Reborn as the Regent's Beloved

Actually, not going to the poetry gathering would have been safer for her, especially after she knew the other party wanted to harm her.

Although Xuan Hua did not know the reason, she knew Shen's intention in keeping the invitation.

She carried the medicine bowl out of the room. "Miss, at the last Drunken Begonia Banquet, the Second Miss and the Seventh Prince played a duet. Many people said that the Second Miss would marry the Seventh Prince, which is why Madam doesn't want you to have anything to do with the Seventh Prince."

Xiao Fengyi admired her maid Xuanhua's insight, "Yes, let's ignore them and go deliver the medicine to Grandmother first."

The old lady has improved considerably after resting at Baoguo Temple for the past few days and has gradually gotten used to appreciating the Zen spirit under the Bodhi tree. In order to recuperate, the old lady does not return to the Duke's Mansion with them.

Xiao Fengyi didn't want to go back either, but with the day approaching for Feng Xingye's detoxification, she had no choice but to return to the city.

“Grandmother, I’ll have Xuanhua stay here with you.”

Before leaving, she instructed Xuanhua on how to prepare medicine for the old lady, including when and how to prepare the medicine.

At first, the old lady disagreed, saying, "If Xuanhua is given to me, who will take care of you?"

“I still have Zihua, Grandmother, you don’t need to worry about me. I have my own plans.”

Her tone was firm, and the old lady no longer insisted.

On the way back to the Duke Xiao's mansion from Baoguo Temple, it suddenly started to drizzle.

As luck would have it, only Xiao Fengyi's carriage got stuck in the mud and had to stop in the Xiao family's caravan. The carriages carrying Shen Shi and Xiao Qingyin had already left without waiting for Xiao Fengyi.

Seeing them leave, Xiao Fengyi also stepped down from the carriage, holding a white silk umbrella. Dressed in a white ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), she resembled a landscape painting rendered in ink on the misty, rain-swept, and jade-green road.

"Master, the Seventh Prince said he wants to find an opportunity to get close to you, and Xiao Qingyin said she wants to find him an opportunity. You must be careful."

The raindrops fell like intermittent threads. As Xiao Fengyi watched the coachman slowly pull the carriage up, she squinted her eyes, suddenly remembering Ye Si's reminder, and her lips, like the corners of a smartweed, blossomed into a sweet smile.

Since the two of them had joined forces to plot against her, she would counter their moves accordingly.

Sure enough, a group of bandits appeared just as the coachman drove the carriage out of the mud.

The bandit leader said, "We've heard that Miss Xiao is destined for greatness. We'd like to see for ourselves. Even if we can't be emperors, we can still be mountain kings."

Soon, seven or eight bandits sprang out of the bushes and surrounded Xiao Fengyi and the coachman.

"Young Miss, I'll protect you, run!"

The coachman shielded Xiao Fengyi behind him, drew his knife, and prepared to fight the bandits to the death.

Hidden beneath the white silk umbrella, Xiao Fengyi remained remarkably calm, like a plum blossom in the cold, as she reassured the coachman, "Don't be afraid, I won't leave."

The driver's legs trembled uncontrollably as he said earnestly, "Miss, you must go quickly. My life is not important. You must run!"

Hearing the two's conversation, the bandits laughed loudly and unrestrainedly, "Miss Xiao is not only as beautiful as an angel, but she is also calm and composed. However, let me tell you the truth, someone wants me to ruin your innocence, and you can't escape."

Destroy innocence.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Fengyi suddenly thought of one person: Feng Mingjing. Only he would treat her like this.

She suddenly had a thought: could this group of bandits be actors sent by Feng Mingjing?

Unsure of the other party's true intentions, Xiao Fengyi still tried asking, "Can you let me go? I can offer you a more generous reward."

It's all money anyway, so it doesn't matter whose money we make!

The bandits insisted that even thieves have their code of honor: "Miss Xiao, forgive me for not being clever enough, but we must follow the principle of first come, first served. We have already promised our employer, so we cannot go back on our word and help you escape."

At this moment, Xiao Fengyi smelled a familiar fragrance. The torment of two lifetimes made her very certain that the fragrance belonged to Feng Mingjing.

Instantly awake.

These bandits were indeed invited by Feng Mingjing.

What exactly did he want to do to me? Countless thoughts flashed through my mind, but I still couldn't dispel the fear in my heart.

The white rain grew heavier, pattering against the eaves of the car with a clattering sound, and along with the dark clouds drifting overhead, it brought Xiao Fengyi a continuous sense of oppression.

At this moment, the man who had been lying in ambush finally came out with his guards, saying, "You bandits, release Miss Xiao immediately."

Upon seeing Feng Mingjing, the bandits didn't even draw their swords; they merely struck a few times before vanishing without a trace.

After sheathing his sword, Feng Mingjing walked to the elegant girl in white and said very gently, "Fengyi, I heard from them that you went to Baoguo Temple. There are bandits around here, and I was worried about your safety, so I came here to wait for you."

Xiao Fengyi felt that Feng Mingjing and the bandits were being somewhat perfunctory, thinking that she was a girl who had been scared out of her wits and would just fight them and leave.

However, none of that matters. What matters is that Feng Mingjing doesn't intend to force himself on her today, which relieved her.

Under the white silk umbrella, Xiao Fengyi bowed slightly, and in order to leave the desolate wilderness and return to their hometown, she used this opportunity to thank Feng Mingjing, saying, "Thank you for saving my life, Seventh Prince."

Feng Mingjing, soaked to the bone, helped Xiao Fengyi up without an umbrella, the water droplets on his shoulders falling onto the white silk umbrella.

The girl deliberately moved closer to the man, held an umbrella for him, and said with a smile, "Your Highness, don't get wet in the rain, you'll catch a cold."

Seeing her approach, the man thought he had achieved his goal and placed his hand on the girl's delicate shoulder. "Miss Xiao, let me take you back to your residence."

Xiao Fengyi suppressed her disgust and said gently, "Then I'll have to trouble Your Highness, Seventh Prince."

Different versions of the story of the Seventh Prince rescuing Xiao Fengyi from bandits in the rain quickly spread throughout the capital.

"Seventh Prince has a knack for dealing with women. After his amazing duet with Miss Xiao at the Drunken Begonia Banquet, he also played the hero and rescued Miss Xiao from the bandits."

"Is the Duke of Xiao's family about to have a wedding? Two women sharing one husband?"

"If it's true, the Seventh Prince is quite fortunate with women. Miss Xiao is destined to be a phoenix, and her beauty is like a begonia in the sun. Miss Xiao is understanding and graceful, like a fragrant orchid in a courtyard. How could he possibly take two beauties into his harem at once?"

"The Seventh Prince is the apple of the Emperor and the Imperial Concubine's eye, and the future heir to the throne. Others can only envy him."

"Shh, the matter of choosing an heir is not something we can discuss."

When these words reached Xiao Fengyi's ears, she was staring at a pool of beautiful lotus flowers in Qingya Courtyard.

The dazzling array of flowers was so captivating that Xiao Fengyi felt as if she had returned to her past life.

While grinding ink, Zi Hua didn't forget to curse, "After this Seventh Prince saved Miss, he went around telling everyone that Miss encountered bandits. Isn't this ruining Miss's reputation?"

Sitting at the desk, Xiao Fengyi was engrossed in a book, occasionally glancing up at the gloomy, rainy scene outside the window to stretch her hands and feet.

Xiao Fengyi was not surprised when he heard Zi Hua talking about the rumors circulating outside.