I woke up as the Villainous Empress

“I wonder if other court ladies went to bed already.” Xiaowei was wondering if the other court ladies who came with her to the Yang Household went to the bed already when she noticed a figure suspiciously going towards the chamber of her lady.

She frowned and followed the figure who was walking towards her lady’s chamber with hushed steps.

“What are you doing here?” Gu Lan was startled when he heard Xiaowei’s high-pitch voice from behind.

“Why are you roaming around like a ghost? What do you want?” He snapped at her in surprise.

Xiaowei scoffed in disbelief and placed her hands on her waist coldly and said, ” You are the one who is acting suspiciously. Why did you come here? Did you not hear what His Highness said earlier?”

” He does not want any court lady or the guards near the chamber. Then why did you come here?” She questioned him.

Gu Lan cleared his throat awkwardly at being caught and said, ” I simply came here to look if everything was fine. This is not the Royal Palace. I cannot act ignorantly when it comes to His Highness’s safety.”

Xiaowei pursed her lips and said, ” Even though, how can you go near their chamber secretly like this? His Highness and my lady have gotten married. Do you not know it is inappropriate for you to go against His Highness’s orders and stand in front of the chamber?”

.....

” If you want to check on him and make sure of his security, you could stand behind that tree and guard their chamber from there.” She said while pointing towards a tree far from the chamber.

“Do not make your existence obvious until His Highness needs you. Do you get it?”

Gu Lan was speechless to see the way she was lecturing him. He is the personal guard of his highness but she is lecturing him as if she is his superior in the hierarchy.

She has a petite figure but she is ordering him around as if she is the Head Maid of the Yang Household.

“What? What are you staring at me?” Xiaowei furrowed her brows and asked coldly.

“Do you think I am staring at you because I like you? Hah! Don’t joke with me. Just do your work diligently and don’t roam around at night like a ghost.” Gu Lan scoffed before he went to stand behind the tree to guard Zheng Liang’s chamber, leaving Xiaowei alone.

Xiaowei: “.....”

Xiaowei was speechless at Gu Lan’s overly confident and self-obsessed attitude. Did she say that he was staring at her because he likes her?

‘What is wrong with him? Looks like his ego is bigger than his body.’ She hmphed in frustration before returning to her bed. She cannot let her lady find her standing outside her chamber, otherwise, His Highness would not leave her alone for ignoring his orders.

____

“How dare she! I was the one who arranged this marriage alliance and married her off to the Crown Prince. How dare she show me attitude after getting married to the Crown Prince?” Yang Luayang slammed the table loudly in outrage.

He was drinking alcohol since he returned to his chamber after having dinner together with Zheng Liang and Yang Ning. Just like the lunch, the dinner was not harmonious, and suffocating to eat in that uncomfortable atmosphere.

The whole time, he and Zheng Liang were having a mind game on the table and were trying to suppress each other using their words and taunts.

He was simply controlling his urge to slam Yang Ning in front of everyone. While Zheng Liang was arguing with her and picking on past incidents, she was enjoying her food happily and even snickering at times.

This rude behavior of hers only made him annoyed at her.

His blood was boiling in rage because he did not get any time to spend with Yang Ning and talk to her about things. Earlier, he tried to talk to her alone in privacy but Zheng Liang intervened in their conversation and took her away.

Not only that, he even ruined her plan by staying at the Yang Household for a night. It was the best chance for him to talk to her and discipline her, but he kept interfering in his affairs.

How frustrating!

“She is nothing but a girl with no powers whatsoever. I was the one who raised her to marry the Crown Prince and made her the Crown Princess so that she could help me with my plans.”

” But rather than supporting her Father, she has started to think of herself as the Crown Princess for real. Hah! Has she forgotten how she used to live in the Yang Household? Does she think that just because she has some servants following her around at the palace, she has the qualities to become the Crown Princess?” Yang Luoyang scoffed, feeling exasperated by Yang Ning’s changed attitude.

The girl who used to tremble in fear whenever he looked at her, now dares to look straight into his eyes and talk back to him.

Not only has she gotten confident but scheming as well. She is trying to form an alliance with Zheng Liang so that she would not need to do anything for him.

Hah! But does she think that she could betray him and form an alliance with the enemy?

Never! He will never let her do that. If she has plans of betraying him, then he will make new plans to deal with a betrayer like her.

Seeing Yang Luoyang clenching his fists in anger, Chang Ah tried to pacify his anger by pouring him another drink. “My Lord, please calm down. His Highness is sleeping in the chamber next to hers. It would be a problem if he hears you.”

” It doesn’t matter. What does he think of himself? He is just a son of the failed Queen after all.” Yang Luoyang glared at Chang Ah and ridiculed Zheng Liang’s background as he gulped down the alcohol that Chang Ah poured into his cup.

“If that woman would have joined hands with me like the Empress Yang Lingxin, I would have helped her to get rid of all the other obstacles in her way and rule the heart of His Majesty as the powerful Queen of the Zheng Empire.”

“However, She failed to understand that a palace is not a place for kind-hearted people. Tsk Tsk. Too bad that she was too loyal to His Majesty. That’s why she died early and got her position stolen by a mere concubine..”

“This is what she deserves for going against me. Hmph.” Yang Luoyang sneered at the simple-minded wishes of the late Queen.

Chang Ah pursed her lips when she heard his words and looked at him in fear and bafflement, ” My Lord, what are you talking about? Didn’t the ex-Queen pass away because she was sick?”

Yang Luoyang pursed his lips when he saw questions in Chang Ah’s eyes. He looked at her coldly and sobered up immediately. He cleared his throat and questioned her, ” When did I say that she passed away due to some other reason and not because she was sick?”

“Stop using your brain and pour me another cup of drink. Don’t forget your position in the Household and just do what you are supposed to do. If you should do something, focus on disciplining Yang Ning.”

” I can see that you have gone too lenient on her to allow her to go astray like this. As her mother, it is your responsibility to keep her in control and make sure that she follows my orders without fail.” He warned her as he reminded her that she was brought into this household to give birth to his successor and keep Yang Ning in check who was supposed to help him in the future with his plans.

However, these days she keeps forgetting her position and oversteps her boundaries to go against my orders. Just because he has given her the freedom to do everything at the Household, doesn’t mean that she and her maid would go against his orders and would ruin his plans.

He had loathed Yang Ning all his life for being a woman and not a son. However, when she started to grow into a polite and subservient but beautiful lady, he knew in what way she could help him with his plans.

Sons might carry the family name but daughters can help in expanding the connections and make them stronger.

That’s why he kept her under his control and was strict with her when it comes to punishments. Because he could not afford for her to go astray and take things lightly.

However, it looks like the effect of his punishments is now fading away. Because that girl is doing the opposite of what he had expected from her.

It was a good thing that she has a good relationship with the Crown Prince but it isn’t helping them in any way. If this change does not help him at all, then he will not allow Yang Ning and Zheng Liang to come this close as well.

He will not allow her to flip this situation against him.