Rebirth and Reversal of Fortune

Chapter 247 A Polite Refusal of a Marriage Alliance, and a Spy from a Foreign Enemy

Ultimately, they decided to decline some unsuitable marriage proposals and maintain the independence of the Marquis's mansion.

When Xiao Ling and Su Jinxiu made this decision, the entire Marquis's mansion was shaken. Some worried that this move would offend the families that had proposed marriage alliances, thus bringing trouble to the Marquis's mansion; while others expressed their support for their decision, believing that the Marquis's mansion should uphold its dignity and independence.

Xiao Ling and Su Jinxiu knew that declining the marriage proposal was just the beginning; they would face many challenges and pressures ahead.

First, the rejected families, feeling utterly humiliated, began to secretly retaliate against the Marquis's mansion. They united in business to suppress the Marquis's enterprises, causing them significant losses. Simultaneously, they used various connections in official circles to create obstacles for Xiao Ling, hindering his career advancement.

Faced with these retaliations, Xiao Ling did not back down. On the one hand, he strengthened the management and innovation of the Marquis's estate to minimize losses; on the other hand, he actively sought new partners and business opportunities, attempting to break through the other side's blockade.

Su Jinxiu, meanwhile, worked to reassure everyone within the Marquis's residence. She explained the importance of maintaining independence and encouraged everyone to unite and work together to overcome difficulties.

However, things were not that simple. Seeing that the Marquis's mansion was still putting up a stubborn resistance, those families devised an even more insidious scheme. They spread rumors, slandering the Marquis's mansion for having unspeakable secrets, in an attempt to damage its reputation.

In a short time, negative rumors about the Marquis's mansion spread like wildfire throughout the capital, and the public's opinion of the mansion began to change.

Xiao Ling and Su Jinxiu realized that simply reacting passively was not enough; they had to take the initiative to restore the reputation of the Marquis's mansion.

Xiao Ling decided to hold a grand charity event, inviting celebrities from all walks of life in the capital to participate. During the event, he showcased the contributions the Marquis's family had made to the country and its people over the years and clarified the rumors.

Su Jinxiu personally visited some influential figures to explain the Marquis's position and determination to them.

After much effort, the Marquis's reputation was gradually restored. However, at this time, the situation in the imperial court changed again.

A new powerful figure emerged, deeply dissatisfied with the Marquis's independent stance, believing it to be deliberately opposing the court. He then began to slander the Marquis's family before the emperor, attempting to weaken their power.

The emperor's attitude toward the Marquis's residence also became subtle, and he began to conduct more rigorous reviews of some of the Marquis's affairs.

A spy from the enemy was discovered in the Marquis's residence, attempting to steal important intelligence.

This discovery immediately plunged the Marquis's residence into a tense atmosphere. Xiao Ling and Su Jinxiu promptly summoned the core members of the Marquis's residence to discuss countermeasures.

After some investigation, they discovered that the spy had been infiltrating the Marquis's residence for some time and had successfully obtained some less important information. Fortunately, the Marquis's core secrets had not yet been touched by the spy.

Xiao Ling's face was grim. He knew the seriousness of the matter: "We must find the accomplice of this traitor as soon as possible to prevent more intelligence from being leaked."

Su Jinxiu nodded in agreement: "We should remain calm and collected so as not to alert them."

They began a secret investigation of everyone in the Marquis's residence, from servants to guards, and even the staff. During this process, fear and unease gripped the household.

However, the spies seemed to have noticed the Marquis's actions and began to be more cautious, even attempting to destroy some evidence.

During their investigation, Xiao Ling and Su Jinxiu discovered some suspicious clues that pointed to a staff member in the Marquis's residence. However, this staff member had served in the Marquis's residence for many years and had always shown loyalty, making it somewhat hard for them to believe.

To confirm the advisor's suspicions, Su Jinxiu devised a trap. She deliberately spread false, important intelligence within the mansion, then closely observed the advisor's actions.

As expected, the aide slipped up. He attempted to pass on the false information but was caught red-handed by Xiao Ling.

After interrogation, the staffer finally confessed that he was a spy for the enemy and revealed some of his accomplices.

But the matter did not end there. It turned out that these spies were not only trying to steal intelligence from the Marquis's residence, but also attempting to create chaos within the residence to prepare for an invasion by foreign enemies.

Xiao Ling and Su Jinxiu immediately strengthened the defenses of the Marquis's residence and reported the situation to the imperial court.

The imperial court took this matter very seriously and dispatched special personnel to assist in the investigation. However, during this process, some factions within the court took the opportunity to suppress the Marquis's residence, accusing it of mismanagement that allowed spies to infiltrate.

Xiao Ling and Su Jinxiu were overwhelmed with work, having to deal with pressure from the court on one hand and continue to investigate the remaining traitors on the other.

Just as they were fully engaged in tracking down the remaining spies, news arrived from the border that foreign enemies had invaded. It turned out that the enemy had taken advantage of the chaos within the Marquis's residence to launch a surprise attack.

Xiao Ling decided to personally lead the Marquis's mansion's guards to the border to provide support. Su Jinxiu, on the other hand, remained at the Marquis's mansion to continue handling internal affairs and dealing with the imperial court.

Xiao Ling encountered fierce resistance from the enemy on the border battlefield, and the war reached a stalemate. Meanwhile, in the capital, Su Jinxiu also faced immense difficulties. Some in the court attempted to take advantage of the situation to weaken the Marquis's power, and even wanted to seize control of his properties.