"I know and I will. I had sent someone to secure your mother's immediate release. She might have already returned to the Spring
Palace. You can pay a visit to her later. 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 villain right out of a mob drama. She was so vicious that she planned to take his life while he was lying in a coma!
"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 a coma for many days, and you need good care."
"I've summoned Matthew and Harper to come 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 Palace, Matthew took Harper away, avoiding any chance of getting involved in their plot. That was a
clever move.
"Aunt Harper's medical skills are exemplary. 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 to come to the Imperial Palace."
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 Palace. If they were successful in their plan, the one he would have raped would have
been Harper. But the truth was that the plan didn't bear fruit. Who was the woman he actually had raped? The emperor had no
clue about this. But anyway, he was just glad to know that the woman in the Cold Palace 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 had committed 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 glance 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 glad 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 he
committed 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 a coma, 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.