitate and swallowed it before Miguel and Rupert could say anything to stop him. "It''s


    sweet. Give me a few more of them."


    "Do you think this is sugar?


    No!" Harper said solemnly, then shot out more antidotes at Miguel and Rupert. The two thanked her


    and swallowed them as well. If Harper wanted to kill them, they could not run away anyway. Besides,


    their master had taken the pill without a thought. There was no reason for them to be wary of it.


    "Harper, how much do you know about Phoenix City?"


    Rndo looked at Harper, who was treating his wounds, and asked in a low voice.


    "I don''t know much,"


    Harper answered, without raising her head. "I only came to Phoenix City a few times. I know everything


    on the surface. But I''m certain Darren didn''t and will never let me see its dark side. So you should know


    more about it than I do."

 Chapter 947 Darren Was In Coma

    Chapter 947 Darren Was In Coma


    When they got back to Matthew''s base outside the city, Felton had already woken up. As he still felt so


    weak, he decided to rest first, leaning against a soft cushion. However, as soon as he saw Harper


    come in, he immediately sat up straight.


    "Lie down, you, and don''t move too much. I don''t want to be worried about you when I''m not around,"


    Harper said as soon as she saw Felton.


    Upon seeing Harper back, Patrick immediately ran to her, wanting to be in her arms. But thinking back


    to the time when it thought that she had thrown it away and left just like that, it decided to ignore her.


    Harper immediately picked up on what Patrick was angry about and chuckled. Quickly, she lifted it up,


    sat down on a small stool by the bed, and gently rubbed its head. Patrick, previously angry, now looked


    blissful and enjoyed Harper and herpany. "To further appease you, my friend, have this," Harper


    said, handing Patrick a pill. And with that, it had fully forgotten what it was angry about in the first ce.


    "How could you be so reckless? Really? Going to the Qin n''s residence alone?" Felton said,


    sounding concerned. Though his voice was a little weak, the emotion behind his statement was potent.


    "The top elders were all there. Were you not scared of getting hurt? Worse, killed?"


    Harper smiled and sighed deeply. "I just wanted to investigate the Qin n, Felton. Now that I found


    out that they had betrayed us a long time ago, I won''t let them near you. Ever."


    Felton''s expression turned grim. While he was the n''s nominal young master, he knew nothing about


    that. Moreover, he had even allowed them to bring him back home, which almost ended up hurting


    Harper. For a moment, he didn''t know what to say.


    "I''m sorry. I made a grave mistake. I put you in danger."


    Harper waved her hand to signal Felton to stop. She then said indifferently, "Stop. That doesn''t really


    matter now. The Qin n has always regarded you as a pawn. I''m just relieved that you know it now.


    But I won''t ask you to deal with them¡ªyou can''t get involved. It''s better if you stay on the sidelines."


    "What are you going to do?" Felton asked, hesitating. He didn''t want to merely be an onlooker,


    especially because everything was connected to him.


    "I won''t do anything rash. Don''t worry. I just want to wait and see what they''re going to do. Both you


    and Dous are in my hands. However, I don''t know if Lady Victoria still wants Dous," replied


    Harper.


    This surprised Felton. He wondered if the Qin n had been in total chaos ever since Harper suddenly


    came to their residence to take not only him but Dous as well.


    "Dous..."


    "You should rest now, Felton. Don''t think about anything now, please. Focus on recovering for the


    moment." Harper shed him a firm smile. "Leave everything to me."


    "Harper..."


    "Listen to me, Felton. I can''t really help you rebuild your muscles, bones, and whatnot right now. When


    you get better and can ovee the pain of doing that, I''d be able to help you. But before that, I''ll go to


    see Dous first and ask if he is willing to cooperate with me," Harper continued.


    "What if... he doesn''t want to cooperate with you?"


    "Then it''s all up to how the Qin n handles things. If they still need him, he can live. If they don''t want


    him, then I have to kill him."


    And with that, Harper turned around and walked to the door. Felton was left wide-eyed and open-


    mouthed. It was obvious that Harper was telling the truth and that she really was intending on killing


    Dous if the Qin n refused to cooperate.


    But before she exited the room, Harper said, "By the way, I''ll be asking Samuel to take care of you."


    Since Samuel had been serving Felton for a long time, it would reasonable to ask him to continue


    providing him his services.


    When Harper got out, Matthew, who was already waiting outside, immediately spoke. "Shall we...?"


    "Go to Phoenix City?" Harperpleted, her voice calm. "I''m very curious about the identity of the


    person who tried to kill Rndo."


    Matthew knew that Harper already had a suspect in mind. He also knew that she wanted to confirm it,


    so she wanted to go to Phoenix City.


    They immediately made their way to the city on horseback. As soon as they arrived, they immediately


    saw Daphne wandering around. When she saw them, she immediately walked up to them and asked,


    "Where have you been? You didn''te backst night."


    Harper was confused. "You wanted to see mest night?"


    "Yes! Now, follow me to the lord''s mansion!" Daphne urged.


    "Something happened in the lord''s mansion?" Harper asked in confusion and shock. "What could have


    happened?"


    Daphne looked around and lowered her voice. "My brother was seriously injured. The physician in the


    mansion has no way to save him. I went to the inn to look for you, but you didn''t return all night. I


    guessed that you had something to do and were out of the city, so I waited at the city gate. I didn''t


    expect you toe back sote at noon."


    "Darren was injured..." Harper was astonished. It was really a coincidence that they injured one of the


    assassins in ck who attacked Rndost night, and Darren was injured. But for some reason, she


    felt this issue was a little weird. If the assassins were really sent by Darren, he wouldn''t have allowed


    Daphne toe to her.


    Harper looked at Matthew, and he merelyforted her with his eyes. ''Calm down. We would know


    whether it was Darren or not after we check it out.''


    A ck cloud hung over the city lord''s mansion due to Darren''s injuries. Every servant there walked


    cautiously and quietly, for fear that they would offend the masters and thus, be punished.


    Physicians were continuously going in and out of Darren''s room. Everyone''s face was unusually


    serious. It could be seen that he was hurt badly.


    Daphne dragged Harper in and said, "Step aside, everyone."


    Hearing Daphne''s voice, the physicians made way for them. Then, they found a middle-aged man


    sitting on the bedside, whose face was full of worry. "Father, you''re back," Daphne greeted.


    The middle-aged man turned around and showed the vicissitudes of life on his handsome face. "Yes,


    where have you been?"


    "I was looking for her for help." Daphne pulled Harper''s arm and walked to the lord, Derrick Feng.


    "Father, this is a good friend of mine and Darren''s, Harper Chu. She is an excellent physician."


    "Lord Derrick." Harper looked calm and nced at Darren lying on the bed. His lips turned blue and a


    hidden weapon was thrust in his chest. The bleeding was stopped, but the hidden weapon hadn''t been


    pulled out.


    "Please save my son." Derrick moved aside to let Harper check on Darren.


    "Please open the window to let some fresh aire in. Also, this ce is too crowded. Those


    irrelevant may leave now," Harper calmly ordered, stretching out her hand to check the hidden weapon


    pricked into Darren''s chest.


    "Please don''t! Little Harper, there is poison on it." Daphne hurriedly reached out to stop her.


    "It doesn''t matter." Harper gave Daphne a reassuring look. Then she carefully checked the weapon on


    Darren''s wound. The weapon was very special, and it was a lotus arrow. The wound was so deep that


    he must be hit at a very short distance. However, the lotus arrow was extremely special, which would


    open and hook the flesh and blood after stabbing the target, like a blooming lotus, so it was called lotus


    arrow. Others didn''t dare to pull the arrow out because it was stabbed too deep. It would kill Darren if


    anyone tried to draw it out without much caution.


    "Little Harper, are you sure you can handle it?"


    "Thirty percent sure. Because the wound is too close to his heart. Moreover, there is poison on it. The


    only thing I can do now is ensure that the poison won''t cause his death, and then take out the weapon,"


    Harper exined to Daphne.


    "It''s all up to you. Darren wouldn''t have any pity if he died after your treatment. You can treat him in any


    way as you like." Daphne clenched her teeth, as if she had made up her mind.


    She turned around with tears in her eyes. She and her brother had been supporting each other for so


    many years. She couldn''t imagine what would happen to her if Darren died. The only thing she could


    do now was believe in Harper.


    Harper took out a pill and fed Darren. The pill couldn''t detoxify him, but would curb the poison in his


    body. Then she took out a set of sharp and tiny cutting tools. Derrick Feng took a nce at the tools


    with surprise in his eyes, but it disappeared soon.


    Leaning against the window, Matthew wasn''t actually watching what was happening in the room, but in


    fact, he paid close attention to Derrick Feng''s expression. The worry on his face was sincere, but when


    he saw Harper''s tools, his eyes lit up with surprise shing, which didn''t escape from Matthew''s eyes.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    Harper carefully cut off Darren''s skin around the weapon with her scalpel, little by little, for fear of


    causing any damage to the blood vessel. She didn''t dare to make any mistake. Taking out this kind of


    weapon was a technical work, and any carelessness could break the blood vessel, which would cause


    Darren to die of massive hemorrhage.


    Blood kept gushing out from Darren''s body as his wound was cut by Harper. She wiped her hands,


    took out a red china bottle from her pocket, got two pills, and handed them to Daphne. "Melt them with


    water and feed him."


    "Okay." Daphne immediately poured half a cup of water, put the pills into it, and poured the water


    directly into Darren''s mouth as she grabbed his chin. Her gesture was rude, but cautious.


    Harper concentrated on pulling out the weapon for Darren. The lotus arrow was divided into nine parts,


    and each of them would have countless small thorns. She had to be extremely careful before she could


    take out the weapon.


    As time passed, people in the room tried to slow down their breaths, for fear of disturbing Harper. It


    took her four hours to take out the small lotus arrow. She cleaned the wound for Darren, applied


    medicine to it, and sewed the wound with catgut and a needle. She made each stitch with a knot


    skillfully, which was shocking, as if she had done this for thousands of times.


    After taking care of Darren''s wound, Harper carefully washed her hands. Then she turned to Daphne


    and Derrick Feng. "The wound has been attended to. The next step is to find a way to detoxify him.


    Daphne, do you know how Darren was injured and who hurt him?"


    Daphne shook her head. "Darren was injured and came back alone. When I found him, he had fainted.


    I asked a physician to examine him at once, but he could do nothing. I then thought of looking for you


    for help, but you were not there."


    "When did you find Darren?" Harper asked. She and Matthew had badly injured the man in ck at


    23:30st night.


    "It''s about 1 o''clock. 1:15." Daphne thought about it carefully and then added, "Yes, it should be 1:15."


    Harper and Matthew exchanged nces. The poison of Darren was a kind of Spiritual Poison, and it


    was the same poison Harper had put in the man in ck!

 Chapter 948 Who Was The Murderer (Part One)

    Chapter 948 Who Was The Murderer (Part One)


    "Lady Harper, what poison is it?" Derrick, who until then was keeping silent, suddenly asked.


    Harper looked at Derrick, her eyes deep and undecipherable. Even though she couldn''t bear to tell him


    the truth, she had to. "Darren was drugged by the Spiritual Poison, and... I still haven''t worked out an


    antidote yet."


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "What do you mean, Harper?" Daphne asked, staring at her shocked and confused.


    Harper knew that the man in ck she hurt a while back must have known her rtionship with Darren.


    Because of that, he injured Darren to get an antidote out of her. But Harper didn''t expect that the man


    would have hurt Darren so much that he almost died!


    "I''m the only one I know who has the Spiritual Poison. There''s no antidote, because I haven''t made


    one," Harper exined as she took a deep breath.


    Hopelessness grasped Daphne immediately, and she was trembling and staggering backward as she


    couldn''t believe what she just heard. "Harper, do you mean that Darren... will die?"


    Harper didn''t respond or even look at Daphne. Instead, she just looked at Darren. Although his lips


    hadn''t turned darker purple, she knew that he still hadn''t been detoxified. And if she wanted to detoxify


    him, she must develop an antidote first. She was the only person who could do that.


    "I won''t let him die, Daphne. That''s a promise."


    Though still unsure about what would happen to his brother, Daphne calmed down mainly because she


    had great trust in Harper. "But wait. You said you are the only one who has this Spiritual Poison. Then,


    how could Darren be poisoned?"


    "To know that, we have to locate the assassin I attackedst night." Harper''s expression continued to


    be grim as she looked at the unconscious Darren. Finally, she revealed what happened. "Last night, my


    husband and I met a group of assassins. Their leader was a martial arts master dressed in all ck. He


    was wearing this demon mask in bronze. We weren''t able to defeat him, and in order to save our lives,


    I had to inject the leader some of the Spiritual Poison I had made before. I wasn''t nning on using it


    to other people, but as we were faced with an emergencyst night, I had to. It was the first time I used


    it. What I didn''t know was that he would use it against Darren!"


    Daphne finally understood that someone wanted to use her brother to force Harper to give them the


    antidote. What they didn''t know was that the antidote hadn''t existed yet.


    The poison was a desperate move on Harper''s side¡ªshe didn''t even think about creating an antidote


    for it because she never thought she would ever use it. Now that all of these were happening, she had


    no choice but to make the antidote as soon as possible!


    "But Harper, will you be able to create an antidote to it?" Daphne asked worriedly.


    "I''ll do my best," Harper answered straightforwardly, not wanting to promise something she couldn''t


    deliver on.


    Once again, Daphne felt her fears vanishing, though notpletely. For her, as long an antidote could


    be developed, she really wouldn''t care about anything else.


    Harper knew there was a pharmacy in the lord''s mansion, so she immediately asked someone to take


    her there.


    Upon arriving, Harper immediately turned to Matthew. "Darling, I will stay here for some time to develop


    the antidote," she told him. "I will keep youpany. You know, just in case you forget to eat or


    something," Matthew responded.


    Harper just smiled and followed a servant to the pharmacy. Derrick watched her leave and then


    coughed. Daphne turned around and asked, "Father, are you okay?"


    "I''m fine. I just don''t know when Her Highness would be able to finish the antidote. Will Darren be able


    to hang on?" Derrick said every word slowly, as he already had difficulty speaking.


    Although Daphne sensed something wrong with her father, she couldn''t tell what it was. "Don''t worry,


    Father. Since Harper had already said that she would do her best, I''m sure that she will find a way to


    save Darren. And while she does, I will hunt for the viin who hurt him!"


    A glimmer of light shed across Derrick''s eyes. "Darren..."


    "Father, you just came back. You must be tired. Go to rest, please. I''ll take care of Darren. I will ask


    someone to inform you as soon as I get any news," Daphne said softly.


    "Fine."


    Derrick then turned around and left, his steps slow and heavy. Daphne felt a pang in her heart, but said


    nothing. As soon as he walked out of Darren''s room, Derrick went back to his room. There, he


    immediately spat out the blood which he had tried so hard to keep in his throat until that moment. The


    blood had a faint purple hue.


    After Derrick left, Daphne drove all the people away and demanded, "Quincey, get out!"


    A man knelt down in front of her. "Greetings, My Lady."


    "What happened to my brother? Why was he injured? Weren''t you by his side? Why did you let him get


    hurt so badly?" Daphne controlled her anger and asked.


    Quincey Feng said guiltily, "My Lady, it was Master Darren who suddenly asked me not to follow him


    and entered his room alone. But before long, he appeared outside your room and got seriously injured.


    I don''t know why he got hurt. It is my fault. I should be severely punished."


    Daphne was quite surprised. Quincey Feng never left Darren. The master would just ask him to wait


    outside when he needed to talk with someone about something private. And very few people could


    meet Darren alone without Quincey Feng by his side. Harper was attacked outside the city. Daphne


    didn''t think Harper was the murderer even though she had the Spiritual Poison. Otherwise, she


    wouldn''t have told Daphne that the poison was from her.


    "When did my fathere back?" Daphne asked abruptly.


    "His Lordship came back at dawn. He was worried when he heard what happened to Master Darren.


    He stayed here all the time and kept injecting energy into his body until you came back with Princess


    Harper." Although Quincey Feng was ming himself, he never dared to ck off on his duty. Since he


    found that Darren was injured, he had never left him.

 Chapter 949 Who Was The Murderer (Part Two)

    Chapter 949 Who Was The Murderer (Part Two)


    "As for those who had a private talk with Darren without you present, who are they?" Daphne asked.


    The person who had injured her brother must be someone whom he was not wary of, or someone he


    knew well. If the ones on the list were eliminated one by one, she might be able to find out the


    murderer.


    "Eh... So far, there are only three people left, Lord Derrick, you and Princess Harper." Quincey Feng


    was caught in a dilemma. Harper was outside the city and the lord just came back this morning.


    Daphne was the first one to find out what happened to Darren. The three people seemed not the


    suspects, but they were also suspicious, because none of them had the alibis for the murder.


    Daphne was confused. Harper was out of the city and had no motive tomit the murder. But it could


    still be estimated that she might run out of the city after she hurt Darren. "Send someone to find out


    where Harper went out of the cityst night."


    "Yes."


    Daphne didn''t even think about Derrick at all. It was said that a vicious tiger would not eat its cubs.


    Darren was his only son, and he couldn''t kill him. Moreover, ording to the wound Darren was


    suffering, the other party clearly wanted to kill him.


    Harper was busy trying and preparing the antidote in the pharmacy, and Matthew stayed beside her,


    watching the others in the room, who casually looked at the medicinal materials Harper had chosen,


    with confusion in their eyes.


    "Harp, have a rest and eat something," Matthew said as he came in with some food and saw that


    Harper was still preparing the medicine.


    Stopping what she was doing, Harper took the wet handkerchief from his hand and looked up at the


    person in front of her. Then, she lowered her head and silently ate the food. While Matthew was picking


    up some food for his wife, he was eating slowly and elegantly, quite pleasing to the eye.


    The first reaction of Harper when she saw him eating was that this man was not Matthew. He had


    grown up in the army since he was a child, so he ate very quickly. Even though she had tried to stop


    him several times, he had only slowed down a little. Matthew would never eat in such a slow and


    elegant way. She was sure that this man was an imposter.


    The man who was having lunch saw the changed expression in Harper''s eyes and knew that he had


    been exposed. "He has been away for something and worries about you. So he asked me to guard


    you."


    ''He is Rndo!'' Although Harper was stunned, she looked calm. Nobody knew when Rndo had


    switched the identity with Matthew and pretended he was with her, so Matthew might have gone to


    investigate the Qin n.


    With no more words, Harper finished her meal quickly and continued to prepare the antidote. The


    poison was very strong. Her pill could only slow down the speed of the poison attack, but it couldn''t


    detoxify it. She didn''t have much time left before she made the antidote.


    "Who hurt Darren, in your opinion?"


    "Someone he knows. And it''s someone he wasn''t on the alert against," Harper answered without


    hesitation.


    Rndo was a little surprised. "Why did you say so?"


    "Darren is a martial arts master as powerful as you. So he must have been hurt face to face off guard


    when he was injured so badly. The killer wasn''t someone he was on the alert against. Darren is always


    highly alert. Very few people could make him let down his precaution," said Harper softly.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    "So the leader was someone familiar to Darren, and Darren might even have known about the whole


    matter," Rndo said quietly. He suspected that Darren was the one behind it, joining hands with the


    assassins in order to get the antidote. After all, the Spiritual Poison was developed by Harper. It was


    not easy for ordinary people to get the antidote. They hurt someone she cared about and forced her to


    take out the antidote by herself, which was the quickest way. But perhaps even those who had this idea


    hadn''t thought that Harper had no antidote.


    "If the people behind it know that you don''t have the antidote, they''ll probably be furious and spit blood.


    How could they have thought that you would use a poison without antidote? By the way, aren''t you


    afraid of hurting your people?" Rndo sneered.


    "Matthew has been immune to any poison because he was poisoned for many years. How could I be


    afraid of poisons? What''s more, the development of the Spiritual Poison was an ident. I didn''t have


    time to develop an antidote. I used it because I didn''t have other poisons with me to defeat the enemy


    at that time. Who would have thought that I would be in such trouble?" said Harper in distress.


    "I just think it''s no big deal if Darren dies and someone will be very happy for his death. Let''s go. If


    there is no antidote, the person behind it will be poisoned to death, so we don''t have to go to find him,"


    Rndo suggested tentatively.


    "The one behind it can die, but Darren can''t! I won''t let him die," Harper refused without hesitation.


    "Aren''t you afraid that someone will be jealous?"


    Harper nced at Rndo. "He is a jealous man, but he knows what he is doing. So don''t worry. We


    know from Darren''s injury that the real mastermind is hiding in Phoenix City. As long as we know he is


    in the city, we will definitely find a way to get him out."

 Chapter 950 He Lost His Memory (Part One)

    Chapter 950 He Lost His Memory (Part One)


    Just as Harper was finding a way to make the antidote, Daphne rushed into the pharmacy, grabbed


    Harper by the arm, and forcefully dragged her out. "Harper, you muste with me! Darren...


    Darren..."


    "Is he dead?" asked Rndo, in a deep, throaty voice that made him sound very much like Matthew¡ª


    the man whom he was disguising to be.


    "Shut up, Matthew! I''d break both of your legs, I swear to God!" Daphne blurted, heaving with anger.


    She pointed at Rndo''s face and hissed, "If I hear you say something as despicable as that about my


    brother ever again, I promise you¡ªI will hunt you down to the ends of the world!"


    Helpless and troubled, she massaged her temples and inquired, "What happened to Darren?"


    "He''s finally woken up!" Daphne said excitedly. But her expression changed abruptly as she said,


    "But... something''s not right about him, Harper."


    Harper''s eyebrows furrowed with surprise and confusion. First of all, she wasn''t expecting that Darren


    would wake up so soon¡ªthat in itself was surprising and strange. Second, what was Daphne talking


    about? What seemed to be wrong with him? To find out, she immediately followed Daphne and made


    their way to Darren''s room. She needed to know what was happening as soon as possible.


    As Darren lied on the bed, his face showed nothing but a nk, lifeless expression. The physician


    tending to him was visibly trembling with fear, anxious about the mind-boggling condition that befell the


    young lord. Quincey shared the same feelings if not worse and more intensely.


    "Come in quick, Harper! You must diagnose whatever''s wrong with Darren before it worsens!" Daphne


    cried out, almost literally shoving Harper in front of an awake yet unresponsive Darren. "Do you think


    he sustained a head injury? Is he like that because of brain damage?"


    As soon as Harper came into Darren''s view, he turned to her, his ssy eyes staring into her soul.


    This, at first, caught Harper off guard, but she was soon able to get over it. She reached out her hand


    to grab Darren''s wrist to feel his pulse, but before she was able to, Darren had already snatched her


    hand, hissing, "Since when did you start checking the living instead of the dead?"


    Harper stood frozen on the spot, a horrified expression stered on her face as she stared at Darren


    intently. Several times she tried to say something, but whenever she opened her mouth, no word would


    come out. No one in this ce knew that she was a forensic doctor who usually dealt with the dead!


    Confusion clouded Daphne''s eyes as she bounced between Darren and Harper. Something about


    Harper''s reaction made her feel uneasy, and so she asked, "What''s going on, Harper? Did Darren say


    something he shouldn''t have? Is it because of his condition right now?"


    Darren''s stare was so intent on Harper that it seemed like Daphne wasn''t in the room with them at all.


    Then, all of a sudden, he forcefully pulled Harper into his arms, putting them both in apromising


    position. As Harper wasn''t able to react in time to stop him from doing what he did, she tried to control


    herself to avoid pressing on the wounds on Darren''s body.


    Daphne gasped audibly. Her brother was literally hugging Harper in front of her husband, Matthew! Did


    his injuries really drive him insane? Was he going to take her away from her jealous husband at all cost


    after he narrowly escaped from death? She feared for her brother''s life at the thought of the possible


    consequences. ''Maybe people who have encountered death have no fear of it,'' she thought to herself,


    holding her breath.


    Rndo''s eyes narrowed as this scene unfolded before his very eyes. Upon seeing this, Daphne


    immediately rushed beside him to stop him from doing whatever he was thinking of doing. "Matthew,


    please! My brother is extremely sick at the moment and he doesn''t know what he''s doing. Please spare


    him!"


    Rndo didn''t react to this and turned to look at Harper. As he knew her so well, he believed that she


    would still wriggle out of Darren''s hold even though he was a patient. But to his surprise, she didn''t do


    that. Instead, she buried her head in Darren''s neck and started to weep.


    Darren patted Harper on the back gently tofort her. Although his expression was still as empty as


    before, a tinge of tenderness donned his eyes, and a small smile blossomed on his lips as if signaling


    his relief.


    "Wait... Why are you crying, Harper? Is my brother going to die?" Daphne got more and more anxious


    as she couldn''t understand what was happening in front of her.


    Daphne''s words made Harper realized how embarrassing the situation was. She got out of Darren''s


    arms at once, wiped off tears from her eyes, and waved her hands, "It''s okay. I was just a little bit


    emotional just now."


    Seeing how bewildered and embarrassed Harper was, Darren gave a warmer smile. He didn''t expect


    to see her again.


    "You... you mean, Darren is okay?" Daphne asked and pointed at her own head, "But I think there is


    something wrong with his mind."


    At her words, Darren narrowed his eyes and shot a sharp nce at Daphne, as if she was not his


    sister. There was killing intent in his eyes.


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    Frightened by the murderous intent released by her brother, Daphne took a step back. When she


    looked at him again, Darren was back to the person he had always been, which made Daphne couldn''t


    help but think that she just had an illusion seconds ago.


    "By the way, do you remember who hurt you, Darren?" Daphne asked at once seeing her brothere


    to his senses. She just couldn''t wait to figure the ident out. Whoever had hurt Darren must be


    someone they knew. Besides, the convict should be free to get in and out of their mansion. If they


    couldn¡¯t find out who he was, they might be in danger at any time with the enemy in shadow.


    "No, I don''t," said Darren, shaking his head.


    "Then do you remember who she is?" Daphne asked, pointing at Harper.


    "She''s Harper."


    "What about me?" Daphne then pointed at herself with hope in her eyes.


    "Sorry, but I don''t think I know who you are."


    Daphne felt like something was broken inside her. Her brother only remembered Harper after he woke


    up from thea, but forgot his own sister. It was so hard to ept.


    "Well, who else do you remember?" with disappointment all over her face, Daphne asked. "Do you


    remember Quincey then? Do you remember who you are, by the way? "


    "I''m Chad, Chad Chu." Darren uttered the name mildly. Daphne blinked her eyes, looking at her brother


    like a stranger. She didn''t know who Chad Chu was. But since hisst name was Chu, was this sick


    man imed himself to be rted to Harper?

 Chapter 951 He Lost His Memory (Part Two)

    Chapter 951 He Lost His Memory (Part Two)


    "Harper, who is Chad Chu?" Daphne finally found her tongue.


    Rndo also turned to look at Harper, waiting for the answer. He also wanted to know who Chad Chu


    was. There shouldn''t have been someone he didn''t know in the Chu n. After all, he had been


    watching Harper for so many years, long enough for him to know even the name of her family''s dogs.


    "A person very important to me," answered Harper with a bright smile.


    "How important is he? More important than your hus..."


    Just then, Darren coughed. Harper turned to him at once and said, "Your wound hasn''t healed yet.


    Have a good rest first and don''t talk too much. I''ll definitely develop the antidote for you."


    No sooner had Harper done speaking than she turned on her heel and was about to seize the time to


    make the antidote. But she was stopped by Darren. He looked at her greedily and asked softly, "Would


    you just disappear again after I close my eyes?"


    Harper turned back a bit, held Darren''s hand andforted him, "Don''t worry. I''m not going anywhere.


    I''m just leaving for a while to make the antidote. You''re lucky enough to survive, but you won''t hold out


    much longer if I can''t find the antidote."


    But Darren still held Harper''s hand and begged like a child, "Then don''t go before I fall asleep."


    "Okay," Harper agreed at once, and tucked Darren into bed. "Close your eyes and sleep. Don''t open


    them, will you?"


    Darren obediently closed his eyes, but didn''t let go of Harper''s hand. Rndo had never seen Harper


    hold someone''s hand with such a gentle and doting smile. He had never seen this woman acting in this


    way. But his lips curled up slight and he thought with gloat, ''Matthew, you''re in serious trouble!''


    "Harper."


    "I''m here."


    "I can''t fall sleep. Please sing me my favorite song."


    "Okay," Harper agreed again without hesitation, like she would meet all Darren''s requirements


    unconditionally now. She started humming and tried to put the man to sleep.


    When Derrick came over, what he could see was something rather hard to understand. Daphne was


    standing not far away, seemed quite lost as if she was petrified. Matthew, on the other hand, sat on the


    chair next to the bed, while Harper sat by the bed, one hand holding the hand of Darren''s, the other


    gently patting on him, humming a melody they had never heard.


    "Is Darren..."


    "Hush!" Daphne turned around immediately and gestured for his father to stop talking. Then she


    dragged his father away and said, "Father, Darren... Darren..."


    "What''s wrong with him?" Derrick asked calmly.


    "He has lost his memory. He can recognize no one except for Harper." A sad look appeared on the


    girl''s face, "He doesn''t even recognize me."


    Hearing that, Derrick actually breathed a sigh of relief. His son lost his memory even though his brain


    wasn''t hurt. Was it because of the Spiritual Poison?


    "When can he regain his memory then?" Derrick asked again calmly. What he cared most now was


    when his son was he able to remember everything, or when would Harper be able to make the


    antidote.


    Daphne shook her head dejectedly, and replied "I don''t know. He has been clinging to Harper since he


    woke up. I won''t know what exactly has happened to him until Harperes out and exins it."


    Derrick stood by the door of Darren''s room, looking inside and asked, "Do you know when will Harper


    produce the antidote?"


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    Daphne shook her head again. Under such circumstance, if Harper had already developed the


    antidote, she would immediately give it to her brother. But since she didn''t, it meant there might still be


    a lot of work.


    When Harper came out, she had a rather grave look on her face. Seeing that Derrick and Daphne were


    both waiting outside, she said, "I will develop an antidote as soon as possible. His injury is not a big


    deal. It will soon heal."


    "What exactly happened to Darren? Why can''t he remember anyone except you?" Daphne asked, a bit


    unhappy. The man was her brother. Why did it suddenly look like that he was Harper''s brother instead?


    Harper frowned, saying nothing for a few seconds. It was hard to exin, because the man alive at the


    moment was not Darren at all, but Harper''s own brother, Chad Chu in her previous life. She didn''t know


    why he woulde here, and she was still very surprised.


    "I don''t know."


    "Are you sure you''ve no idea what happened to Darren?" Apparently, Daphne didn''t believe it. Harper


    had never been so intimate with her brother before. But today, she cried in her brother''s arms, sang


    songs and then patted him to sleep. She was like a totally different person in front of her brother today.


    "I really don''t know."


    "Then when will Darren get his memory back?" Daphne didn''t persist, but changed her question and


    turned her attention back to her brother''s memory problem. What she cared about the most at the time


    being, was when Darren could recover his memory.


    Harper shook her head. "That I don''t know, either. Maybe in three days, maybe in three months, or


    perhaps in three years. There is also the possibility that he would never recover."


    "Can''t you cure it?" Daphne asked in shock, not knowing what to do if Darren remained like that for the


    rest of his life.


    "In fact, it might be good for him to forget things. Once he forgets it all, he can start all over again,"


    Harper slowly said, "Well, I need to develop the antidote, and hope I can work it out in the shortest


    time. In the meantime..."


    Harper took a look back at the man in the room and said, "please take care of him."


    "Don''t worry. He is my brother. I will surely take good care of him." Daphne patted Harper on the


    shoulder, and took a look at the darkened face of Matthew. Then she suddenly approached Harper and


    whispered in her ear, "Are you going to leave Matthew and be with my brother?"


    Harper red at Daphne and rebuked, "Stop pulling my leg."


    Daphne pouted towards Harper''s back as she went away. "You can''t deny it even though you didn''t


    admit it. You treat my brother so well!"


    When Rndo passed by Daphne, he gave a weird and sharp look at her, which contained so many


    meanings that she couldn''t read. But she immediately stared back, disying no intention of backing


    down, for she thought that her brother would win Harper from this sour-faced man sooner or


    later!

 Chapter 952 Congratulations! (Part One)

    Chapter 952 Congrattions! (Part One)


    After she came back from Darren''s room, Harper''s desire to create the antidote became fervent. There


    was a renewed determination inside of her to decipher how to get rid of the poison inside Darren''s


    body.


    Rndo, on the other hand, started observing Harper more closely, rarely taking his eyes off her. To


    him, her recent behaviors had been strange, especially the way she interacted with Darren¡ªshe


    seemed to be particrly close to him. The moment she left his room, she couldn''t help but smile. It


    was as if she was in an excellent mood despite what was happening.


    As Rndo looked at the physicians helping Harper concoct an antidote, he signaled to her in their


    secret code, saying, "Harper, I know there''s something wrong between you and Darren."


    Harper didn''t reply nor stop what she was doing. She didn''t even look up at him. Rndo''s words just


    flowed right through her, not ever reaching her.


    Rndo knitted his eyebrows in confusion and continued signaling to her. "Harper, what if Matthew


    finds out what happened today? Aren''t you afraid that he may sneak into Darren''s room tonight and


    end his life due to jealousy?"


    Finally, Harper cast Rndo a nce. It was a stare so cold that even Rndo, who had put her under


    house arrest and had done a lot of things that hurt her, was taken aback. It was nothing he had seen


    before, which said a lot considering his already strained rtionship with the woman.


    "I won''t allow anyone to hurt him. Remember, no one!" Harper hissed, stressing their secret code. ''Not


    Rndo, not Matthew¡ªno one would hurt the current Darren, who is Chad, my brother in my previous


    life!'' she thought. She was the only one who knew that the true Darren was already dead, and that the


    current Darren was actually Chad, her brother of herst life. Anyone who dared hurt her beloved


    brother would pay with his or her life!


    Even though Rndo looked like he was intimidated by Harper''s threatening, deep inside, he actually


    was extremely happy. Matthew was a very jealous man. If he found out that his wife cared about


    Darren so much, he would undoubtedly be outraged and rushed to kill Darren!


    Rndo was extremely curious as to what would happen if an angry Matthew and steadfast Harper


    fought head-on


    At that time, Matthew was interrogating Dous in the dungeon. He knew that Harper, being somewhat


    rted to everyone and all things of the Qin n, wouldn''t be as cruel to them as he would be. But


    since he didn''t have any feelings towards the Qin n, there was nothing stopping him to be as


    merciless as he could be. And with that, he showed how cruel he could be to Dous.


    "Dous, I''m not Harper. My patience is limited, and so is the mercy I feel in my heart. If you don''t want


    spend your remaining days worse than a dead person, you''d better tell me everything you know,"


    Matthew said coldly, his stare piercing and deadly. "And don''t count on Felton to save you. He knew it


    would be better for him to let me do my job."


    As Dous stared at the man threatening to kill him, he thought, ''No wonder Harper chose him! He is


    not only heartless, but he is also good at hiding his monster nature!'' Suddenly, an idea crossed his


    mind. "Matthew Jun, do you really love Harper?" he asked, a sneer on his lips. Yet, before he got any


    kind of answer, his painful screaming had alreadymenced.


    His screams echoed throughout the dungeon. "Dous, have I not made this whole thing clear?"


    Matthew snarled. "The only thing you need to do is to answer my questions. Never did I say that you


    are allowed to ask me any!"


    Despite his condition, Dous was still able to conjure the energy tough. "Want to hear some good


    news, Matthew?" he asked, his voice weak due to the pain he was feeling. There was an uncanny


    meaningful smile on his lips.


    Matthew''s eyes narrowed and said, "What?"


    "Congrattions! You are going to be a father!" After a pause, Dous went on, still sporting a vicious


    smile. "But unfortunately, good news inevitablyes with bad one. So for you, this is it: you''ll lose


    your wife if you keep the baby. So, who would you save? Your wife or your baby?"


    Matthew tried to recall everything he did with Harper. ''Impossible,'' he thought, his face not showing any


    emotion. He had never stopped taking the medicine that would prevent him from impregnating Harper.


    "You are lying," Matthew replied after pondering on it for a while.


    "Are you sure? Have you confirmed it with Harper in person?" Dous spit out the blood in his mouth


    and continued, "Or ask Felton. I''m sure he already knew. And it''s not just him. Most members of the


    Qin n know of the situation, and they''re definitely worried about it."


    "What do you mean?"


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    "Because if Harper died, they couldn''t get what they wanted. They will make every effort to get rid of


    the child, or, get what they want before her delivery of the baby!" Dousughed crazily. "Matthew,


    tell me, who do you want to keep, the child or the mother? If you choose to protect her, will she allow


    you to harm her child? Do you think the others will agree if you keep the child?"


    "Go to hell!" Matthew snapped and suddenly gripped Dous by his throat. Thetter''s face turned


    pale and livid, but he was still wearing a smile on his face. The Qin n took him as a pawn, and


    Matthew also wanted to use him. He wanted to see in the end, who would win among the three parties,


    the Qin n who had been hiding and plotting in the dark for more than twenty years, the ruthless


    Matthew, or Harper who was skilled in weighing the pros and cons and scheming.


    After a while, Matthew managed to calm himself down and didn''t kill Dous. Then, he fluttered his


    sleeves and left in a huff. He could have confirmed it with Felton about his wife''s pregnancy first, but he


    wanted to ask her directly. So, he returned to the Phoenix City directly.

 Chapter 953 Congratulations! (Part Two)

    Chapter 953 Congrattions! (Part Two)


    When Matthew sneaked into the lord''s mansion, Rndo took his leave initially. But when he was


    about to leave, he gave a meaningful look at Matthew. In Matthew''s eyes, that look was full of


    provocation, but Matthew didn''t care it anymore. What he wanted to know was whether his wife was


    really pregnant.


    Under the candlelight, Harper was reading a medical book, looking for a way to detoxify her brother. It


    waspletely an ident for her to make the Spiritual Poison. It was not easy to get rid of poison


    now. With her current physical condition, she couldn''t get the blood of her heart; if she was not careful


    enough, it might cost her life.


    "Are you still looking for a way to make the antidote?" Matthew said and hid himself in the shadow, so


    no one could see his expression. Harper didn''t look up. She was just scanning the medical book


    quickly in her hand.


    "Well, the Spiritual Poison can''t be suppressed for a long time. The sooner I find the way to make the


    antidote, the better," Harper responded quickly. "Have you finished your business?"


    "Almost done," Matthew said as he sat down next to Harper and held her wrist. Although he was not a


    physician, he could feel her pulse to check if she was pregnant.


    When Harper finally looked at Matthew''s hand that was holding her wrist, she then steered her


    attention to his face, saying with a smile, "It seems that you have already known it."


    "When did it happen?" Matthew ask calmly, trying his best to suppress the fear in his heart.


    "I don''t know. I just found it out," Harper replied after a careful thought


    Matthew was provoked by the indifferent attitude of Harper. He questioned at once, "Have you


    forgotten that you can''t be..."


    "I''m fine now." Harper took hold of Matthew''s hand and smiled wickedly. "I have recovered when I got


    the inheritance of the Heavenly Books. The Death Pool was just another method to cure me. Yet, both


    methods were dangerous to me. Still, I lived through it. So, you are going to be a father, Matthew."


    Matthew sat rooted to the spot in astonishment, and the only thought in his mind was that Harper''s


    body had recovered. He didn''t need to worry that his child would kill her wife, nor did he need to worry


    that he would irritate her.


    "I''m going to be a father!" Matthew felt a little unreal. When Dous told him that he was going to be a


    father, he thought that he was just making fun of him. But when Harper told him that he was going to be


    a father in person, he felt incredible and happy.


    Looking at the man who was in a daze, Harper smiled quietly and added, "Many happy events have


    happened recently."


    "Is there any other good news?" Matthew leaned over and asked with a big smile.


    She raised a finger and answered, "It''s a secret. I won''t tell you now."


    "You still have a secret hiding from me?" Matthew thought it was inconceivable. Now he came back to


    his senses and realized the meaningful look in Rndo''s eyes when Rndo left. Matthew''s mind


    raced quickly. In Phoenix City, Harper didn''t have much contact with many people. She said it was a


    secret. Therefore, he must be familiar with people rted to the secret.


    "The secret is about Darren?" he asked at once.


    Harper''s eyelid twitched. ''Who says women''s sixth sense is very urate? Men''s sixth sense is also


    very terribly urate. I said nothing. But he already knew that it has something to do with Darren.''Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    "Are you good at foretelling?" Harper felt it was unbelievable. If she hadn''t known Rndo was with


    her, she would have thought that her husband had been with her all the time.


    "Since you won''t tell me the secret, I guess it is rted to man. Also, as you are in this mansion all the


    time, you can only meet a few men. There are only two men here; one is the city lord, Derrick, and the


    other is Darren. It seems that Darren woke up." Matthew gnashed his teeth slightly. Did Darren want to


    rob Harper of him by taking the advantage of his injury?


    Harper frowned. The sadness shed on her face. She said in low voice that only the two of them could


    hear, "Darren is dead. The people who is alive by Darren''s body means a lot to me."


    The word ''dead'' was a bit surprising to Matthew. He couldn''t figure out what Harper''s words meant.


    Something must have been wrong.


    "It seems that I haven''t told you that I have an elder brother called Chad Chu," Harper said slowly. "He


    is not from the Chu n of the Bright Dynasty, but the Chu Family of myst life."


    Matthew clenched his fists subconsciously and asked, "Did hee here because he wants to take


    you back?"


    "Don''t be silly." Harper shook her head. "I came to this world, because I was dead in myst world. I


    guess it may be the same reason that my brother was here."


    Hearing her words, Matthew felt relieved. As long as Chad was not here to take Harper away, then he


    didn''t have to worry anymore. He said, "Then, I have to meet my brother-inw."


    Harper smiled broadly and said, "The top priority now is to develop the antidote for the Spiritual Poison


    in his body. Otherwise, he will die."


    "We don''t have any clues about the man hidden in the dark yet. When you''re making the antidote, he


    won''t sit back any longer," Matthew said softly. "We''ll avenge Darren then."

 Chapter 954 The Negotiation (Part One)

    Chapter 954 The Negotiation (Part One)


    A murderous look flitted across the Harper''s eyes. She was going to find out the identity of the bastard


    who orchestrated Darren''s death. ''I will kill him if that''s thest thing I do!'' she determinedly thought to


    herself.


    Derrick, the lord of Phoenix City, met the gaze of the current Darren. As he did, his stare became cold


    and piercing. For him, Darren looked too spaced out and emotionless that Daphne, his own sister, who


    was sitting beside him, was visibly looking very ufortable.


    "Darren, this is our father," Daphne reminded him in a hushed voice. Darren, however, didn''t care. All


    he could think of at the moment was Harper.


    Slowly, he closed his eyes and tried to fall back asleep. The wound on his chest was aching so badly


    that even moving a little would send him screaming in pain. Because of that, he elected to simply lie on


    his bed, ignoring everything that was happening around him. Unfortunately for him, the two people


    inside his room, intently staring at him, made him feel quite ufortable.


    "Darren, do you remember anything else?" Derrick asked slowly and gently. "You couldn''t remember


    anyone. Daphne feels deeply sad because of that."


    Once again, Darren didn''t reply, nor did he open his eyes. It seemed like he had already fallen asleep,


    his breathing steady and his long eyshes lying motionless. But then no one could rule out that he


    was just ignoring the people who were trying to talk to him.


    Derrick frowned and was about to shake Darren awake when Daphne stopped him. With a sigh, she


    led him outside to talk. "Father, please be patient," she said as she closed the door behind her. "Darren


    is seriously hurt. Yes, he seemed to have forgotten us, his family, but at least he finally woke up, right?


    Also, he remembers Harper, so he hasn''t lost all of his memory. Let''s just be patient, please."


    "Does it mean that woman is more important to him than us?" Derrick asked, annoyed. "You grew up


    with him, and you two shared the same hardships. It should be you who he remembers, not that


    married woman!"


    This also saddened Daphne to the core, but at that point, all she was thinking was how fortunate her


    brother was to survive being injured and poisoned. She wasn''t expecting too much at all, but she still


    hoped that Harper would be able to develop an antidote as soon as possible to make sure that her


    brother was saved.


    "Father, we are counting on Harper to develop the antidote that would save Darren''s life. I know your


    emotions are currently running high, but I beseech you to not cause any more trouble for her or for


    Darren." Her anxiousness was starting to take over her tone. "I''m afraid that if provoke Harper in any


    kind of way, she will give up developing an antidote. If that happens, no one will be able to help


    Darren!"


    Derrick opened his mouth to protest what his daughter just told him, but he found that he couldn''t. Only


    a bitter chuckle escaped his mouth. Yes, they were treating Darren with their own medicines as the


    Spiritual Poison continuously became stronger and more potent inside his body. Unfortunately, that


    would onlyst Darren a few days¡ªa week, at most. If Harper decided to halt finding a cure to the


    deadly effects of the poison, there would be nothing they would be able to do other than leave Darren


    for dead. With that, Derrick turned around and left without muttering anything else.


    Harper was still busy trying to develop an antidote in the pharmacy. Being worried, Derrick decided to


    check on her progress. When he arrived, he didn''t immediately announce that he was there, electing to


    observe Harper in her natural surroundings. He saw Matthew was there, sitting beside her, seemingly


    providing her with support. Harper brewed some leaves while he read, and from time to time, they


    chatted andughed. The two looked like a couple of lovebirds.


    After a while, Derrick decided to make his presence known. "Your Highnesses," he greeted respectfully.


    "Lord Derrick," Matthew replied back. "Are you worried about your son?"


    Derrick nodded and said, "I just went to check on him and it seems like he is currently is too tired to


    talk. Daphne is especially having a hard time seeing her brother hurting. Her eyes are swollen as she


    has cried non-stop, mainly because her brother still doesn''t remember her."


    Harper''s action froze a few seconds. Darren was no longer the person he used to be, so how would he


    be able to remember Daphne? And even if he remembered her, he probably wouldn''t want to.


    She finally broke her silence after some time, saying, "He will be all right." Those were the only words


    she could think of. While she believed that Darren would get better, there was no way she could


    guarantee anything else.


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    Derrick''s facial expression became stone cold. "Daphne used to talk about you from time to time," he


    suddenly said. "And every time she did, she sounded very happy. It made me curious. Now, I finally


    understand why."


    "We''ve known each other for many, many years, Derrick. We are good friends. I think it''s normal for us


    to talk about each other. Although I''d been to Phoenix City many times, I hadn''t met you, even once. I


    understand how you''d be curious of me," Harper replied as she went back to researching medicinal


    materials. It was the right time to catch the maniptor behind the trick. All she needed to do was to


    get rid of the Spiritual Poison for Darren.


    "When will the antidote be developed?" Derrick asked softly as he looked at Harper''s back.


    "Pretty soon," Harper answered bluntly. She wasn''t sure about that one bit. But that was all she could


    tell the father of her friend.


    "I''m d to hear that. Take care of yourself, too. Don''t get sick just for making the antidote." After that,


    Derrick left with a steady pace.


    As Harper watching him leaving, a flicker of doubt shed through her eyes and soon disappeared.


    She then turned to Matthew and asked, "How is Dous?"


    "He is as arrogant as a peacock," Matthew said in a cold voice. "I don''t want to keep him alive


    anymore."


    Hearing this, Harper couldn''t helpughing and said, "Dous is simple and not good at calcting. If


    it were Felton facing the same situation, he wouldn''t have been so passive. Thus, Victoria abandoned


    Felton and chose him as the heir. She thinks that Dous is easy to be manipted."

 Chapter 955 The Negotiation (Part Two)

    Chapter 955 The Negotiation (Part Two)


    "Cocky and simple-minded, he is indeed easy to be manipted. He can''t bepared with Felton in


    the slightest," Matthew agreed. Felton was as cunning and good at calcting. Dous looked smart,


    but in fact he was stupid. He didn''t see through many things. Actually, he was a puppet in the first


    ce. Victoria wouldn''t hurt the Qin n just to save him. On the contrary, she would take his life, and


    then use his death to me Harper.


    Seeing that Dous was taken away by Harper, Victoria remained calm and sat back. Yet, Beth lost


    herposure. After all, Dous was her own son. After ten months of pregnancy, she gave birth to


    him and brought him up with hard efforts, so she couldn''t turn a blind eye to his safety. Victoria was


    unwilling topromise with Harper, but she was willing to do that for her son.


    "I want to see my son." In the end, Beth decided to cooperate with Matthew. So, she went to Matthew''s


    ce. She didn''t care about the Qin n at all and only cared about her son''s safety.


    "Pleasee in, Lady Beth." Barry led Beth inside the hall. Just as Matthew had expected, the Qin


    n wasn''t as united as it looked. The entire n had already been a mess. If it weren''t for Victoria


    who had used such ruthless means to intimidate the others, the Qin n would have already broken


    apart.


    Beth followed her into the room. She didn''t see her son. Instead, she saw Felton leaning against the


    couch, reading quietly. Holding back her anger, Beth asked in a cold voice, "Where is Dous?"


    "Lady Beth, wee. Please sit down," Felton looked up at Beth and said. "Samuel, serve tea to Lady


    Beth."


    "Lady Beth, please have some tea," said Samuel, as he delivered a cup of hot tea to her.


    Rubbing the handkerchief in her hand, Beth said, "Felton, Dous is your younger brother. Anyway,


    you are from the same n. Why don''t you help him?"


    "Lady Beth, now that you are here, you should know that our target is not to kill anyone," Felton said


    slowly. "I know that Dous is my brother, but the Qin n doesn''t take us as human beings."


    Beth''s eyelids twitched. The people of the Qin n were very selfish, especially Victoria. She was


    more focused on her own affairs and would never care about the lives of her two grandsons. In order to


    make better use of her ability to earn more benefits for the Qin n, she had let Felton run business


    for her all those years.


    "Your grandmother is just..." Beth hesitated.


    "Grandmother is old. Now that she is old, she should be reced by a new candidate. It''s time for the


    Qin n to have a new leader," Felton said slowly as he was reading the book. "Since the day I was


    taken away from the Qin n by Harper, I was no longer a member of the n."


    Beth''s eyes lit up. What Felton meant was that he wouldn''t try to fight to be the leader of the Qin n,


    so only Dous was qualified to be the leader. As long as she cooperated with them, the n would be


    under the rule of Dous. If she refused to cooperate with them, Dous''s life would be in danger and


    he would never have the chance to be the leader. Anyway, if she had to cooperate with them, it would


    be better for her to cooperate with Felton.


    "I want to see Dous first," Beth said after pondering for a while.


    "By the way, I forgot to tell you one thing." Felton closed the book. "Harper has sessfully cleansed


    her meridians. Now her strength is even stronger after she is pregnant."


    Beth''s pupils contracted sharply and she wanted to ask more, but Felton didn''t give her the chance.


    "Samuel, take Lady Beth to see Dous."


    "Please, Lady Beth," Samuel said at once and led her away. Beth was shocked. How did Harper


    manage to have her meridians cleansed sessfully without being baptized in the Death Pool? Did


    she have other ways to solve the problem of innate spiritual power of the Qin n?


    "Samuel, you''re the elder generation of the Qin n. The thing Felton told earlier, how did it happen?"


    Beth intended to start with Samuel to see if she could get some useful information. If she knew more


    information, it would be good for her to negotiate with Felton.


    But Samuel remained silent and didn''t answer her. After leading Beth into the dungeon, he turned


    around and left. Seeing that her son was locked up in the dungeon, Beth felt her heart ache.


    "Dous! My son! Are you all right?" Beth dashed forward and pounded on the door of the cell.


    Dous leant against the wall and opened his eyes weakly. At the sight of his mother, he felt delighted,


    then asked anxiously, "Mother, are you here to save me?"


    Beth nodded madly. "Don''t worry, Dous. I''ll get you out."


    "Mother, did Grandmother bring people here? Harper is pregnant. We''re running out of time. We must


    get the Heavenly Books and Sacred Seal before she gives birth to the child. Otherwise, we will have no


    chance to get them at all."


    Looking at her innocent son, Beth couldn''t help smiling bitterly. He was her only child. She had spoiled


    him since childhood, which led to his ruthlessness andck of intelligence. As a result, he was far less


    shrewd than Felton. So he hadn''t realized what kind of situation he was facing yet.


    Beth took a deep breath and said, "Your grandmother had given up you and Felton. I''m here to look for


    the cooperation with Matthew and his people. And I''ve decided to cooperate with them. What''s more,


    even if she gives birth to a child, she will be fine. She has seeded in cleansing her meridians!"


    "What?" Dous looked at his mother in disbelief. ''How could that be possible? How could Harper


    make it? She didn''t even get the Sacred Seal. How could that happen?'' "That''s impossible!" DousOwned by N?velDrama.Org.


    blurted out.

 Chapter 956 What A Father (Part One)

    Chapter 956 What A Father (Part One)


    When Beth arrived at the Qin n''s residence, Victoria was already summoning the n''s other


    elders. She immediately followed and went to her side.


    "The Qin n has hidden itself away from society here on the Cloud Mountain for the past twenty


    years. I think it''s time we go out and make our presence felt again," Victoria dered matter-of-factly,


    bordering nonchnce. No one responded to her, and instead, they just looked at each other with


    puzzled looks.


    The Qin n had hidden themselves away from people''s prying eyes mainly because of the


    harassment they had to endure for years. It was not easy for them to retreat and make a life for


    themselves on the secluded Cloud Mountain, but they did in order to live a peaceful life. Because of


    that, it was understandable if some did not want to go back to where they escaped from.


    "But My Lady, the people who had chased after us before we moved here haven''t been apprehended.


    If we return, I''m certain that we''d all be killed!"


    "The Great Jade Kingdom was the one trying to kill our n off. Now that I''m sure their imperial court


    had been destroyed, I know that we will be safe. What''s more, we have Phoenix City on our side now.


    With their help, we will be able to take back thend we once had. The Qin n will rise again!"


    Victoria exalted, excited.


    "Phoenix City?" Beth asked, surprised by this sudden announcement from Victoria. "Mother, have you


    forgotten about Dous?"


    Victoria frowned in response and said, "As I have told you, Beth, I will deal with Dous by myself.


    Why do you keep on bringing him up? Do you think I have forgotten him? Do you think I''m just going to


    leave him behind?"


    Beth took a deep breath and calmly said, "Mother, Dous is my son. I care deeply about him and his


    safety. He has fallen into the hands of Prince Matthew who controls the ck g Army''s three


    hundred thousand soldiers! If they alle for us, I''m afraid that Phoenix City can do nothing to help


    him!"


    Victoria''s frown deepened. "What are you trying to say, Beth?"


    "Mother, what I''m saying is that we must not be too sure of Phoenix City''s help. Darren heads the city,


    but ording to news that has been going around, he has been seriously injured recently and may


    soon die. If that''s the case, then who are you cooperating with? Yes, my son''s life is in Harper''s hands,


    but more importantly, we have our people to protect. We need to give them more security, and not just


    empty promises!" Beth responded in a way that was neither humble nor pushy. She thought, ''Old bitch,


    you didn''t strike any deal with Phoenix City, did you? You are just lying! Since Darren is currently in the


    process of dying, how did you secure his support?''


    With that, Victoria shifted her gaze towards Beth. Her stare was knowing and piercing. "Do you really


    think that Darren is the one controlling Phoenix City?" she asked tly.


    This sent shivers down Beth''s spine. "Lord Derrick? Are you working with Lord Derrick?"


    Victoria stayed silent. Her expression didn''t even change. With her acquiescence, she neither admitted


    nor denied what Beth had just said. While some elders seemed worried about Phoenix City not being a


    match for Matthew, most of the elders looked pleased with what Victoria had just said. After all,


    Matthew brought the Great Jade Kingdom on its knees. Even though Phoenix Citysted longer than


    one of the great kingdoms of the world, nobody knew what Matthew would do if they offended him.


    "As I have told you everything I should, we will now proceed with taking out the treasures of the Qin


    n." The treasures of the n had be such a sensitive subject to everyone that right after


    Victoria mentioned it, the room started buzzing with hushed talks.


    "My Lady, are you sure about taking out the treasures of the Qin n now?"


    "But to take any of the treasures of the Qin n, we need the Heavenly Books and the Sacred Seal.


    We don''t have any of them as they are currently with Rndo and Harper. How will we be able to do


    what you want us to do?" The excitement that dawned in Victoria''s eyes made her look like decades


    younger than she actually was.


    At this sight, Beth''s eyelids twitched. ''If the old women is nning to fight Harper and has never given a


    thought about my son''s life, she can''t me me for things I''ll do!"


    Two days passed and Harper had finally developed an antidote. "It''s done!" she screamed out, in


    celebration and relief.


    Matthew raised his eyebrows. "Really? Congrattions, my darling! Since you haven''t had a good rest


    for two days now, how about you go to bed first?"


    "No. Let''s send the antidote to Darren first! This is for him, so it must be delivered to him as soon as


    possible!" Harper said cheerfully.


    "Well, then. Let''s go!" Matthew put his arm around Harper''s waist, intending to walk her to Darren''s


    house. As they exited the pharmacy, they spotted Daphne standing outside. Upon seeing Harper''s


    jubnt face, she immediately came up to the couple.


    "Harper, have you worked out the antidote?"


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    Harper nodded, and Daphne felt relieved. She covered her chest and said, "I''m worried that you can''t


    develop the antidote in time. Luckily, you''ve made it."


    "Let''s go and give him the antidote." Harper shook the bottle in her hand.


    Daphne nodded, hurried turn around and went to Darren''s bedroom. However, a sudden change


    happened. A stream of vital energy went straight to Harper''s vital part. Matthew took her to retreat


    quickly and avoided the attack, but Daphne was thrown to the ground due to the impact of the sudden


    attack.


    Harper realized something and wanted to put the antidote away, but someone hit her wrist. As she felt


    it numb, the antidote bottle got out of her hand and was robbed in an instant.


    With his eyes furious, Matthew instantly caught up with that figure and aimed at his vital part with no


    mercy. That person seemed to be surprised at his speed. He slightly moved and protected his vital part.


    However, he was still hit by Matthew and moved backward quickly. He was about to escape, but


    someone suddenly appeared behind him and kicked him on the back, making him get back.

 Chapter 957 What A Father (Part Two)

    Chapter 957 What A Father (Part Two)


    The attacker was wearing a bronze mask, so no one could see his face. But when he saw the one who


    kicked him was Darren, surprise shed his eyes.


    "Darren. Why did you get up? Be careful of your injury," Daphne shouted in surprise.


    Daphne rushed towards Darren.


    "Stay there," Darren rebuked and stopped her. The bronze masked man rushed to Daphne and tried to


    catch her as the hostage. However, the moment he grasped her neck, he withdrew his hand. When he


    reached out his hand, he found that it turned ck.


    Daphne touched her neck with a frightened look. Luckily, she had put some poison on her body in order


    to protect herself. Otherwise, she would have a hard time today.


    "Give me the antidote." Taking a step forward, Harper looked at the masked man, and said slowly,


    "Give me the antidote and I''ll spare your life."


    The masked man sneered. He pulled out the cover, and put the antidote directly into his mouth. There


    was no time for Harper to stop him. She could only watch him swallow all of them.


    "You..."


    "The antidote is gone. Now, there is no need for all of you to stay alive," the masked man said coldly


    and waved the empty bottle in his hand.


    "I have stopped you, but you still want to die. You asked for it, and you deserve it. Don''t me


    anybody." Harper sighed.


    The masked man was a little confused and did not understand what Harper said. "What do you mean?"


    Looking at the China bottle he had thrown on the ground, Harper said, "It was not the antidote in the


    bottle. It''s the Internal Force Ruining Powder. Haven''t you tasted it?"


    "Internal Force Ruining Powder!" The masked man was shocked. He immediately hit his three main


    acupoints to avoid the powder''s power from circting inside his body. Then he red at Harper. There


    was no antidote to the powder yet. Even though he had a great power, he would not dissolve its side


    effect after swallowing one full bottle.


    Darren covered his chest with one hand, and the wound was torn when he kicked just now. The shirt on


    his chest had been dyed red with blood. Harper frowned and said, "Brother."


    Darren waved his hand, indicating that he was fine. He looked at the masked man. "Take off your


    mask."


    The masked man took a look at Harper and Darren and hesitated. He thought he should leave


    immediately and as long as he was alive, he would have plenty of opportunities to avenge. With those


    thoughts in mind, he wanted to run away immediately. Yet, the moment he tried to fly away, there was a


    net falling from the sky, and he was put in it without dy.


    When he was struggling, the bronze mask fell to the ground. Daphne looked at the man in the iron


    incredulously and even rubbed her eyes, unwilling to believe what she saw.


    "Father?"


    The one who was caught was the lord of Phoenix City, Derrick. With a cruel expression on his face, he


    grabbed the iron and tore it apart. He reached out to catch the approaching Daphne, using his five


    fingers to grab her throat. "Move aside. Otherwise I''ll kill her."


    "She''s your daughter!" Harper howled. Derrick was caught, which meant it was also him who had


    seriously injured Darren in order to get the antidote. They were his children. Even a vicious tiger would


    not eat its cubs. The lord was worse than a beast!


    Without any hesitation, Derrick coldly looked at Harper and ordered, "Give me the antidote."


    "If you want the antidote, just say it. Why did you threaten Daphne with her life after you hurt Darren


    badly? They are your children. Are you going to break up with them and make the Feng n lose its


    only two descendants?" Harper said calmly.


    "Cut the crap. Hand over the antidote. Otherwise..." Derrick clenched his fingers. Daphne screeched


    and showed a heartbroken expression. She couldn''t ept the fact that her brother had been seriously


    injured by their father.


    Harper took out another bottle and looked at Derrick. "Do you dare to take the antidote I give you?"


    Thinking of the bottle of Internal Force Ruining Powder he had taken earlier and the cunning Harper,


    Derrick turned to Darren. "Throw it to Darren and let him take it first."


    A cold light shed in Harper''s eyes. She disdained Derrick very much. In order to get the antidote, he


    had seriously hurt his son first, and then used his daughter as a bargaining chip to run away. She hated


    people like him the most!


    Harper threw the antidote bottle to Darren. He plucked out the lid, took out only one pill and said,


    "There is only one pill. Are you sure you want me to take it?"


    Derrick looked at Harper and asked, "Only one pill?"


    Harper nodded. "Yes, there is only one. So, you have to make a bet. Will you take it yourself or give it


    to Darren? If it is the real antidote, and he takes the pill, then you won''t have it. Of course, if not, it won''t


    do any harm to you after he takes it."


    Derrick knew very well how cunning Harper was, but he dared not to let Darren take the only antidote.


    Nobody tried it, and nobody knew whether it was the antidote!


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Throw me the antidote." After a long time, Derrick finally made a decision. He couldn''t put it off


    anymore. The Internal Force Ruining Powder had already started taking effect. If he didn''t take it now, it


    would only do him more harm!

 Chapter 958 Victorias Suggestion (Part One)

    Chapter 958 Victoria''s Suggestion (Part One)


    As soon as Derrick got the antidote, he divided it into two parts. He forced one part down Daphne''s


    throat. When he found his daughter was fine after taking the antidote, he swallowed the other part


    himself.


    Harper could only look on at what Derrick was doing, a disgusted look on her face. Matthew, on the


    other hand, showed no emotion on his face. His clenched fists, however, showed the rage he was


    feeling inside.


    Darren, whose face was paper white, gritted his teeth in anger.


    "Get out of the way, you two! If you don''t, I''ll slit Daphne''s throat!" Derrick hissed, his eyes wide, like a


    maniac. Yes, he had a son and a daughter, but they were useless to him. The moment he got the Qin


    n''s treasure, he would stop aging! He could have as many children as he pleased!


    Harper remained still, her eyes transfixed on the crazed Derrick. At some point, Matthew decided to


    grab her arm and pull her out of Derrick''s way. Derrick then started heading towards the mansion''s exit


    with Daphne as his hostage. He knew that as long as he escaped from the mansion, no one would be


    able to catch him. As Darren had managed the entire city and the mansion for many years, he had


    be the actual ruler of the city.


    Daphne became increasingly terrified as she was being dragged away by Derrick, her own father, a


    person who she had always respected. He attacked Harper, poisoned his own son after being drugged,


    and now, he was threatening others with her as a hostage. Was he really their biological father?


    When Derrick finally exited the room, Harper hurried to Darren''s side to support him. "I told you we can


    handle it. Why did you stille out?"


    Darren feebly leaned his whole body against Harper, weakly answering, "Look¡ªI''m worried about you,


    Harper. I just wanted toe out and have a look."


    "And now your wound is bleeding. Everything we''ve worked for all went down the drain," Harper said


    with a sigh. As she prepared to assist Darren more, Matthew pulled her away and forced Darren to lean


    against him.


    "Harp is weak. I''ll help you." Matthew donned danger in his eyes as he asserted his dominance against


    Darren. He didn''t care about the fact that he was Harper or Daphne''s older brother¡ªthere was no


    chance in hell he would let him take advantage of his wife just like that!


    "Is this your husband?" Darren asked, looking at Harper.


    "Yes. That is my husband," Harper replied, closing her eyes because of embarrassment.


    "He is too narrow-minded. Does he often do this to you and every man around you?" asked Darren


    without hesitation.


    Harper''s expression became grim. "Darren, I know that you''re only acting like this because no one is


    here to tell you otherwise. I suggest you stop now because if you don''t, I don''t think I could be gentle


    when I apply medication on your woundter."


    Darren''s face froze. Slowly, he turned to Matthew and said dramatically, "Look at her! Did you see her


    threatening her older brother? She''s gone feral,wless! Discipline her!"


    The previously agitated Matthew instantly became amused by the bickering that was happening


    between the brother and sister. He, indeed, was ready to murder Darren, especially after hearing from


    the secret guards that Harper had been especially sweet to him. Many times he had caught himself


    looking at his danger, contemting whether or not he should just kill Darren, but he held back every


    time because of the consequences. Now, he was thankful that he hadn''t been overly impulsive.


    "Harp is always gentle. No one needs to discipline her," Matthew replied.


    It was now Darren''s turn to roll his eyes. "You two are so cute, just ganging up on me and bullying me,


    huh? I know that women tend to help their husbands more, but really, Harper? Picking this goon over


    me?" Darren stated angrily.


    Harper immediately snatched one of Darren''s arms and said, "Let''s just go, Darren. Let me change


    your wound dressings for you."


    Darren couldn''t help but notice how Harper gnashed her teeth as she said those words. Darren''s mouth


    began twitching, and in a low voice, he said, "Someone took Daphne away, Harper. Why not go and


    save her first? She''s our sister now, isn''t she?"


    "Shut up and don''t worry. I''ll save her. Right now, the top priority is your wound."


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    "There are physicians here to treat my wound, dear sister. There is literally no need for you to stay here


    and do that. Besides, everyone knows you''re overqualified. Come on, Matthew, tell her to go. The


    priority now is to save Daphne''s life." Darren regretted doing that. He couldn''t figure out what Harper


    would do to himter.


    "You''re the priority, so she will take good care of you first," Matthew said with a faint smile.


    Daphne was thrown on the floor by Derrick. Because she was hit at certain acupoints, she couldn''t


    move. Derrick had to force the Internal Force Ruining Powder out of his body. Otherwise, all his efforts


    would be in vain and his cultivation base would be destroyed.


    Looking at the man with a cold face, Daphne felt extremely sad. Since childhood, she and her brother


    had lost their mother, and their father had been out all the year round. So, she and her brother


    supported each other. No matter what Darren did, he would take her with him until she could take care


    of herself. Only then did he let go of her and allow her to do something on her own.


    "Why did you kill my brother? If you want the antidote, why didn''t you hurt anybody else instead of


    Darren? Andy did you hurt him so badly?" Daphne asked in confusion.


    While forcing the poison out, Derrick opened his eyes and nced at Daphne. "I was not going to hurt


    him. You are the one that I wanted to hurt."


    Daphne was just like being struck by lightning. ording to what this man said, after he was poisoned,


    the first thing he wanted was to make her poisoned and then force Harper to hand over the antidote.


    Unfortunately, her brother found that, and thus, was seriously injured in order to save her.

 Chapter 959 Victorias Suggestion (Part Two)

    Chapter 959 Victoria''s Suggestion (Part Two)


    Daphne closed her eyes and didn''t say anything. She was afraid that if she kept asking, she would get


    an answer she couldn''t ept, so she chose to be silent. Now that her brother was taken care of by


    Harper and would be fine, she wouldn''t give this man any chance to threaten her brother with her.


    "My Lord, the olddy is here." The voice of a secret guard sounded outside the door.


    Derrick stopped cultivating and said slowly, "Let her in."


    The door was opened. It was an old woman with grey hair. She walked in on a crutch and looked


    energetic. It was Victoria. She greeted, "Lord Derrick."


    "The n has changed. We have to take action in advance. We have investigated about Matthew''s


    base outside the city. You send some people to destroy this ce. Then lead your soldiers to join me


    and attack Phoenix City," Derrick said in a deep voice.


    Victoria was surprised. "We seem to have no enough people to surround Phoenix City."


    "Don''t forget that I am the lord of Phoenix City. Without me, the soldiers of Phoenix City cannot be


    mobilized by Darren. Now that we have fallen out with Matthew, I have topletely control the city


    before his ck g Army arrives," Derrick slowly responded.


    "After all these years, Lord Darren has grown stronger. It''s not easy to get the city back from him."


    Victoriaughed in a triumphant way. After all, Darren was not a fool. How could he not know what


    Derrick could figure out? Perhaps, a trap had been set in the city, waiting for him to step in.


    "He doesn''t dare to act rashly." Casting a nce at Daphne who was thrown in the corner, Derrick


    continued, "After all, they are siblings with deep affection. He will not give up his sister."


    Daphne gritted her teeth and thought, ''You really want to threaten Darren with me, but I won''t let you


    get what you want.''


    Victoria nced at Daphne, aplicated light shing in her eyes. After all, the olddy and Derrick


    were the same sort of people. In their eyes, children were pawns. If they could exchange their children


    for benefits, as long as the chips were enough, they would not hesitate at all.


    "Lord Derrick, now that things have be like this, I think we need to revise our cooperation."


    Victoria was a sophisticated old woman. She had nned to take advantage of Harper to get the


    Heavenly Books and Sacred Seal. But unexpectedly, Harper was useless, for Rndo had got them.


    Fortunately, Rndo had other intentions and irritated Matthew. Thus, his empire was destroyed by the


    prince and he fell into his hands again. This meant that the Heavenly Books and Sacred Seal had been


    given back to Harper again. All the olddy needed to do was lower herself and apologize to Harper.


    And then she would find a good excuse to cheat her into opening the secret realm first after sending


    people to lurk around in advance. After the secret realm was opened, they would just capture Harper.


    With such a good n, there was no need to cooperate with Derrick.


    How could Derrick not understand Victoria''s intention? "Do you think Harper will believe you again?"


    "After all, we are family."


    "Do you think Darren will believe me again?" Derrick asked faintly. Darren would not believe him


    anymore, and he would do whatever he could to make his father pay back what he had suffered.


    Victoria didn''t change her face. She also had doubts on her mind. ''If Harper refuses to believe me, and


    I have no more chips, it would be extremely difficult to get things from her.''


    "I have my own way."


    "You have no way. Even after the Chu n, which had brought her up, angered her, she did not


    hesitate to destroy it, not to mention some distant rtives by blood. Believe it or not, as long as you


    show up in front of Harper, she will kill you!" Derrick sneered.


    Of course Victoria believed that. She had witnessed how ruthless and vicious Harper was, so she was


    afraid that Harper was too sensitive and found that they were just using her. That was why she


    cooperated with Derrick, aiming to use him to deal with Matthew. But now Derrick had lost his


    controlling power of Phoenix City, so he couldn''t be a good partner.


    "If I escort you to cooperate with Harper, will she agree?" asked Victoria softly.


    Hearing that, Derrick burst intoughter. Then he said, "That depends on whether you have the ability


    to capture me."


    Victoria looked at the sedate Derrick with some hesitation. Beside him was Daphne lying on the floor.


    For these years, under the protection of Darren, Daphne was not a person easy to get along with. If the


    father and daughter worked together, as well as Derrick''s people, perhaps they would both be injured.


    "Don''t you think my suggestion is a good one?" Victoria thought quickly. She had already figured out


    how to restrain Harper, or how to make her cooperate with them.


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    A trace of confusion shed on Derrick''s face. He thought carefully about what Victoria said, and


    immediately understood what she meant. She would use him to deceive Harper, and then keep


    Daphne in her hand as a hostage to suppress Harper. If Victoria proposed to cooperate again, a war


    would be avoided.


    "Yes, it''s a feasible idea," Derrick said slowly. He was willing to achieve his goal without resorting to


    forces. Although he was the lord of Phoenix City, he had been outside searching for the secret of the


    Qin n during the past ten years. Darren had long controlled the whole city. Now, probably very few


    people in the city were willing to listen to his words. Therefore, Victoria''s suggestion was worth a try.

 Chapter 960 The Invitation From The Qin Clan (Part One)

    Chapter 960 The Invitation From The Qin n (Part One)


    "Harp, someone from the Qin n has just arrived. He imed that the Qin n wants to make peace


    with you and that he has a letter for you." Seeing how busy Harper was reading a book, Matthew


    immediately snatched the volume off her hand, even giving her a look of disagreement. "Harp, you


    have to stop doing this. You''re a pregnant woman! You shouldn''t overwork yourself!" he said


    exasperatedly.


    "What? I''m just reading a book!" Harper was a bit speechless in front of the protective husband, who


    seemed to make a fuss about anything that might cost her time and energy.


    "Harp,e on. You know you''ll get tired after reading for some time. The bnce between work and


    rest is very important, especially for someone expecting." Aside from strictly monitoring his pregnant


    wife''s daily activities, Matthew made sure that he had prepared every food that was good for pregnant


    women, as per their physician. He even cooked the chicken soup himself! "You know what? Eating is


    better than reading. Come and have a taste of this chicken soup I made."


    "Okay, didn''t you just say that someone from the Qin n arrived? Then now isn''t the time for chicken


    soup!" Harper said confused to high heavens. Matthew didn''t react whatsoever, and so Harper just


    gave up, taking the bowl of soup from his hand. As she stirred it to cool it off, she said, "Let him in."


    "What''s with the rush?" asked Matthew immediately, "Drink the chicken soup first. There is plenty of


    time." With that, instead of going ahead and calling the visitor in, he just sat by Harper''s side, making


    sure she ate her food.


    Harper knew that there was no way she would be able to convince Matthew any further, and so she


    resigned herself to finishing the chicken soup. Matthew''s eyes lit up with happiness when he saw that


    Harper was drinking more than he had expected. After Harper emptied the bowl, he filled another one


    at once.


    "One more, Harp," Matthew cheerfully urged.


    "Matthew, your chicken soup is honestly one of the best chicken soups I have tasted, but having too


    much of it will make me sick. Why don''t you try it?" Before Matthew could respond, Harper quickly took


    the bowl from his hand, scooped a spoonful of soup, and basically forced it to him. Though surprised,


    Matthew grinned widely, opened his mouth like a spoiled child, and closed his eyes as he gulped the


    liquid down. The look on his face, however, suddenly changed.


    "Bitter? Why does it taste like drug!" he grumbled, tears almost forming in his eyes.


    "Bitter?" Harper asked, an amused smile on her face. "No, it''s not. You worked so hard on it. So, drink it


    all!"


    Seeing that Harper was in such high spirits, Matthew dared not reject her. ''It is just a bowl of chicken


    soup. Even though it tastes like bitter medicine, it''s not a big deal,'' he thought. He wouldp the soup


    all up in tears if need be. After all, he himself had cooked it, and he could me no one else.


    After finishing his bowl of the soup he concocted, Matthew was in no mood to speak anymore. Harper,


    now free and unbothered by Matthew, then asked one of her servants to usher Qin n''s messenger


    in.


    "Good day, Your Highness," greeted the man, who looked gentle and amiable. He turned out to be the


    new steward of the Qin n.


    "I believe you bring news from the Qin n?" asked Harper a bit drily. She had already made a clean


    break with the Qin n. It wasn''t that hard for her, as Felton was the only one she truly cared about.


    "Lady Victoria wants you to go back to the Qin n. She wanted to discuss something important¡ªthe


    whole n''s inheritance." The steward didn''t know how Harper would react to the invitation, and so he


    tried to take a look of her face. Since he didn''t want her to decline the invitation, he was trying to be as


    cordial as humanly possible.Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    After a few moments of silence, Harper finally spoke. "Oh, I thought it would be something important. It


    turns out that it''s only about the inheritance. Please tell Lady Victoria that as a granddaughter married


    into another family, I''m not interested in the inheritance of the n at all. And besides, their inheritance


    only gets passed down to the sons of the n. It isn''t my ce to take any of it, so I''d better not meddle


    in things I''m not a part of," refused Harper rather indifferently.


    Hearing this, the steward became anxious. "Your Highness, it''s not like what you said. You are a


    member of the Qin n and also the direct line of descent. I mean, if you are not qualified, who else


    deserves it? Lady Victoria even noted that you are the most eligible person to inherit everything the


    n has."


    "I said I''m not interested," Harper reiterated in a tone a bit more hostile. She had no time to care about


    the Qin n. Currently, her top priority was Derrick and how to effectively deal with him. He had proven


    to be incredibly cunning and ruthless that he would even use his own son and daughter to get what he


    wanted. As he was clearly desperate, he would do and use anything to his advantage.


    The steward felt more anxious than ever before, but he made sure he didn''t show it on his face. "I


    understand. Lady Victoria also asked me to give this to you. She instructed me to tell you to read that


    first so that you''d understand her better."


    Harper narrowed her eyes, but she didn''t take the letter over. Seeing that, Matthew gestured to the


    maid, and the girl went to take the letter over at once. After a careful check, she handed it to Harper


    finally.


    Harper knew that Victoria wanted to get the Qin n''s inheritance all the time, and she would never


    give up before she got what she craved for. For this, Harper was expecting that there would merely be


    some fancy words in the letter, which aimed at luring her to give a hand. But she was wrong. Yet, what


    was written in the letter was beyond her imagination!


    "What''s wrong?" Seeing that the expression on Harper''s face changed, Matthew leaned forward and


    asked worriedly.


    Harper didn''t answer him. She instead raised her head and looked at the steward, "Go back and report


    to Lady Victoria that I''ll pay a visit as she wishes, in three days."


    "Yes, Your Highness." The steward then left cheerfully. As soon as the man had left, the letter was


    handed to Matthew. After reading it, he smiled.


    "I have been wondering why the olddy has the courage to go against us. It turns out that she has


    colluded with Derrick for quite a long time."


    "You see, Matthew, what the olddy says is that she has the lord of the Phoenix City in her hand and


    asks us to discuss how to deal with him. Besides, Daphne is also in her control. Now it could be said


    that she has the bargaining chips, so she wants to negotiate with us, forcing me to go there this time,"


    Harper analyzed indifferently. In fact, she didn''t care if the old fox Derrick was caught by the Qin n,


    but the problem was, Daphne had also fallen into their clutches!


    "But Derrick is definitely a sly old fox, howe he would make the mistake and fall into the hands of


    Victoria? Unless this old fox surrendered to her voluntarily." Matthew had seen the matter more clearly


    than Harper. "Derrick has built his authority through years of scheming and calcting, while the old


    lady has been hiding in the deep mountain for many years. No matter how clever she might be, the Qin


    n can''t catch Derrick this easily. Derrick might only be a bait. I''m afraid they are inviting you to a


    dinner full of conspiracies," Matthew reminded.

 Chapter 961 The Invitation From The Qin Clan (Part Two)

    Chapter 961 The Invitation From The Qin n (Part Two)


    "That''s good. I haven''t had such a dinner for a long time." With a broad smile, Harper said, "I wonder if


    you are interested in going to the feast with your wife?"


    "Why not? If you need me, I''ll do anything for you," Matthew agreed at once.


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    "That''s enough, you two! Stop saying such disgusting words!" Darren couldn''t bear to see them


    disying their love so openly. "But do you guys really intend to go there alone?"


    "Of course," Harper confirmed, "If I go there taking any guards, the olddy will be rmed and might


    just hide away with Derrick. Who knows where we can find them if this happens? If I don''t kill the snake


    with one single strike, it would be very likely that I would be bitten by it in return. I like to dig out the


    roots while cutting the weeds, and save myself any potential troubles in the future. "


    By now, Darren could finally understand Harper''s whole n. "So you are going to y their game and


    beat them?"


    With her eyes sparkling, Harper said, "Brother, Victoria and we are all gambling in this game, to tell the


    truth."


    Darren smiled, "Perhaps Derrick is gambling, too."


    "Yes, I think we are all gambling. So this is an opportunity for us. Derrick should know clearly where the


    secret treasure house of the Qin n is hidden, while the Heavenly Books and the Sacred Seal are in


    our hands. If Derrick wants to reveal the secret, he has to get the books and the seal. As for taking


    things from me and Matthew, he knows that''s impossible. So here they are, starting this game," Harper


    commented with a bit evil smile. "And that''s why the Qin n invited us to have a talk."


    "Don''t go. It might be a trap."


    "I have to go." Harper shook her head, "Apart from Derrick, Daphne is also in their hands. So we have


    to be careful with the conditions they offer. Turing them down is really not a good choice now."


    "Then Iet me go instead." Darren still disagreed with her. After all, Harper had a child inside her, and


    shouldn''t take the risk.


    Harper shook her head again, "No, you must stay in the Phoenix City, because it''s the best chance for


    Derrick to take the initiative while Matthew and I are absent! You should hold the fort."


    Coldness shed in Darren''s eyes. Although the body he was now taking was the body of Derrick''s


    own son, the young man had been killed by the old fox himself. As for he himself, he didn''t feel


    anything for the cruel father.


    "Please take care of Harper from now on, Matthew. If something happens to her and her unborn


    baby..."


    "Don''t worry, brother. I won''t leave her and her baby in any danger." Matthew meant every words. After


    all, it was his wife and child that they were talking about, so he certainly would look out for them. At the


    same time, he had to get rid of the Qin n and Derrick once and for all, whatever it took, for they


    would always be a threat if left alone. He decided to take this opportunity to deal with them, even


    though there would be risks to take!


    On hearing that Harper was going to visit the Qin n with Matthew alone, Felton strongly opposed, "I


    disagree. You can''t go to the Qin n by yourself. Victoria is a cruel and merciless woman and you are


    pregnant. You can''t take such a great risk."


    "Don''t worry, Felton. Victoria doesn''t dare to kill me yet." Harper understood the situation well. If anyone


    wanted to unveil the secrets of the Qin n, none of the guide, the Heavenly Books, the Sacred Seal,


    and someone from the direct line of descent were to be dispensed with. If she guessed it right, Derrick


    was the guide. Also, being a member from the direct line of descent and with the seal and the books,


    Harper knew what Victoria wanted to do with her.


    "But she won''t go easy on you, either!" Felton had be so anxious that he coughed badly. He


    couldn''t be a hundred percent sure what the olddy was nning, but he could say that the olddy


    wanted to kidnap Harper, so as to threaten Matthew and Rndo to hand over the Heavenly Books


    and the Sacred Seal in their hands. When she gathered all of these objects, and worked with the


    cunning and sophisticated Derrick, Harper might not be a match for her by then.


    Seeing that the man coughed so hard that his face turned red, Harper sent the servant to try to cool


    him down and said, "I know what I''m doing, Felton."


    "I know you are not acting rashly, but you now have your unborn baby to think about. You shouldn''t


    take a risk with it. Prince Matthew, won''t you say something to persuade her?" Since Felton found


    himself unable to talk Harper out of her n, he turned to Matthew for help, at least he thought this


    man held the principle that his wife was the most important. ¡®But why doesn''t he stop her from doing


    something dangerous like this?¡®


    "I''ll go with her," said Matthew, ignoring Felton''s worrying look.


    "Nonsense!" Felton felt a drumming in his temples. "You know Derrick and Victoria are up to no good;


    why would you do stupid things with Harper?" he continued.


    "Felton," Matthew started in a grim tone, "do you really think Derrick and the old woman would give up


    their n even if we didn''t ept their invitation?"


    Felton opened his mouth, but couldn''t say anything to retort. Surely, Victoria would try her best to fulfill


    her purpose even if Harper would not cooperate this time. Now that Harper and Matthew knew what the


    Qin n''s n might be, it could be the best choice to take the initiative. It was just that his intuition


    told him Harper should not to take the risk.


    "Is there any other way?" Felton was still unwilling to give in.


    "That''s the best way at present." "Don''t worry. Now that I know her purpose, I will not let her have her


    own way easily. My goal this time is to save Daphne, not to risk my life. Believe that I myself would not


    be so stupid to seek my doom." Harper tried tofort Felton in a soft voice.


    "Can''t you just let me..."


    "You know that I can''t." Harper was extremely gentle in front of this man, who was worrying about her


    heartily. "They want to catch me because I''m someone of direct line of descent, and they are worried


    that I might be in danger if I''m going to deliver a baby, so they act rashly. But the more hasty they are,


    the easier for them to give away their n. As long as they make any mistakes, we would have a


    chance to bring them down!"


    Seeing that Harper had made a decision, Felton knew that he couldn''t change her mind. She had


    always been like this. When she had made up her mind, she would do it without hesitation. "What can I


    do for you?" he then asked.


    "You have a lot to take care of. I will leave Beth to you."

 Chapter 962 The Trap (Part One)

    Chapter 962 The Trap (Part One)


    Harper and Matthew went to the Qin n''s banquet just as they had promised. Beth was already


    waiting for them at the door, but the moment she saw theming, she couldn''t help but be surprised.


    ''The two only bought one maid and one guard with them?'' she thought to herself, her brows furrowing.


    But soon enough, she breathed a sigh of relief after she realized that everyone serving Harper was in


    one way or the other remarkable. And because of that, she shouldn''t be worried.


    "Your Highnesses, pleasee in. Lady Victoria is already inside waiting for the both of you," Beth


    greeted. Theyplied, with Harper enteringst. Before she was able to, however, Beth grabbed her


    by the arm and whispered in her ear, "Be careful about what you eat."


    Harper nodded in a discreet manner as a hint of a smile appeared on her lips. She was Victoria''s


    target, but it would definitely be hard for her to pry her off Matthew''s side that night.


    The moment she entered the room, she immediately headed towards Victoria to greet her. "It''s nice to


    see you, Lady Victoria," she said cordially, a beautiful smile stered on her lips.


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    She had mastered the art of smiling despite despising the people she was interacting with during her


    time with the Chu n.


    Victoria didn''t react to Harper at all and just continued sitting still. However, as soon as she noticed that


    she only brought Matthew and two other people with her, her eyes lit up. "Your Highness, it is my


    pleasure. I''m sorry that I am not able to stand up to give you a proper salute. My poor health has been


    bothering metely, so please forgive me."


    As usual, Matthew was not for the formalities. Without even sparing Victoria a look, he went straight to


    his seat and sat down, Harper was unfazed though. She waved her head and said, "It''s okay. You don''t


    have to be so courteous. We really don''t care about these kind of small things. Let''s just say that even


    if you go against us, we still would deal with you with a smile on our faces."


    At this, Victoria''s face darkened a little. She immediately smiled awkwardly and said, "Well, we caught


    Derrick by sheer luck. Since you''ve been bearing grudges against him, I sent someone to your side to


    invite you here to discuss how to deal with him."


    "Yes, I indeed am bearing grudges against him. Also, he is holding my friend, Daphne hostage. Did any


    of your men see her when you caught Derrick?" A maid then entered and served them tea. "This smells


    good," Harperplimented as she took a whiff of the drink''s aroma. "I guess this is the new tea made


    recently."


    "That''s right. We picked the freshest leaves and made the tea by ourselves. So why not have a try?


    Trust me¡ªyou won''t be able to taste this kind of tea elsewhere!" A smile too friendly for Victoria''s good


    appeared on her face. She continued, "I actually invited you here for another reason. I want to


    apologize to you."


    "Lady Victoria, please don''t say that." Harper put down her cup of tea. "You''re my senior. You don''t


    need to be so courteous and even apologize to me."


    For a fleeting second, one could discern the extreme disdain that shed across Victoria''s eyes. To


    hide that, she put on her most gracious smile, and said, "I''m old, Harper. I miss my grandchildren. We


    have broken Felton''s heart and now he haspletely abandoned us. Dous the only heir left in this


    family. Could you let go of him?"


    "Please rest assured, Lady Victoria. And I mean it¡ªI''m sincere. If you hand Derrick and Daphne over


    to me, I can guarantee that Daniel will be safe," said Harper slowly as she fiddled with the lip of the


    cup.


    "Well... we''re not in much hurry..." Victoria then swiftly tried to change the subject. "By the way, I heard


    that you''re pregnant?"


    "Indeed," Harper replied shortly. She looked into Victoria''s eyes, wondering what she was trying to do.


    Since she had been chatting with her up, she must have been trying to buy time. ''Derrick must have set


    off towards Phoenix City and Daphne must have already fallen into the olddy''s hands,'' Harper


    thought. Before she had the confirmation that she would be able to get Daphne out safely, she knew


    she couldn''t act rashly.


    "Do you know what happens if a woman from the Qin n gives birth to a child without being baptized


    in the Death Pool?" Victoria said with a worried look. "Harper, I''m worried about you. If you die because


    of this child, the bloodline of the Qin n will be lost."


    It was a good thing that Harper wasn''t a clueless person. Immediately, she knew that the reason why


    Victoria was asking her such questions was because she wanted her to talk about the secret treasure


    house of the Qin n. But since Harper already had gotten the secret treasure of the Qin n, she


    was almost sure that there was nothing in the other secret treasure house that Victoria knew about and


    it might be just a smog bomb to cover the real one. Of course, she would never tell the Victoria this


    information.


    "Now that things havee to this, I have no choice but to wait and see."


    "You and the baby will be safe if you are baptized in the Death Pool. However, we haven''t found out


    where secret treasure house is yet. It''s our fault that we can''t get the Heavenly Books. Otherwise, we


    would have found the Death Pool and helped you. We really worry that you will die like your mother


    after the childbirth." Victoria peeked at Matthew while speaking.


    Rumor had it that Matthew loved Harper very much. If it was dangerous for Harper to give birth to the


    baby, Matthew might choose to give up the baby. However, there was an old saying¡ªof three kinds of


    ungratefulness to one''s parents, the greatest is not to have a descendant. Victoria wasn''t sure how


    much Matthew loved Harper. He might choose the baby over Harper. So Victoria was watching the


    expression on Matthew''s face.

 Chapter 963 The Trap (Part Two)

    Chapter 963 The Trap (Part Two)


    The moment Matthew came in, he said nothing and left all the things to Harper to handle. The only


    thing he had done was to ask the servant behind him to hand him a small bag and it turned out to be a


    bag of smoked plum. He picked one and fed it to Harper and Harper ate it with appetite.


    "Please forgive me, Lady Victoria. I love to eat something sour since I am pregnant," Harper exined,


    seeing the puzzled look on Victoria''s face. Harper knew that Victoria was buying more time for Derrick,


    so she was ying along with her. It was hard to say that who wouldughst.


    Victoria was confused. She could tell that Matthew loved their baby very much. In this way, there wasn''t


    much time left for them to find the treasure. They should find out where the secret treasure house was


    as soon as possible and open it.


    "Your Highness, if Harper and your child were in danger at the same time, which one would you choose


    to protect first?"


    Matthew gave Victoria a cold look and said tly, "Both." He would protect Harper and their baby no


    matter what happened.


    "What if you can only choose one?"


    "There is no if. I will protect Harper and whatever Harper wants," Matthew said seriously. "I will guard


    the baby and the Heavenly Books for Harper as long as she wants them."


    Victoria''s face darkened. She knew that there was no way to lure them into telling her the truth. She


    also wondered how Derrick was doing. Had he sessfully taken over the Phoenix City and caught


    Darren? After all, it seemed that Darren was more useful than Daphne.


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    "So does Prince Matthew agree to open the secret treasure house of the Qin n?" asked Victoria


    tentatively. "The way to keep both Harper and the baby safe is in the treasure house."


    "Really?" Matthew pretended to be suddenly enlightened. "Harp, what does she mean by secret


    treasure house? I''ve never heard of it."


    "I don''t know either," Harper replied with a smile. "Lady Victoria, do you know about it?"


    "It''s about the secret of our Qin n..." Victoria replied.


    "And their treasure," Harper chimed in. "It''s said that there are elixirs of immortality in the secret


    treasure house of the Qin n. Lady Victoria, do you know about it?"


    A glimmer of hope appeared in Victoria''s eyes. She was getting older and older, so she wanted the


    elixirs very much. But she would never show Harper her true feelings.


    "It''s just a rumor. No one knows if it is true." Victoria calmed herself down. The poison should take


    effect in any minutes now. After it took effect, Matthew would have no strength to resist, and then she


    could took Harper away to get the Heavenly Books and Sacred Seal.


    The servant behind Matthew suddenly fell down. Harper and Matthew turned their heads, only to find


    that the guard they brought with fell down as well. Harper seemed to be shocked and questioned,


    "What did you do?"


    A big smile appeared on Victoria''s wrinkled face as she said, "Harper, it''s all for your own good. You''d


    bettere with us. You are the only direct descendant of the Qin n. If you die, the treasure of the


    Qin n will be buried forever!"


    "So, should I express my thanks to you?" Harper said gently, smiling like a queen and didn''t look like


    someone who was under Victoria''s thumb.


    Matthew didn''t move, but his face was livid. Victoria sneered, "Your Highness, I suggest you''d better


    not activate your internal force. Otherwise, no one can guarantee your safety."


    Matthew snorted and didn''t reply. He stared at Victoria, waiting for her next move. He would tear


    Victoria''s head down if she dared to do anything to Harper!


    "It seems that it isn''t true that Victoria has caught Derrick. You already agree to work with him. Am I


    right? But are you sure he can give you what you want?" Harper said gently. There was no sign of


    impatience or anger in her tone.


    "Derrick has been ruling the Phoenix City for many years and he is also the guide to the secret treasure


    house. If I don''t cooperate with him, who else can I cooperate with? After all, you have refused my


    request," Victoria remarked as her face became ferocious.


    In fact, Harper truly admired Victoria''s tactics. Victoria had wanted to use her as a pawn and work with


    her at the very beginning. The olddy was so tolerant that she always hid behind the curtain and


    manipted the whole scheme. She had had someone hide a Heavenly Book in Harper''s dowry so


    that she would try to find out the secret of all the Heavenly Books. Then, the olddy released the other


    information about the Qin n to lead Harper to investigate the Qin n''s disappearance. It could be


    said that she made Harper walk into her well-set trap step by step.


    "So, you''ve decided to go against us, haven''t you?" Harper asked seriously. Since she was a mother-


    to-be, she became more soft-hearted. She wanted to give Victoria onest chance, but it would be


    Victoria''s decision to take it or not.


    "I''m not going against you two. It''s you two are going against me. I won''t kill you if youe with us. If


    Prince Matthew wants you to be safe and sound, he has to send someone to bring me the Heavenly


    Books and the Sacred Seal. Otherwise, I can''t guarantee that you and your unborn baby will be safe."


    "Oh, really?" Matthew asked seriously. Victoriaughed and pped her hands to ask someone to


    come in and take Harper away. However, after she pped her hands, no one came in. She was


    confused and pped her hands again, but still no one came in.


    Victoria''s face turned pale. She felt very strange. "Anybody? Where is everyone?"


    "Victoria, I suggest you stop shouting. There''s no one outside," Matthew said. "It''s about the time to


    settle everything between us."

 Chapter 964 Youre Back (Part One)

    Chapter 964 You''re Back (Part One)


    Victoria found herself pinned on a chair, the person pinning her down none other than her own


    daughter-inw, Beth, who had been nothing but obedient to her until that moment.


    "What the hell do you think you''re doing?" Victoria snapped, her eyes wide. "Beth, are you really


    nning on betraying me and our n?"


    Beth let out a loud, mockingugh. "Mother, lest you forget: you are just a concubine! You are not the


    legal leader of this n!"


    Victoria''s face was immediately drained of color. The thing she hated the most was when people


    referred to her as a concubine. For years, she had worked hard to erase that part of her life so that she


    could be seen and revered as the leader of their n!


    "What do you want, Harper?!"


    "Your Highness, we have found her."


    Harper nodded in acknowledgement. Finally, she heard some good news¡ªDaphne had been found.


    Now, the main thing they had to deal with was Derrick. Being the lord of the city, he still had a


    significant control over the ce, so it was hard to know how many spies were working for him. Harper


    would take this opportunity to weed them all out, because if not, they would only bring her endless


    troubles.


    Chaos, however, had already started taking hold of Phoenix City. The guards had betrayed the imperial


    court and the whole city had already be a battlefield. An army had already made its way to


    Matthew''s foothold just outside the city limits, but when they arrived, they found no one there.


    "Shit, it''s a trap! Withdraw! Withdraw!"


    "Where are you going? You just got here! Don''t tell me you''re leaving already!" Rndo called out,


    evidently amused. His boisterousughs then followed.


    The assassins, now more stunned than ever, immediately tried to flee as being in the same ce as


    Rndo only meant one thing: certain death. Unfortunately for them, it seemed that dying was


    inevitable. As soon as they got out, numerous arrows came flying towards them, killing some of them


    instantaneously. With that, they had no other choice but to hide until they had an opportunity to escape.


    Rndo, however, made sure that they wouldn''t see such an opportunity. Immediately, he ordered his


    people drench the whole ce in oil and to light it on fire, burning every assassin alive.


    Being burned alive or being shot by an arrow to death, the assassins were doomed.


    While Felton felt ufortable with this kind of violence, he decided that it would be better if he did not


    say anything. Besides, the assassins were sent there to kill him and hispanions, so he should not


    be too soft-hearted towards them. Aside from that, he could not jeopardize their n that was already


    in full swing: he had already destroyed all the secret footholds of the Qin n in and around Phoenix


    City, and as for the mansion of the Qin n, with Harper there, Victoria would not be able to make any


    kind of move against them.


    Darren stood by the gates of the lord''s mansion wielding a sword, his expression calm yet stone-cold,


    as if he had expected all the chaos around him.


    "Darren, my son," Derrick called out.


    "Stop calling me that. It makes me feel sick," Darren responded hostilely. "You have already killed your


    dear son."


    Derrick let out a chuckle and said, "Fine, fine. Whatever you say. But can you just surrender now? Stop


    making this hard for the both of us. You know well enough that you''re no match for someone like me."


    Darren didn''t look threatened and just bluntly asked, "Is that so? Aren''t you gravely overestimating your


    abilities?"


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    Derrick couldn''t help butugh. "Confident, aren''t you,d? I can tell it''s because of your connections


    with that Harper and her husband," he said as he donned a ferocious smile. "A bit of bad news,


    however: there is no way they cane here. Actually, anyone outside the city would not be able to


    get anywhere near here to lend you a hand. You''re isted, helpless, and cornered, Darren. Poor you."


    "I have no intention of surrendering, especially to you. I will kill you. It will be quick and painless, so


    don''t worry," Darren responded, unaffected by Derrick''s snide remarks. It was said that a vicious tiger


    would not eat its cubs. It meant that when Derrick killed his own son, he became worse than an


    instinct-driven beast!


    "How dare you threaten me! Kill him!" Derrick bellowed as he signaled for his minions to attack. His


    army immediately leapt to their feet andunched several attacks against Darren. Darren remained


    unflinching in the face of such danger. One by one he fought each and every one of Derrick''s soldiers,


    not even breaking a sweat in the process. His face was devoid of fear or any emotion rted to that as


    hordes of armed men continue to hound him.


    Upon seeing this, Derrick cackled and rushed towards Darren, his sword in his hand. He was the one


    who trained his son, so he should be the one to end the fight. His soldiers got out of his way, creating a


    space wherein he and Darren could face each other off. Everyone knew that none of them could take


    on Darren except his father!


    "Hey, General Joshua, when will you go down there to help our young lord?" Quincey asked as he


    stared at Joshua and gnashed his teeth. The man said he wasing to help Darren, but it seemed


    like he was contented on watching the brewing showdown from a far with no ns of lending a hand.


    "Darren knows what he''s doing. Just wait," said Joshua calmly. It was not the time for him to offer help.


    Derrick didn''t show his trump card yet. Thus, he couldn''t act rashly.


    Darren had been injured and poisoned. Although he was detoxified, he was still rtively weak. What


    was more, fighting against the traitors had consumed a lot of his energy. It was also a bit difficult for


    him to fight against Derrick. But Darren was still fighting fiercely. All the moves he used were what


    Chad had learned in the army. Derrick thought that he knew his son very well, but it turned out that he


    didn''t know him at all. After dozens of rounds, Derrick couldn''t get the slightest advantage and had to


    back off.


    "Go! Kill him!" Derrick ordered at once as he had already lost his patience. In order to get the secret


    treasure, he could even sacrifice his son and daughter. If he got the treasures of the Qin n and the


    pills that could help him live forever, he wouldn''t have to worry about having no children!


    Supporting his body with the sword, Darren said coldly, "Do you still want to sit back and watch the


    show? Are you pushing me to rob Harper of your prince?"


    When he heard what Darren said, Joshua touched his nose. He didn''t dare to let Darren do that. With a


    wave of his hand, several archers appeared on the roof, shooting at the traitors below.


    The unexpected change surprised Derrick. He fended off the arrows with his sword, but couldn''t


    withstand so many of them and got injured. Seeing that all the traitors were fallen, Joshua raised his


    palm, signaling to the archers to stop shooting.


    "Lord Darren, now that the traitors have fallen, do you want me to deal with this bastard?" Joshua


    asked with a grin.


    "Thank you," Darren said and then left coldly. Even though he didn''t admit Derrick was his father, he


    was still his natural son. He couldn''t kill him himself. Joshua was willing to help him, and he couldn''t be


    more grateful for that.


    With a smile, Joshua jumped down from the roof and pointed at the ground with his sword, "Lord


    Derrick, as requested, I, Joshua, need to see you off to hell. Remember, it''s me who sends you there!"

 Chapter 965 Youre Back (Part Two)

    Chapter 965 You''re Back (Part Two)


    Derrick was extremely angry. He cursed in mind that Victoria was so useless. She failed to stop


    Matthew and made his ck g Army show up here. Considering that the powerful ck g Army


    was here, he knew that Victoria had been defeated. Thus, the best option for him was to retreat for the


    time being. As long as he was alive, he still had a chance to make his way back.


    With that thought in mind, Derrick intended to retreat and run away immediately. However, as soon as


    he moved, an iron fell from the sky and trapped him tightly.


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    "Bastard, you have been captured!"


    Joshua snorted. He had guessed that Derrick cherished his life very much. When he found himself in a


    disadvantageous situation, he would definitely find a way to escape. So Joshua had prepared to


    prevent his escape in advance. As long as Derrick wanted to escape, he would definitely be a rat in the


    hole!


    The was made of iron. Thus, no matter how hard he tried, Derrick couldn''t break it and his face


    turned livid. "You can''t kill me. I am the only one who knows where the secret treasure house of the Qin


    n is hidden," Derrick said, staring at Joshua hatefully.


    Joshua squatted in front of Derrick and said, "You such a fool; do you think Princess Harper can order


    us to kill you here if she doesn''t know the hiding ce of the treasure?"


    "So, it''s Harper who wants to kill me!" Derrick was shocked. The reason he dared to make such a mess


    in the Phoenix City was that he had firmly believed Harper would not kill him, but now it turned out he


    waspletely wrong. After all, Harper was a heartless person. She had killed his father. Thus, she


    would never show mercy to him.


    "Please let me go, and I''ll take you to find the treasure," Derrick pleaded at once.


    "I''m not the kind who likes treasures!" Joshua spat on Derrick''s face and broke the sinews of his right


    hand with a sword. Derrick was both painful and furious, but he couldn''t resist. Holding his wrist, he


    wished he could tear Joshua to pieces.


    "Don''t worry, Lord Derrick. What I''m good at is to torture people, making him feel that death is better


    than being alive. You''ll soon beg me to kill you!" Joshua dragged the iron to the lord''s mansion.


    "Tsk-tsk, our general must be itching again. This time, the lord would have a lot to suffer. I''ve never


    seen anyone who won''t beg for mercy in front of our general!" one of Joshua''s subordinates eximed.


    When Harper sent people to escort Victoria back to the Phoenix City, the rebellion in City had already


    been suppressed. But when she saw the lord of Phoenix City who was tormented badly, Harper''s


    mouth twitched slightly and she whispered in Matthew''s ear, "Darling, I think you''d better find a wife for


    Joshua, in case he may suffer from some unknown illness after being single for too long time."


    Matthew checked Joshua from head to toe, who was still excited about his masterpiece. Joshua didn''t


    have the slightest idea that Matthew had already nned to find a tough woman to discipline him. How


    dare he make the lord look so bloody and show it to Harper when knowing that she was pregnant?


    Seeing that Harper came back, Derrick moved his mouth without lips and said with difficulty, "Kill me..."


    His teeth were also removed by Joshua, so he couldn''t speak clearly.


    With a sinister smile, Harper said, "Derrick, you are the lord of the Phoenix City, the doorkeeper of the


    secret treasure house of the Qin n. How can you die? You have to guard the secret treasure for all


    your whole life."


    Derrick''s eyes widened in disbelief. Only thest lord of the Phoenix City knew he was the doorkeeper


    of the treasure, which was a top secret passed down from thest lord. How could Harper know it?


    "You..." Derrick uttered with great difficulty.


    "Do you want to ask me why I knew such a fact?" Harper had a brighter smile. "Have you forgotten that


    I am the only direct descendant of the Qin n? How could I not know your secret?"


    "The treasure..." Derrick hesitated.


    "The secret treasure house is just a cover. The real inheritance is in the Heavenly Book. The secret


    treasure you''ve been thinking about in your mind is just a lie," Harper exined slowly. "After that door,


    there is no piles of gold and silver jewelry, nor is there any elixir that can help you live forever. There


    are only skeletons and endless silence and fatigue!"


    Derrick widened his eyes as though he couldn''t believe what she said. Then, he found it hard to


    breathe. In no time, he kicked the bucket. Victoria was unwilling to believe what Harper just said at all.


    After Harper opened the door of the secret treasure house, Victoria saw with her own eyes that there


    was nothing there. As she couldn''t ept such a blow, she went crazy. In all her lifetime, she made


    great efforts to gain the treasures, but it turned out to be nothing inside!


    Looking at the crazy old Victoria, Harper shook her head. The so-called secret treasure caused the


    fierce scramble among so many people. Yet, they didn''t know that the secret treasure didn''t exist. Even


    though she had exposed the truth, more people would still scramble for it just due to their greed.


    "That''s so boring. I''ve spent so much time searching for such an empty warehouse. It''s a big loss for


    me!" Rndo saidzily. "Boring! I should go now."


    "Where are we going?" asked Harper.


    "The Great Jade Kingdom perished. Where can I go? As the former emperor of a perished kingdom, of


    course, I will roam around the world." Rndo waved his hand and left without looking back.


    Looking at Rndo''s receding figure, Harper didn''t ask him to stay. Rndo had his own pride, and his


    pride wouldn''t allow him to live under other people''s roof, even though he was no longer an emperor.


    "Darling, let''s go back to the imperial capital." All of a sudden, Harper missed the rtives and friends


    of the imperial capital a lot. Now that her brother came here, and the Phoenix City needed time to


    recuperate, it was time for her to go back to the imperial capital.


    When they arrived at the imperial capital, Harper felt that she had been away for a long time. She got


    off the carriage at the gate of the capital, looking at the prosperous capital, and smiled with satisfaction.


    Yes, she came back again.


    A young man was holding a pretty girl in his hand. His eyes reddened as he saw Harper get off the


    carriage. He called with tears brimming in his eyes, "Harper."


    Harper was a little surprised. He looked at the boy who held the child, and found that the boy and the


    girl were Alexander and Gianna whom she hadn''t seen for a long time. Before she could say anything,


    Alexander had released his arms from Gianna''s and ran towards her. But when the boy was about to


    rush into Harper''s arms, he was stopped by Matthew.


    "You brat, who allowed you to be so reckless? Don''t you know that your sister is pregnant? What if you


    hurt her?" Matthew was so nervous about his wife''s safety, fearing that someone would hurt her.


    Alexander stood still and restrained his impulse to cry in the arms of Harper. He mumbled, "Harper,


    you''re back."


    "Sister, give me a hug," Gianna said innocently. Although she was only one year old, she could speak


    now. Alexander was afraid of the threatening look of Matthew, but little Gianna wasn''t. She waved her


    two little fat hands to ask for the hug of her sister.


    Harper stretched out her arms to hold her, but as soon as she touched Gianna, thetter was grabbed


    by Matthew. "Gianna, your sister is going to have a little niece for you, so she can''t hold you. Let me


    hold you."


    Gianna looked at Harper curiously. She was so cute that Harper wanted to kiss her. So, she pecked on


    her chubby face and said, "Do you miss me, Gigi?"


    "Yes, yes." Gianna''s eyes sparkled and some saliva slipped down from the corner of her mouth. She


    also wanted to peck on her sister''s face.


    Alexander held Harper by his hands. Although he was just eleven years old, he was almost as tall as


    Harper.


    Harper touched his head and said, "Alexander, you are taller, almost taller than me."


    Alexander blushed and said, "My sworn father said, when I am fifteen or six years old, I will be taller


    than you, or even Brother-inw."


    "Has Marquis Pearcee to imperial capital with you?" asked Harper smilingly.


    "My sworn parents are both here, and they want me to go back to the imperial capital for further study,"


    Alexander said as he looked at Harper timidly. He didn''t ask for his sister''s opinion because he really


    missed her. He wanted to go back to the imperial capital, and he felt at ease as long as he stayed with


    his sister.


    "Well, it''s a good idea to go back to the imperial capital. After you are back, I will worry less about you,"


    Harper said slowly. "Have you ever seen our brother?"


    "Our brother?" Alexander looked at Harper in confusion, wondering who the brother she referred to.


    "Howard Chu."


    Alexander shook his head and answered, "I''ve met Prime Minister Zack, my teachers, the retired Grand


    Secretary Franklin and his wife, and Prince Allen. But I haven''t met our brother yet.


    Harper blinked her eyes and thought, ''I don''t think Howard wants to go back to this ce that makes


    him sad. He used to be ambitious and wanted to make a ssh, but his ambition was thwarted by me.


    Even though the world is settled, I guess he is not willing to go back here.''


    Not far away, Zack, in his usual light blue brocade robe, was looking at Harper and smiling elegantly


    and gently. "You''re back," Zack said simply.


    "Yes, we are back," Harper smiled.


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