Forensic Imperial Concubine by Erika Black

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 in combat. 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.
"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 plan 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 certainly coming 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.

assassins coming 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 have come 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 assassins come?" Lucas asked hesitantly. Although it was a good plan, 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 glared 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 claim 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 glare 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 claimed 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 their company. 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 Clan 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 Clan. In the past, the clan 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 to comfort him. But when she noticed that he was becoming 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 to come after us. Whoever they are, they're not kidding around."