Rebirth and Reversal of Fortune

Chapter 423 The Court Ball, the Turmoil at the Ball

To celebrate the agreement, the court held a grand ball.

As night fell, the palace was ablaze with lights, and melodious music filled the air. Inside the magnificent hall, nobles, dressed in their finest attire, chatted and laughed. Xiao Ling and Su Jinxiu, as key figures in facilitating the agreement, naturally became the focus of the ball.

Su Jinxiu wore a gorgeous pink gown, the skirt embroidered with exquisite flowers, and her hair was adorned with dazzling jewels, making her look like a fairy descended from heaven. Xiao Ling, on the other hand, wore a black brocade robe with a gold belt around his waist, making him appear handsome and majestic.

"Madam, you look beautiful tonight," Xiao Ling said softly.

Su Jinxiu smiled slightly: "Husband, this ball is so lively, it can be considered a beautiful ending to our hard work over the past period of time."

Ambassadors from various countries entered the venue one after another, and people danced gracefully on the dance floor.

“This is truly an unforgettable event,” said one of the foreign envoys.

However, hidden beneath this seemingly harmonious atmosphere are some unknown undercurrents.

A jealous minister, watching Xiao Ling and Su Jinxiu's triumph, secretly plotted: "Hmph, they're just lucky. I'll make them look bad."

So, during the dance, the minister deliberately stepped on Su Jinxiu's skirt, almost causing her to fall.

"Oh dear!" Su Jinxiu exclaimed.

Xiao Ling reacted quickly and caught her, saying, "Madam, be careful!"

Xiao Ling glared at the minister: "What do you mean by this?"

The minister feigned innocence: "Oh dear, General Xiao, this was just an accident, please don't be angry."

Su Jinxiu gently tugged at Xiao Ling's sleeve: "Husband, don't let such a small matter spoil your mood."

Xiao Lingqiang suppressed his anger and continued dancing with Su Jinxiu.

At this moment, a princess from a foreign land invited Xiao Ling to dance.

"General Xiao, would you like to dance with me?" The princess's eyes were full of anticipation.

Xiao Ling hesitated for a moment, then looked at Su Jinxiu. Su Jinxiu smiled and nodded: "Husband, go ahead."

Throughout his dance with the princess, Xiao Ling maintained politeness and distance. However, this scene was observed by some with ulterior motives, who began to spread rumors within the palace.

"General Xiao's intimate behavior with the foreign princess suggests there might be a secret he is hiding."

These rumors quickly reached Su Jinxiu's ears, and a sense of worry arose in her heart.

"Could it be that my husband really..."

Xiao Ling was completely unaware of this and continued to socialize with various people at the ball.

Suddenly, a group of assassins stormed into the palace, disrupting the ball.

"Protect His Majesty! Protect the envoy!" Xiao Ling shouted loudly.

A fierce battle unfolded in the palace.

A few minor incidents occurred at the ball, testing Su Jinxiu and Xiao Ling's ability to handle the situation.

The moment the assassins stormed into the palace, the once joyous and peaceful ball instantly descended into chaos. People screamed in terror and fled in all directions. Amid the chaos, Su Jinxiu struggled to remain calm, her gaze quickly scanning the crowd, searching for Xiao Ling's figure.

Without hesitation, Xiao Ling charged toward the assassins and engaged in combat with the palace guards. "Protect His Majesty and everyone else!" he shouted, his sword flashing powerfully.

However, at this moment, the jealous minister seized the opportunity to slander Xiao Ling to the emperor: "Your Majesty, the assassin's appearance was so sudden that it is probably related to Xiao Ling." The emperor's face darkened, and he couldn't help but have some doubts about Xiao Ling.

On the other side, Su Jinxiu discovered an injured palace maid huddled in a corner, trembling. She quickly went over and helped the maid up, saying, "Don't be afraid, I will protect you." Su Jinxiu's kindness and courage touched those around her, and some nobles stopped fleeing and began to help maintain order.

Xiao Ling gradually gained the upper hand in his battle with the assassins. He keenly realized that their target did not seem to be the emperor, but rather foreign envoys. "What exactly is their purpose?" Xiao Ling pondered to himself.

Just as he was preparing to investigate further, another rumor spread among the crowd: "Xiao Ling deliberately arranged this assassination in order to gain more power and take the opportunity to show off."

Hearing these rumors, Xiao Ling's men began to panic. "General, what should we do?" a trusted aide asked anxiously. Xiao Ling shouted, "Don't believe the rumors! Capture the assassin first!"

While calming everyone down, Su Jinxiu also heard these rumors. She knew that someone was deliberately framing Xiao Ling, but at this moment she had to remain calm and find evidence to prove Xiao Ling's innocence.

At this moment, a mysterious man appeared before Su Jinxiu and whispered, "Madam, I can help you find the mastermind, but you must agree to one condition." Su Jinxiu looked at him warily: "Who are you? Why should I help you?"

The man smiled slightly: "Madam, don't worry about who I am. As long as you agree to my conditions, I guarantee I can clear General Xiao's name."

Su Jinxiu hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded: "Okay, as long as it can prove my husband's innocence, I promise you."

The man quietly led Su Jinxiu away from the ball and headed to a mysterious place.

Xiao Ling finally managed to repel the assassins, but then he discovered that Su Jinxiu was nowhere to be found. "Where did Madam go?" he asked anxiously.