Ji Ruxue possessed a face that was the epitome of foxy allure, a face of exquisite beauty.
Her brows were like distant mountains brushed with ink, yet they were more curved and arched than a typical woman’s, though not at all disharmoniously so.
The corners of her eyes tilted up naturally. When she looked at someone, her gaze flowed as if it held hooks, ready to pull them into her very soul.
Her nose was high and delicate, her lips as full as ripe cherries—naturally crimson and utterly exquisite.
But most captivating of all were her eyes. Her pupils were a rare, light amber, gleaming with an unearthly luster in the sunlight. When she held a hint of a smile, she could make one’s heart race, yet her beauty was still absolute.
By the standards of his past life, this level of beauty, charisma, and allure... would easily score three thousand points, a full thirty times the perfect score of one hundred.
Right now, her slender, jade-like fingers, nails painted with red dye, were plucking purple grapes from a bunch tributed by the Western Regions. They were even Middle Level Mortal Fruits, excellent for nourishing the body. She popped them into her mouth one by one.
Her movements were languid yet elegant, every subtle gesture seemingly choreographed with meticulous care. Her seductive charm was innate. If an ordinary person were to glance at her, they would likely be instantly captivated, lost to their surroundings.
If she were thrown into his past life, even a monk who had upheld his vows for many years might pounce on her.
But the three Palace Maids kneeling before her were trembling all over, their foreheads pressed to the floor. They didn’t even dare to breathe too loudly, their faces etched with extreme fear.
Ji Ruxue’s voice was soft and delicate, with the unique melodious lilt of a Jiangnan woman that made it feel like one was drinking immortal wine. Yet, the chill in her words caused the temperature in the hall to plummet. "Speak. Who stole my Gilded Phoenix Hairpin with Jade? And where is it now?"
The three Palace Maids shivered, but no one dared to answer.
That Hairpin was a gift from Emperor Xia last month. It was said to be a relic of a former Empress, priceless and quite rare.
It was discovered missing during today’s inventory. Ji Ruxue was furious and had all three Palace Maids who were on duty last night brought in for questioning.
However, the Hairpin had likely been missing for days, so it probably wasn’t the fault of last night’s attendants. But Ji Ruxue couldn’t be bothered with such details.
"No one’s talking? Fine. I just love people with backbone. The more backbone they have, the more fun it is." Ji Ruxue smiled. The smile was breathtakingly beautiful, but it held no warmth, only a profound chill.
She gently raised a hand, a cold glint in her eyes.
The two eunuchs standing in attendance immediately stepped forward and dragged up the Palace Maid kneeling in the middle, showing no mercy.
She was a young girl of fifteen or sixteen with a round, very beautiful face. At this moment, she was so frightened her face was drained of all color.
"Xiaodie, you are my personal Palace Maid and have followed me for a long time. Last night, you were the last one to leave the vanity. Tell me, where did the Hairpin go?" Ji Ruxue leaned down, her red-dyed nail gently scraping across the young girl’s cheek, leaving a faint red mark that almost drew blood.
Xiaodie’s voice trembled. "Your... Your Ladyship, this servant truly doesn’t know. When I left last night, the Hairpin seemed to be already gone. It wasn’t stolen during our watch."
"Oh? So you mean the Hairpin was stolen long ago, and it’s the fault of the attendants on previous shifts?" Ji Ruxue raised an eyebrow.
"This servant... this servant doesn’t know either," Xiaodie said, trembling. She wanted to say yes, but she didn’t dare.
Ji Ruxue suddenly drew back her hand and leaned against the soft couch. "Since it was just discovered, it is naturally the fault of those on duty last night," she said languidly. "If you had been more attentive, discovered this, and reported it, then you wouldn’t be in this mess. Slap her face."
SLAP! SLAP! SLAP!
The crisp sound of slaps echoed through the hall, one after another without pause.
The eunuch’s blows were extremely heavy. After just a few slaps, Xiaodie’s face was swollen, and blood trickled from the corner of her mouth. She looked miserable.
The two Palace Maids beside her were so frightened they collapsed to the floor, tears streaming down their faces, but they dared not utter a single word.
After more than twenty slaps, just as Xiaodie was about to pass out, Ji Ruxue waved her hand. "Stop."
She stood up, her bare feet stepping onto the cold, golden floor tiles. She walked over to Xiaodie and reached out to lift her chin.
She carefully examined the swollen face as if admiring a work of art, a smile playing on her lips.
"Does it hurt?" she asked softly.
Xiaodie couldn’t speak, only nod through her tears, her face a mask of pleading.
Ji Ruxue released her, took a silk handkerchief from another Palace Maid, and leisurely wiped her fingertips. "It’s supposed to hurt. In this Deep Palace, when you do something wrong, you must feel pain. Only through pain will you remember, so you won’t make the same mistake again."
She turned, her gaze falling on the other two Palace Maids. "And you? You didn’t see who stole the Hairpin, or who took it?"
The two Palace Maids shook their heads frantically, then began to kowtow and beg for mercy.
"If you can’t find it, then the three of you must have stolen it together. I hate traitors who bite the hand that feeds them. Men! Drag them into the courtyard and make them kneel under the sun. They can get up when they remember where the Hairpin is. If they can’t remember, let them bake to death in the courtyard." Ji Ruxue tilted her head, a cruel smile flashing in her light amber eyes. She clearly had no regard for these three beautiful and charming Little Palace Maids.
"Your Ladyship, spare us! Your Ladyship, spare us!"
The Palace Maids cried and begged for mercy, their faces filled with terror.
But the eunuchs were merciless. They dragged the three outside the hall and forced them onto the scorching bluestone slabs, completely indifferent to whether they lived or died.
The May sun was already quite vicious. In less than a quarter of an hour, the three girls’ skin was sunburned red, and their clothes were soaked with sweat. Xiaodie, who had already been beaten, was in even worse shape.
Inside the hall, Ji Ruxue acted as if nothing had happened. She leaned back on the soft couch and continued eating her grapes, not giving the lost Hairpin a second thought.
Even though she knew it was highly unlikely that these three were responsible, she couldn’t just kill all the Palace Attendants from the previous shifts, could she? In her own mind, she was being quite merciful.
Occasionally, she would glance out the window at the three figures swaying precariously under the fierce sun, and a pleased smile would touch her lips.
’It’s only the death of three Little Palace Maids,’ she mused. ’Far better than dozens dead.’
Her trusted Female Official leaned in and advised in a low voice, "Your Ladyship, it is, after all, an item bestowed by Your Majesty. If this gets blown out of proportion and reaches His Majesty’s ears, I’m afraid..."
"Afraid of what?" Ji Ruxue scoffed. "I am Your Majesty’s favorite right now. Last month, I merely mentioned offhand that I liked South Sea Pearls, and His Majesty ordered the Inner Treasury opened and had three caskets of them sent over. It’s just one Hairpin. Even if it’s truly lost, Your Majesty won’t blame me for a thing."
She paused, a smug look flashing in her eyes. "Besides, Your Majesty has much on his mind lately. There are wars on both the Northern Territory and the Southern Border, and the Imperial Court is in an uproar. Only here, with me, can he relax for a moment. This is also where he has the chance to find the opportunity to ascend to the True Monarch Realm. Do you really think he’d get angry with me over a few worthless servants?"
The Female Official didn’t dare reply, but in her heart, she knew it was true.

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