I woke up as the Villainous Empress

Upon hearing Zheng Liang's cold and intimidating words, no one dared to lift their heads or voice concerns against His Majesty's decision. The ministers who opposed Yang Lingxin and her supporters anticipated that the Crown Prince, with his seemingly adversarial relationship with Prince Zheng Xiang, would align with them and support their resistance to His Majesty's decision.

However, no one expected Zheng Liang to not only support His Majesty's decision but also speak highly of Prince Zheng Xiang and openly support him.

With Prince Zheng Xiang's return, Zheng Liang's position could be threatened by the revival of the supporters of the ex-Empress Yang Lingxin. Even so, how could he remain so calm and collected in the face of Prince Zheng Xiang's impending return?

After Zheng Liang's stern warning, no one dared to question His Majesty's decision, and the court session proceeded with the discussion of other resolutions. Throughout the session, everyone was intimidated by Zheng Liang and his cold expressions, preventing anyone from daring to voice any opposition. The court session concluded hastily.

Witnessing these events unfold, the supporters of Zheng Xiang were pleased, while the others had no choice but to keep silent and reluctantly accept the decision.

...

In the following days, Yang Ning was immersed in her duties as she had to prepare for the return of Prince Zheng Xiang to the palace after many years.

As the Crown Princess and in the absence of the Empress, she took charge of all the preparations, including selecting maids and staff to serve Prince Zheng Xiang upon his return. After finalizing the choices for the maids and servants to be assigned to Prince Zheng Xiang's residence, Yang Ning decided to inspect his residence to ensure everything was in order before his arrival.

Yang Ning visited Prince Zheng Xiang's residence, known as the Jade Pavilion. She had heard from Xiaowei that when Prince Zheng Xiang was born, His Majesty had bestowed upon him a precious gem, a unique jade gifted by a foreign king. This rare and valuable jade, a one-of-a-kind find, became the namesake of his residence—Jade Pavilion.

Intrigued by the story, Yang Ning explored the residence to ensure it was ready for Prince Zheng Xiang's return.

Yang Ning explored the Jade Pavilion, situated at a considerable distance from the Main Palace, Dragon Pavilion, and the Queen's residence. Due to Prince Zheng Xiang's lower status in the royal hierarchy, his residence was appropriately located away from these prominent pavilions.

Understanding the distance, Yang Ning opted for a carriage ride from the Dragon Pavilion, as walking would consume too much time.

As she surveyed the deserted pavilion, Yang Ning pursed her lips in dismay. The Jade Pavilion, vacant since Prince Zheng Xiang's departure years ago, had become neglected and despairing. The place was shrouded in heavy layers of dirt and dust, with spiderwebs adorning every corner. The once-lively pond had dried up, now covered in dried leaves and dust.

The surrounding plants and trees had withered, casting an eerie atmosphere over the abandoned residence. As Yang Ning entered the main building, she observed that the pillars of the residence were weak and covered in molds due to the impact of heavy rains over the years. Even the wooden furniture was engulfed in dirt, spiderwebs, and decay, rendering it unusable and in need of replacement.

Yang Ning frowned upon realizing the stark difference between the reports she had received and the current state of the Jade Pavilion. According to the reports, there was an officer assigned to maintain this place, receiving substantial budgets every year to renovate and preserve this empty pavilion in its past glory.

However, the reality presented an image of an abandoned residence on the verge of destruction.

Her expressions darkened, and upon returning to the Dragon Pavilion, she went straight to her study room and ordered the officer in charge of the maintenance of the Jade Pavilion to meet her.

"Greetings to Her Royal Highness," the man greeted as soon as he entered the study room.

When the man visited, Yang Ning didn't waste any time. She offered him a seat and went straight to the point, "I called you here to ask about the Jade Pavilion. I visited it a while ago. Even though the work list indicated that the Jade Pavilion was clean and well-maintained over the years, it wasn't. No work has been done, and it wasn't maintained well," she said coldly, catching the man off guard.

He pursed his lips and said nervously, "Her Highness, Prince Zheng Xiang left the palace more than a decade ago. Even if we cleaned and maintained a place, it is natural for an empty residence to deteriorate after some years. However, we did our work diligently and timely checked on its maintenance. If needed, I can arrange for someone to clean the place again and redecorate it.

With proper cleaning, the place could be habitable again. However, to do that, I would require an extra budget." The man stated.

Yang Ning chuckled at the audacity of the man. He didn't even do his previous work properly and was now asking for more budget. Has he taken her for a fool? She shook her head in helplessness at the man's ignorance and sighed. "At first, I wanted you to take responsibility for your mistakes and fix them. However, not anymore.

I can see that the place was not well-maintained not because it was empty, but because you did not do your work properly. Instead of apologizing and owning up to your wrongdoings, you're making excuses."

"You can go to the Department of Personnel and get your dues from them. From now on, you will not be able to work at the palace. Go ahead and send the other officer inside," Yang Ning said coldly.

The man's eyes widened in shock. Even though he never fulfilled his duties properly, the former Empress had never expelled him from the palace because of his status and connections. Apart from his business, where he was known to have countless important connections, his family hailed from a reputable business background.

If the former Empress never questioned him about anything, how could the Crown Princess dismiss him from the Palace over such a small matter?

"Princess, I apologize for not maintaining the Jade Pavilion. It was my negligence, and I should have checked on it more carefully. However, please reconsider your decision. I have been working at the palace for years, and even the previous Empress never said anything to me. Don't you think it is unfair to kick me out suddenly without any notice?" he pleaded.

Yang Ning raised her brows at the man's bold and brazen comments and scoffed, "That was the former Empress; however, I am not the same. I do not keep people around just because they have connections or may be of use in the future. You're at the palace for a job, and if you cannot perform it properly, it is only right to give this position and responsibility to someone else.
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Now, kindly go back and send the other officer inside, or should I have guards escort you out forcefully?" She asked in a polite yet firm tone, her gaze unwavering and stern.

The officer gulped nervously and left the study chamber, bearing a sense of shame and humiliation. No doubt, many things at the palace had changed since the Crown Princess took charge of the management. She didn't shy away from firing people who were not doing their work properly, even if they came from valuable family backgrounds.

After the man left, the new officer arrived. After discussing her requirements and the changes she wanted in the Jade Pavilion, she entrusted him with the responsibility of maintaining the Jade Pavilion, relieving the previous officer of his duties.