I woke up as the Villainous Empress

Having stealthily entered her chamber using a ladder, Yang Ning swiftly changed into the dress she had worn that morning.

As Yang Ning changed her clothes, Xiaowei hastened to clean up the mess her lady had left behind and carefully bundled the garments Yang Ning had worn to the market, ensuring no traces of her secret excursion remained in the room.

"Go and prepare a bath for me. I need to freshen up before Zhang Liang arrives. His gaze is as sharp as an eagle's, and I cannot afford to be caught by him," Yang Ning commanded Xiaowei.

Having run extensively and walked miles to explore the market under the scorching sun, Yang Ning knew that if she didn't cleanse herself before meeting Zheng Liang, he would surely discern that she had ventured out earlier.

His eyes were akin to those of an eagle, capable of uncovering any hidden truth.

"If anyone asks why we were inside the chamber all day, inform them that I had a severe headache and spent the entire afternoon resting while you were giving me a massage. Understand?" Yang Ning instructed Xiaowei.

"Milady, do you truly believe others will find my explanation convincing?" Xiaowei asked with uncertainty.

"Absolutely. As my personal servant, your words hold authority. They will have no choice but to trust your explanation. Is that clear? Now, stand tall and put on a smile." Yang Ning gently patted Xiaowei's shoulders, encouraging her to exude confidence.

Xiaowei reluctantly nodded, her brows furrowing. She worried about not being able to lie convincingly and potentially exposing their lie to others.

However, after listening to Yang Ning's encouraging words, she took a deep breath and decided to endure this ordeal for her lady's sake. Despite its impropriety, she believed that as long as Yang Ning had fun and enjoyed their trip to the market, all the challenges were worth it.

As Xiaowei headed towards the door to unlock it from the inside and step outside the chamber, she realized with a puzzled expression, "Oh? Why is this door already open?"

Curiosity piqued, Yang Ning approached Xiaowei and noticed the unlocked door. She scrunched her eyebrows and shot a questionable gaze at Xiaowei, "You! Did you forget to lock the door from the inside? Were you trying to kill me by leaving it wide open?"

Startled, Xiaowei vigorously shook her head, trying to defend herself, "Milady, please trust me. I locked the door before we left. I even double-checked. I have no clue how it ended up unlocked..." She wondered in disbelief how such a thing could happen.

"Are you sure?" Yang Ning asked, still wearing a frown, before turning her gaze toward the bed. To her surprise, the cushions and blanket she had arranged earlier remained undisturbed, as if untouched by anyone.

If someone had indeed broken into the chamber, they would have certainly inspected the blankets and cushions she had arranged to resemble a person. Since they remained undisturbed, it meant that no one had entered the chamber.

A sigh of relief escaped her lips. She had narrowly escaped being caught by the tiniest margin.

"Look at the blanket and cushions, untouched as if no one has set foot in here. I am certain nobody entered the chamber in our absence. As for the unlocked door, I highly doubt a ghost broke in to mess with the lock. It seems more likely that you simply forgot to lock it," Yang Ning commented sarcastically, rubbing her tired neck.

Observing Xiaowei's tense expression, Yang Ning sighed and comforted her, "I am certain you simply forgot to lock the door, and now you're imagining someone breaking in. Besides, I am the Crown Princess. Who would dare to invade the Princess's chamber?"

"Now, don't dwell on it too much. Just relax. However, even though we were lucky this time, please remember to lock the room from now on before we leave the chamber. Alright?" Yang Ning advised.

Wide-eyed with disbelief, Xiaowei asked, "Milady, are you planning to escape from the royal residence in the future too? Why do you speak of a 'next time'?"

Yang Ning blinked innocently as if inadvertently revealing her mischievous plans, then shrugged her shoulders and waved casually, saying, "Now, don't waste any more time. Go prepare a bath for me. I am all sweaty and dirty. I need to freshen up."

With a heavy heart, Xiaowei nodded and politely bowed before leaving the chamber. Yet, an unsettling feeling lingered within her.

She distinctly remembered locking the door before they escaped from the residence. How could it have been left unlocked? Had she truly forgotten to secure it?

It was quite peculiar that no one had come to serve the lady with evening tea and snacks. The absence of any maidservants visiting the chamber in the afternoon was an unusual occurrence.

As Xiaowei proceeded to prepare the bath for her lady, she encountered the other maidservants, who greeted her as usual without any indication of something amiss. Doubt crept into Xiaowei's mind. Could she be overthinking the situation? She couldn't help but wonder if her concerns were unfounded.

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Gu Lan, who stood outside the royal residence alongside and was waiting for Zheng Liang's command so that they could enter the royal residence, let out a loud sneeze and began to feel an unexpected chill.

He rubbed his nose and shivered, puzzled by the sudden cold sensation. "Why am I feeling cold all of a sudden? The wind isn't blowing, so what could be causing this?"

The other guard, who accompanied Zheng Liang for the city inspection earlier, was now standing next to Gu Lan, leaning wearily against the wall. Observing the goosebumps on Gu Lan's arms, he teasingly remarked, "Seems like someone must be thinking about you. Otherwise, why would you feel cold out of the blue? The weather is pleasant and warm here."

Gu Lan glared at him, furrowing his brow. "Someone thinking about me? Besides the people I have beaten up in the past, who else would even bother?" he questioned seriously.

The guard's expression fell, and he shook his head helplessly. It appeared that Gu Lan's sense of humor and love cells had disappeared completely. He was no longer as entertaining as before.