Rebirth and Reversal of Fortune

Chapter 480 A Mysterious Figure Appears in the Palace; Investigating the Mysterious Figure

Just as the palace reforms were achieving initial success and Su Jinxiu and Xiao Ling were breathing a sigh of relief, a mysterious figure quietly appeared in the palace.

It was a misty morning when the palace guards, on patrol, suddenly spotted a figure flash by in a corner of the palace.

"Who goes there? Halt!" the guards shouted.

However, the figure quickly disappeared into the thick fog, leaving only a faint sound of footsteps.

The news quickly reached the ears of Su Jinxiu and Xiao Ling.

"Such a mysterious person? We must find out more about him." Xiao Ling frowned.

After a moment's thought, Su Jinxiu said, "This matter seems suspicious; we need to be careful."

The entire court was thrown into a state of panic, and all sorts of speculations arose.

Some say that he was a spy sent by an enemy country, attempting to sabotage the achievements of the court's reforms.

"They might be here to steal secrets."

Some say it was a forgotten former nobleman who returned to seek revenge.

"Perhaps they're here for His Majesty."

In order to find out the identity of the mysterious person, Su Jinxiu and Xiao Ling began a secret investigation.

They checked the palace's entry and exit records but found nothing suspicious.

"It's as if this person appeared out of thin air." Xiao Ling was very confused.

Su Jinxiu inquired around the palace, hoping to get some clues from the palace maids and eunuchs.

Have you seen a strange figure?

But the palace maids and eunuchs all shook their heads, saying they had never seen it before.

Just when the investigation reached a stalemate, the mysterious figure reappeared.

This time, it was near the emperor's bedroom.

Fortunately, the guards noticed in time and shouted loudly, which scared the mysterious man away.

When the emperor learned of this, he was furious.

"We must capture this person as soon as possible. I want to see just who he is!"

Su Jinxiu and Xiao Ling felt the pressure increase.

They strengthened the palace guards, increasing the frequency and number of patrols.

However, the mysterious figure seemed to have an intimate knowledge of the palace layout and always managed to cleverly evade the patrolling guards.

"This person is too cunning," Xiao Ling said through gritted teeth.

Su Jinxiu then looked for patterns in the time and place of the mysterious figure's appearance.

"Perhaps we can find some clues from this."

After careful analysis, Su Jinxiu discovered that the mysterious figure always seemed to appear when the palace held important meetings or made major decisions.

"Could this person be after palace secrets?"

Just as they were preparing to investigate further, they discovered that the mysterious figure had left some strange marks and clues.

"What exactly does this mean?"

The appearance of a mysterious figure in the palace has caused widespread panic, and Su Jinxiu and Xiao Ling have taken on the important task of investigating this person.

They began by examining the locations where the mysterious figure had appeared, carefully investigating each scene in an attempt to find clues. Xiao Ling crouched down beside a patch of grass near the emperor's bedroom and discovered several unusual footprints.

“These footprints are smaller than those of ordinary people. Could the mysterious person be a petite person?” Xiao Ling asked in confusion.

Su Jinxiu found a small piece of torn clothing at the corner where the mysterious figure disappeared. The fabric was of excellent quality and was definitely not something that belonged to an ordinary palace maid or eunuch.

"This might be an important clue." Su Jinxiu carefully tucked the hem of her clothes away.

They began to investigate the people in the palace, especially those who were petite and of dubious status.

"When did you enter the palace? Have you noticed anything unusual recently?" Su Jinxiu asked a newly arrived palace maid.

The palace maid answered tremblingly, "Madam, I haven't been in the palace long and haven't noticed anything unusual."

Xiao Ling then questioned each of the palace guards, leaving no detail unexamined.

"Where were you on duty that night? Did you hear anything?"

However, the investigation did not go smoothly, as everyone seemed to have a perfect alibi.

Su Jinxiu and Xiao Ling decided to expand their investigation. They reviewed the palace's visitor records but found no useful information.

"Could this person have entered the palace out of thin air?" Xiao Ling was very puzzled.

Su Jinxiu came up with a plan: she set up some hidden mechanisms and traps in the area where the mysterious figure frequently appeared.

"If he reappears, perhaps he will be able to sense something."

Several days passed, but the mechanisms and traps remained intact, and the mysterious figure did not reappear.

Just when they were at their wits' end, a young eunuch quietly found them.

"General, Madam, I think I know some clues about the mysterious person," the little eunuch said timidly.

Su Jinxiu and Xiao Ling perked up and quickly asked, "Tell us!"

The young eunuch lowered his voice: "Once, I passed by the Cold Palace in the middle of the night and heard strange noises inside, as if someone was talking."

Su Jinxiu and Xiao Ling exchanged a glance and decided to go to the Cold Palace to find out what was going on.

The cold palace was eerie and chilly, filled with an air of antiquity. They searched each room cautiously.

“It looks like no one has been here for a long time,” Xiao Ling said.

Suddenly, Su Jinxiu discovered a stone with strange symbols engraved on it in a corner.

"what is this?"

As they were studying the symbols on the stone, they heard a slight noise behind them.

"Who?" Xiao Ling turned around alertly.