Forensic Imperial Concubine

"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 delayed 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.
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 occasion 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 planning. Since the empress
planned 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.
Similarly, 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 regular visit to the empress at the Sleek Palace. "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 plainly 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
Palace were dignified and accustomed 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
Palace, 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 palace
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 palace guards responsible for the safety of the palace?" someone asked cautiously.
"This birthday banquet is by no means insignificant. All the officials, including the ones working outside the imperial capital will
come here to celebrate for His Majesty. We can't just treat this occasion 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 had come 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 placed 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 her
composure 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.