I woke up as the Villainous Empress

After leaving the Main Palace, Zheng Liang and Yang Ning returned to the Dragon Pavilion. On their way back, Zheng Liang remained silent, lost in deep thought, still processing the news his Father had dropped on him. The revelation that the son of the woman he despises the most, Zheng Xiang, would return next week left him in disbelief.

What saddened him the most was that Father seemed to have made up his mind to bring Zheng Xiang back to the palace, and this meeting felt more like an announcement than a discussion about his return.

Everything is happening so quickly that he can't believe whether it's real or a dream. He hasn't seen that child in years, and just like he has grown up, Zheng Xiang must have also become a fine man by now. After all, even though Zheng Liang is the elder one, there is only a one-year gap between the two brothers.

Since childhood, Zheng Liang had denied any connections with Zheng Xiang because he despised Yang Lingxin and always believed that his Father betrayed his mother by making Yang Lingxin the Empress. When his mother was sick and on her deathbed, his Father was spending his happy time with his most favored consort.

Chapter Find:

However, no matter how Zheng Liang tries to ignore this, the fact remains that he shares blood with Zheng Xiang, and they are both step-brothers. Their mothers might not be the same, but their father is.

Even though that kid never did him any wrong, Zheng Liang knew how much everyone wanted Zheng Xiang to become the Crown Prince and the next successor of the Empire. Yang Lingxin might have been exiled, but there are still people in the palace who want to see her son, Zheng Xiang on the throne.

Yang Lingxin's influence may have diminished, but her loyalists still operate within the royal court, exhibiting the same greedy and opportunistic personality. The remnants of her supporters continue to pose a potential threat, seeking opportunities to advance their interests.

Zheng Xiang's mother was once the Empress after all and some individuals might attempt to portray his ascension as a reasonable choice to emphasize his strength. Contemplating this situation, Zheng Liang felt troubled, grappling with complex emotions.

Can he truly treat that kid as his brother and welcome him to the palace with open arms? Can they genuinely maintain a sibling relationship without becoming competitors for the throne?

___

After the couple returned to their chamber, Yang Ning sat on the edge of the bed and watched Zheng Liang as he removed his upper robe, preparing to change into his night clothes. The sun had already set, and it was almost dinner time. However, judging by the atmosphere, no one seemed to have the appetite to eat dinner.

"It's almost dinner time. Should I ask Xiaowei to request the kitchen to prepare something light for dinner? Since we had tea and snacks a while ago, dinner should be light. What do you think?" Yang Ning asked cautiously, trying to break the ice.

Zheng Liang, who had his back to her, replied with a solemn tone, "I am not hungry. You can have whatever you want for dinner." He said indifferently and coldly.

Yang Ning had her hands on her thighs and clutched her dress nervously. She could sense the coldness in his voice, and it was the first time he had treated her this harshly in such a long time. She remembered that he used to speak to her in this cold and indifferent tone when he was suspicious of her and didn't believe that she was genuinely not trying to pry into his life for information.

Seeing his behavior, she found herself choking up. She was aware that he was acting this way because of their conversation with His Majesty and his displeasure at the news of Prince Zheng Xiang returning to the palace next week. His anger was not towards her, but she couldn't help but feel guilty.

Despite knowing the reason for his anger and his broken relationship with his brother, she still went ahead to agree to His Majesty's request to find a bride for him.

Seeing Zheng Liang treating her this way, her eyes teared up, but she controlled her emotions. If she cried right now, she wouldn't be able to comfort Zheng Liang, and she didn't want him to feel the need to comfort her at this moment when he was the one who needed assurance.

Before Zheng Liang could put on his lightweight cotton upper garment, Yang Ning stood up, walked up to him, and hugged his waist from behind, resting her face against his naked back.

Zheng Liang was holding his upper shirt in front of him with his hands, and his body stiffened at her sudden affectionate action. He remained silent, not uttering a word, causing Yang Ning to grow worried about his coldness and indifference towards her.

Seeing her not responding to her hug, Yang Ning tensed up. However, she didn't give up and rubbed her face against his bare back, and said in a low voice, trying to comfort him and release his anger, "Are you angry with me that I agreed to Father's request?" She asked and was waiting for his response.

Zheng Liang, who remained silent, could sense the heaviness in her voice and feel that she was feeling emotional. However, he didn't say a thing and stayed still like this, making her more worried about him.

Yang Ning pursed her lips and sighed helplessly, continuing, "I am sorry. I know I should have asked you before agreeing to his request. I understand that you don't like to talk about Prince Zheng XIang because even until now you never told me anything about him."

"I am aware that you have a complicated relationship with him. If you feel troubled by it, I will deny His Majesty's request. Even though he is your brother and it was His Majesty's request, what matters the most to me is your happiness and comfort. If you don't like it, I won't do it," she announced, trying to cheer him up.

Even though she wanted to act as a cupid to bring Zheng Xiang and Hou Wei together, Zheng Liang's happiness still mattered the most to her.

This chapter upload first at NovelBin.Com