Forensic Imperial Concubine by Erika Black

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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, the latter passed out and was forced to
have a rest.
"The Black Flag Army still has me, so you don't need to strain yourself so much," Joshua said in a low yet decisive tone, glancing
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 also launch 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 Black Flag 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 Black Flag 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 Black Flag 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 place 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 ablaze. 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 occupy this place 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 already late. If they delayed any further, they would lose their last 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 too late if you don't
leave right now!" Becky sounded rather vexed at this momentary indecisiveness on Francis's part. "Your Highness, will it be
acceptable 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 played 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. 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 to complain 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 manual labor 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 Palace, 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 collapsed 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 Palace 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.