I woke up as the Villainous Empress

He has no bad blood against Yang Ning.

Instead, he started to like her from the day he saw her at the Birthday Celebration of Zheng Liang, where she showed her thoughtfulness about the people of the Zheng Empire.

He was glad that he picked her as the bride of Zheng Liang. However, he was not pleased by the way Zheng Liang was protecting her even though she was in the wrong.

He will not accept anyone who will try to tarnish the reputation of the royal family. She not only killed the bear in one shot but this rash action of hers will make people think otherwise of Zheng Liang.

He is the Crown Prince of the Empire yet he failed to protect the people from being killed. However, despite being a weak and fragile woman, Yang Ning killed the wild bear.

It will give a reason to people to look down on Zheng Liang and the royal family. Not only that, it will invite unnecessary rumors against him.

Not only that, but she was also present at the brothel when she shouldn’t have been there in the first place. She is soon going to be the Crown Princess, what will people say about her character if they find out about it?

How can a woman who visited the brothel become the epitome of virtuous, Crown Princess of the Empire?

.....

” What do you mean you took her there? Why would you take her there?”

“Also, is she a child or what? She shouldn’t have gone there in any circumstances. She should know her position. Don’t try to make excuses for her.” The Emperor berated Zheng Liang, which put Yang Ning in a spot, once again.

‘Hah! Do they have to argue like that in front of me?’ She wondered.

They are talking about her and she has no choice but to sit there like a puppet and nod to their arguments without any thoughts.

” Yang Ning is going to become the Crown Princess. She should be aware of her responsibilities and mistakes. How can you lie and cover for her mistakes?”

Zheng Liang frowned and was revolted by his father’s stubborn behavior. He has always been like this.

He never listens to what other people have to say and always believes what he thinks to be the truth.

It was because of this attitude of his that his mother faced such a cruel fate. His father gave so much importance to the so-called laws and palace rules that he never looked back at his wife who met with such a dark end.

Zheng Liang clenched his teeth and said, ” It was not her fault!”

” I asked her to have tea with me and took her to the brothel because I...had some important work there. So...If you have to punish someone, it should be me and not her.” He stopped himself from revealing that he went on to catch the corrupted officials because if it was revealed, then he won’t be able to find them again.

Because those people must be supported by higher-ups Ministers at the royal court and this news should not be revealed before he caught them. And due to the chaos, he has lost those people once again.

” Hah! What kind of work could you do at a brothel? Zheng Liang, it wasn’t only hers but you’re also wrong. Why did you go to a brothel when I banned this culture? Are you trying to look down on me?”

” As the Crown Prince, you should set an example and not break the rules. Work as if! Hah!”

” Don’t make excuses in front of me. Even if you have to go to the brothel, it still doesn’t explain why you needed to bring Yang Ning along with you.” The Emperor said coldly and refused to back out from his argument either.

“You have not gotten married to her yet and you’re already taking sides of her. Weren’t you against the idea of this marriage? Since when have you gotten this close to her?” Zheng Wang Meng remarked sarcastically.

He thought that if Zheng Liang gets married to a girl of his choice, then he will not act rashly as he does now. However, the influence of Yang Ning was making Zheng Liang go against him even more and he seems to have been charmed by her that he is going against his father just to protect this girl.

Zheng Liang gritted his teeth and clenched his fists in frustration. He was about to respond to his father’s biased accusations when Yang Ning suddenly interrupted their argument.

“Pardon me, Your Majesty! You’re right. His Highness has nothing to do with me at the Brothel. I went there because I wanted to go there. If you have to punish someone, then it should be me.” Yang Ning suddenly stood up and gave the Emperor a 90-degree bow and expressed her thoughts while staying in the same position.

Her legs were weak and wobbly, and her back was hurting but saving her life was her utmost priority.

While sitting in her chair, she was watching the small argument turning into a fight and realized that if she didn’t do anything to stop them, then their so-called self-esteem would make this matter turn into a battle between a father and son.

She doesn’t want to get involved in this fight and wants to leave this world as quietly as possible. That’s why she decided to use her brain rather than just sitting around like a mannequin.

She could see that the Emperor wanted to put all the blame on Yang Ning and wanted to prove his son as a great man. He was more annoyed at the fact that it was Yang Ning who killed the bear, not his son.

Because it will only make Yang Ning into a great person, whereas people will talk about Zheng Liang who failed to do anything despite being at the site.

Well, if that’s the case, then she knows a good way to deal with this problem.

___

The Emperor was surprised when Yang Ning suddenly jumped into their argument and accepted her mistakes and expressed her willingness to accept the punishment.

A proud smirk thrived on his face as he looked at her and was pleased by her submissive attitude.

‘At least this girl has some sense in her.’

” His Highness has nothing to do with me being at the Brothel. Even though it was him who suggested going there, I was the one who accepted this proposal and didn’t question him twice.” Yang Ning said while still being in the bowing position.

Zheng Liang frowned to see her acting like this and tried to make her stand up, ” Lady Yang Ning, what are you doing? There is no need for you to apologize.”

” You did nothing wrong. Please stand up. You’re injured and it’s not safe for you to stand like this.” He tried to help Yang Ning stand up, but she brushed his hands instead and stayed in the same position.

She will rather stay in this position than watch them keep fighting over her and execute her in the end. After all, that’s how all the historical stories end up like that.

” No, Your Highness. If someone were to be punished, it should be me. Please don’t speak up for me.” She told him off, which surprised Zheng Liang. He wasn’t expecting that she will stop him from speaking up for her and will insist on taking the punishment.

The Emperor smirked to see Yang Ning telling off Zheng Liang and was pleased by her attitude. As a woman, she should be taking the side of her husband, instead of hiding behind them.

” Right! As the Future Crown Princess, you should set an example for the people and accept your mistakes bravely, rather than hiding behind someone like a coward.” The Emperor said as he was satisfied by her words.

” Stop bowing down like this and stand up now. How can I let an unwell kid bow down in front of me for a longer time? Stand up.” The Emperor laughed and asked Yang Ning to rise.

Yang Ning let out an exhausted sigh before accepting Zheng Liang’s hand for support and standing up while facing the Emperor.

She politely smiled at his words and nodded, ” Yes, Your Majesty. As the Future Crown Princess, I should acknowledge my responsibilities and set an example for other people.”

The Emperor nodded and laughed at her words. “That’s right.” However, his smile halted when he heard her next words, ” That’s why I went to the Brothel, to set an example for everyone.”

” I thought Your Majesty would be pleased by my decision and was even anticipating to be applauded by Your Majesty for going to the brothel. However, I didn’t expect that it would anger you instead. I was simply following your commands....” She said while looking disappointed by the words of Zheng Wang Meng.

Just like his Father, even Zheng Liang was lost in the trap of her words. What was she trying to say?

Why would His Majesty praise her for going to the Brothel?