The prince is more stable

Chapter 1046: Looking for Relatives
The middle-aged couple were around forty years old, dressed in very shabby clothes, like poor farmers. Their faces were etched with the marks of hardship, reflecting the bitterness of life they had endured for half their lives, and a numb acceptance of their fate lingered on their faces.

The head of the Imperial Guards sized up the two men, his expression showing some impatience.

Few people in the palace knew the name "Niao Niao," and they would never have guessed that it was related to the most favored imperial concubine.

"No, no, you've come to the wrong place. Is this a place for you to linger? If you don't leave, be careful you'll be arrested and punished by the Kaifeng Prefecture. Hurry up and leave!" The head constable impatiently urged the couple to leave.

Standing before this vast and imposing palace, the couple felt utterly intimidated. Upon hearing this, they couldn't help but shrink back and repeatedly said, "Yes, yes, we've disturbed you, sir. We'll be leaving now."

Turning around, the husband sighed and murmured to his wife, "Wasn't it said that Niao Niao was already a Noble Consort in the palace? Could it be that we've been deceived?"

His wife, her face also full of sorrow, said, "We've probably been cheated. We've spent all our money. What are we going to do now?"

The couple spoke softly, but every word reached the head constable's ears.

The constable's eyelids twitched, and he instinctively called out, "Wait a moment, gentlemen!"

The couple turned around. The head constable's face was already somewhat pale. He forced a smile and said, "The 'Niao Niao' you two just mentioned, is that the Imperial Concubine in the palace?"

The husband sighed, "We'll only know for sure when we meet her. We've only heard about her from others. She's our daughter, and we've been separated from her for many years. We only got news of her in recent years."

The constable's legs were trembling. Luckily, he had overheard the couple's conversation, otherwise, he didn't know how miserable his fate would have been.

He secretly grumbled to himself, "Why didn't you just say you wanted to see the Imperial Concubine?"
"Niao Niao", who the hell knows who "Niao Niao" is?
If the Emperor finds out that he almost drove away the Imperial Concubine's parents, he'll probably hang me from a flagpole and let me flutter in the wind.

The head constable was a low-ranking military officer, a rude and uncultured man, but now he was forcing a smile, trying to make up for the bad impression he had just lost.

"You two just said that the Imperial Concubine is your long-lost daughter. May I ask how that is?"

The husband sighed and said, "We were too poor back then. We really couldn't afford to raise her after she was born, so we gave her away before she was even a year old. Later, someone told us that she has become quite successful and seems to have become a concubine. We... really missed her, so we traveled all the way from Zhengding Prefecture to Bianjing."

"We don't force her to acknowledge us as her parents. Just seeing her from afar and remembering what she looks like now is enough. Sir, could you please make an exception and do us a favor?"

The constable's expression changed repeatedly.

I never expected that the Imperial Concubine's background was so pitiful, and I never expected that her parents would suddenly come to our door.

This matter is too big for him, a mere constable, to make a decision on.

As long as he reports the matter to the palace, he will be absolved of any responsibility.

The captain then smiled and said, "Please wait a moment, gentlemen. I will send someone to the palace to report to them. The decision will have to be made by the nobles in the palace."

The couple's faces lit up with joy, and they hurriedly bowed to express their gratitude.

…………

A piece of news that shook the palace quickly reached the palace.

The head constable entered the palace and reported to his superior military commander. The commander dared not make a decision and reported to Di Zi, the commander of all the Imperial Guards.

Di Zi was stunned for a long time after hearing the report. After pondering, he decided to go to the palace gate in person. He met the middle-aged couple and asked them a few questions politely. However, he could not tell whether the report was true or false, so he reported it again. This time, the report reached Zheng Chunhe.

When Zheng Chunhe heard that it was the parents of the Imperial Concubine who had come looking for him, and that they were parents who had been separated for many years, he was immediately in a dilemma.

Regardless of whether the couple is real or not, even if they are, what are their intentions in giving away the less than one-year-old imperial concubine back then, and now that she has risen to prominence and fame? Will the imperial concubine acknowledge them?

Since it concerned palace secrets, it had to be handled with caution. So Zheng Chunhe personally came to the palace gate, met the couple in person, and questioned them carefully, but still couldn't tell if it was true or not.

After all, Niao Niao was sent away before she was even a year old. When asked what she looked like, the couple couldn't give a clear answer. Her appearance as an infant was completely different from what she looked like as an adult. The couple hesitated and couldn't quite put their heads together.

The couple were questioned and identified by people one after another. As the people questioning them became more and more important, and the official air emanating from them could almost bend their backs, the two unsophisticated farmers naturally became more and more nervous and uneasy.

They finally witnessed firsthand what imperial authority and dignity truly meant, and what it meant to be a member of the imperial family.

This is probably what happens when a mortal accidentally wanders into a celestial palace.

As Zheng Chunhe asked the couple in a gentle and kind manner, they became increasingly flustered and their words became more and more incoherent.

After arranging for palace servants to settle the couple in the guesthouse in Bianjing, Zheng Chunhe returned to the palace and paced back and forth outside the Funing Palace.

An unexpected search for their missing parent turned out to be the one who ended up in a difficult position, Zheng Chunhe.

Inside the Funing Palace, Zhao Xiaoqian was teaching Zhao Hao to read.

Unlike Xu Jiang's patient and persuasive teaching style, Zhao Xiaoqian taught in a very straightforward manner.

"Recite it with Dad: Sang Biao, Sang, Biao..."

Zhao Hao looked completely bewildered and stupidly repeated, "Sang, Biao."

"Right! If you're walking down the street and someone suddenly yells 'Sang Biao', how do you respond?" Zhao Hao thought for a moment, then shouted in a clear and loud voice, "Hey!"

"Sang Biao!"

"Hey!"

"Sang Biao!"

"Hey!"

Niao Niao watched the father and son having a great time, her face full of exasperation.

Originally, it was a heartwarming and happy scene of a father holding his son on his lap and teaching him to read, but the moment the father and son opened their mouths, the scene became incongruous.

"My lord, can you be serious? Teach him his proper name properly, and don't teach him such crooked and evil ways, okay? If my sister hears this, she'll definitely be furious," Niao Niao said helplessly.

Zhao Xiaoqian said earnestly, "When you're out in the world, a prestigious nickname is more important than your real name."

"If my son joins the army and leads troops in the future, when he walks in the camp and the soldiers call out 'General Zhao is here,' how ordinary and embarrassing it would be if the soldiers ignored him."

"But if in the camp, a soldier shouts 'Sang Biao is here!' Tsk! Just listen to that. Even without seeing him in person, you can tell from his name that he is a notorious villain and not to be trifled with. It's like a mad dog suddenly jumping out of the camp. Everyone is afraid of him. Which subordinate would dare to disobey him in the future?"

Niao Niao opened her mouth in surprise, only to find herself speechless.

Zhao Xiaoqian looked down at his son with eyes full of affection and cried out, "Sang Biao!"

"Ouch——!"

Niao Niao sighed in distress. The scene of a loving father and filial son was certainly happy, but... it was completely different from what she had imagined!

Zheng Chunhe finally quietly entered the hall, stood in front of Zhao Xiaoqian, glanced at Niao Niao's expression, and hesitated several times before speaking.

Zhao Xiaoqian lowered his head to tease his son, and said without looking up, "Old Zheng, just say what you want to say. Don't act like a shy, innocent young man about to confess your feelings. It's disgusting."

Zheng Chunhe bowed in agreement, then turned and bowed to Niao Niao before saying, "A couple has arrived outside the palace gate. They say they are... the biological parents of the Imperial Concubine, who have come all the way from Zhen Ding Prefecture in the north to Bianjing to find their relatives."

"General Di Zi, the commander of all the Imperial Guards, personally questioned me. I also went out of the palace to see him after hearing the news, but I couldn't tell the truth for the time being. So I came here to ask Your Majesty and the Noble Consort for instructions on how to handle this matter."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xiaoqian looked up in surprise.

Niao Niao suddenly stood up, her face pale, and her eyes quickly filled with tears.

Zhao Xiaoqian walked up to her, placed his hands on her shoulders, and gestured for her to calm down.

"Old Zheng, are you sure this couple are Niao Niao's biological parents?" Zhao Xiaoqian asked in a deep voice.

Zheng Chunhe smiled bitterly and said, "I asked the Imperial Concubine many questions in person, but they were vague. The Imperial Concubine was sent away by the couple when she was less than a year old. It was too long ago, and the couple couldn't remember many things. But we can't be sure that they were impersonating her."

"Therefore, this servant is in a real dilemma and has no choice but to report to Your Majesty."

Under Zhao Xiaoqian's hands, Niao Niao's shoulders trembled violently, her emotions clearly very agitated.

After a moment of contemplation, Zhao Xiaoqian asked again, "After so many years, how did this couple know Niao Niao's current identity, and how did they obtain the clues to find her?"

"I asked the couple, and they said that someone came to their village and told them that the Consort had described the past and the current status of the Imperial Concubine in great detail. The couple were half-believing and half-doubting, so they raised the travel expenses and came to Bianjing."

Zhao Xiaoqian frowned, leaned down to look at Niao Niao who was so excited she was speechless, and said in a low voice, "Calm down first. There's something fishy about this. It's not too late to acknowledge them after we've verified it. Otherwise, if you end up recognizing two fakes as your parents, it'll be a joke, and it will be a bigger blow to you."

Niao Niao took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down, and turned to Zhao Xiaoqian with a smile: "I'm calm now, don't worry, I won't let you worry."

"The question of authenticity is left to you to determine, my lord. I will not ask any questions and will simply await your news, is that alright?"

Zhao Xiaoqian gently rubbed her face and smiled, "Alright, leave it to me. Don't worry, I'll definitely give you an answer."

With her eyes lowered, tears still streamed down her face, but a smile remained on her lips. All the hardships of struggling to survive over the years, the pain of being manipulated by fate, and the desolate, helpless, and adrift life she had endured all rushed to her mind at this moment.

When she finally met the man of her life, he appeared out of nowhere like a hero, saving her from her tragic fate. As her remaining years became happier and brighter, her parents inexplicably appeared.

Niao Niao wanted to laugh, but she also wanted to cry. However, her strong character, which had allowed her to bear joys and sorrows alone over the years, made her suppress all inappropriate impulses.

Your Excellency is right. The appearance of this couple is quite suspicious. We'll wait until we've investigated everything before making any decisions.

Niao Niao walked up to Zhao Hao, picked him up, and said softly, "Come on, let's go play in Kun Ning Palace, okay?"

She gracefully took her leave, giving Zheng Chunhe a grateful nod.

(End of this chapter)