I woke up as the Villainous Empress

After receiving the message from the maid, Yang Ning excused herself from the party and followed the maid who reported to her about the incident. She wanted to see what was going on outside.

Seeing the worried expression on Yang Ning's face, Xiaowei, also followed her. She understood that it must be something important for Yang Ning to leave in the middle of the party. As her personal maid, Xiaowei felt the responsibility to follow her everywhere and prevent any danger from harming her lady.

Before leaving, Xiaowei didn't forget to instruct the servants to serve the guests well and keep them entertained during Yang Ning's absence. They had arranged this tea party with much effort, and they could not let a small matter ruin their preparations.

When Yang Ning reached the entrance of the Dragon Pavilion, she witnessed a commotion at the entrance gate leading towards the residence of the Crown Prince and Princess. Each residence of the royal family members had a separate entrance, distinct from the Main Palace entrance gate, providing access to the arena of the royal palace.

Outside the enormous arched gate of the Dragon Pavilion, Chang Ah was shouting at Hou Wei for preventing her from entering the tea party. Yang Ning frowned, questioning why Hou Wei was there. She hadn't invited her, and she wasn't a maid either; instead, she worked as a nurse at the imperial medicine department. Why was she entangled in an argument with Chang Ah?

'Is this the fate of the female lead? To be entangled in unnecessary drama that doesn't even involve them?' Yang Ning wondered.

___

"My Lady, I request you to kindly leave. The maids standing here have already informed you. This is a private tea party hosted by the Crown Princess, and if you do not have an invitation card, you cannot enter the Dragon Pavilion.

Please take your leave," Hou Wei, who was wearing the uniform of the imperial medicine department—a dark blue dress with a white belt tied around her waist—firmly stood in front of Chang Ah, preventing her from making a commotion and disrupting the party.

Chang Ah's face turned crimson. She scoffed in disbelief, placing both of her hands on her hips and looking at Hou Wei from head to toe. She snickered with a look of ridicule in her eyes. "Hah!

Aren't you that first female nurse at the royal palace who seduced Master Jiang, the great physician worshiped by everyone, with your young looks and evil, seductive tricks?" Chang Ah sneered, attempting to provoke Hou Wei and tarnish her reputation.

"Madam, please refrain from making baseless and immoral remarks that could give rise to unnecessary rumors," Hou Wei retorted. Though her eyes welled up with tears at the accusation regarding her character, she held back the emotional tide and faced Chang Ah with unwavering confidence. Despite being a mere nurse, she was determined not to allow anyone to humiliate her and tarnish her reputation.

Chang Ah sneered at Hou Wei's trembling voice and continued, "What? Did I say anything untrue? Did you not seduce Master Jiang to secure a position as the only nurse at the Imperial Medicine Department? Everyone knows what happens when a woman of your lowly status works closely with men.

I feel nauseous just at the thought of you shamelessly sullying the pure working space of the Imperial Medicine Department."

"I don't have spare time to waste on a shameless woman like you. How dare a lowly nurse like you stop me from entering the Dragon Pavilion? Do you know who I am? I am the wife of the Head Minister of the Finance Department, Yang Luoyang, and the mother-in-law of the future Emperor, the Crown Prince, Zheng Liang."

"The Crown Princess you're talking about used to survive on the food I provided her. She is nothing but a disgusting pest in front of me. That woman, the one you call the Crown Princess, owes me her life. I have fed her, and taken care of her all my life."

"I am her mother, and I don't need an invitation to attend the tea party hosted by her. How dare you ask for an invitation from me? Now get lost! I have already wasted enough time arguing with you. If you don't want to die, then get lost already." Chang Ah berated Hou Wei, who stood in her way, preventing her from forcefully entering the Dragon Pavilion.

Yesterday, when Chang Ah found out from other noble ladies that Yang Ning had arranged her first tea party and hadn't invited her, despite them living in the same city, she felt humiliated and embarrassed.

Even though Chang Ah was her stepmother and had tormented Yang Ning throughout her childhood, the exclusion from the tea party stung. How could Yang Ning exclude her from such an important event, even if their relationship was strained? The thought of not attending Yang Ning's tea party and the potential gossip that might arise troubled her.

What would people think of her absence?

To salvage her reputation in front of the other ladies, Chang Ah boasted that she would attend the party wearing a blue dress. She even went so far as to lie, claiming that Yang Ning had given her the invitation to the party first. Chang Ah acted as if their relationship was harmonious, emphasizing that she treated Yang Ning as her own daughter.

Her strategy was to attend the party with confidence, believing that once inside, Yang Ning wouldn't dare to expel her. She reasoned that such an action would only damage Yang Ning's own reputation.

Even if Yang Ning attempted to throw her out of the party in front of the noble ladies, Chang Ah resolved to retaliate fiercely. She planned to tarnish Yang Ning's reputation by accusing her of disrespecting her and neglecting filial piety towards her parents.

Chang Ah believed that questioning Yang Ning's respect for her own family would create doubt among the people of the Empire, undermining their trust in a Crown Princess who supposedly lacked filial piety. In her scheme, Chang Ah aimed to damage Yang Ning's standing not only in the royal court but also in the eyes of the citizens.

When Chang Ah shared her plan with her husband, Yang Luoyang, shedding tears of sadness and humiliation caused by Yang Ning's actions, he assured and supported her.

Yang Luoyang was not only infuriated by Yang Ning's humiliation of him through the exclusion of Chang Ah from the tea party but also recognized that it went too far, openly showcasing a strained relationship within their family to the world.

He understood the potential impact on his reputation within the royal court and the broader society, prompting him to back Chang Ah's scheme.

The potential revelation of their strained relationship could jeopardize the reputation Yang Luoyang had cultivated in the court. Experience exclusive tales on m v|l e'm,p| y- r

His standing among the ministers, built on the respect and favor garnered due to his special relationship with the Crown Prince, who is now his son-in-law, could crumble if it became known that the Crown Princess neither respected him as her Father nor invited Chang Ah to her tea party.

While rumors about Yang Ning mistreating Chang Ah circulated in the capital, the blame always fell on Yang Ning, as these incidents hadn't occurred publicly. Many chose not to judge based on unverified rumors.

If Chang Ah were excluded from the party and Yang Ning managed to impress the ladies, it could shift the public perception. This potential change prompted Yang Luoyang to support Chang Ah in attending the party as the best option to salvage their reputation.

Therefore, he accompanied Chang Ah to the palace, ensuring her entry without any questions due to his esteemed position. Once inside the palace, Yang Luoyang had pressing matters at the royal court, leaving Chang Ah to make her way to the Dragon Pavilion independently. Chang Ah readily accepted this arrangement, confident that having already entered the palace, none would dare hinder her.

Her plan seemed to be progressing smoothly.

Unbeknownst to Chang Ah, Yang Ning had taken precautions. In addition to the court ladies stationed at the Main Palace entrance to escort guests to the tea party, Yang Ning had strategically placed servants at the Dragon Pavilion entrance as well. This precautionary measure was specifically taken to prevent uninvited disruptions and maintain the festive atmosphere of the event.

Yang Ning foresaw the possibility of Chang Ah causing a scene and had thus implemented security measures at the Dragon Pavilion entrance to keep unwelcome disturbances at bay.

Upon finding the maids blocking her way, Chang Ah, known for her crude language, engaged in an argument with the maids and forcibly pushed them aside in an attempt to enter the Dragon Pavilion. However, Hou Wei, passing by the area, noticed the commotion and intervened to support the maids.

Grateful for the assistance she had received from Yang Ning, both in Xinling City and at the palace, Hou Wei was determined not to let anyone disrupt the Crown Princess's first tea party.

Although she hadn't anticipated that the disrupter would be the Crown Princess's stepmother, she stood firm, facing Chang Ah, and confronted her to prevent any unauthorized entry into the Dragon Pavilion.