I woke up as the Villainous Empress

After a refreshing bath, Zheng Xiang changed into his comfortable night clothes. The silk pajamas on the bottom were soft and comfortable. Since the temperature had been increasing lately, he chose not to wear a shirt underneath and simply draped an upper robe loosely over his body.

He loosely tied the ribbon around his waist, allowing the upper silk robe to hang casually, revealing his taut, chiseled muscles. Since he was alone in the chamber and there weren't any female servants in the residence, there was no need for him to dress up modestly.

He didn't even bother to dry his dripping wet hair with a towel and let it dry with the natural air. He sat at the chair in the room and held the permission scroll given by His Majesty earlier when he went to greet him. It was the permission letter that allows him to attend the royal court session tomorrow where he will be assigned his new position.

Before returning to the palace, he was the supervisor of the area where he was living and had been leading a peaceful life. However, now that he has returned to the palace, he will be assigned a new task and position. He sighed while holding the permission scroll and murmured, "Until when do I have to stay here?" He sighed, uncertain about when he could return.

While His Majesty might have intended for him to stay at the palace forever, he has no intention whatsoever. Even if His Majesty wants him to stay, he would do anything to leave. After all, he doesn't belong to this place.

Zheng Xiang, immersed in his thoughts while holding the permission scroll, heard a knock on the door. The servant outside spoke politely, "Your Highness, pardon me for the interruption. It's already dinner time. Would you like me to bring your meal now?" He remained standing outside, awaiting a response.

Zheng Xiang frowned and raised his head to look outside the window; the sky was already dark, enveloped in the silence of the night. He realized that by the time he came with his brother and the Crown Princess to the Jade Pavilion, it was already evening, and the sun was preparing to set.

Now that he had taken a bath and rested for a while, it was already dinner time. Since he had lunch not too long ago, he replied, "I am not hungry. You can return to rest. I will also go to bed soon."

"However, Your Highness, it would be better if you could have something light for dinner-" The male servant said with hesitation.

"No need. You can go."

The male servant sighed dejectedly and nodded, "Yes, Your Highness. I will be staying at the servants' quarters in the backyard. You can call for me when you need." He said, receiving no reply from inside. Understanding that Zheng Xiang had no intention of continuing the conversation, he left to rest in his quarters early.

___

After reading the permission scroll and reviewing the file containing the topics to be discussed in tomorrow's royal court session, Zheng Xiang closed the files and neatly put them away on the working desk, preparing to retire to bed. However, just as he was about to do so, he heard a gentle knock on the door.

He frowned irritably towards the door and replied in a cold voice, "Didn't I say earlier that I don't want to have dinner? Why are you here again?" Although he found the male servant quite meticulous and efficient, sometimes he seemed to be too noisy for his comfort.

He doesn't like people who don't listen to others' words, respect their choices, and keep talking despite them showing discomfort. It's rude and crosses boundaries.

There was no voice from the outside, so Zheng Xiang assumed that the man might have been scared and left. "At least he knows when to leave." He sighed frustratingly got up from the working desk and turned around to retire to bed when the person standing outside knocked on the door again.

Zheng Xiang gritted his teeth and walked towards the door in long strides. He was wrong in his judgment. This man is not efficient but simply annoying. He might be good at his work, but he needs to improve at reading the room. He couldn't deal with him anymore.

Even if he was a servant allotted by the Crown Princess, he didn't care. He wouldn't be keeping him anymore. He had already made up his mind before opening the door.

Zheng Xiang opened the door forcefully and scolded the man coldly, "Do you not understand human language? Didn't I say that I don't want to have dinner? Why do you keep kno-" He growled. However, his furious words were swallowed when he saw the figure standing before him. It was not the man but a woman.

It was not the servant who was serving him earlier but a woman holding a tray with a steaming hot bowl of soup. She was wearing a blue dress with a white ribbon tied around her waist. Her long hair was neatly braided and tied with a white ribbon.

The woman's dress bore the logo of the Imperial Medicine Department, embroidered with dark blue thread, highlighting that she was not just a maid or a court lady but a person from the Imperial Medicine Department.

Hou Wei, who had her head lowered, hesitantly raised it when the scolding ceased. Her gaze met an exceptionally handsome face, featuring sharp features and gentle eyes.

The prince, dressed in night pajamas with an openly loose upper robe, revealed a muscled bare chest. A rush of embarrassment tinted her cheeks, causing her to lower her head again to avoid facing him. In a low and hesitant voice, she spoke, "Greetings to His Highness. Pardon me for disturbing you."

"My name is Hou Wei. I am a nurse from the Imperial Medicine Department, and I have come to serve you herbal medicine soup," she introduced herself in a respectful manner.

"Her Royal Crown Princess told me that you must not be hungry since you had a late lunch and might not have dinner. That is why she has asked me to prepare a herbal medicine soup for you," she explained gently.

"It will help nourish your body after a long and exhausting journey and facilitate a comfortable sleep. The soup is not bitter; it has been made with vegetable and chicken broth with added herbs, so it will be flavorful and easy to drink. Even if you are not hungry, have some of this soup, and you will be able to sleep without any trouble," she said in a sweet and gentle tone.

Zheng Xiang was surprised to hear the woman's words. His eyelashes fluttered in surprise as if he was not sure if he was dreaming or if it was real. He swallowed nervously and blurted out, "It's you!"

Hou Wei, who was expected to be scolded by Zheng Xiang for disturbing him, looked at him in confusion, finding him staring at her intently. She pursed her lips and asked hesitantly, "Did I do something wrong, Your Highness?" Uncertain about the meaning behind his words.

Zheng Xiang cleared his throat in embarrassment and said coldly, returning to his nonchalant attitude, "It's for me, right? Give it to me." He took the tray from Hou Wei and shut the door behind him, leaving her standing at the door, perplexed about the whole situation.

Not dwelling on the new prince's strange behavior, Hou Wei returned to her quarters to retire for the day and rest. While she was happy to help Her Highness and carry out her orders, Zheng Xiang was standing against the closed door behind him in a daze, feeling his heart pounding in nervousness.

He couldn't believe what he had just seen. "How come she is at the palace?" he wondered, staring at the steaming hot herbal soup, questioning if he saw something wrong.