Reborn as the Regent's Beloved

After being flattered, Feng Mingjing felt extremely satisfied and then told Xiao Fengyi about his plans.

"Xiao Fengyi, the Emperor will come to your residence tomorrow. You must be with me then, so that the Emperor will discover our affair, and also reveal that Prince Zhao is hoarding iron ore, and beg the Emperor... to marry me."

Good heavens, Xiao Fengyi's lips twitched involuntarily after hearing Feng Mingjing's plans.

This person isn't pretty, but they certainly have a lot of beautiful ideas.

Xiao Fengyi reviewed Feng Mingjing's demands, and they were truly astonishing.

Feng Mingjing wanted the emperor to catch them in the act of adultery, to expose his affair with her, and to make others believe that the two were secretly together.

He even wanted to use her to falsely accuse others of hoarding iron, and in the end, he even thought of having her propose to him herself, saying that she wanted to marry him.

She herself is destined to be a phoenix, and if she were to personally propose to marry Feng Mingjing, it would be even more natural for him to obtain the throne.

They really are very calculating. I wonder if Shen knew what this man was really thinking after she kept him here.

Upon hearing these unreasonable demands, Xiao Fengyi did not immediately agree, but instead asked a practical question.

"Seventh Prince, according to your wishes, may Fengyi return to Qingya Courtyard tonight?"

Feng Mingjing immediately refused Xiao Fengyi, shouting, "No, if you go back, how will Father catch you in the act? That won't do."

"I understand." Xiao Fengyi didn't ask for anything, but simply replied with this sentence.

The man was quite surprised to hear this, and even a little expectant.

"Xiao Fengyi, what exactly do you mean? Will you agree or not?"

As soon as he finished speaking, all the guards standing nearby drew their long swords from their waists, looking ready for battle.

Is this considered a threat?

The guards' long swords gleamed coldly in the night, enough to intimidate anyone. Xuan Hua and Zi Hua stood beside Xiao Fengyi, holding lotus lanterns, as if ready to protect her.

Xiao Fengyi was not intimidated by his little trick and calmly replied, "Your Highness, since you have already placed me under house arrest, what harm is there in letting me think about it for one night?"

"Consider it for one night? What else do you need to consider?" Feng Mingjing was clearly getting impatient, pointing his fan at the woman's neck as if to threaten her.

Xiao Fengyi remained calm in the face of danger, extending her finger to push the fan away.

"Your Highness, you are really confused. I have been locked up here by you all night. No matter what I say, people will definitely think that there is something going on between us. What are you afraid of?"

After hearing these words, Feng Mingjing felt that she was right. The two of them had spent the night together in a room for no reason. Even if nothing happened, Xiao Fengyi's reputation was ruined. She would have to break off her engagement with Feng Xingye and marry him instead.

By acquiring Xiao Fengyi, a woman with the destiny of a phoenix, his plan was already halfway to success.

"Very well, then why don't you just expose Feng Xingye? Have you really developed feelings for him and can't bear to part with him?"

Feng Mingjing wanted to eliminate this uncle of the king, because he supported Feng Mingyu and even competed with him for Xiao Fengyi.

The cicadas chirped incessantly all around, and Xiao Fengyi couldn't help but think about it.

Could it be that I really can't bear to part with Feng Xingye?

However, now is not the time to consider this matter. This is a situation, and it is not yet time to make such a choice.

Xiao Fengyi pretended to pace back and forth, as if she were really worried, a move that Feng Xingye also found strange.

"Do you perhaps have other concerns?"

“Yes, Your Highness, you guessed right. I don’t think framing Feng Xingye like this is a solution.” She deliberately used Feng Xingye’s full name to appease Feng Mingjing, and her tone was very earnest, as if she was genuinely expressing her concerns to him.

Feng Mingjing looked at her with a puzzled expression, and said seriously, "Tell me, why isn't this a good idea?"

Xiao Fengyi sighed and glanced at him beside her.

"Seventh Prince, Feng Xingye is, after all, a war god. His Majesty relies on him so much, even depends on him. If you and I have no evidence, and we accuse him of hoarding iron ore without permission, I don't know how much His Majesty will believe. If His Majesty doesn't believe us and thinks I'm making a false accusation, won't that implicate me, the entire Xiao family, and even... even you?"

She deliberately emphasized "I've implicated you" to make Feng Mingjing consider the consequences.

The man did not refute her, but instead considered the possibility that Xiao Fengyi had proposed.

Seeing that he had taken it to heart, Xiao Fengyi then expanded on her explanation: "Since you asked me to stay overnight at Qixia Courtyard, making His Majesty suspect our relationship, and asked me to tell His Majesty that I would give you my home, then in His Majesty's eyes, you and I are in the same boat, a group of people. When His Majesty sees that I have falsely accused Prince Zhao, will he suspect that you are taking the opportunity to form cliques and eliminate Prince Zhao?"

The practice of forming cliques and suppressing dissent was something the emperor truly feared.

After hearing this, Feng Mingjing's eyes no longer held the same confidence as before, and he became somewhat hesitant.

Xiao Fengyi smiled as she stood behind him. "The Emperor thinks you are forming cliques and attacking dissidents. Could he suspect you of plotting a rebellion? If so, your position will be in jeopardy. He might even start to doubt me and stop believing in the Phoenix Mandate altogether."

Although Xiao Fengyi was trying to deceive Feng Mingjing, she was telling the truth and there was no falsehood in her words.

The Emperor did indeed rely heavily on his ninth brother. His prestige in the army was so high that the Emperor would not want to dig his own grave by punishing him, especially since there was no evidence to support this claim.

Feng Mingjing remained silent. Xiao Fengyi curtsied and said, "Your Highness, this is not something I should be considering, but rather something you should consider whether you can bear the consequences. As for me, I am merely your mouthpiece, relaying your message. Whether I speak or not makes no difference to me."

After thinking for a moment, the man said to her, "Okay, I'll think about it, and you should think about it too. We'll talk about it tomorrow morning."

Upon hearing the man's words, Xiao Fengyi revealed a victorious smile.

"Okay, where will I stay tonight?"

"I will have the guards take you to your room." Feng Mingjing then instructed the guards to put down their swords and had a few of them escort Xiao Fengyi to her room.

In fact, Xiao Fengyi knew more about the rooms and roads of Qixia Courtyard than these people did, but she didn't say much and followed them to the arranged place.

After she and her two maids left, only Feng Mingjing and a few guards remained in the garden of Qixia Courtyard.

The guard who had just gone to inform Xiao Fengyi to come to Qixia Courtyard stood behind Feng Mingjing and couldn't help but say, "Miss Xiao is really amazing. She can change His Highness's mind with just a few words."

Another guard asked, "Does Your Highness really intend to let Prince Zhao go? This is a golden opportunity; otherwise, your hoarding of iron will be exposed."

He remained silent for a long time, because Feng Mingjing was torn between two options: whether to listen to Xiao Fengyi and not talk about hoarding iron materials, or to follow the original plan and frame the Ninth Prince.