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Wan Zhen also lowered her voice and said softly, "Father, I didn’t. I remembered what you instructed me, and when I entered, I pushed the door very lightly. As soon as I entered, I saw Mother was awake. If you don’t believe me, you can ask her."

Lian Changhe let her go, realizing that she made sense.

This robust young man had indeed learned a lot by now.

Recalling that her mother was awake, he hurried in with enthusiasm: "I’ll go see your mother and tell her Nannan is well, so she shouldn’t worry too much. Perhaps her joy will help her recover."

While speaking, like a gust of wind, he approached the main room’s door but suddenly stopped and said to Lian Bao, "Baobao, what are you standing there for? Come in with your father. Entering together only requires opening the door once, so we won’t let in too much cold air."

Lian Bao quickly composed himself and obediently responded, "Yes."

At the door, he took a deep breath, pulled up the corners of his mouth into a happy smile. He was very afraid that his clever mother would see through him.

Having adjusted his expression and feeling that nothing was amiss, Lian Bao followed his father into the room.

On the way back to Canglan Court.

Emperor walked with Lian Hua on his back, while Lian Hua leaned on his shoulder, her arms around his neck, gently whispering, "Your Majesty, do you think my parents and brother are well?"

Her voice still carried a hint of crying.

The Emperor walked slowly forward with someone on his back, his expression hidden in the night.

He gently comforted her, "Hmm, they are certainly well."

After he asked that question, his Little Concubine broke down in tears on the spot, crying so hard that it broke his heart and pained his soul.

Only then did he realize how deeply his Little Concubine missed her family. She had entered the palace without relatives, living in such difficult circumstances, enduring the pain of longing every day.

His Little Concubine had said that her parents needed to repay a huge debt before they could return to her. He instinctively sensed something was amiss. Her Clan Uncle likely had hidden something from her, making up an excuse to prevent her from worrying too much.

However, he couldn’t directly tell her, fearing that the destruction of her hopes would be too much for her to bear.

Even with the situation as it was, she needed to weep briefly. If he voiced his suspicions, he didn’t know how she would react.

She was pregnant now and couldn’t handle great joy or sorrow. In any case, he couldn’t speak of it no matter what.

He finally understood why his Little Concubine was so fond of money. Neither jewelry nor gems attracted her as much as silver did; she probably believed her Clan Uncle’s words without doubt, saving to help her parents repay their debt so they could return.

Earlier, during his Little Concubine’s rambling narration, he finally understood what was happening. The person Hu Miaomiao had investigated was her Clan Uncle, not her biological parents. No wonder the archival records didn’t match what she had been told. There was indeed a deeper story.

His Little Concubine had never lied to him; previously, he had just overthought things.

According to her Clan Uncle, she had entered the palace as a Palace Maid to hide from creditors, leaving him no choice but to send her to the palace.

But he sensed an unusual helplessness in that. If a family could manage, who would be willing to send their beloved daughter into the palace, where her safety wasn’t guaranteed and she might never see her family again?

Her Clan Uncle had some property and could have easily supported her.

According to her, her Clan Uncle treated her well, and logically, he wouldn’t have sent her to the palace.

He feared that something serious had happened, and her Clan Uncle couldn’t protect her, so he had to send her to the palace for safety.

He dared not imagine how she had endured those days when she was just over ten years old.

Thinking about this made his heart ache. He had met her too late; if only he had met her earlier and been there to protect her.

No wonder his Little Concubine had been so reluctant to give him the Jade Pendant; it was probably the only keepsake from her family. The fact that she gave it to him showed how important he was to her.

Hu Miaomiao still needed to investigate thoroughly to see what went on inside, why her parents had taken her brother and left her behind.

It didn’t make sense, her parents and brother definitely loved her dearly, how could they willingly abandon her? She feared that they wouldn’t have left her unless absolutely necessary.

He asked his Little Concubine when she last saw her parents and brother, trying to guess from her account if anything out of the ordinary had happened.

But as soon as he asked her, the memory brought on a headache, she couldn’t remember anything, her body started sweating and she showed signs of fainting.

He had to quickly get her to stop thinking about it and comforted her gently, carrying her towards Canglan Court.

The Emperor’s heart was filled with hidden worries, anxious about whatever might have happened to her family, and concerned about her health.

He suddenly remembered the day Lady Wei was sent to the Cold Palace, when she had bumped into her, and that night she had nightmares, according to her servant, she seemed to have forgotten about meeting Lady Wei.

Could it be the same with her parents? Did she not remember what happened to her parents and brother, was there something wrong with her memory?

The Emperor was secretly alarmed, not knowing whether this was a good or bad thing, or how it might affect her health.

But it was certain that if she originally knew what had happened to her family, it was better that she had forgotten, otherwise how could she handle the shock?

It wasn’t right, he needed to have Huang Zude and the Imperial Medical Bureau diagnose her together, to see if there were any hidden problems.

This matter also required finding the right moment, if he was too deliberate, she might notice something which wouldn’t be good.

His Little Concubine was sometimes confused, but when it came to things she resisted, she was exceptionally clever, just like with the Imperial Physician, whom she did not like to see.

The Emperor carried Lian Hua, his mind busily planning for what to do next.

After Lian Hua had cried enough, her mood had unexpectedly brightened, it was her first time being carried by His Majesty, and it felt great; His Majesty’s back was broad and solid, carrying her steadily, which comforted her, and most importantly, being together made her feel safe.

On the way back to Canglan Court, the moonlight spread over the entire Imperial Garden, the flowers and trees on either side of the path seemed to sway vividly amid the night as well.

There were lanterns carried by their people ahead and behind them, the small lights embellished the peaceful moonlight, creating a very serene atmosphere.

She leaned on the Emperor’s back, hugging his neck, her face pressed against his back, her head tilted to watch the silver moonlight pouring down.

The moonlight mirrored their shadows on the ground, his tall figure with a delicate one leaning on his back, their shadows overlapping, warming her heart as she watched.

After watching for a while, she couldn’t help but look up at the sky, the bright moon hung high, following whoever walked below it.

She couldn’t help but point towards the sky, "Brother Zhao, look at the moon, it’s so big and round, just like that big mooncake I made."

A mooncake... a good symbol, but not something you can eat a lot of...

The Emperor listened to her sweet, soft voice, following her pointing finger, his heart still heavy with concerns.

Yet he still smiled and played along with her, distracting her by saying, "Where is your big mooncake? I’ve never seen it."

With that, Lian Hua’s attention was indeed diverted.