I woke up as the Villainous Empress

In Yang Ning\'s memories, the only period when joy and smiles adorned her was during her mother\'s lifetime. As a little girl, she basked in the affection of her mother, who pampered her with various delicacies, adorned her with countless ornaments, and even handcrafted beautiful dresses.

In those recollections, Yang Luoyang also appeared content and fatherly—a figure Yang Ning lost long ago. However, after her mother\'s demise, her father underwent a profound transformation. The once-doting father became an unrecognizable figure, indifferent to her and her tribulations.

He turned cold and, at times, displayed violence, especially when she expressed longing for her mother or shed tears. The mention of her mother\'s name became a taboo in the household.

Following her mother\'s passing, when little Yang Ning needed her father\'s support and love the most, he remarried Chang Ah just a few weeks after her mother\'s death. This inflicted a pain that she could never forget in her lifetime. The anguish of witnessing Chang Ah assume her mother\'s role was compounded by the fact that, in her own home, Yang Ning was treated as a stranger, as a burden.

Despite her efforts to win favor from her father and seek his attention, all she received in return was disappointment, indifference, and coldness from him. Gazing upon those once happy memories of Yang Ning, now filled with heartache and sorrow, Fang Li couldn\'t help but gain a clearer understanding of Yang Ning\'s perspective.

Now, she can comprehend why in the novel, Yang Ning\'s character was so fixated on earning love and acknowledgement from her father. When she was young, Yang Luoyang treated her with the same love and care any daughter would receive. However, after her mother\'s death, her life crumbled into nothingness.

There were moments when the original Yang Ning believed that Yang Luoyang harbored resentment towards her because she resembled her mother, not only in terms of looks but personality as well. She thought he avoided her because she reminded him of the woman he missed and loved once.

Yang Ning felt that serving his wishes as a filial daughter and trying to please him might rekindle the love he once had for her.

Reflecting on these thoughts, Fang Li couldn\'t help but release a sigh. In her perspective, Yang Ning appeared as nothing more than a naive girl who sacrificed everything in an attempt to please a father who didn\'t even treat her as his daughter.

To Yang Luoyang, Yang Ning seemed to be merely a tool—a means to control Zheng Liang, seize the highest powers in the palace, and ascend to the position of the most powerful figure in the Empire.

He is the most greedy and cruel man she has ever seen in both of her two lifetimes. A man who could exploit his daughter, his own flesh, for selfish reasons; she believed he was capable of anything. Anything!

Standing next to Yang Ning, Zheng Liang observed her silently gazing at her mother\'s grave. Her eyes were brimming with tears, and her hands trembled, conveying a whirlwind of complex emotions.

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He had heard that it was Yang Ning\'s first time visiting her mother\'s grave. It was situated on the outskirts of the capital city, quite far from the main capital. More than the long distance, Yang Luoyang and Chang Ah never allowed her to leave the household or took her to greet her mother. Consequently, she never got to visit her mother\'s grave even once.

As someone who lost his mother at a young age as well, Zheng Liang couldn\'t imagine the pain of not even visiting his mother\'s grave. More importantly, Yang Ning\'s mother was the wife of Yang Luoyang, the Minister who worked at the royal palace. He couldn\'t understand why that man would choose to place his wife\'s grave in such a remote location.

Yang Ning\'s mother, being the wife of Minister Yang, held the status of a noble lady. Accordingly, she should have been buried at the place designated for nobles according to their status. However, this location wasn\'t even a proper burial site; it was merely a random hill where he chose to lay her to rest as if he wanted to erase her existence from his life.

How could he be so heartless? He not only buried his wife in such an isolated place where only commoners would come but also denied his daughter the chance to visit her mother. He is crueler than Zheng Liang had imagined.

Zheng Liang took a deep breath and gently held Yang Ning\'s hand, caressing the back of her hand with his thumb. Facing her mother\'s grave, he began, "Mother, allow me to formally introduce myself. My name is Zheng Liang; I am 25 years old and your daughter\'s husband."

Yang Ning was surprised by his words. He hadn\'t said he was the Crown Prince; instead, he introduced himself solely as her husband. She glanced at Zheng Liang with a gentle expression as he spoke to her mother\'s grave.

"We are here to pay you our respects. Since it is my first time meeting you, let me greet you properly." He then went on his knees and bowed deeply, placing his head on the ground. After bowing three times, he stood up, took hold of Yang Ning\'s hands, and continued, "As her mother, I understand your worries. However, from now on, you don\'t need to worry about your daughter."

"She is now my wife, and I will do my best to keep her happy and safe. I will ensure that no danger comes close to her, even if it means dealing with her father," he declared with determination.

Yang Ning pursed her lips, sensing the sincerity in Zheng Liang\'s words. There was a time when he doubted her loyalty because of her relationship with Yang Luoyang, but now he trusted her more than anyone.

Seeing Zheng Liang\'s sincere expressions and caring gestures, a warm smile spread across her lips. In her past life, she couldn\'t have imagined a day when she would experience such overwhelming emotions and heart-fluttering moments.

As an athlete, her existence revolved around practice and preparing for games. Engaging in typical activities like going out to play or participating in blind dates, which were common for people of her age, was never a part of her life. Consequently, she never experienced the love, care, and heart-fluttering moments that others did.

However, living as Yang Ning, she not only gained a husband but also discovered emotions that were previously unknown to her. This illustrated that blood relations weren\'t the only meaningful connections; one could be closer to people not linked by blood, perhaps even closer than one\'s own family.

Zheng Liang\'s presence in her life taught her this lesson. He wasn\'t just her husband in this lifetime; he was her only family, cherished deeply, and for whom she was willing to do anything.

After Zheng Liang finished paying his respects, Yang Ning also bowed to her mother\'s grave, settling on her knees. She said, "Mother, please don\'t worry. I will never let anyone harm your daughter, and I will teach a lesson to those who have tormented her. Please be reassured. Wherever your daughter is, she is fine and living a good life," Yang Ning added with a meaningful implication in her words.

While Zheng Liang believed that Yang Ning was referring to herself as the daughter in her words, in reality, she was speaking about the original Yang Ning, who was no longer a part of this body.

After paying their respects, the couple descended the hill and embarked on their long journey back to the palace. Their main objective was to return before the night curfew to avoid any complications.