Rebirth and Reversal of Fortune

Chapter 398 Unexpected Clues, Following the Lead

By chance, Su Jinxiu discovered an unexpected clue, which rekindled her hope.

It was an ordinary afternoon when Su Jinxiu strolled through the palace gardens, her heart filled with frustration at the deadlock in her investigation.

As she absentmindedly walked past a rockery, she tripped over a protruding stone. Annoyed, she squatted down to move the stone, but unexpectedly found a tattered handkerchief in the grass next to it.

"How did this handkerchief end up here?" Su Jinxiu wondered, picking up the handkerchief to examine it closely.

A small pattern was embroidered on one corner of the handkerchief, and the pattern looked somewhat familiar.

“This… seems somewhat similar to the symbol of a family we investigated earlier.” Su Jinxiu’s heart suddenly raced.

She hurriedly hid the handkerchief and returned to her residence to discuss the matter with Xiao Ling.

"This might be the key clue we've been searching for all this time." A glimmer of hope ignited in Xiao Ling's eyes.

However, before they could delve deeper into this clue, trouble struck again.

The mastermind behind it all seems to have noticed their new discovery and has intensified its crackdown on them.

"No matter what method we use, we can't let them follow this lead."

Some factions in the palace also began to make things difficult for Su Jinxiu and Xiao Ling in every possible way.

"Stop struggling in vain and just give up."

But Su Jinxiu and Xiao Ling did not back down. They carefully protected this precious clue while continuing their investigation in secret.

During the investigation, they discovered that the owner of the handkerchief was connected to a concubine who had fallen out of favor in the palace.

"The concubine's experiences back then may be inextricably linked to the entire conspiracy."

They tried to find the concubine's whereabouts, but found it was no easy task.

“Someone is deliberately concealing her whereabouts; we must be extra careful.”

Just as they were searching for clues, they encountered several more assassination attempts.

"They seem to have ill intentions; proceed with caution!"

Xiao Ling fought back against the assassin's attack, while Su Jinxiu anxiously searched for an escape route.

After a fierce struggle, they managed to escape, but were seriously injured.

"This can't go on. We must find the key evidence as soon as possible and reveal the truth."

Just when they were feeling desperate, a palace maid who had once received favors from the Marquis's mansion quietly found them.

"I know the whereabouts of that concubine, but you must be careful."

Following this clue, we gradually get closer to the true identity of the mastermind.

After receiving the crucial information from the palace maid, Su Jinxiu and Xiao Ling dared not delay and immediately launched a further investigation.

Guided by the clues, they cautiously explored the depths of the palace. Every corner and every person might hold a crucial secret.

"Be careful, we can't let the enemy discover our movements," Xiao Ling whispered to Su Jinxiu.

They first found the palace where the concubine associated with the handkerchief once lived. Although it was now abandoned, they still found some clues from the remaining traces.

“Look, there are words that have been deliberately erased here,” Su Jinxiu said, pointing to a spot on the wall.

Xiao Ling examined it carefully: "This seems to be a record of some important things."

Through continuous searching and analysis, they gradually pieced together some previously unknown stories.

It turns out that this concubine had once known a major secret of the mastermind behind the scenes, which led to her being framed and falling out of favor.

"It seems we are getting closer to the truth."

However, their actions still attracted the attention of the mastermind behind the scenes.

"Strengthen security and prevent them from finding out anything more."

The atmosphere in the palace grew increasingly tense, and Su Jinxiu and Xiao Ling felt as if countless eyes were watching them from all sides.

But they did not back down; instead, they became even more determined to uncover the truth.

During their investigation, they met a court painter.

“I once painted a portrait of that concubine; perhaps it can be of help to you.”

The portraits provided by the painters gave them a clearer understanding of the concubine's appearance and demeanor, and they also discovered some details related to the mastermind behind the scenes.

As clues accumulated, they finally identified several suspects who were most likely the masterminds behind the scenes.

“These individuals all had sufficient motive and authority to orchestrate all of this.”

But more evidence is needed to determine the ultimate mastermind.

Just then, Su Jinxiu noticed that her personal maid was behaving strangely.

"She's been acting all mysterious lately, could it be...?"

After some tracking and investigation, they were surprised to find that the maid had been bribed by the mastermind and had been passing messages to him.

"That was close, she almost ruined everything."

They dealt with the maid decisively and continued their investigation along the leads.

At this time, a series of strange events occurred in the palace, seemingly orchestrated by a mastermind to create chaos and interfere with their investigation.

"No matter how many difficulties we face, we must not give up."