Forensic Imperial Concubine

That day, batches of medicinal herbs arrived at the yard where Harper lived. The soldiers guarding the general's mansion were
quite taken aback because even though they were in the Birch Pass, the medicinal herbs were very rare for them to see. In
addition, the sultry weather in the south domain all year round caused the air to be filled with miasmas. As a result, numerous
people died on a daily basis. So when they caught sight of a large number of medicinal herbs being sent to the general's
mansion, they were overjoyed at the prospect of that. However, as the true soldiers they were, they didn't show their happiness
on the outside. For them, it was possible that Harper knew they were running short of herbs. If that were the case, she was
indeed a very caring woman.
However, after a long period of waiting, they didn't get the order from their general to ask them to fetch the medicinal herbs from
Harper. The fragrance of the herbs would occasionally spread from Harper's quarters, bringing them both peace and comfort.
"Why is there always smell of herbs coming from the inside?" The guards gathering outside Harper's yard began to discuss with
each other.
"Maybe she's making some medicine." One guard made a wild guess.
"Have you ever smelled medicine this good before? You must be kidding. From what I can smell, she's cooking something
delicious," another guard responded while sniffing the air around him.
"The only thing you can think about is food. That's exactly the reason you're assuming that it's food."
"Excuse me, food isn't my only expertise. I know a great deal about fighting as well!"
Meanwhile, Luther was on his way back after assembling the team to escort the envoy. When he reached the entrance to
Matthew's yard, he noticed that it was surrounded by several guards. With a frown on his face, he asked, "What exactly is going
on here?"
The guards, who were still indulged in a heated debate, instantly stopped throwing words at each other. Composing themselves,
they greeted, "General!"
"What are you doing here?" Luther asked again.
"Our curiosity brought us here. The lovely fragrance emitting from Prince Matthew's yard has been in the air for hours now. We
are wondering whether this scent is because of some medicine or perhaps some delicious food," one of the guards replied right
away.

Hearing this, Luther couldn't help but laugh. "Stop bothering yourselves with it. Instead, do what is asked of you. Your duty is to
guard this place. As far as I remember, standing here while trying to guess the source of a fragrant smell doesn't fall under your
duties. It doesn't matter where the smell is coming from because it has nothing to do with you guys. All right, everyone? Go back
to your positions."
"Yes, General."
In fact, Luther knew that a lot of the medicinal herbs were sent to his mansion from the Treasure Pavilion. He was well aware of
what kind of herbs that place would provide. He even knew their cunning tricks. Yet, Harper was a woman with incredible medical
skills, so it would not have been easy to deceive her. Luther concluded that this time, the deceptive Treasure Pavilion would
suffer a great loss because of Harper.
"General, His Highness wants to see you," Jack said while he invited Luther inside with a smile on his face. As a matter of fact,
he didn't have to follow Matthew all the way here. But when he found out that Francis might be in the South Kingdom, he didn't
hesitate to follow his master. He was determined to avenge himself for the wretched months that he was imprisoned because of
Francis.
Luther followed Jack into the room. The first thing he noticed was that only Matthew was there. At that moment, the man was
reading the official report. When he saw Luther come in, he looked up at him but only for a brief second before he continued to
review the report. "I will go to the South Kingdom tomorrow. This time, I may encounter some incidents on the way. Whatever
happens, you must keep and protect the Birch Pass. If anything changes, you should prepare to provide assistance at any time,"
Matthew said while his eyes were still glued to the report.
"Yes, Your Highness. I've already selected five hundred skilled fighters from the barracks. They will escort you and Her Highness
on your way to the South Kingdom," Luther responded.
"That's very kind of you." Matthew expressed his gratitude. He didn't refuse his offer. After all, five hundred soldiers would
certainly be helpful. He knew that it would be hard for them to reach the South Kingdom without being spotted. And he didn't
intend to do so either. There was no need for them to keep a low profile. He figured that some people might have already known
that he and Harper were at the Birch Pass.
"Your Highness, you are welcome. This is what I need to do," Luther responded.
"Where are you from?" Matthew asked in a casual tone.

"I come from a remote and small city. My parents died when I was very young and I have no other relatives. In a short time after
that, I left my hometown. I haven't gone back since I left. It's been so many years that I lost count already," Luther quickly
answered without any hesitation.
"You're not that young anymore and yet you're still single and unmarried. Don't you feel too lonely? I think it's a great time for you
to find the right woman and get married," Matthew advised. His tone was plain and casual, as if Luther was just an old friend of
his.
Luther, however, merely smiled. "Your Highness, please don't make fun of me. As a soldier, I have the responsibility to protect
this country from every threat and harm. A war may happen at the border any time soon. If I marry someone out of loneliness, I
may put her in danger. With my occupation, I may even die without warning. Either way, if I marry someone, I'll just put her in a
very miserable situation. I can't be that selfish."
"That's not right. Most of the soldiers who I know have parents, and some even have wives and children. They are eager to end
the war as soon as possible and return to their families. General, your house is too lonely because there are only a handful of
people in this big estate. It's good to have a thoughtful woman taking care of you," Matthew replied, vehemently disagreeing with
him.
Luther was silent after that because he didn't know how to respond. Somehow, he just didn't want to get married any time soon.
Perhaps, it was because he had not met the one he truly cherished. Matthew actually noticed his reluctance to the issue. He
didn't urge him any further. After all, it was just a casual conversation. "I'm afraid that the South Kingdom already revealed their
evil intentions. When Harrison defended the south domain, he had a very close relationship with the South Kingdom. Hoffman
had a good relationship with the princess of the South Kingdom, too. So your role is very important," Matthew said, changing the
topic.
"I'll try my best to protect the Birch Pass," Luther promised.
Matthew nodded at him before saying, "I don't doubt your capabilities and loyalty. But Hoffman and his family had been guarding
the south domain for generations. Moreover, we have no idea how many spies from the South Kingdom are there in the Birch
Pass. I'm afraid the Worship Ceremony is just an excuse. The Bright Dynasty and the South Kingdom are likely to be at war with
each other sooner rather than later. While you're concentrating on guarding the Birch Pass, you should also pay close attention
to the ones among your men who are behaving a bit strange, just in case they may cause unnecessary trouble."
"Yes, your orders have been duly noted."

"I have also met the other two generals. They will cooperate with you while I'm away." The last sentence that Matthew uttered
was quite surprising for Luther. He knew how stubborn the two generals were. But it had just been a few days since Matthew
arrived at the Birch Pass and he actually convinced them to obey his orders. When did he succeed in persuading them? Why
didn't anyone report this to him? Luther was becoming more confused.