Forensic Imperial Concubine by Erika Black

Matthew and his companions 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 hour later, 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 blamed 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 will come 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

clan, it's my duty to maintain the Chu Clan, so naturally, I cannot be your adopted son. Nonetheless, I

would like to take you and

Lady Allie as my parents, serve you and support you," Alexander explained. 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 Clan 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. "Accepting 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 becomes 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 play 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 accomplices

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."

"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 glared at Jason, the latter 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 glare.

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 playfully.

"I have no idea," Matthew answered.

Pearce had also heard of that. At the time, Matthew had just come 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."