Chu Jiujiu pursed her lips, a bitter expression on her face: “…Fine.”

Outside the tent, someone approached, their voice tinged with respect and uncontainable fear.

“Your Grace, Consort Rou, have you awakened?”

Chu Jiujiu looked at the figure outside the tent, forcing herself to adopt a cold demeanor, and softly hummed in response.

As soon as she spoke, she was already half-sitting on the bed, her long, black hair cascading down her slender shoulders, her delicate brows slightly furrowed, her almond-shaped eyes and peach-blossom cheeks, her petal-like lips naturally red.

The white, crossed-collar sleeping robe, though simple, did not detract from her ethereal beauty, but rather added a touch of softness and grace.

The maids lifted the tent curtains,

Chu Jiujiu, who appeared calm and composed on the bed, was actually stiff.  She didn’t know how to wear ancient clothing, so she could only pretend to be calm and let the two maidservants “dress” her.

The two maidservants worked quickly and efficiently, soon dressing Chu Jiujiu completely.

“Your Grace, Consort Rou, the personal maid of Concubine Li is waiting outside the hall, and the wine has been prepared,” said a maid with a double bun, approaching with lowered eyes and a hushed voice.

At the thought of it being poisoned wine, Chu Jiujiu’s heart sank, but outwardly she remained calm and composed.

“Mm, bring her in,” she said.

The two maidservants bowed: “Yes, Your Grace, Consort Rou.”

After a while, the hall door opened, and two eunuchs carried in a maid, placing her on the ground not far from Chu Jiujiu.

“Your Grace, Consort Rou, I didn’t mean to, it was your maidservant who tripped me, I lost my footing, and the tea spilled on your sleeve.”

“Your Grace, Consort Rou, spare my life!”

Concubine Li’s personal maid cried and begged for mercy, pleading for Consort Rou to spare her life, although she had little hope, she didn’t want to die like this.

The two eunuchs standing beside remained impassive, as if this scene was commonplace.

Chu Jiujiu, a regular 996 office worker in her previous life, was startled and quickly stopped the maid from kowtowing: “Alright, it’s giving me a headache.”

The maid’s forehead hadn’t even touched the stone slab when she stopped, no longer daring to make a sound, shrinking back in the hall awaiting her fate.

When Chu Jiujiu said this, she carefully observed the system’s reaction. Seeing that the system remained silent, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

It seemed, as she had guessed, she could speak freely during the mission, provided she delivered the system’s prompts.

【Whew…】

A soft sigh, causing the maid cowering on the ground to look up in surprise, but she quickly dismissed it, after all, she could die at any moment.

The next second, the system’s prompt appeared: 【So, it was this palace’s fault?】

Chu Jiujiu took a deep breath. In the original text, this maid was given poisoned wine, and it wasn’t until the original owner’s crimes were revealed that Concubine Li dared to come forward and tearfully accuse her, adding another charge to the original owner’s crimes.

“So, it was this palace’s fault?” Her lazy voice was like warm water flowing.

The maid kneeling on the ground shook her head in terror: “I dare not, I dare not!” She was about to violently bang her forehead on the stone slab.

【Don’t kowtow! Don’t kowtow!】

The same warm voice, filled with anxiety and worry, stopped the maid from kowtowing.

The maid’s kowtowing stopped just short of the stone slab, her eyes showing surprise and disbelief, but she dared not look up.

Chu Jiujiu couldn’t bear it any longer and closed her eyes. After a while, hearing no further sound, she opened her eyes and saw that the maid hadn’t kowtowed, and her anxious heart finally calmed down.

The system prompt sounded again: 【Do you dare question this palace? Do you know that only death awaits you?】

Chu Jiujiu: “…” What’s the difference between stepping into the office with your left foot or your right foot?

“Do you dare question this palace? Do you know that only death awaits you?” She recited the line.

The maid kneeling on the ground hadn’t even had time to beg for mercy.

The next second, the system issued a prompt: 【Bring the wine.】

Chu Jiujiu didn’t hesitate: “Bring the wine.”

The maid with the double bun carried a tray and stood beside Concubine Li’s maid.

The maid kneeling on the ground felt her heart sink. How could she not know that Consort Rou wanted her life?  She braced herself, raised her head, her eyes filled with despair and determination.

“If this lowly life is forfeit, so be it. I only beg Your Grace, Consort Rou, to spare Concubine Li.”

The maid cried, about to pick up the wine cup and drink it herself, when a voice stopped her.

“Wait.” Chu Jiujiu took a few steps forward in her haste, but her voice still sounded lazy and languid.

The maid dared not disobey, sobbing and stopping her hand before the wine cup.

At this moment, the system’s prompt sounded again: 【In view of your loyalty, this palace will personally bestow this cup of wine upon you.】

Chu Jiujiu stood before the maid, slowly picking up the wine cup: “In view of your loyalty, this palace will personally bestow this cup of wine upon you.”

Seeing the path to the underworld before her, the maid’s vision blurred with tears, her hands trembling as she reached for the poisoned wine she offered.

As she touched the wine cup, intending to drink it down in one gulp, she found that…Consort Rou was holding the cup tightly, not letting go.

The maid froze, trying to take the wine cup from her hand.

Chu Jiujiu appeared calm on the surface, but in reality, she was using all her strength to hold onto the wine cup tightly.

The two of them tugged back and forth, the maid with the double bun beside them: “?”  She was stunned.

【Help! Help! Someone save me! This is poisoned wine! Drinking it will kill me! It’s over, it’s over! I don’t want to kill anyone, I don’t want to kill anyone AAAAAAH!】

Concubine Li’s maid: “???” She forgot to cry.

Chu Jiujiu held the wine cup tightly, refusing to let go, anxiously thinking: Why isn’t she letting go? Let go!

The maid froze, then hastily released her grip.

Chu Jiujiu, seeing her release the cup, immediately loosened her own death grip, the wine cup performing a freefall, crashing to the ground with a clear sound.