I woke up as the Villainous Empress

After the emergency royal court meeting, His Majesty summoned Zheng Liang to his chamber the following day to announce his decision. Due to Zheng Liang's injuries, His Majesty relieved him from his duties in the royal court, mandating a week of rest without any work.

"I am perfectly capable of continuing my duties. I only acquired minor injuries; they are not serious.," Zheng Liang insisted, his voice tight with frustration.

The royal court is already burdened with a substantial workload. How will this backlog be managed in his absence?

However, his protests fell on deaf ears.

Emperor Zheng Huang remained firm in his decision, redistributing the Crown Prince's responsibilities among the other ministers. "The other ministers will carry out your duties during this period and report directly to me. You only need to rest and accompany Yang Ning during this period," he commanded.

"Because of the attack, she must be scared as well. Take care of her well, and don't make me repeat my words," the Emperor declared, leaving no room for argument.

After this, Zheng Liang had no choice but to obey the directive from his father. His Majesty was right; Yang Ning had witnessed a gruesome scene, one that might be common for him, but for her, it was terrifying.

Although she had not shown her emotions to him, he knew she must be deeply shaken.

Understanding the reason behind his father's decision, Zheng Liang looked at the Emperor with gratitude and respectfully bowed, saying, "I understand, Father. I will do as you command."

The Emperor nodded, replying, "Take care of yourself during this time. Don't worry about the royal court affairs. Your father is still the Emperor of the Empire and can handle the work in your absence. So don't worry and focus on recuperating your injuries."

Zheng Liang smiled at his father's comforting words, and with a final bow, he left his father's chambers.

After taking charge of the royal court affairs once again, the Emperor began to involve himself with the work, holding the royal court meetings. Though these meetings were deliberately kept brief to prevent exhausting His Majesty, Zheng Huang at least started to become engaged in the daily workings of the royal court again.

Thanks to the diligent care of Head Court Lady Yu Ling and the effective concoctions brewed by Master Jiang, Zheng Liang's health was improving at an impressive pace. No longer confined to his bed as before, he was now able to move about the palace and even engage in some of the royal court's affairs.

His progress was steady, and the palace slowly resumed its rhythm, adjusting to the temporary absence of the Crown Prince from his usual duties. Meanwhile, Zheng Liang, who was used to working until his body collapsed out of exhaustion, forced rest was nothing but a punishment to him.

However, at least this time he wasn't confined to his chamber and could meet and talk to other people. Above that, now he had a wife who stayed by his side, transforming what might have felt like a forced punishment into a rewarding experience.

___

Two days later - Dragon Pavilion.

Zheng Liang was sitting on the bed, his back resting against the headboard, holding a book in his hands. Rather than reading, his eyes were fixated on the woman sitting in front of the mirror table. She was getting ready, carefully selecting and putting on her jewelry.

Although she usually doesn't like dressing up or wearing jewelry, her role as the Crown Princess required her to look dazzling at all times. Maintaining the image of a perfect, pretty doll could be downright exhausting, but it was a part of her royal duties that she couldn't escape.

Being a princess wasn't all glitz and glam, after all!

Yang Ning, who was getting ready, could feel an intense gaze on her back and became uncomfortable under Zheng Liang's constant scrutiny. She frowned, and when she could take it no more, she turned to look at him, demanding, "What? What do you want? If you have something to say, then say it."

"Why do you keep staring at me like this? It's so creepy!" She shivered dramatically to emphasize how unsettling his gaze had been.

For the last two days, since Zheng Liang had been told to rest and could not go to the royal court anymore, he seemed to engage in strange behaviors that he had never exhibited before.

He would randomly go into a daze and keep staring at her non-stop, just because he was bored. Or was it his new way to tease her?

Zheng Liang was amused by Yang Ning's reaction and responded with a nonchalant expression, "Nothing. I was bored, so I was simply looking at you to pass the time."

"..."

Yang Ning was left speechless by his words. Simply watching her? Was she an animal or something that could amuse him?

She huffed exasperatedly and said, "If you want to pass your time, you can go outside and take a walk near the lake. Don't sit here all day and stare at me. Or if you want to stay here, speak and not just stare." His unwavering gaze was making her nervous, as if he had something to say but chose instead to keep his eye on her.

She couldn't help but think back to the day in Xinling City when she ran away from the royal residence without telling him. Although she made sure that nobody knew about her actions, she couldn't shake a feeling of guilt whenever she looked into his eyes, as if he knew everything she had done.

When he didn't say anything, she continued, "If you don't want to take a walk near the lake, we can go to the local market to look around and have some delicious food as well. Master Jiang has said that along with taking plenty of rest, you need to walk around after eating to digest the food." she suggested, her eyes glistening with excitement.

After she visited the market in Xinling City, she began to feel suffocated within the walls of the palace and yearned to explore the market once again. Surely, it wouldn't be a problem if she went with him, would it?

Zheng Liang looked at her with a smirk, amused by her suggestions, and said nonchalantly, "It's freezing cold outside. You want me, an injured person, to go out and walk in this weather? You sure are a caring wife."

"Are you sure you want to go to the market for my sake, or because you want to eat street food?" He questioned, causing her to awkwardly avoid eye contact with him.

Yang Ning pursed her lips, feeling a bit guilty, and laughed awkwardly, "I was just joking. It's so cold outside, how can we go outside?" She clears her throat and said, "If not going outside, what do you want to do then?" She asked, eager to change the topic.

He looked at her and after thinking about something, he said, "Come here."

"Huh?" She raised her brows, not understanding what he wanted.

"Come and read me the book. My eyes hurt." He said, making space for her to sit on the bed. As he spoke, he slid down to lie on the bed and covered himself with the blanket while waiting for her.

He looked at the confused Yang Ning and patted the space next to him, saying, "Come here. Don't worry, I won't eat you."

Yang Ning was speechless at his random request. Why did she feel that he wanted more than just for her to read a book to him?