Rebirth and Reversal of Fortune

Chapter 386 Crisis Escalates, Benefactor Approaches

Their investigation alerted even more powerful forces within the court, escalating the danger and even threatening their lives.

Su Jinxiu and Xiao Ling had just cleared up their misunderstanding and hadn't even had a chance to breathe a sigh of relief when they found themselves in an even more dangerous situation.

The powerful force within the palace, like a monstrous beast lurking in the darkness, began to bare its ferocious fangs. One day, Xiao Ling was out on business when, on his way back to the Marquis's residence, he was ambushed by a group of masked assassins.

"Xiao Ling, today is your death day!" The assassins' shouts shook the heavens.

Xiao Ling fought back fiercely, but the enemy outnumbered him and each of them was highly skilled in martial arts, so he gradually found himself in a difficult situation.

"Am I going to die here?" A sense of despair flashed through Xiao Ling's mind.

Just when things were at their most critical, the guards from the Marquis's residence arrived in time and repelled the assassins, allowing Xiao Ling to escape by sheer luck.

Su Jinxiu's life in the palace was not easy either. Her food was poisoned, and if she hadn't been careful and discovered the abnormality in the food, she probably would have died long ago.

"They were so utterly depraved." Su Jinxiu was still shaken.

Moreover, their close associates were also persecuted.

"Madam, save me!" The maid has been falsely accused of stealing valuable items from the palace and is to be executed.

"My lord, I've been wronged!" The servant was inexplicably arrested and imprisoned, where he was subjected to severe torture.

The entire Marquis's mansion was filled with unease, and everyone felt an unprecedented fear.

"What are we going to do? Is the Marquis's mansion doomed?"

Meanwhile, within the imperial court, impeachments against Xiao Ling were increasing, with each charge becoming more serious than the last.

"Xiao Ling is holding military power and intends to rebel."

"Xiao Ling embezzled and accepted bribes, and the amount involved was enormous."

The Emperor was skeptical of these impeachments, but under pressure, he had no choice but to investigate Xiao Ling.

"If you have truly committed any illegal acts, I will not tolerate it."

At the same time, Su Jinxiu's status in the palace plummeted, and her former allies abandoned her one after another, fearing that they would be implicated.

"Hmph, she's in a precarious situation herself now, so we'd better stay away from her."

In this perilous moment, Xiao Ling and Su Jinxiu understood that they had to find a solution as soon as possible, or the consequences would be unimaginable.

They decided to risk seeking help from an old friend.

"I wonder if he still remembers the friendship from back then."

However, they encountered numerous obstacles on their way to their deceased friend's home.

"This road is blocked; we can't get through."

"There are pursuers behind us, quickly hide!"

The benefactors they had met before lent a helping hand at a critical moment, providing them with crucial intelligence and protection.

When Xiao Ling and Su Jinxiu were struggling on the verge of despair, the benefactor they had once met appeared before them like a ray of light in the darkness.

This noble lady was none other than the highly respected Consort De. Consort De secretly summoned Xiao Ling and Su Jinxiu to her palace and said with a solemn expression, "I am aware of your current predicament and have come to help you."

Xiao Ling and Su Jinxiu were moved to tears and quickly bowed to express their gratitude.

Consort De lowered her voice and said, "That powerful force is led by the Empress's maternal family. They have always tried to control everything inside and outside the palace. Your investigation touched on their core interests, which is why it has provoked such a fierce attack."

Su Jinxiu frowned and asked, "Your Majesty, how should we deal with this?"

Consort De sighed softly and continued, "I have bought you some time. You can stay here with me for the time being to avoid trouble. But remember, do not act rashly."

Xiao Ling cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty, but hiding like this is not a long-term solution."

Consort De smiled slightly and took out a secret letter from her sleeve: "This is information I obtained from a trusted confidant of the Empress. It may be of some help to you."

Xiao Ling took the secret letter, opened it, and his expression changed drastically.

"So they had such a meticulous plan."

With this intelligence, Xiao Ling and Su Jinxiu began to devise a new strategy. However, their actions did not escape the enemy's notice.

"I heard they're hiding with Consort De. We absolutely cannot let them have a chance to turn things around."

The Empress's maternal family began pressuring Consort De to hand over Xiao Ling and Su Jinxiu.

"Consort De, if you protect them, don't blame me for being ruthless."

Consort De remained unmoved and resolutely rejected the Empress's demands.

"I know how to act appropriately."

But as time went on, the pressure on Consort De increased.

Rumors began to circulate in the palace that were detrimental to Consort De, claiming that she was colluding with officials outside the palace and harboring treacherous intentions.

"What should we do? Consort De has put herself in a difficult situation because of us," Su Jinxiu said worriedly.

Xiao Ling gritted his teeth: "We can't implicate Consort De. We must find a way to take the initiative."

With the help of Consort De, they began to secretly contact some forces that were dissatisfied with the Empress's maternal family.

"As long as we unite, we may still have a chance of winning."

However, they encountered numerous obstacles in the process.

Someone betrayed them, revealing their plans to the enemy.

"This time they have no chance of escape."

Xiao Ling and Su Jinxiu were once again in dire straits.

Just when they were about to give up, an unexpected turning point appeared.

“A mysterious person wants to see you.”