Reborn as the Regent's Beloved

Stepping off the bed, Xiao Fengyi bowed to the man on the bed and said, "Your Highness, I will consider your suggestion. I will let you know the answer next time I treat your injuries."

Feng Xingye rubbed his temples, looking quite tired. "Alright, I'll wait for you. Yue Qi, see the guest out."

Xiao Fengyi gave a few instructions and then got into the carriage arranged by Yue Qi.

The horses clattered on their hooves, and by the time they reached the entrance of Baoguo Temple, it was already bright daylight. However, a mountain mist had risen at the entrance of the tranquil and ancient temple.

With Yue Qi's help, Xiao Fengyi got off the carriage and said gently, "Guard Yue Qi, please leave me here. I can go back by myself."

Actually, to save time, Yueqi and the others could leap and take her back to her room.

However, it's already daylight, so it's not very convenient for people to come and go.

Yueqi understood Miss Xiao's meaning, because when he went up the mountain, he had already seen the monks responsible for sweeping and carrying water walking on the road.

“Miss Xiao, I will come to pick you up to see the master again after the next detoxification.”

Xiao Fengyi nodded, "Okay, you should go back now."

After watching Yue Qi's carriage leave, Xiao Fengyi straightened her clothes, preparing to return to her room as if she were taking an early morning walk.

Unexpectedly, as she walked into the side room, she encountered someone who had come uninvited.

Xiao Qingyin was wearing a light red jacket and skirt, and even in the misty mountain temple, her presence could not be ignored. In addition, her easily recognizable fragrance made her identity almost immediately apparent.

When Xiao Fengyi saw her, she knew that something terrible was about to happen.

Seeing her hurry up to her side and tug at her clothes, she said, "Sister, where did you go last night? You made my mother, father, brother, and I wait for hours."

Besides Shen Shi and her, Xiao Qishan and Xiao Ye also came? Weren't they on a trip with the Emperor? Why are they back so soon?

Could it be that... news of Grandmother's poisoning spread from the government, which is why Xiao Qishan and Xiao Ye returned?

Xiao Fengyi quietly searched around the room for the figures of those people, but saw no one except for the maid, Lüshu.

When Xiao Fengyi came to Baoguo Temple this time, she only brought Xuanhua with her and left Zihua to oversee Qingya Garden, so that Shen Shi and Xiao Qingyin would not take advantage of her absence to take the evidence of the red arsenic and do anything else.

Xuanhua doesn't seem to be in the side room either; she must have gone to her grandmother's.

Xiao Qingyin seemed to sense her thoughts and whispered, "Sister, you don't need to look anymore. Father, brother, and mother are paying their respects in Grandmother's room."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Fengyi glanced sideways and said coldly, "They all went to pay their respects, why didn't you go? Are you feeling guilty?"

She emphasized the word "guilty conscience" so much that Xiao Qingyin, who was clinging to her, finally let go.

"Sister, I..."

Xiao Qingyin hesitated for a long time, unsure of what to say, after all, she had indeed put red arsenic in the quince leaf cakes she gave to her grandmother.

Since the poisoning incident, the old lady has refused visits from Madam Shen and Xiao Qingyin. When Xiao Qishan and Xiao Ye returned to the capital, Madam Shen was able to see the old lady as she wished, but Xiao Qingyin dared not go.

Xiao Qingyin was speechless after being choked by her sister's words. She stood to the side, looking like she was about to cry, which was really quite pitiful.

However, Xiao Fengyi was not like Feng Mingjing and Xiao Qishan. She had already seen through the vicious schemes hidden beneath the gentle appearance. Instead of pitying her, she found her extremely disgusting.

Since the whole family had gone to their grandmother's place, Xiao Fengyi also decided to go to the old lady's quarters to pay her respects.

Seeing that Xiao Fengyi was ignoring Xiao Qingyin, the maid Lüshu hurriedly went to her mistress's side, wiped away her tears, and spoke to her.

“Young Miss, you’ve misunderstood. Our young lady didn’t go to pay her respects because she was waiting for you. She was afraid that you would be scolded by the master and young master if you didn’t come home all night, so she came to remind you not to talk back to the master when you go to pay your respects, lest you be punished again.”

The flower-like hem of her skirt brushed against the ground. Xiao Fengyi stopped and smiled without turning her head, "Then I thank you for your reminder, Miss. However, Green Book, I also want to remind your Miss to think about how to answer when Father investigates why Fuyin Courtyard received the Crimson Arsenic."

In fact, she knew perfectly well that Xiao Qingyin hadn't come to warn her, but rather to search for evidence in the side room; she just happened to stumble upon her.

As she walked toward the old lady's room, she kept looking back.

Xiao Fengyi felt that after she and the old lady left the Xiao State Duke's Mansion and went to Baoguo Temple, the Shen mother and daughter must have sent people to search her grandmother's Changyi Courtyard and her Qingya Courtyard.

Unable to find any evidence of the crimson arsenic, Xiao Qishan and Xiao Ye returned to their residence.

Although Xiao Qishan doted on Xiao Qingyin, this matter concerned his mother, and he couldn't be easily fooled.

Despite Yuan Shu taking the blame, Xiao Qingyin couldn't explain why Fuyin Courtyard would receive such a dangerous drug as Crimson Arsenic, and why Crimson Arsenic was found in the pine leaf cakes her grandmother had eaten.

In order to exonerate themselves, the Shen mother and daughter would definitely try to shift the blame to Xiao Qishan.

Xiao Qishan was skeptical, so he decided to go to Baoguo Temple to ask his grandmother.

Shen and Xiao Qingyin were afraid that Xiao Qishan was easily swayed, so they came along as well, and also searched for evidence in the side rooms of Baoguo Temple.

Xuan Hua was probably sent away by them.

As she pondered this, Xiao Fengyi walked to the old lady's room.

The sunlight at the entrance to the side room and the darkness inside were like two different worlds. Xiao Fengyi immediately saw Xuan Hua kneeling on the ground.

She did not enter the room, but greeted everyone at the door, saying, "Fengyi greets Grandmother, Father, Mother, and Brother."

Standing in the shadows, Xiao Qishan had already seen his eldest daughter. He flicked his sleeve and said disdainfully, "Where have you been running off to? You still know how to come back?"

Before Xiao Fengyi could speak, Madam Shen also spoke up in a sarcastic tone.

Her face was half-lit and half-shadowed, and her words were harsh.

“Master, our daughter likes to go out and meet men in the middle of the night. When she goes to Baoguo Temple, no one can control her. If word gets out that she often stays out all night, how can the women of our Xiao family face anyone?”

"Have you said enough?" The old lady was still weak from her recent illness, but her authority remained.

As soon as she spoke, Xiao Qishan and Madam Shen immediately shut up.

The old lady didn't give her son and stepdaughter-in-law a friendly look, but she beamed when she saw her eldest granddaughter. "Fengyi, you're finally back! I wasn't feeling well yesterday, so you went to the city to get medicine and only just got back."

Xiao Fengyi looked up in astonishment; her grandmother was covering for her.

However, she quickly lowered her head because her brother, Xiao Ye, was right next to their grandmother, looking at her with a probing gaze.

Madam Shen clearly didn't believe it. "Did Fengyi stay out all night to get medicine? Where is the medicine?"

She stared sharply at Xiao Fengyi as she walked in from outside, her tone unfriendly.

Xiao Qishan also felt something was amiss and repeated, "Fengyi, where is the medicine you got for Grandmother?"

As they spoke, Madam Shen, Xiao Qishan, and all the maids focused their attention on Xiao Fengyi. Even Xuan Hua, who was kneeling on the ground, unconsciously turned to look at her, as if she were worried for her.