I woke up as the Villainous Empress

Zheng Liang returned to the Dragon Pavilion in the late afternoon after wrapping up his court session. He had planned to enjoy some tea with Yang Ning, but to his surprise, he discovered that she had gone to the training grounds to accompany Xiaowei for the self-defense training session.

Furrowing his brows, Zheng Liang struggled to comprehend why Yang Ning would go to the training grounds. After all, it was Xiaowei who was undergoing training, and the sandy, shadeless harsh environment of the training ground seemed like a difficult place for her to join.

However, upon learning that Yang Ning had gone there, he went to the training grounds to find her. Upon arrival, he discovered that one of the entrance guards had been dismissed from his duties by Yang Ning and was ordered to move to the stables for six months.

The guard who was punished by Yang Ning begged Zheng Liang for mercy, claiming that it was a mistake and he didn't mean to disrespect Her Highness because he didn't recognize her. However, Zheng Liang knew that Yang Ning must have punished him for a reason; she wouldn't punish anyone without cause.

Zheng Liang glanced at the guard who was following him around in Gu Lan's absence and ordered him, "Make it 12 months. Since he is still trying to beg for mercy in front of me in the absence of the Princess and putting the blame on her that he didn't recognize her because of her disguise, I can see that he has no regard for the words of the Crown Princess."

"Yes, Your Highness. I will immediately give orders to extend his punishment to a year." The guard, who was next in seniority to Gu Lan, responded quickly.

"Your Highness!" The guard who was kneeling on the ground cried out in shock. He had thought that the Crown Prince might find the Princess's actions unreasonable because, after all, it was she who was wearing a man's clothes and fooled him by not revealing her position first. However, rather than freeing him from the punishment, the Crown Prince increased it to twelve months.

Now he has to work in the stables and clean horse poop for a year. How humiliating!

As he entered the training grounds, the sounds of enthusiastic cheers reached his ears. Following the noise, Zheng Liang found a group of guards gathered near the entrance of the separate training ground where soldiers were taught archery and other weapon skills. Sensing something unusual, he approached the crowd without alerting the other guards.

He even gestured for his guard to remain silent and stood behind the crowd, choosing to observe quietly rather than having them clear a path for him, making a fuss about his sudden arrival to the training grounds.

When Zheng Liang squinted his eyes to get a better look, he realized that the men were cheering for none other than his wife. She was dressed in his training clothes, hitting one bullseye after another. Even he was left speechless by her impressive form and performance. Until now, she had ignored his questions whenever he tried to ask her about where she learned archery and who her teacher was.

However, she always claimed to know just a little for self-defense. Yet, the way she was playing suggested more than self-defense; her form and skills were on par with the top-notch soldiers who lead in archery during battles.

How could a woman who was confined to her household all her life possess such impressive archery skills? Zheng Liang couldn't help but wonder what other mysteries his wife was hiding from him.

As he watched his wife impress everyone with her perfect form and excellent scores, Zheng Liang overheard the other guards praising her impressive archery skills and acknowledging her authority as the Crown Princess. A proud smile adorned his face upon hearing such remarks, and he felt happiness surging in his heart.

While Zheng Liang silently listened to the guards' remarks, one of the guards noticed someone standing behind him and casually looked over. To his surprise, he didn't find just any other guard but the Crown Prince.

'His Highness? Am I seeing it right?' The guard was speechless and couldn't believe his eyes for a few moments.

The guard almost stumbled in shock but was held by the comrade standing next to him. This created a commotion among the guards, and those standing behind quickly recognized the situation, immediately bowing to Zheng Liang in greeting. Before they could utter a word, Zheng Liang gestured for them to stay silent by putting a finger to his lips.

The guards fell silent, and they parted to the sides, creating a path for the Crown Prince to watch the Crown Princess's performance comfortably. However, the guard who was standing at the front and in the middle remained unaware of what was happening behind him. He continued to admire the Crown Princess's excellent skills, oblivious to the rearrangement of the guards.

The other guards were biting their lips, wanting to warn their comrade, but His Highness had forbidden them from making any noise or saying anything. They could only watch in silence as their friend unwittingly became the center of attention in front of His Highness, fervently hoping that he wouldn't utter anything nonsensical that could land them all in trouble.

Their prayers were short-lived when the man, in admiration of Yang Ning's performance, commented, "I thought women were supposed to be delicate flowers, but our Princess is proving that strength is just as attractive. I wouldn't mind having a strong woman as my wife if she looks this amazing doing it."

"Princess is not just beautiful but also knows how to play with bow and arrows. I feel envious of His Highness; he truly has found a gem for himself as a wife," he added dreamily, his eyes fixed on Yang Ning.

However, after expressing his thoughts, the man suddenly felt a chilling presence behind him, as if someone was ready to unleash a torrent of wrath. Slowly turning around, he found all the guards parting to create a path, leaving him standing alone in the middle.

To his horror, the source of the intense gaze was none other than the Crown Prince himself. "Your…Your Highness!" the man stammered nervously, realizing that his candid remarks might have unintended consequences.

Zheng Liang glared at the guard, a surge of jealousy coursing through him. He knew his wife was perfect—ethereally beautiful, intelligent, and incredibly skilled with weapons like arrows and bows.

He was fully aware that her very presence was enough to command admiration and affection from anyone. However, witnessing the guard openly admiring the Crown Princess, staring at her as if he were infatuated, intensified Zheng Liang's frown and fueled the flames of jealousy in his heart.

As the Crown Prince remained silent, casting a cold glare in his direction, the guard felt beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead. Nervously, he gulped and stole a glance at his comrades, who had betrayed him by not informing him about His Highness's presence. They now regarded him with pitiful gazes and felt sorry for his condition, but they couldn't do anything.

It was he who had put himself in this situation, after all, by making such careless remarks about the Crown Princess.

"Your…Highness! Please forgive me for my impudence. It was careless of me to say that. I shouldn't have-" The guard lowered his head and apologized to Zheng Liang, worried that he might be punished harshly for his careless comments. He was praying inwardly to be spared, but before he could complete his words, a soft, mellow voice interrupted him, causing everyone to look in the direction of the voice.

"Oh? How did you come here?"

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