Chapter 373: Behind the Search for Family
Han Ruzi had always lived in hardship with his mother, dependent on no one. When a large family of relatives suddenly appeared, his first reaction was that there must be some deception involved. However, after carefully reviewing the official documents sent by Donghai, he felt he could not rashly draw conclusions. After a moment’s thought, he decided to enter the palace to see his mother.
Maternal relatives were usually a source of trouble, but if they had truly been found, Han Ruzi absolutely could not hide this from his mother—after all, these were their closest blood relatives.
Just before the Emperor’s arrival, Empress Dowager Cining had already heard the news. As the person most affected by this development, she appeared remarkably calm.
“Sigh, it’s just the provinces making trouble again. After all these years have passed, what’s the point of searching now? Besides, who knows if it’s real or fake? If there’s even the slightest discrepancy and word spreads, wouldn’t that make the entire realm laugh at us?”
“If Donghai wasn’t confident, they wouldn’t have reported it to the court. Mother might as well pay attention to this.” Han Ruzi handed the Donghai official documents to a palace maid, who passed them to Empress Dowager Cining.
Empress Dowager Cining quickly read through them. “Donghai has truly put their heart into this—witness testimony, physical evidence, piles of it. Many things even I don’t remember, yet they managed to investigate them all…”
Empress Dowager Cining shook her head, still not taking it seriously.
Han Ruzi stepped forward and said, “Does Mother still have any memories from childhood? Perhaps they could be used for verification.”
Empress Dowager Cining frowned slightly, thought for a while, then said, “Does Your Majesty truly wish to seek out these relatives?”