Rebirth and Reversal of Fortune

Chapter 8: Fame Achieved at the Poetry Gathering

A grand poetry gathering was held in the capital. Su Jinxiu, with her profound and elegant poem, outshone many talented women, gaining widespread fame and becoming the object of admiration for many young men in the capital.

On the day of the poetry gathering, young masters and ladies from prominent families in the capital gathered, creating a lively and bustling atmosphere. Su Jinxiu, dressed in an elegant yet luxurious white gown, slowly entered the venue. Her appearance instantly attracted many eyes.

When it was Su Jinxiu's turn to present her poem, she parted her lips slightly and slowly recited: "The plum blossoms proudly in the snow, blooming alone, its cold fragrance and elegant charm transcending the dust. It does not compete with a hundred flowers for color, but leaves only its pure air to fill the jade terrace." As soon as the poem was recited, the entire audience fell silent, and after a moment, thunderous applause and praise erupted.

"What a wonderful poem! What a wonderful poem! Not only are the words beautiful, but the meaning is also profound. Miss Su is truly a woman of exceptional talent!" a highly respected scholar exclaimed excitedly.

Everyone nodded in agreement, their gazes towards Su Jinxiu filled with admiration and appreciation. Su Jinxiu bowed slightly, thanking everyone for their praise, her face beaming with a confident yet humble smile.

From then on, Su Jinxiu's name spread throughout the capital, and she became the focus of everyone's attention.

However, this widespread fame also brought her a lot of trouble. Numerous young men sent intermediaries to propose marriage, and the threshold of the Marquis's mansion was almost worn down.

"Miss, the gifts sent by these young masters have filled the storeroom. What should we do?" Xiao Cui said with some worry, looking at the room full of gifts.

Su Jinxiu frowned slightly: "Take them all back. I have no interest in this."

However, some young men did not give up and tried every means to get close to Su Jinxiu.

One day, Su Jinxiu went out for a stroll and happened to meet Liu Yu, the son of the Minister of Justice, by the lake.

Liu Yu, fanning himself with a folding fan, stepped forward with an air of nonchalance: "Miss Su, I have long admired your name. Meeting you today, I can confirm that you are indeed as beautiful as a fairy and exceptionally talented."

Su Jinxiu replied politely, "Young Master Liu, you flatter me."

Liu Yu persisted: "Miss Su, I have long admired you. Would you be so kind as to join me for a boat trip on the lake and enjoy the beautiful scenery together?"

Su Jinxiu's face darkened: "Young Master Liu, please have some self-respect."

Liu Yu, however, thought that Su Jinxiu was just being coy and became even more presumptuous: "Miss Su, why be so cold? As long as you agree to date me, I will make sure you enjoy all the riches and honors."

Just then, Prince Yan, Xiao Ling, suddenly appeared.

"Young Master Liu, how dare you be so disrespectful to Miss Su in broad daylight!" Xiao Ling's voice was cold and full of authority.

Upon seeing Xiao Ling, Liu Yu turned pale with fright: "Your Highness, Prince Yan, I... I dare not."

Xiao Ling glared at him: "Get out of here!"

Liu Yu slunk away.

Su Jinxiu looked at Xiao Ling gratefully: "Thank you for helping me out of that predicament, Your Highness."

Xiao Ling looked at her with concern in his eyes: "Miss Su, you don't need to be so polite. Please be more careful when you go out in the future."

From then on, Xiao Ling's concern for Su Jinxiu became more obvious, and Su Jinxiu also developed a dependence on Xiao Ling.

But Su Yue was insanely jealous of Su Jinxiu's reputation.

"Why is it that Su Jinxiu can steal the spotlight at the poetry gathering and win the favor of the Prince of Yan? I'm not reconciled!" Su Yue smashed things in the room.

So Su Yue started spreading rumors behind her back, saying that Su Jinxiu's poems were plagiarized.

The rumor quickly spread throughout the capital, and some people who were unaware of the truth began to point fingers at Su Jinxiu.

Su Jinxiu remained calm upon learning the news.

"The innocent will prove their innocence, and I will use facts to prove my innocence." Su Jinxiu decided to showcase her talent again at another poetry gathering.

On the day of the poetry gathering, Su Jinxiu once again captivated everyone with a stunning work, dispelling the rumors.

“Miss Su is truly talented. Those rumors have been disproven on their own. That’s wonderful!” a young lady said.

“That’s right, those jealous people are just trying to smear Miss Su,” another woman chimed in.

After all these twists and turns, Su Jinxiu's reputation grew even stronger, and her relationship with Xiao Ling gradually warmed up.

However, their relationship was not without its challenges.

A powerful official named Li had been trying to win over Prince Yan, Xiao Ling. Seeing how much Xiao Ling cared for Su Jinxiu, he worried that Su Jinxiu would affect Xiao Ling's political stance, so he decided to take action against Su Jinxiu.

First, Lord Li slandered Su Jinxiu before the Emperor, saying that Su Jinxiu came from a noble family with great power and influence, and that if she were to marry the Prince of Yan, she might pose a threat to the throne.

Upon hearing this, the Emperor became suspicious and began to pay attention to the relationship between Su Jinxiu and Xiao Ling.

Then, Lord Li secretly instructed some local thugs to create chaos while Su Jinxiu was out, in an attempt to ruin her reputation.

Fortunately, Xiao Ling received the news in advance and sent people to secretly protect Su Jinxiu, which allowed her to escape danger time and time again.

But such days left Su Jinxiu feeling exhausted.

"Your Highness, I don't want you to be in such a predicament because of me," Su Jinxiu said worriedly.

Xiao Ling held her hand: "Jinxiu, don't overthink it. I will definitely protect you."

In this difficult moment, Su Jinxiu did not back down. She decided to use her wisdom and courage to help Xiao Ling resolve the crisis.

Using her connections among the noblewomen of the capital, she gathered evidence of Lord Li's crimes and persuaded her elders to support Xiao Ling in court.

After much effort, Lord Li's crimes were finally exposed, and Xiao Ling's position in the court became even more secure.

The Emperor greatly admired Su Jinxiu's intelligence and courage, and no longer hindered her relationship with Xiao Ling.

After going through a series of trials, Su Jinxiu and Xiao Ling's relationship became even more unbreakable. They walked hand in hand into the future and wrote their own legend together.