I woke up as the Villainous Empress

The sight was heartbreaking.

Here was a man of great stature and influence, reduced to tears, pleading for mercy. The once-proud Minister Qin, known for his firmness and unyielding demeanor in the court, was now shattered, his voice filled with desperation. The entire court watched in stunned silence, moved by the raw emotion displayed before them.

In the blink of an eye, the legacy and reputation built over generations were on the brink of ruin.

Minister Qin's eldest son also joined his father on the ground, falling to his knees to plead for the safeguarding of his family. "Your Majesty, Qin Cheng is an ignorant child. We will punish him harshly and send him far away from here, where he could not even dare to think of disrespecting any woman," he implored.

"Kindly show some mercy on us considering our years of loyalty and service, and spare my younger brother and my family. I beg of you," he pleaded, his head lowered in submission.

If Qin Cheng were to be sentenced to death, the Qin family's reputation would not only crumble but the entire family would be destroyed. Even if His Majesty allowed them to work in the royal court and showed them mercy, they would be ostracized by their fellow ministers and boycotted by other citizens as well.

Disrespecting the Crown Princess was, indeed, the gravest crime that his younger brother could have committed. If that woman had not been favored by His Highness, it might have been a different matter.

In this case, however, she was not only favored by His Highness, but His Majesty also adored her more than his son, and it was very evident to everyone. The destruction of their family seemed inevitable in any case.

Zheng Huang gritted his teeth upon hearing their pleas. It was true that Minister Qin and his eldest son had served the royal family for years and demonstrated great competence. However, he couldn't forget the way Minister Qin had tried to implicate Zheng Liang earlier for hurting his youngest son, and the fact that Qin Cheng had disrespected his daughter-in-law, the Crown Princess.

Before he could decide, Zheng Liang spoke, "Minister Qin, you have served the royal family for years, and it was the main reason I didn't punish your son through the formal protocols. However, it was you who brought this case to the royal court without confirming the facts with your son."

"Not only did you waste the court's precious time, but you also squandered Minister Yang's time and energy pleading for justice on your behalf. Because of you, he supported the perpetrator who disrespected his daughter. You should not only apologize to us but to him as well.

After all, he unknowingly supported a perpetrator and to seek justice for him, he even accused his son-in-law," Zheng Liang commented sarcastically while looking at Yang Luoyang with a smirk.

A while ago, Yang Luoyang had been righteous and fighting for justice, but now, after hearing the whole story, it seemed as if someone had sealed his mouth.

Yang Luoyang pursed his lips upon listening to Zheng Liang's words and felt ashamed of his earlier actions. He had thought that by bringing justice to Minister Qin, his reputation in the royal court would not only increase, but His Majesty might also grant him additional authority and responsibilities, giving him access to other documents.

However, now he realized he had been hasty and hadn't confirmed the facts before taking action.

Who would have thought that this situation would take such a dramatic turn?

Upon hearing Zheng Liang's words, Minister Qin turned to Yang Luoyang and pleaded with him as well. "Minister Yang, I apologize to you for my son's actions. Please forgive that ignorant brat and consider our years of good friendship."

Yang Luoyang pursed his lips at Minister Qin's words, feeling as if he was being emotionally blackmailed using their old friendship. He cleared his throat and looked at Zheng Huang with seriousness. "Your Majesty, I am in no position to make a judgment in this case. Kindly do as you deem adequate.

After all, Yang Ning is now your daughter-in-law, and you must care about her well-being more than me." He lowered his head, indicating that he wished to avoid taking any further responsibility in this matter.

Zheng Huang took a deep breath and glanced at Zheng Liang. "Zheng Liang, since you were the one who punished that young man, you should be the one to make the final decision regarding his punishment."

Zheng Liang nodded and said, "Thank you for your trust in me, Your Majesty. Considering the years of loyalty that Minister Qin and his eldest son have shown to the royal court, I will not proceed with the punishment according to the formal protocols."

Minister Qin's eyes lit up, and he bowed his head to thank him. "Your Highness, thank you for your grace. I will never-"

Zheng Liang raised his hand and stopped him, saying, "I haven't completed my words yet. I will not punish him using formal protocols, however, as you promised, you would send your youngest son away from the kingdom. I will not tolerate a shameless and disgusting man like him in the capital even for another day."

Minister Qin's face turned glum at his words, but it was still better than being given a death sentence. "Yes, Your Highness, I will follow all your orders. I am so thankful for your grace."

"You and your eldest son can continue working in the royal court. However, your position as the Head Minister will be revoked, and you and your son will never be able to be promoted to a higher position in the future. Not only that, you will also return all the assets and lands that were given to you as a reward from His Majesty for your work.

This punishment is for you and your son's ignorance towards the wrongdoings of your youngest son."

"If you hadn't ignored his actions until now and tried to cover his crimes with lies, this situation would have never arisen," Zheng Liang announced, causing Minister Qin's eyes to well up with tears.

Minister Qin couldn't help but feel a deep sense of regret and disappointment in his youngest son's actions. He had once held high hopes for him, believing that he would bring honor and pride to their family. However, Qin Cheng's behavior had only brought shame and disgrace, and it had cost them dearly.

The weight of his son's actions and the consequences of those actions weighed heavily on his heart.

Zheng Liang studied Minister Qin's defeated demeanor and inquired, "Minister Qin, do you find my judgment unfair? Would you prefer we revert to official protocols instead?"

Gathering himself, Minister Qin replied, "No, Your Highness. I accept your decree in its entirety."

The atmosphere in the royal court was tense following the declaration of Qin Cheng's punishment. Recognizing the weight of the proceedings and the visible strain it placed on His Majesty and Minister Qin who was on the verge of passing out, the court was adjourned for the day.

Due to the overwhelming anger and emotional turmoil caused by Qin Cheng's actions, His Majesty felt that it would be unwise to pass judgment on other matters in this state, wanting to ensure fairness and clarity in all his decisions.

____

Qin Household.

Qin Cheng lay on his bed, his injured hand wrapped in a bandage and a cast, while his face bore the marks of ointments applied by the physician to hasten the healing of his injuries.

"You bastards, how could you leave me alone there yesterday?" Qin Cheng shouted at his friends, his anger simmering.

His friends hung their heads, and one of them replied, "What could we do? A large, intimidating man confronted us."

"Don't worry," another friend chimed in, "We have told your father everything. I am sure he will punish that man severely and seek revenge on your behalf."

The other friend nodded in agreement, adding, "Yes, then you can use that woman as leverage to spare that man. He won't throw his life away for just a woman."

Qin Cheng smirked and nodded, his eyes filled with lust and desire. "You're right. This is all because of that woman. Once I have recovered, I will teach her a lesson and make her realize whom she has disrespected this time. I can't wait to have her in my bed," he commented with a sinister grin.

As they continued their conversation, the chamber door suddenly swung open, and Minister Qin entered, with his eldest son following closely behind.

However, the anger and determination that had filled their faces earlier when they left for the palace had been replaced by a strange sense of sadness and defeat.

"Father, did you find out who that bastard was that beat me? I am telling you, don't let him get away with it," Qin Cheng insisted.

"This time, I won't be satisfied with just ruining that man's life. I want that girl in my bed, no matter what-"

*SLAP*