Reborn as the Regent's Beloved

When Liu heard Feng Mingjing take the blame, she closed her eyes briefly; she knew something bad was going to happen.

What to do? How to explain? Liu could only look at her eldest granddaughter, Xiao Fengyi, but the woman was leaning slightly forward, motionless, and didn't say a word.

Upon hearing Feng Mingjing condemn everyone for hoarding treasures, Madam Shen, without consulting Xiao Qishan, immediately stepped forward and said to Feng Mingjing, "Your Highness, we have not hoarded any treasures! We really haven't!"

Feng Mingjing raised his chin and asked her, "Since your Xiao family didn't secretly keep the Jade Pearl, where did it come from?"

"It's from the Empress's crown in Yongguo. Xiao Fengyi gave it to Qingyin to eat. We all didn't want it, but she said it could cure her illness." Shen's skill in betraying her benefactor was truly masterful.

Upon hearing this, the old lady's eyes revealed a hint of ferocity, as if she wanted to immediately go up and slap Shen Shi, that ungrateful wretch, but in the end, she held back.

If we go up there now, it would be tantamount to admitting guilt, and Feng Mingjing would have something to say about us.

She glanced at Xiao Fengyi beside her and noticed that the wronged person was very calm. What was even stranger was that the maid Xuanhua beside her was also very indifferent, showing no anger at all, as if she wanted to stand up for her master.

What's going on? The old lady was a little confused.

Xiao Fengyi felt the old lady's gaze on her, shook her head, and indicated that she was alright and there was no need to worry.

Feng Mingjing finally caught Xiao Fengyi's weakness and laughed triumphantly.

He took the medicine bowl and slammed it down in front of her, demanding, "Xiao Fengyi, I remember that phoenix crown was a betrothal gift from the Ninth Imperial Uncle to you, right? How could you destroy it like this and use the jade beads on it as a medicinal ingredient? I remember that Father Emperor only ordered that the phoenix crown be kept by Princess Zhao, but he didn't say that it was given to Princess Zhao."

Ever since being humiliated and cornered by Feng Xingye and Xiao Fengyi at Baoguo Temple, Feng Mingjing has vowed to kill the two of them.

Although others couldn't see the hair that his Ninth Prince had cut off, he carried a deep wound in his heart. The moment he saw Xiao Fengyi, he wanted nothing more than to kill her, but he held back.

Unexpectedly, when Xiao Fengyi heard his question, she was not afraid at all, but remained calm.

She bowed to Feng Mingjing and said, "Seventh Prince, you are mistaken. That jade powder is not the same as the one on the Empress's phoenix crown of the Yong Kingdom."

"Do you think I'm a three-year-old child? Are you trying to fool me? Everyone in the world knows that there are twelve jade beads on that phoenix crown. How can you still lie?"

Twelve jade beads—Xiao Fengyi laughed upon hearing this crucial information.

Based on Feng Xingye's words alone, she knew that there was definitely someone in the room who was tipping him off.

Upon hearing this, Xuan Hua looked at her young mistress with an expression that said, "My mistress is indeed a prophet."

She examined it carefully and found that the Empress of Yong Kingdom's phoenix crown did not have twelve jade beads. Before today, neither the court nor the common people had ever heard of the phoenix crown having twelve jade beads.

This rumor was spread by Xuan Hua himself.

Xiao Fengyi maintained her composure, "Seventh Prince, I really didn't lie. The Empress of Yong Kingdom's phoenix crown really doesn't have any jade beads on it. Where did you hear this rumor?"

"It was clearly you guys just now..." Feng Mingjing blurted out, but stopped abruptly after seeing Xiao Fengyi's probing gaze.

He realized he had said the wrong thing, and Xiao Fengyi and Xuan Hua also became more aware of where the other party had heard the rumors from.

Xiao Qishan and Shen were also somewhat stunned, because they had only just heard that there were twelve jade beads on it. They had never actually seen what the Empress of Yong Kingdom's phoenix crown looked like before, only the phoenix crown of their own Empress of Dayun, and knew that it had a jade bead on it. They naturally assumed that all empresses' phoenix crowns had jade beads on them.

"Fengyi, you just said there are twelve on it..." Before Shen could finish speaking, Xiao Qishan grabbed her sleeve, stopping her from continuing.

Xiao Qishan disliked her for being ungrateful and gossipy. Fengyi saved Qingyin, and instead of being grateful, she actually betrayed her, saying that Fengyi forced Qingyin to take the medicine.

Although he was a biased father, Xiao Fengyi was still his daughter and he wouldn't really want to harm her.

"Can you please shut up!"

This warning silenced Shen.

Feng Mingjing, however, used Shen's words to criticize Xiao Fengyi, "Xiao Fengyi, look at you, even Madam Xiao admits that there are twelve jade beads on the phoenix crown, but you still don't admit it."

Xiao Fengyi really didn't want to argue with him like this, so she said directly, "Since Your Highness doesn't believe me, I'll have my maid bring the Empress's phoenix crown from Yong Kingdom so we can take a look."

After she finished speaking, she looked at Xuan Hua beside her and said, "Go ahead."

Xuan Hua bowed and said, "Miss, Seventh Prince, I'll be right back."

As soon as she left the bedroom, Feng Mingjing had a bad feeling.

Although he always heard his mother talk about the beauty of the phoenix crown, he never had the chance to see it in person. Moreover, his mother never described what the phoenix crown looked like; she only said that it was very beautiful and that she wanted to have it.

Xiao Fengyi wanted to bring the phoenix crown, which made Feng Mingjing a little unsure.

If there really is no jade pearl, then where did the jade pearl powder she gave Qingyin come from?

Feng Mingjing withdrew his gaze from Xiao Qingyin's pale face and continued his unreasonable accusations, "Hmph, Xiao Fengyi, you said you would bring me the phoenix crown to see, but I've never seen a phoenix crown before. What if you try to fool me with a fake? What if your whole family tries to fool me?"

He implicated the Xiao family in this matter, which Liu Shi could no longer bear to watch. "Seventh Prince, please listen to me. My Xiao family has been loyal to the Emperor for generations. How could we do anything to deceive you? I assure you, Fengyi did not lie."

When Feng Mingjing wanted to use the Xiao family, he respected this old lady very much. But after kidnapping her at Baoguo Temple, he didn't take her seriously at all.

He looked at the old lady with disdain, "Xiao Fengyi is your granddaughter. What if you protect her? Everyone has selfish motives."

"This……"

Liu was an upright person and a person of noble status. Even the Emperor and Feng Xingye had to give her some face. How could Feng Mingjing speak to her like that? It was too outrageous!

She had never seen a prince like Feng Mingjing, who was like a rogue and scoundrel.

Xiao Fengyi stepped forward to defend her grandmother, saying, "Seventh Prince, you are too arbitrary. Is my grandmother being shielded just because she speaks? Her reputation was established from the time of the late Emperor, and to this day, no one in the court or the public has questioned her character. I am not convinced by your few words of attack today, and I want to seek His Majesty's judgment!"

Upon hearing that Xiao Fengyi wanted to find her father, Feng Mingjing became anxious. "Xiao Fengyi, don't evade the important issues. Explain the matter of the phoenix crown first."