I woke up as the Villainous Empress

Yang Ning frowned and pursed her lips upon hearing Li Hua's explanation. After taking a few moments to process her words, she asked, "So you went back in time? The time you're talking about, I also woke up in Yang Ning's body the same day as well."

"You came back in time, but instead of Yang Ning, I was the one who took Yang Ning's place. Then where is she?" She was perplexed, and this explanation had only added to her confusion. She had thought that meeting this strange woman would help answer some of her questions. However, Li Hua's explanation only added more questions to her list.

Li Hua shook her head and said, "I don't know about anything else. However, upon realizing that I had returned in time, I did everything in my power to avoid going back to the palace because I did not want to end up like my past self.

After fighting with my family and confronting them for their biased attitude towards me, they threw me out, not accepting me as their daughter, and labeling me as erratic and crazy. It showed me how much my family cared for me." She laughed bitterly. Explore stories at m-v le-mpyr

Li Hua closed her eyes for a moment and when she opened them again, she looked at Yang Ning with determination and said, "At that time I thought only I had returned in time but upon hearing about the strange behavior of the eldest daughter of Yang Household, who used to be timid and a quiet person suddenly became bold enough to argue with the Princess from another kingdom on His Highness's birthday banquet."

"Not only that, the news of the relationship between His Highness and the Crown Princess improving, His Majesty, who was supposed to pass away by now, and Crown Prince ascending the throne, didn't happen yet. Instead, the Empress was exiled and punished for her crimes.

The events from the past and the novel were going differently, and the only variable that brought the change seemed to be the Crown Princess and her changed demeanor. After keeping an eye on your news and actions, I realized that you could not be the same person."

"Even if a person could change after returning in time, the change in the Princess was simply too much to accept. That is why I had my suspicions that something had changed. That's why I tried to confront you the other day. And as expected, seeing your expressions, I understood that my gut feeling was correct. You were not the same Crown Princess, Yang Ning."

Upon hearing Li Hua's explanation, Yang Ning frowned. This situation was more complicated than she had expected. She had thought that through this woman, she would find out the way to her world, but it looked like she didn't know anything about it either.

She looked at the hourglass on the table, which indicated that the time limit was about to end, and asked hurriedly, "If you don't know anything about how I can return to my world, then why did you say the other day that I am bound to die and cannot change my fate? What were you trying to do by threatening me? Were you only trying to get my attention?"

Li Hua stared at Yang Ning for a few moments and said with a solemn expression, "I was indeed warning you. I might not know anything else, but based on the events I've observed until now, things were happening differently than in the past.

However, after the entry of the female protagonist in the novel, Hou Wei, into the palace and her becoming the nurse, the attack on His Highness's carriage, His Majesty falling ill, almost at his deathbed, I can see that things might be going differently, but if you look at the bigger picture, everything was still heading in a similar direction."

"There are high chances that even if you try your best, things might not turn out the same way. I don't know from which world you have come, but I can only warn you to be careful. You might not be the real Empress Yang Ning, but as someone who looks exactly like her, I want you to protect yourself and not let history repeat itself.

In this life, I don't want you to end up as a villainess and find your happy ending," Li Hua said, expressing her sincere concern for Yang Ning's well-being.

Hearing Li Hua's sincere words, Yang Ning felt overwhelming emotions in her heart. The woman sitting in front of her was someone who had tried to change her fate by avoiding working at the palace, only to end up on the streets in her current miserable state.

Can she change her fate successfully and return to her world, or is she destined to meet the same tragic end as Empress Yang Ning in this world?

While Yang Ning was lost in thought, the room's door was pushed open by Gu Lan, who noticed Yang Ning's teary eyes and the heavy atmosphere in the room. "Your Highness, time is over."

"Ah! Alright," Yang Ning snapped out of her daze, wiping away her tears. She watched as the guards entered the room and escorted the woman away. As the woman was being dragged away, she paused and looked back at Yang Ning, her expression grave. "Remember my words. Don't let the past repeat itself."

Yang Ning smiled sadly, nodded, and replied in a low voice, "I will do my best."

Gu Lan frowned as he observed the interaction between the two women. He watched as the guards led the woman away, but Yang Ning remained in the same place for several minutes, lost in thought.

Seeing Yang Ning lost in thought, Gu Lan's brow furrowed with concern, fearing the woman might have alarmed or threatened the princess. "Your Highness, are you alright?"

Yang Ning met his gaze, attempting a reassuring smile. "I'm fine, Gu Lan." She began to rise, adding, "I should head back to the chamber. The morning court session might conclude soon." But as she stood, her legs felt weak, and the room spun around her, making her stumble.

"Your Highness!" Gu Lan acted quickly, gripping her arm to stabilize her. Noticing her pale complexion, he asked with evident concern, "Your Highness, do you feel unwell? Should I carry you to the chamber?"

With the words of her earlier conversation replaying in her mind, Yang Ning found it hard to focus on Gu Lan's voice. Grasping the table for support, she managed a faint smile. "I am alright, just a bit lightheaded. Perhaps it's the stifling atmosphere of this room." Her words hid the true cause of her discomfort: the revelations from Li Hua. She shook her head and said, "Don't worry.

I can walk back to the chamber. I just lost my balance, that's it."

Before Gu Lan could offer further assistance, the room's door swung open, revealing a familiar figure. "What is going on?"