I woke up as the Villainous Empress

Yang Luoyang's eyes narrowed as he faced Zheng Liang. The court held its breath, waiting for his response.

"Your Highness," Yang Luoyang began, his voice steady and confident, "I firmly deny these baseless accusations. My years of loyal service speak for themselves."

He paused, sweeping his gaze across the assembled ministers before continuing, "These so-called 'discrepancies' are nothing more than administrative errors, blown out of proportion by inexperienced eyes."

Zheng Liang's jaw clenched, his eyes flashing with barely contained anger. "Inexperienced eyes, Minister Yang? Are you suggesting that Prince Zheng Xiang is incompetent?" He paused, his voice growing colder. "Or perhaps you're accusing me of being incompetent, unable to make a fair judgment?"

The court fell into a hushed silence, the tension palpable as they awaited Yang Luoyang's response.

Yang Luoyang bowed slightly, a picture of false humility. "Not at all, Your Highness. I would never dare to question your judgment or Prince Zheng Xiang's capabilities. I merely suggest that the intricacies of imperial finance are complex. It takes years to grasp fully—"

He paused, his eyes glinting with calculated malice. "And of course, one must consider the source of these accusations. After all, we mustn't forget recent... unfortunate events."

A hushed murmur swept through the court. Zheng Xiang stiffened, his face paling.

Yang Luoyang continued, his voice dripping with false concern, "It pains me to bring this up, Your Highness, but can we truly trust the judgment of someone so closely connected to... someone who committed a grave crime by attempting treason and almost—" He paused, letting the implication hang in the air, before continuing softly, "Well, we all remember those dark days.

The apple, as they say, doesn't fall far from the tree."

A collective gasp echoed through the hall. Ministers exchanged worried glances, some nodding in agreement with Yang Luoyang's thinly veiled accusation.

Zheng Xiang's face paled, his fists clenching at his sides. Zheng Liang's eyes flashed dangerously, but before he could respond, Minister Lao stood up, his voice quavering.

"Your Highness, Minister Yang raises a valid point. The former Empress's actions are still fresh in our minds. How can we be certain her son doesn't harbor similar... inclinations?"

The court erupted into chaos, with ministers shouting over one another:

"It's true! How can we trust him?"

"Perhaps this is all a ploy to discredit loyal ministers!"

"Your Highness, we must reconsider Prince Zheng Xiang's position!"

Zheng Liang raised his hand for silence, his face dark and grim with fury. "Enough!" His voice thundered through the hall, momentarily quieting the uproar. "Prince Zheng Xiang's loyalty is not in question here. We are discussing Minister Yang's—"

But his words were quickly drowned out as the tumult resumed, even louder than before. Ministers shouted over one another, their faces flushed with emotion:

"But Your Highness, how can we ignore such a connection?"

"The safety of the empire is at stake!"

Suddenly, a particularly bold minister stood up, his voice ringing out above the others. "We demand a thorough investigation into Prince Zheng Xiang's background! We fear that after Minister Yang, it will be our turn to be accused falsely."

This declaration was met with a chorus of agreements and nods. The court was now in full uproar, with ministers gesticulating wildly and shouting their support for the demand.

Yang Luoyang stood silent amidst the chaos, a subtle smirk playing on his lips. His eyes met Zheng Liang's for a brief moment, gleaming with triumph.

Zheng Xiang stepped forward, his face ashen but his voice steady as he tried to speak above the din. "Your Highness, esteemed ministers, I assure you my loyalty lies only with the empire and with justice. My mother's actions do not define me."

But his words were lost in the sea of accusations and demands. The carefully built case against Yang Luoyang was crumbling, overshadowed by the sudden turn of events and the resurgence of old fears.

Zheng Liang's hands clenched into fists at his sides, his carefully laid plans tattering before his eyes. He opened his mouth to speak again, determined to regain control of the situation, when suddenly—

The doors to the court burst open with a resounding bang.

Gu Lan, Zheng Liang's personal guard, rushed in, his face pale and his breathing labored. The court fell into a sudden, eerie silence.

"Your Highness!" Gu Lan dropped to one knee, his voice trembling. "Urgent news from the dungeon!" Experience tales at empire

Zheng Liang's stomach tightened. "Speak!"

"Minister Zen... he's dead, Your Highness. When the guards went to fetch him for today's hearing, they found him lifeless on the floor."

Gasps echoed through the hall. Zheng Liang's mind reeled. "How? He was fine just hours ago!"

Gu Lan swallowed hard, his voice barely above a whisper. "It appears he... he smashed his head against the wall to death, Your Highness."

A collective gasp of horror swept through the court. Ministers exchanged shocked glances, their previous arguments forgotten in the face of this grim news.

Gu Lan continued, his voice shaking, "And there's more. A note was found beside him."

With trembling hands, Gu Lan presented a crumpled piece of paper to Zheng Liang. The Crown Prince took it, his face growing paler with each word he read.

The court held its breath, waiting for Zheng Liang to share the contents of the note. Yang Luoyang, who had been silent throughout this interruption, now leaned forward slightly, a glimmer of anticipation in his eyes.

Zheng Liang's hands trembled as he held the note, his face growing paler with each word he read silently. The tension in the court was palpable as ministers shifted restlessly, eager to know the contents.

"Your Highness," Minister Lao's quavering voice broke the silence, "what does the note say?"

Others joined in, their voices rising in urgency:

"We must know!"

"Read it aloud, Your Highness!"

"What final words did Minister Zen leave?"

As the clamor grew, Emperor Zheng Huang, who had been observing the proceedings in silence, raised his hand. The court immediately fell quiet.

"Crown Prince," His Majesty's voice was calm but firm, "it seems the court is eager to hear Minister Zen's last words. Let us not keep them in suspense."

Zheng Liang looked up, his face a mask of shock and disbelief. Seeing his son's distress, Emperor Zheng Huang's jaw tightened as he understood what was going on. But he remained calm and nodded to his personal guard.

"Read the note aloud," he commanded.

The guard stepped forward, taking the crumpled paper from Zheng Liang's unresisting hands. In a clear, steady voice, he began to read:

"I, Minister Zen, confess to all crimes of corruption. The fraudulent documents, the misappropriated revenues, and aid - all were my doing. I betrayed Minister Yang's trust, using his name to further my own greed. Even the villa in the south is mine, acquired through my deceit."

A collective gasp echoed through the hall. The guard paused, then continued:

"I can no longer bear the weight of my sins, nor the... the violent interrogations aimed at forcing me to falsely accuse Minister Yang."

The court erupted into chaos. Ministers who had been silent now clamored in support of Yang Luoyang.

"By the heavens, we've gravely misjudged Minister Yang! What a terrible injustice we nearly committed!"

"To think that Minister Yang bore the weight of such betrayal in silence! His loyalty to the empire is beyond question!"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"We should be ashamed of ourselves! Minister Yang was nearly condemned for crimes he didn't commit. How can we ever make amends?"

"This is outrageous! Who will answer for this false accusation against such a devoted servant of the empire?"

"Minister Yang's reputation must be restored immediately! He deserves our utmost respect and apologies!"

Zheng Liang stood frozen, unable to believe the turn of events. His eyes met Zheng Xiang's across the room, both of them stunned by this unexpected development.

Yang Luoyang stepped forward, his face a mask of sorrow, but his eyes glinting with triumph. "Your Majesty, Your Highness," he began, his voice heavy with false grief, "while I'm deeply saddened by Minister Zen's actions and ultimate fate, I cannot help but feel vindicated. My conscience is clear, as it has always been."

The tide of opinion in the court had completely shifted. Ministers nodded in

agreement with Yang Luoyang, some even glaring accusingly at Zheng Liang and Zheng Xiang.

As the uproar continued, Zheng Liang caught a fleeting expression on Yang Luoyang's face - a smirk of victory, quickly masked by practiced grief. In that instant, Zheng Liang knew. This was no coincidence. Somehow, Yang Luoyang had orchestrated this entire scenario.

As if hearing Zheng Liang's thoughts, Yang Luoyang's lips curved into the barest hint of a smirk. His eyes seemed to say, "Did you really think you could corner me so easily, Your Highness?"