Reborn as the Regent's Beloved

The man was indeed very interested in Feng Mingjing's every move. "What does Feng Mingjing want to do to you?"

Xiao Fengyi held the needle case in her hand and walked to the chair. Her skirt accidentally brushed against the man's long legs, but she did not notice. Instead, she knelt down in front of the man.

"Your Highness, save me! Feng Mingjing is going to steal my sachet from my room as evidence of our secret affair. He also plans to take my sachet to the poetry gatherings and banquets hosted by the Imperial Concubine, and parade around in the streets, all to make others think that I love her!"

As she spoke, she began to cry, and added fuel to the fire by saying, "Your Highness Prince Zhao, the rumors about you and me are known to everyone. How can he not care at all and still come to provoke me?"

“You are destined to be a phoenix, and he wants to become the crown prince, so naturally he will not let you go.”

Xiao Fengyi knelt on the ground, looked up at the man, and her high nose bridge appeared even more prominent under the warm sunlight.

She had a ulterior motive and deliberately said, "Your Highness, you are his Ninth Imperial Uncle, and you have a high status. He is not afraid of anyone. He really is arrogant."

Feng Xingye remained unmoved by her provocation.

She said these words hoping that Feng Xingye would also go to the poetry gathering to help her out of the predicament, but the man remained silent for a long time.

After a while, Feng Xingye finally spoke, but what he said was unexpected.

“Xiao Fengyi, the relationship between us is just a rumor, we are not actually married. Even if I help you out this time, she will still find other ways to get close to you.”

"Get married? You mean..."

The man didn't help her up. Instead, he placed his hands on his knees, looked down at Xiao Fengyi, and said with a sharp gaze, "Get engaged to me, and you'll be set for good once and for all."

Only when Xiao Fengyi truly becomes the Princess Consort of Zhao will Feng Mingjing truly give up. Or perhaps he will never give up at all; who knows?

Xiao Fengyi looked up at Feng Xingye, "Your Highness, I haven't considered it..."

"You disagree?" The man didn't force her. As he stood up from the chair, he helped Xiao Fengyi up and took a sachet from her waist.

She subconsciously touched her waist, feeling a sense of being touched inappropriately. "Your Highness, have you agreed to let me go to the poetry gathering?"

Feng Xingye held the sachet, his hands behind his back, placed on his waist. "I might not have time on the day of the poetry gathering. We'll see."

It turned out he hadn't agreed.

Xiao Fengyi felt a little embarrassed, but stubbornly said, "Actually, if they hadn't given me the invitation to the poetry gathering, I probably wouldn't have needed to go at all, and I wouldn't have run into Feng Mingjing."

Upon hearing her words, the man unconsciously smiled, clasped his hands in a fist and said, "In that case, I hope you won't get an invitation."

Xiao Fengyi bowed and said goodbye, "Your Highness, now that the detoxification is complete, I will take my leave. See you in seven days."

"Goodbye, Yueqi, see the guest out."

“No need to trouble yourself, Guard Yue. I’m familiar with the roads around Prince Zhao’s residence.” Xiao Fengyi kept her head down.

One person suggested sending it, while the other said it wasn't necessary, leaving Yue Qi unsure of who to listen to.

He could only look at his master, "What should we do?"

Feng Xingye walked to the door with his hands behind his back, looking at Xiao Fengyi who was walking without turning her head, "Yue Qi, take her home, don't let her find out. Actually, her coachman is a master, maybe she doesn't need our protection."

Yue Qiben raised his leg, then pulled it back, unsure whether he should see Xiao Fengyi off.

He then asked about something else he was more concerned about, "My lord, will you go to the Imperial Concubine's poetry gathering... to rescue Miss Xiao?"

Yueqi felt that his master wouldn't stand by and watch someone die.

Feng Xingye tapped his left cheek with his finger, expressionless, seemingly considering Yue Qi's problem.

Not long after, he said to Yue Qi, "Take her home first."

He neither said he would go nor he wouldn't. As for why he didn't readily agree to Xiao Fengyi's request to attend the poetry gathering, perhaps he had his own considerations.

Following his master's instructions, Yue Qi followed Xiao Fengyi's carriage all the way home.

As soon as he returned to Qingya Courtyard, Zihua came to greet him.

Xiao Fengyi originally thought that she had come in a hurry to tell her about the theft at Qingya Courtyard and the missing sachet, but after listening carefully, she realized that was not the case.

Zi Hua was trying to tell herself, "Miss, you're finally back. Madam has arrived."

Xiao Fengyi was surprised. Why would Shen Shi, whom she hadn't seen for several days, suddenly visit Qingya Courtyard?

She handed the medicine packet to Zihua, entered the room, and greeted her with a bow, "Mother, I'm here."

Madam Shen sat in a chair with a red invitation card on the table next to her. She didn't ask Xiao Fengyi to get up, seemingly wanting to leave her hanging.

The woman glanced at the invitation out of the corner of her eye, her eyes flickering. Whether she was overthinking it or not, she felt it was an invitation to the Imperial Concubine's poetry gathering.

But... if Madam Shen wanted Xiao Qingyin to marry the Seventh Prince, why would she give me the invitation to the poetry gathering?

Xiao Fengyi maintained the curtsy gesture, but her eyes kept darting around.

Shen, sitting opposite, took a sip of tea and placed the jade teacup on the table. "Fengyi, I've been waiting for you here for a long time."

Xiao Fengyi bent her knees again, saying, "I'm sorry to have kept Mother waiting."

Although she had given up on Shen's cruelty, she still managed to maintain social interactions, since she still had to live in the Xiao family mansion.

Madam Shen stood up, helped her up, and asked with a smile, "Where have you been?"

After standing up, Xiao Fengyi glanced at the woman with a smile that concealed a knife and explained, "I heard that the Imperial Concubine invited my sister and me to a poetry gathering, so I went to Chunfengfang to select some fabrics to make new clothes and bought some hairpins at Jinyinge."

In order to avoid letting anyone know that she went to Prince Zhao's residence, Xiao Fengyi took a special detour to Chunfengfang, the largest fabric shop in the capital, to order several new outfits. She also went to the Jin Yin Ge next door to buy two sets of headdresses: one set of pure gold inlaid with rubies and the other set of silver kingfisher feather headdresses.

Madam Shen seemed not to believe Xiao Fengyi's words, looking her up and down. "Fengyi, are you lying? Where are the fabrics and jewelry you bought?"

Xiao Fengyi clapped her hands, and Zi Hua carried the mahogany box she had received from Ye Liu into the room.

Both boxes were placed on the table, covering the red invitation. Madam Shen didn't say anything, but stared at the jewelry inside the mahogany box.

She seemed surprised that Xiao Fengyi was prepared, and said sourly, "Your jewelry is quite nice, even better than what I prepared for Qingyin."

“I bought two sets, one of which is for my sister,” Xiao Fengyi replied with a smile.

Shen was surprised, "For Qingyin?"

Xiao Fengyi nodded, her smile radiating confidence.

"The clothes from Chunfengfang haven't been delivered yet, and one of them is for my sister. I was thinking that since we were both invited to the poetry gathering by the Imperial Concubine, we shouldn't dress too shabbily, or we would embarrass the Duke's mansion."

Losing face is a small matter; we should still give the enemy some sweetness. This is not to please them, but to make them lower their guard.