I woke up as the Villainous Empress

After conversing with Zheng Liang and Yang Ning about Zheng Xiang's return to the palace, the following day, His Majesty announced to everyone in the royal court. He declared that Prince Zheng Xiang would return to the palace after a week and would reside there from now on.

While the pretense was that it was time for him to marry and Yang Ning would take the lead in selecting a suitable bride for him, everyone discerned that Prince Zheng Xiang would continue to stay at the palace even after his marriage.

Though His Majesty didn't explicitly state that Zheng Xiang would stay at the palace permanently after the marriage, everyone understood the underlying implication of his announcement. After all, while Zheng Xiang may be Yang Lingxin's son, he is ultimately the blood of His Majesty and belongs to the royal palace as well.

Zheng Huang intended to resolve the misunderstanding between his sons so that they could live at the palace as true siblings, supporting each other. Even in his absence, he hoped they would continue to support each other in times of need and be each other's pillars of strength.

His ultimate wish was for his two sons to become close allies, breaking free from the past animosity and rivalry, and fostering a supportive and harmonious relationship.

After surviving the conspiracy orchestrated by Yang Lingxin, Zheng Huang realized that upon his eventual passing, Zheng Liang would be left vulnerable to the greedy and opportunistic individuals who awaited his demise, ready to seize the crown and scheme against him.

To avert this looming threat, he was determined to ensure that the two brothers would develop a strong bond, becoming mutual support against those with malicious intentions. He hoped that they would rule the Empire together with grace and power, united in the face of external threats.

After Zheng Liang ascends to the throne as Emperor, he desires Zheng Xiang to become his right hand, offering support and serving as his most trusted advisor rather than an adversary.

Despite the persistent intentions of many supporters of Yang Lingxin to see Zheng Xiang as the next Emperor and replace Zheng Liang as the Crown Prince, Zheng Huang firmly believed that his sons shared his blood and sensibility. He had faith that they wouldn't covet what belonged to each other, trusting in their inherent loyalty and familial bond.

That is why, as long as he is alive, he wants to ensure that their relationship improves, shifting from treating each other as enemies to becoming each other's great support. That's what he wishes for, and that is why he asked Yang Ning for help. Knowing how sensible that girl is, he could feel that she must have understood his true intentions as well and would support him in this challenge.

After His Majesty made this announcement, the royal court erupted in chaos. Despite Zheng Huang's positive intentions, the ministers didn't receive the news well and had various concerns.

"Your Majesty, please reconsider this decision. Prince Zheng Xiang is the former Empress's son, and we fear he might seek revenge for what happened to his mother. Blood is thicker than all relationships, after all," voiced one minister, expressing concern that Zheng Xiang might retaliate for the mistreatment of Yang Lingxin.

"Yes, Your Majesty. Please reconsider this decision. Despite the former Empress being in the wrong, for Prince Zheng Xiang, that woman will always remain his mother, and he must be outraged after learning what happened to her."

"Your Majesty, we understand that Prince Zheng Xiang is also your son. However, he has lived outside the palace his whole life. I am worried that he might not be able to adapt to palace life and could disrupt the peaceful atmosphere of the palace," expressed ministers who were against Yang Lingxin.

Their opposition wasn't because they supported Zheng Liang and wanted him to become the next Emperor, but because they disliked the strong influence of Yang Lingxin and her supporters.

With her exile, they gained some relief, but if Zheng Xiang entered the palace, they feared their groups might be affected, and Yang Lingxin's supporters might gain an upper hand in power – a change they couldn't accept.

Yang Luoyang, surprised and secretly thrilled by the news of Prince Zheng Xiang's return, remained silent as the ministers opposed the decision. He adopted a neutral stance, understanding that once His Majesty made a decision, it was unlikely to be changed. Yang Luoyang refrained from intervening, not wanting to expose his excitement about Zheng Xiang's return.

Despite Yang Lingxin's exile, the prospect of Zheng Xiang returning to the palace excited Yang Luoyang. He saw an opportunity to align Prince Zheng Xiang with his interests, paving the way for his plan to sideline Zheng Liang and manipulate the throne from behind the scenes, with Zheng Xiang assuming the role of emperor.

While some ministers opposed the decision, there were others who supported it, and many, like Yang Luoyang, remained silent, maintaining a neutral stance.

Zheng Huang frowned as he witnessed ministers expressing their discontent and concerns regarding the decision to allow Zheng Xiang to return to the palace. He clenched his fists, feeling angered by the ministers badmouthing his son, and questioning his intentions and loyalty. Zheng Xiang was his son, and hearing negative comments about him stirred strong emotions in the Emperor.

However, before he could say anything, Zheng Liang, who had been silent all this time, spoke up, addressing everyone's concerns. "Just as you said, Prince Zheng Xiang has been staying outside the palace, away from his mother's influence. He has not been tainted by that woman's actions, and we believe that he possesses the qualities of His Majesty to discern between right and wrong."

"It was that woman who committed treason, not him. Questioning his loyalty for this reason doesn't make sense. If Prince Zheng Xiang is the son of that woman, he also has His Majesty's blood and has all the rights to return to the palace. Questioning his loyalty will only mean that you're pointing fingers towards His Majesty and the royal family.

So tell me, who is against the return of Prince Zheng Xiang? I will personally answer their questions and try to satisfy their concerns."

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