Chapter 291: The Heart’s Intent - Rebirth of the Noble Daughter

 Chapter 291: The Heart’s Intent

“Ah Yao?”

He probably wasn’t that familiar with her yet, but it came off so naturally.

Realizing his impoliteness, he quickly said, “Sorry.”

However, he still didn’t address her as Miss Feng San.

Feng Jinyao had something to say to him and didn’t want to get bogged down by these formalities. She looked at Xiao Tingyi with a serious expression and said, “Prince, you wanted to know why I loathe the Wen family so much? Today, I’ll tell you why.”

Pausing for a moment, Xiao Tingyi fixed his gaze on her.

Today, she seemed completely different from before. There was a sense of relief and a firm belief in her demeanor.

“Ah Yao, feel free to speak.”

“My reason for dealing with the Wen family is because they allied with the Wei family and the Ninth Prince. The Wei family is trying to drag my Feng family down and put my father and elder brother to death. If I don’t cut off their lifeline, then today it would be my Feng family members facing the execution.”

Her explanation was true, though it hadn’t happened in this lifetime.

Xiao Tingyi noticed the hatred occasionally flickering in her eyes and understood the situation better.

The Wei family’s plot to frame Feng Hai using the Jinling City and the Grain Transport Office was clear. It made sense that she, as a daughter, would want to stand up for her father. But how did she know about the connection between the Wei family and the Wen family? The Feng family members might not even be aware of it.

She had only shared part of the truth and hadn’t revealed everything, but Xiao Tingyi was pleased. At least she was no longer as resistant to him as she used to be. This was a good thing.

After calming his thoughts, he spoke to Feng Jinyao again.

“I will handle the matter with the Wei family. You need not worry about it involving your father. Just wait patiently; they won’t be able to jump around for much longer.”

“So, does the prince already have evidence of their embezzlement through the Grain Transport Office?” Feng Jinyao asked.

Xiao Tingyi narrowed his eyes at her. How did she know about these matters? Feng Jinxu couldn’t possibly have disclosed them to her.

Feng Jinyao knew that trying to deceive Xiao Tingyi with a few words was impossible.

So, after confirming their goals aligned, she didn’t mind sharing these matters with him. After all, Xiao Tingyi’s influence was beyond her reach.

For instance, the swift downfall of the Wen family was due to his manipulation behind the scenes.

Otherwise, with her own planning and schemes, she would have had to wait until later for true revenge.

Thus, forming an alliance with the Prince was more beneficial than harmful. This realization only dawned on her when she saw the Wen family’s downfall and prompted her to approach him.

“Ah Yao, some matters are better left untouched by you.”

She was still a young lady, and involving herself in too many bloody affairs might affect her lifespan in the future.

But he was different; he had been surrounded by weapons and intrigues since childhood. Deception and scheming were deep within his nature. He didn’t want Feng Jinyao to get involved in such a circle because of hatred.

Feng Jinyao, however, was somewhat displeased by his words.

Narrowing her eyes, she stared at Xiao Tingyi for a moment before speaking.

“Since the prince knows I am not an ordinary woman, why impose worldly views on me? The path I walk may not be prominent, but I have no regrets. Those who want to scheme against my Feng family must pay the price. No matter how rough the road ahead, I will pursue it.”

Her determination made Xiao Tingyi unable to persuade her further.

For some reason, he saw in Feng Jinyao a reflection of his own youthful arrogance.

Back then, his mother had been targeted by the Empress’s faction due to her favoritism, and he had fiercely protected his mother. Despite having less power than now, he had never considered retreat.

Revenge for oneself was the only way to find satisfaction!

Thinking of this, Xiao Tingyi smiled, a smile that seemed to melt the ice and brought an unusual charm to his already handsome face.

Feng Jinyao was taken aback; it was the first time she had seen such an expression on the Prince.

Previously, he always appeared distant and mysterious, like a snow-capped mountain that was hard to reach.

But with this smile, he seemed to draw her into the mundane world.

“Alright, since you want to take revenge yourself, I will lend you a hand. To deal with the Wei family, we must first remove their minions one by one. The Wen family is done, and the Liang family should be next. Liang Quanbin has firmly established himself in Jinling City, so I plan to send your second brother to disrupt the stable situation there. If you are determined, you should find a way to follow him to Jiangnan and witness the Liang family’s downfall.”

Xiao Tingyi had never intended to reveal his plans in such detail.

It seemed she was indeed a special presence, which is why he made such exceptions.

Feng Jinyao was not surprised by Xiao Tingyi’s plans.

With the Wen family’s downfall, many officials and powerful figures would be implicated.

After her uncle Bai reported her methods to the Emperor, many positions would become available.

Her second brother’s temperament made him well-suited for an external post. Going to Jinling City might be an opportunity for him.

Promotions were secondary; the most important thing was to expose the corruption of the Grain Transport Office and do something meaningful for the people.

This was far better than staying in Dongdu City and dealing with those influential families.

Her second brother would likely be willing!

Thinking of this, Feng Jinyao nodded and said to Xiao Tingyi.

“Rest assured, Prince. I will make arrangements.”

Satisfied with her affirmative response, Xiao Tingyi allowed her to leave.

Before she left, he said.

“Ah Yao, to ensure your safety, I will send two secret guards with you. If you have any inconvenient matters, you can entrust them with it. How does that sound?”

Feng Jinyao was somewhat surprised. It was clearly an offer she couldn’t refuse. Why pretend to seek her opinion at the end?

However, since they had not interacted much before, it was not strange for him to send people to watch her.

So she agreed, “I will follow the Prince’s arrangements.”

At this moment, Xiao Tingyi was unaware of Feng Jinyao’s true thoughts and mistook her response as a sign of opening up to him, feeling secretly pleased.

After she left, Xiao Tingyi instructed Yang Zhao.

“Notify Xu Lin to send two more people to protect Ah Yao.”

“Understood.”

Yang Zhao didn’t voice his thoughts but wondered privately, “Your Highness, you’ve already dispatched nearly a small team to protect your wife. Do you really need to send more? Aren’t you worried about exposing the spies due to too many people?”

But such thoughts could not be spoken aloud. Otherwise, he might find his name among those secretly stationed at Miss Feng’s residence.