The prince is more stable

Chapter 1047 Suspicious Points
No one asks the poor in the downtown area, and the rich has distant relatives in the mountains.

Such is the fickle nature of human relationships in this world.

Zhao Xiaoqian did not suspect anything about the couple's original intention. He did not think that the couple's purpose in searching for their relatives was really for the sake of family affection.

As a later celebrity once said, once you become famous, you'll find that you're surrounded by good people.

When Niao Niao was just a courtesan in a brothel, why didn't her parents come to claim her as their daughter?
But just when she became wealthy and powerful, and became a concubine of the Song Dynasty, her long-lost parents miraculously reappeared, a miracle of ethics.

If it's just about benefiting from their daughter's fame and enjoying a life of wealth for the rest of their lives, Zhao Xiaoqian wouldn't say anything. He would give them the life of luxury they deserved, it all depended on Niao Niao's wishes.

However, besides the authenticity of the couple, there are many suspicious points. What makes Zhao Xiaoqian most suspicious is that the couple were originally a poor farming couple outside Zhengding Prefecture. Suddenly one day, a mysterious person came to them and told them about their daughter's identity and whereabouts.

This has a strong smell of conspiracy to it. If this matter is not thoroughly investigated, it will definitely become a ticking time bomb.

After Niao Niao left, Zhao Xiaoqian sat in the Funing Palace in deep thought for a long time. After a while, he suddenly asked, "Old Zheng, you've met this couple. Do you think they're real or fake?"

Zheng Chunhe was startled and hurriedly said in a panic, "Your Majesty, you have put this servant in a difficult position. This is such an important matter, I dare not make any predictions, I dare not even guess."

"Just saying, I won't hit you if you guess wrong."

Zheng Chunhe said with a bitter face, "Your Majesty, please don't ask anymore. Just beat this servant to death. This matter really cannot be discussed carelessly."

Zhao Xiaoqian clicked his tongue: "At your age, you still lack this much responsibility. How come you're becoming more and more useless?"

Zheng Chunhe said with a wry smile, "If someone like me takes on too much responsibility, I could lose my life at any moment."

Zhao Xiaoqian sighed and said, "Even if this couple is real, their sudden visit to find their daughter probably doesn't stem from genuine affection; they're just after her wealth."

"It's better to be strangers than to meet; better not to meet at all."

Zheng Chunhe lowered his head and remained silent. The secrets of the palace sounded exciting, but for the palace servants, the more they knew, the less stable their heads became.

He closed his eyes and pondered, recalling the past.

Zhao Xiaoqian knew that Niaoniao's background was actually quite complicated. Back then, she was a spy planted by the Liao Kingdom in the Song Dynasty. Her mission was to befriend powerful officials in places like brothels and gather military and political intelligence about the Song Dynasty.

Upon arriving in Bianjing, Niao Niao's first target was Zhao Xiaoqian. So she deliberately approached him with manipulative tactics. Zhao Xiaoqian didn't refuse at the time, after all... don't miss out on good girls, and don't waste bad girls.

How can a scumbag be called a scumbag if he is picky about women?
Later, Niao Niao's true identity was revealed, and she was abandoned by the Liao Kingdom. In fact, because of her final betrayal, all of the Liao Kingdom's spies planted in Bianjing were uprooted, and the intelligence network was completely wiped out.

This greatly benefited Zhao Xiaoqian's later campaign against Liao, paralyzing Liao's intelligence system.

Later, feeling ashamed to face Zhao Xiaoqian, Niao Niao left alone and settled in a village outside Zhending Prefecture. At that time, Zhao Xiaoqian was appointed as the prefect of Zhending Prefecture, and fate brought the two together again.

Zhao Xiaoqian remembered that after their reunion, Niao Niao had said that she chose to settle in Zhen Ding Prefecture not for him, since Zhao Xiaoqian was still living as the carefree prince in Bianjing at that time.

Niao Niao settled in Zhen Ding Prefecture because she vaguely learned from her superiors in the Liao Kingdom's intelligence system that she was probably born in Zhen Ding Prefecture and that her parents abandoned her when she was young.

After leaving Bianjing, she was left with no ties, all alone. Only the belief in finding her family sustained her to continue living. That's why she chose to settle in Zhending Prefecture, living a solitary life while inquiring about her biological parents. Today, Zhao Xiaoqian heard that the couple came from Zhending Prefecture, and recalling what Niao Niao had said years ago, it all seemed to make sense now.

"Could it really be true?" Zhao Xiaoqian frowned and muttered to himself.

It doesn't matter whether it's true or not now. Even if it is true, Zhao Xiaoqian doesn't mind supporting the couple. Anyway, he has many wives and fathers-in-law, so one more couple won't bankrupt him.

The important thing is to find out if there is a conspiracy behind the couple's visit to claim kinship.

After all, the couple's search for their relatives was very suspicious from the very beginning.

After pondering for a long time, Zhao Xiaoqian closed his eyes and slowly said, "Old Zheng, summon Zhen Qing from the Imperial City Guard to see me."

Half an hour later, Zhen Qing hurriedly entered the palace and stood before Zhao Xiaoqian to pay his respects.

When Zhao Xiaoqian saw him, he suddenly felt as if he had been in another world, and blurted out, "Old Zhen, it seems like it's been a long time since I've seen you. What have you been busy with lately?"

Zhen Qing said with a bitter face, "Your Majesty, I've been extremely busy lately. All the men from the Imperial City Guard have been sent out. On one hand, Zheng Chaozong, the garrison commander of Nanjing, is implementing the Fangtian Equal Tax Law, and the Imperial City Guard is assisting him in investigating the land under his jurisdiction. On the other hand, there's the war in the Northwest, and the Imperial City Guard's spies are also helping Commander Zhong gather intelligence on the enemy..."

Zhao Xiaoqian sighed sympathetically: "The boss really doesn't treat you like a human being, he treats you like an animal..."

Zhen Qing's cheeks twitched a few times. What he said was certainly true, but... isn't the boss you?
After closing his eyes and remaining silent for a while, Zhao Xiaoqian said, "Now you have another task."

Zhen Qing said with a bitter face, "Please give your orders, Your Majesty, and I will do my utmost, even at the cost of my life."

Zhao Xiaoqian slowly said, "Today, a couple came to the palace gate, claiming to be the long-lost biological parents of the Imperial Concubine, and that they came from Zhen Ding Prefecture."

Zhen Qing stood respectfully with his head bowed, without interrupting.

"I find this couple highly suspicious and require the Imperial City Guard to investigate their authenticity."

Zhen Qing, as expected of the head of the Imperial City Guard, immediately thought of the key point: "Since they are parents who have been separated for many years, how did they determine that the Imperial Concubine is their daughter? If there are no clues, it doesn't make sense."

Zhao Xiaoqian nodded approvingly. This guy's brain works pretty well; he noticed something was wrong so quickly.

"According to Lao Zheng's questioning, they were originally a farming couple outside Zhen Ding Prefecture. Many years ago, they gave the Imperial Concubine away to be raised by someone else, and then severed all ties with her. Until a few months ago, a mysterious person found their village and told them about the Imperial Concubine's background and current identity. Only then did they manage to scrape together the travel expenses and travel all the way to Bianjing to reunite with their relatives."

Zhen Qing frowned and said, "This is very strange... Your Majesty, I think this matter should be investigated thoroughly, as there may be a conspiracy involved, especially regarding the origin and purpose of this mysterious person."

"I have a feeling that this is not a good plan. It may be a trap set for the Imperial Concubine or the Emperor."

Zhao Xiaoqian nodded: "Therefore, I need the Imperial City Guard to investigate thoroughly. The authenticity of this couple is secondary; the key is to find out if anyone is plotting something behind the scenes."

Zhen Qing bowed and said, "Yes, Your Majesty, I will order the Imperial City Guard to investigate immediately. However, it will take some time to travel to and from Zhen Ding Prefecture, and it cannot be investigated in a short period of time."

"It's alright. I'll arrange for the couple to stay at the Bianjing Inn first. There's no rush to let the Imperial Concubine contact them. I'll also have people keep an eye on their every move. I'll make a decision once the Imperial City Guard finds any clues."

(End of this chapter)