Reborn as the Regent's Beloved

Xiao Fengyi understood that although her grandmother loved her, that love could not outweigh the reputation of the Duke of Xiao's mansion.

When the nest is overturned, no egg remains intact. Xiao Qishan's private court should not be made a big fuss. If the emperor finds out, no one will be happy. She understands this principle and will not blame her grandmother.

The woman, covered in blood, was still being supported by the two princes, a sight that caused the old lady indescribable pain.

That peony-like face, where is its usual rosy and radiant beauty? It's so pitiful, it evokes feelings of pity, even more delicate and pitiful than the thin snow-white hairpin adorning her cloud-like hair.

The old lady could never get enough of feeling sorry for him.

Despite suffering such an overwhelming humiliation, the child neither cried nor made a fuss. Instead, he lowered his clear eyes, bowed deeply to her, and said, "Grandmother, rest assured, Fengyi understands. This is a family matter of the Duke of Xiao's mansion. I will consider the overall situation and will not pursue it further."

She said this to the old lady, and also to Xiao Qishan.

Xiao Fengyi acknowledged the matter, but it did not mean she was wrong.

The old lady praised, "Fengyi is sensible!"

"You child, can't you say a kind word? What do you mean by considering the bigger picture? Do you think I've wronged you?" Xiao Qishan was quite displeased with Fengyi's stubbornness.

The woman smiled gently, facing her father who couldn't distinguish right from wrong, and said, "Doesn't my father know what injustice I've suffered?"

"You..." Xiao Qishan was furious at being rebuked, and his raised hand was about to land on Ru Shuangli's face.

Xiao Fengyi refused to dodge, but Feng Mingyu and Feng Xingye, who were on either side of her, reacted quickly and simultaneously dragged her back a few steps, thus avoiding Xiao Qishan's palm strike.

Feng Xingye stood in front and said coldly, "Duke Xiao, think it over!"

Feng Mingyu chimed in, "Duke Xiao, Fengyi is covered in wounds and can't take any more blows! She'll die if you hit her again!"

Xiao Qishan was still furious, and seeing that his daughter was being protected only made him angrier.

"You unfilial daughter, I order you to submit to me. Otherwise, even the two princes cannot protect you, and they will beat you to death today."

Feeling that his dignity as a father had been offended, he disregarded Xiao Fengyi's importance to the Xiao family and forced his eldest daughter to bow down to him.

Unfortunately, the eldest daughter was stubborn and refused to back down.

Xiao Qingyin added, "Father, please let my sister go. She has the destiny of a phoenix, so it's only right that she can be a little willful."

These words only fueled Xiao Qishan's anger. He rolled up his sleeves and drew his long sword. "Even if Xiao Fengyi has the destiny of a phoenix, she's still my daughter! How dare she act so willfully and disregard her father!"

The frail woman hid behind the two princes, glancing at her father.

At this moment, Xiao Qishan's ferocious face overlapped with that of Feng Mingjing, who ascended to the throne in his previous life. They were the same; both wanted to use their Phoenix Fate, yet they also feared it.

The will of Heaven cannot be defied; whoever obtains Xiao Fengyi will rule the world.

The woman knew these people hated more than just her; they loathed herself even more for submitting to the Phoenix's mandate and bowing and scraping. Because of the Phoenix's mandate, Xiao Fengyi was guilty of possessing a treasure.

Feng Mingyu knew that hitting her again would kill her, so how could her father not know?

It's clear how much Xiao Qishan disliked his eldest daughter; his younger daughter could sow discord between them with just a few words. She knew in her previous life that her father was biased; this life simply shows a greater awareness of reality.

"I don't admit it. You can kill me if you want."

Xiao Fengyi stood behind Feng Mingyu and shared her thoughts.

Since I've been given a second chance at life, I should do as I please and live freely. If I can't live according to my own wishes, then what's the point of God letting me be reborn three years in the past?

Xiao Qishan didn't understand what his daughter had gone through to return to him. He only felt that his daughter was disobedient, so he said no more. His long sword was sharp and unstoppable as he rushed between the two princes.

Only Xiao Fengyi stood there, her purple palace dress bestowed by the Empress soon to be stained crimson.

"Xiao Fengyi, be careful." Feng Xingye swiftly pushed the woman aside, preparing to catch the blade with his bare hands.

Worried that his master might get hurt, Yue Qi stepped forward to protect him, "Your Highness, be careful!"

They pushed each other, all shoving each other towards the thick pillars of the hall. Xiao Qishan's Lingyue Sword missed Xiao Fengyi and Feng Xingye, but it almost pierced Yue Qi's left arm.

Just as Yue Qi was about to lose his left arm, everyone felt a strong gust of wind whistling past. The heavy dragon-headed staff was pulled and rolled, and the sharp Lingyue Sword was chipped. Xiao Qishan was thrown out of his hand and pushed away by the dragon-headed staff, flying far away.

Feng Xingye, standing in front of Xiao Fengyi, narrowed his long, phoenix-shaped eyes as he witnessed this scene.

"Yue Qi, are you alright?"

Yue Qi glanced at the torn fabric on his shoulder, noting that his skin was unharmed, and clasped his hands in a fist salute, saying, "Your Highness, I am unharmed!"

"It's alright."

When Feng Xingye joined the army as a child, he heard the old story of the Duke of Xiao taking his wife to the battlefield. The couple were incredibly brave and would compete to see who could behead the most enemies, making the enemy tremble with fear.

He had only ever seen the old Duke's martial arts skills before, but he had never seen this old lady's skills.

When I saw it today, it certainly lived up to its reputation.

That dragon-headed staff was as heavy as a thousand pounds. Not to mention women, even few men could lift it. Yet this old lady of the Xiao family was able to use it skillfully, bending the Lingyue Sword, which was known for its dexterity. How much force did she use!

Thinking of the old Duke and the old lady, who fought with the ferocity of tigers and were clear about rewarding and punishing people, and then looking at the Duke of Xiao's indiscriminate behavior, it is truly lamentable that each generation is worse than the last.

Xiao Qishan sat on the ground, looking up at the old lady in confusion, like a child who couldn't get candy. "Mother, why are you protecting that girl Fengyi?"

This really doesn't seem like the behavior of a father.

The old lady glared at him and said, "Qishan, I've already said that this concerns the royal family, so let's just let it go. Don't keep going on and on. Don't you understand?"

Her tone was stern and authoritative, and Duke Xiao dared not say anything more. He could only let Xiao Qingyin and Madam Shen help him to his feet and stand aside.

The old lady, being of advanced age, was utterly disappointed to see that Xiao Qishan was no longer a threat, and felt ashamed of having failed the old Duke.

The old man's eyes scanned the hall, and when he suddenly saw Xiao Fengyi's tired face, he remembered how understanding and considerate she was, and felt both gratified and heartbroken.

The old lady's pleasure did not last long. When she saw Xiao Qingyin, her mood plummeted. Thinking that the Xiao family's current predicament was all caused by her, she looked down on her.

The two granddaughters, one always protects the Duke Xiao's mansion, while the other only cares about her own interests and causes trouble for the Xiao family. Their actions immediately reveal their difference in character.

Although it had been decided to be a family matter, the matriarch decided to give Xiao Fengyi an explanation and punish Xiao Qingyin.

Her dragon-headed cane struck the floor as the old lady walked up to her granddaughter.

“Qingyin, this whole thing started because of you. Since the Emperor has already punished you, our Duke’s Mansion cannot remain silent. Go kneel in the ancestral hall for ten days straight. This is the Xiao family’s attitude toward the Emperor.”