Rebirth and Reversal of Fortune

Chapter 450 Intensified Competition for Favor in the Harem, and Issues Regarding the Education of th

Since the truth about the palace poisoning incident came to light, the situation in the harem has not calmed down; on the contrary, it has become increasingly turbulent. The competition for the emperor's favor has intensified, leaving Su Jinxiu and Xiao Ling exhausted from dealing with it.

Seeing that Zhao had met a tragic end because of her struggle for the emperor's favor, the other concubines not only failed to learn from her mistakes, but instead became even more desperate to stand out in front of the emperor.

One day, Su Jinxiu was taking a walk in the palace when she heard two concubines arguing not far away.

"You vixen, how dare you seduce His Majesty!" one concubine angrily pointed at another.

"Hmph, you can't keep His Majesty's heart, and you're blaming me!" another retorted.

Su Jinxiu shook her head helplessly, and was about to step forward to persuade them, but then she heard more arguing coming from all directions.

Xiao Ling also found no peace in the court, as ministers constantly complained to him that their daughters had been wronged in the palace and asked him to put in a good word for them before the emperor.

"General Xiao, you must help me! My daughter is being bullied in the palace, and it breaks my heart as her father," a minister said, tugging at Xiao Ling's sleeve.

Xiao Ling frowned and said, "It is not appropriate for me to interfere in this matter. The affairs of the inner palace must be decided by His Majesty."

However, these requests kept coming in, which annoyed him to no end.

Back home, Xiao Ling and Su Jinxiu sat facing each other, both looking exhausted.

"Madam, when will this scramble for favor in the harem ever end?" Xiao Ling sighed.

Su Jinxiu gently held Xiao Ling's hand and said, "Husband, don't be anxious. We can only do our best."

But things weren't that simple. The concubines resorted to increasingly elaborate schemes to win the emperor's favor.

Some feigned illness in front of the emperor to gain his sympathy; others secretly framed other concubines, trying to oust their rivals.

Some concubines even spent a fortune to collect rare and precious treasures in order to please the emperor.

"They've turned this palace into a complete mess," Su Jinxiu said.

The emperor was also annoyed by these trivial matters and gradually lost patience with the affairs of the harem.

"How did my harem become like this?" the emperor roared.

Su Jinxiu and Xiao Ling knew that if they did not stop it, the chaos in the harem would inevitably affect the stability of the court.

Therefore, they decided to advise the emperor, hoping to establish some rules to restrain the behavior of the concubines.

"Your Majesty, the vying for favor in the harem is rampant these days. If this continues, it may lead to disaster," Xiao Ling said.

The emperor nodded in agreement: "Then, in your opinion, what should be done?"

Su Jinxiu said, "Why not formulate some palace rules, clearly define rewards and punishments, so that the concubines will have something to fear?"

The emperor adopted their suggestions and promulgated new palace regulations.

However, this aroused strong dissatisfaction among the concubines.

"This is clearly an attempt to suppress us!"

"That's right, Su Jinxiu and Xiao Ling are deliberately targeting us!"

The infighting in the harem not only did not subside, but intensified.

Just then, a newly arrived concubine attracted everyone's attention.

This concubine may appear delicate, but she is actually quite cunning.

She cleverly exploited the conflicts among the other concubines to gradually rise in the harem.

"Hmph, I will definitely become the mistress of this harem," she secretly vowed.

Su Jinxiu and Xiao Ling noticed her ambition and began to pay attention to her.

Before they could even take any action, this concubine had already rallied a group of forces and launched a direct confrontation with Su Jinxiu and Xiao Ling.

"You can't stop me!" she said defiantly.

Amidst the turmoil in the palace, the emperor's attention gradually turned to the education of his princes. Knowing that this matter concerned the future of the nation, the emperor, after careful consideration, decided to entrust this important task to Su Jinxiu and Xiao Ling.

After the morning court session, the emperor summoned Su Jinxiu and Xiao Ling for a private audience.

"I have been worried about the education of my princes lately, fearing that they will not be able to shoulder the heavy responsibility of governing the country in the future. Su Jinxiu and Xiao Ling, I trust you and have entrusted you with this important task." The emperor looked at them earnestly.

Su Jinxiu and Xiao Ling immediately knelt down to express their gratitude: "Your Majesty's trust is indebted to us, and we will do our utmost to fulfill it."

After accepting the task, Su Jinxiu and Xiao Ling began to learn about the princes. They discovered that the princes had different personalities and talents, making them no easy task to educate.

The eldest prince was lively and active by nature, lacking interest in book knowledge, but quite enthusiastic about riding and archery.

"What should we do?" Su Jinxiu asked, frowning.

Xiao Ling pondered for a moment: "Why not start with his interests and cultivate his focus and perseverance first?"

The second prince is introverted and taciturn, but he is thoughtful and has unique insights into poetry and literature.

Su Jinxiu said, "Perhaps we can encourage him to communicate more with others and showcase his talents."

The third prince was still young, mischievous, and difficult to discipline.

“This child needs more patience and guidance,” Xiao Ling said.

In order to develop a suitable educational plan, Su Jinxiu and Xiao Ling discussed it day and night.

"We must not only teach them knowledge, but also cultivate their character and sense of responsibility," Su Jinxiu said.

Xiao Ling nodded in agreement: "We should also pay attention to teaching according to aptitude and exploring the potential of each prince."

They decided to invite renowned teachers from various fields to the palace to instruct the princes. At the same time, they arranged various practical activities to broaden the princes' horizons through hands-on experience.

However, this move has aroused jealousy and dissatisfaction among some people.

"Why should they be responsible for the princes' education?"

"That's right, we are also capable of taking on this responsibility."

Some ministers with ulterior motives began to slander Su Jinxiu and Xiao Ling before the emperor, attempting to sabotage their plans.

"Your Majesty, Su Jinxiu and Xiao Ling's educational methods are too radical and may backfire."

The emperor was skeptical and decided to personally inspect the princes' learning progress.

During one assessment, the princes' performance greatly pleased the emperor.

"It seems that Su Jinxiu and Xiao Ling's methods are effective," the emperor said.

Those ministers who offered slanderous advice could only grit their teeth in silence.

However, Su Jinxiu and Xiao Ling did not let their guard down because of this; they knew that the road to educating the prince was still very long.

Just then, another unexpected event occurred in the palace.

A prince was injured in a fall while riding a horse, causing a great uproar.

"What happened? Why did this accident occur?" the emperor asked angrily.

Some people took the opportunity to shift the blame onto Su Jinxiu and Xiao Ling.

"It was their poor planning that led to the prince's injury."

Su Jinxiu and Xiao Ling are facing tremendous pressure.