I woke up as the Villainous Empress

Chapter 186  Emergency Court Session IX

Zheng Liang smirked to see Yang Lingxin shamelessly advocating her crimes and pleading innocence. Does she still think that Yang Luoyang could save her from this situation or does she believe she holds so much power to prove her innocence despite being the sinner? If that's what she thinks, then it is time to put her in her position. Unlike the last time, he will not let anyone ruin his plan and return to his chamber in disappointment.

The last time, when he revealed the dark side of Yang Luoyang in front of His Majesty, due to the lack of evidence and the only witness of the incident going back on his words, no one believed in him and was punished instead. However, this time, he will not repeat the same mistake. "Lady Yang Lingxin, You do not need to worry about me. I will not disappoint you with my preparation." Zheng Liang said coldly to relieve her worries about him having evidence against her. At this point, he has completely stopped addressing her as the Empress and keeps calling her Lady instead. Although she does not deserve to be called a lady as well, it is still not the time to drop all the formalities yet.

Yang Lingxin bit her lower lip as Zheng Liang's cold words sent shivers down her spine. It was the first time she had witnessed this kind of coldness in his eyes and it was not good. ___

Zheng Liang didn't waste more of his time entertaining Yang Lingxin and indifferently glanced at the assistant physician of Master Jiang who was kneeling on the ground. "Assistant Physician Bai Jiang, will you now tell everyone why you are in this court or do you need some more time to think about it?" "Tell everyone how you gave the slow poison to His Majesty and who ordered you to do so. Speak!" He ordered him. The royal court emerged in chaotic whispers once again. The ministers were shocked by Zheng Liang's statement. They unknowingly glanced at Master Jiang who was wearing a stoic expression as if this matter has nothing to do with him.

So it was the Assistant Physician of Master Jiang Tai who gave the poison to His Majesty. No doubt he didn't say anything earlier when everyone was doubting his intentions and questioning his report. Everyone wondered.

Even though he wasn't directly involved in the matter, as his Master, he was still guilty of keeping such a person under his care and teaching him medicine who tried to poison His Majesty to death.

While everyone's eyes were fixated on the assistant physician and waiting for him to name the culprit, Bai Jiang who had his hands tied by a thick rope and was kneeling on the ground, hesitantly looked up to plead for his innocence to His Highness and his Master, Jiang Tai. "Your Highness, I did not do-, "However, he quivered in fear when he noticed the nonchalant expressions of Yang Ning, who was sitting beside Zheng Liang and staring into his soul. He swallowed his words and pursed his lips in nervousness. This woman is no joke.

  She is the Crown Princess who was supposed to be gentle and kind yet she was the craziest woman he has ever seen. The past few days, he was locked inside the cowshed and was beaten to a pulp by Gu Lan. However, after last night, he was more afraid of Yang Ning than Zheng Liang or Gu Lan who beat him to a pulp. Last night, she came to visit him at the cowshed and threatened him to speak truthfully at the court tomorrow. Otherwise, she will not only kill him but his whole clan to punish him for not speaking the truth. While standing in the dark, she was holding a sharp arrow in her hands and playing with it as if it were a kid's toy. She looked at him with her chilling gaze and muttered in a low-deep voice causing him to shudder at her words, "Have you heard the rumors of me being the vicious woman who is heartless enough to kill people?"

"Ah, I am sure you must have heard about that. Did you hear the rumor that before marrying His Highness, I killed the wild bear with a single arrow? The wild bear that so many trained guards failed to capture, I killed him with a single arrow. Well, do you think that it was just a rumor?" She asked. She smirked at him mockingly to see his ashen complexion and moved closer to him. She patted on his shoulders and said, "You! Until now you were working for the Empress. Now it is time for you to choose your side carefully."

"Ah, I forgot. Unfortunately, you don't even have a choice anymore. Either choose to side with me, or die miserably, along with your family." She commented nonchalantly.

"If you lie at the court tomorrow, after your death, I will hire a shaman to curse you and your family and will make sure that you will never attain peace even after your death. Do you get that?" "Princess Consort, Please forgive me. I will do whatever you ask me to do. However, please do not do anything to my family. They did not do anything, they're innocent." He bowed down in front of her and pleaded desperately. Cursing someone after their death is way worse than simply dying in agony. How can this woman think of something so cruel and vicious? She is truly the vicious woman like everyone says about her. Yang Ning smirked as she was pleased by his reaction. She came to meet him because she wanted to make sure that everything goes smoothly at the court tomorrow and that things won't turn out against Zheng Liang, like the last time. About the threats she just made, she always wanted to try doing it once. She has read in novels how easily people give death threats in such historical-themed fiction. If she attempted this in her world, the whole media and police would come after her, to hold her responsible for something she hasn't even attempted yet. However, what isn't possible in her world, she can do that in this fictional world. Since no one would come after her in this world, she wanted to fulfill her wish and act like a villainess for once at the least. Yang Ning wasn't easy to melt at Bai Jiang's sobbing words and scoffed, "It depends on your performance tomorrow. Don't mess up, alright?" She said coldly before leaving the cowshed area. __

Bai Jiang's hands shivered in fear when he was reminded of the last night. The way she threatened him, it didn't look like she was joking or bluffing with her threats. How can she threaten him to curse his whole family? That is so cruel and heartless! He gulped nervously and his adam-apple bobbed up and down when he saw Yang Ning scoffing and chuckling mockingly at him. Yang Ning maintains eye contact with him and slides her index finger against her neck, making a throat-slitting gesture. 'Tell the truth. Truth!' She moved her lips slowly so that he could understand her words by reading her lips movement. Bai Jiang gasped in horror and rather than making an excuse and getting out of this situation like he was taught to do after getting caught, he bowed on the ground and touched his head against the ground, and shouted in desperation, "No! I will speak up. I will tell the truth to everyone."

Yang Luoyang pursed his lips and was hoping that the man would not disappoint him and would act like he had taught him to do in such situations. 'Thankfully, he has prepared him for the worst and taught him what to do when he gets caught. Nothing will go wrong, will it?' He wondered. __

"Yes. I put the poisoned natural oil in the steaming hot water in His Majesty's chamber. Since His Majesty's meals were checked by the guards and tasted by them, it was impossible to poison him directly." Bai Jiang revealed. "That is why, I was told to poison the steaming hot water which was used to hydrate the atmosphere of His Majesty's chamber. The steam coming from the hot water will indirectly poison His Majesty without him directly ingesting it. It also works quite effectively yet does not show any traces of poison in one's blood." His voice trembled as he carefully revealed the truth. "However, it was not like I wanted to do it. That person said that they would remove Master Jiang and make me the Head Physician of the Imperial Medicine Department in exchange for this favor. Or if I do not do this, they will kill me and put all the blame of His Majesty's death on my name. I cannot afford to do that." "Please, Your Highness! I truly had no choice. I was afraid to be framed wrongfully." The man sobbed miserably and begged Zheng Liang. Master Jiang pursed his lips in humiliation and lowered his head. He was so proud of his teachings yet he failed to make his disciple a good human being and follow the ethics of medicine. Zheng Liang frowned and glanced at Yang Luoyang's pale complexion before turning to the man and asking, "Who is it? Who asked you to poison His Majesty with the slow poison? Give me that person's name. Now!" He shouted at the man, causing everyone in the royal court to startle and feel the tension in the Main hall.