Rebirth and Reversal of Fortune

Chapter 21 Xiao Ling's Confession

On this day, the sun shone brightly and a gentle breeze blew. Xiao Ling invited Su Jinxiu to a quiet garden.

Su Jinxiu, dressed in a light green silk dress, walked gracefully towards the scene, like a fairy descending to earth.

Xiao Ling looked at her with deep affection in his eyes, but he didn't know where to begin to express the thousand words in his heart.

"Jinxiu..." Xiao Ling called her name softly.

Su Jinxiu raised her head slightly to meet his burning gaze, "Your Highness."

Xiao Ling took a deep breath and finally mustered the courage to say, "Jinxiu, these days I've spent with you, and my feelings for you have grown stronger with each passing day. Today, I no longer want to hide my feelings. I love you and wish to spend my life with you. What do you think?"

Upon hearing this, Su Jinxiu blushed, feeling both surprised and touched.

“Your Highness, what merits do I possess to deserve such favor from you?”

Xiao Ling stepped forward and took her hand. "Jinxiu, in my heart, you are intelligent, brave, and kind, unmatched by anyone."

Feeling the warmth of his hand, Su Jinxiu nodded gently, "Your Highness is sincere, and Jinxiu is willing to stay by Your Highness's side."

Xiao Ling was overjoyed and embraced her.

However, their love was not all smooth sailing.

The news quickly reached the palace, and the Empress was greatly displeased upon hearing it.

"This Su Jinxiu is merely the daughter of a marquis; how could she be worthy of the Prince of Yan?" the Empress said, frowning.

She decided to summon Su Jinxiu to give her a hard time.

Su Jinxiu received the Empress's decree with trepidation, but still resolutely went to the palace.

"Greetings, Your Majesty the Empress," Su Jinxiu said, bowing.

The Empress looked at her coldly, "Su Jinxiu, do you know your place?"

Su Jinxiu replied neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Your Majesty, Jinxiu knows that her status is lowly, but she and His Highness are truly in love."

The Empress snorted, "True love? Love in the palace is never that simple."

Su Jinxiu said, "Your Highness, Jinxiu is willing to give everything for His Highness, and has no other intentions."

The Empress was silent for a moment, then said, "Fine, I'll see just how capable you are."

After leaving the palace, Su Jinxiu felt heavy-hearted.

Xiao Ling was very worried when he learned that the Empress had summoned Su Jinxiu.

"Jinxiu, has the Empress made things difficult for you?" Xiao Ling asked.

Su Jinxiu shook her head. "Your Highness, rest assured, Jinxiu can handle it."

But they knew that the Queen was just the beginning, and they would face many more challenges in the future.

Meanwhile, Xiao Ling's rivals also learned of his relationship with Su Jinxiu and decided to make a big fuss about it.

They slandered Xiao Ling before the emperor, saying that he was obsessed with women and neglected the country.

Upon hearing this, the emperor became dissatisfied with Xiao Ling.

"Summon the Prince of Yan to the palace," the emperor ordered.

Xiao Ling knew that this trip to the palace was fraught with danger, but in order to prove his loyalty, he still went anyway.

In the palace, the emperor severely reprimanded Xiao Ling.

"As a prince, you should prioritize national affairs. How can you be troubled by personal feelings?"

Xiao Ling knelt down and begged for forgiveness, "Father, your son's feelings for Su Jinxiu are genuine, but your son has never forgotten his responsibilities."

The emperor pondered for a moment, then said, “Forget it, let’s leave this matter aside for now, but you must remember that you must not let personal matters interfere with public duty.”

After expressing his gratitude, Xiao Ling left the palace, secretly vowing to win this power struggle and give Su Jinxiu a stable future.

Meanwhile, Su Jinxiu was also working hard to improve her abilities in the Marquis's mansion, hoping to help Xiao Ling at a crucial moment.

She began to learn the art of political maneuvering, manage family affairs, and cultivate relationships with powerful figures from all sides.

She encountered many difficulties and setbacks during this process, but she never gave up.

One day, Su Jinxiu received a mysterious letter inviting her to meet outside the city.

She had her doubts, but she still decided to go.

Upon arriving at the agreed-upon location, they discovered it was one of Xiao Ling's political enemies.

"Miss Su, if you know what's good for you, leave Prince Yan, or you'll bear the consequences."

Su Jinxiu remained unfazed, saying, "Don't even think about threatening me."

His political rival sneered, "Then you just wait and see."

Su Jinxiu knew that an even bigger storm was about to break.