I woke up as the Villainous Empress

Two months flew by in an instant after Yang Lingxin was exiled from the palace. Throughout this period, Master Jiang devoted himself wholeheartedly to treating His Majesty and restoring him to his former state of good health.

However, the extended exposure to the slow poison administered by Yang Lingxin had inflicted severe damage upon His Majesty's body. It required extensive efforts on Master Jiang's part to eliminate the toxins from his system, employing his specialized decoctions, conducting frequent acupuncture sessions, and providing therapeutic massages.

Due to the unfortunate incident involving Master Jiang's trusted assistant physician Bai Jiang, he became extremely cautious and prohibited anyone from approaching His Majesty. He took it upon himself to single-handedly prepare the medicines and administer treatments.

Even after Yang Lingxin's departure from the palace, Zheng Liang remained exceedingly vigilant and ensured stringent security measures to safeguard His Majesty, preventing any anonymous attacks from taking place.

While His Majesty focused on his recovery, Zheng Liang continued with the responsibility of overseeing the affairs of the royal court as the interim sovereign of the Empire. He diligently fulfilled the duties expected of both the Crown Prince and the future heir to the throne.

The ministers were astonished by Zheng Liang's exceptional work efficiency and his ability to handle the workload independently.

While there were individuals who initially questioned his capacity to govern the Empire, they quickly reconsidered upon witnessing the unwavering support bestowed upon him by His Majesty. With the full backing of the monarch and the authority to make decisions autonomously, no one dared to challenge his reign.

While some individuals were satisfied with Zheng Liang's management of the Empire, certain ministers grew discontented and frustrated with the power bestowed upon him. Compared to His Majesty, Zheng Liang displayed a lack of trust and closely monitored the flow of treasury funds, ensuring that his orders were carried out diligently.

This level of scrutiny and accountability caused considerable discomfort among those accustomed to freely indulging in personal gain by embezzling from the royal palace's official treasury.

Yang Luoyang was among those individuals affected by these changes.

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"What? Are you saying that His Highness has rejected the financial report and demanded an explanation? What on earth does he expect me to clarify?" Yang Luoyang, situated in his office, bellowed at his subordinate upon receiving the news that the financial report he had submitted to Zheng Liang had been rejected.

The man lowered his head, visibly intimidated by Yang Luoyang's scolding. Nervously, he pursed his lips and replied, "His Highness has requested a detailed financial report that includes explanations for the high expenses. He also instructed us to attach the receipts corresponding to those expenses and provide updates on how they have been allocated."

Yang Luoyang's expression turned disdainful as he processed the information. In the past, His Majesty had never demanded explanations for expenses and had accepted the reports as they were. The fact that Zheng Liang was now questioning his authority and power as the Head Minister of the Financial Department at the royal court left him incredulous.

Yang Luoyang's anger surged, and his face flushed red with a mixture of rage and humiliation. He found it utterly demeaning to be asked for a detailed report over what he considered to be trivial expenses.

In a fit of rage, Yang Luoyang hurled the document onto the floor, disdainfully disregarding its contents. He pointed directly at the man who delivered the message, his voice seething with frustration. "Inform His Highness that this is how affairs are handled in the royal court. I have far more crucial tasks to attend to than gathering insignificant receipts to appease him.

Go and relay this as my final report." He hmphed, dismissing the matter with a wave of his hand.

He is not even the Emperor of the Empire and merely functioning as a proxy for His Majesty. It struck Yang Luoyang as particularly infuriating that someone in such a temporary position of authority would dare to question his actions and demand such meticulous reporting.

The man stood in shock for a moment, taken aback by Yang Luoyang's words. However, he quickly composed himself, picking up the documents from the floor and meticulously wiping them clean before respectfully exiting the office.

As he observed the man departing silently with the report, Yang Luoyang let out a scoff, his frustration evident. He muttered under his breath, "Does Zheng Liang truly believe I would comply with all of his demands? Even if he holds the title of Crown Prince, he must realize that without our support, his authority is meaningless."

After a while, when Yang Luoyang had settled into a nap in his office, the man unexpectedly returned, holding the file in his hands, disturbing his precious afternoon respite. Startled and irritated, Yang Luoyang bellowed at him, "What are you doing here again? And why did you bring the file with you?"

The man responded hesitantly, his voice tinged with unease. "I relayed your message to His Highness. However, he has instructed me to inform you that if you refuse to comply with his orders and fail to provide the detailed financial report with the requested documents, he will assign his personnel to take charge of the task."

"In that case, Minister Yang's presence and responsibilities in the finance department would no longer be necessary, considering his purported busyness and exhaustion."

"This is what His Highness has instructed me to convey to you," the man concluded.

A wave of humiliation washed over Yang Luoyang, his face reddening with anger and indignation. The fact that Zheng Liang had stooped so low as to resort to threats left him seething. He let out a bitter laugh, a mix of frustration and disbelief at the situation.

After successfully removing Yang Lingxin from the picture, Zheng Liang may believe he has the power to do the same with Yang Luoyang and seize control of the Empire. However, Yang Luoyang refuses to accept defeat.

While he may have taken a temporary step back following the incident involving Yang Lingxin, he has not relinquished his ambitions. He harbors a lingering determination to dethrone Zheng Liang, ensuring that his own chosen puppet assumes the position of power and rules over the empire.

Yang Luoyang tightly clenched his fist, aware of the need to regain his composure. He took a deep breath, reminding himself not to act hastily and inadvertently give Zheng Liang the upper hand. He recognized that the current matter, although frustrating, did not warrant escalating conflicts between them.

Yang Luoyang resolved to handle the situation with tact and prudence, choosing his battles wisely.

Furthermore, if Zheng Liang were to dispatch his personnel to search through the finance department, it would pose a significant risk. Yang Luoyang could not allow them to lay hands on crucial documents he had concealed from His Majesty.

Considering the issue at hand relatively minor, Yang Luoyang sternly instructed his subordinate, saying, "Redo the report and include the necessary documents as requested."

"However, if this report is rejected again, I will hold you responsible and punish you for your incompetence. Understood?" he shouted at the man.

The man frowned, his gaze shifting to the file in his hands. The burden of this task had now fallen upon him. He let out a tired sigh, contemplating what the future held for him.