After the system set its sights on the dragon throne, the princess started courting death every day.

On the high platform, veiled dancers swayed gracefully with their slender waists, their gorgeous costumes alluring, and under the heavy candlelight, each one was stunningly beautiful.

At the very front of the table, a woman in a gorgeous red dress was half-lying on the table, her face hidden in the crook of her arm where no one could see her.

[Dear host, congratulations on your successful transmigration. Your goal is to become an empress...]

Before the system's voice in his mind had even finished, Xiang An quickly stood up, looked around, swiftly located the emperor in the crowd, pulled the hairpin from his hair, and strode confidently and straight toward the emperor's neck.

Just as she was about to be eliminated, two or three knives suddenly appeared out of nowhere and plunged into her abdomen, chest, and other vital areas without hesitation.

A large amount of blood gushed out, and excruciating pain swept over An's entire body, eventually causing him to collapse from exhaustion.

[Warning! Warning! Host death detected. The system is about to erase the world's memories and assist the host in the first restart!]

[This is insane! Absolutely insane! Have you gone mad?]

In the empty system space, Xiang An lay on the ground, bored: "The prerequisite for becoming an empress is to kill the emperor. I have to do it sooner or later, so why can't I do it sooner?"

[This system hasn't finished speaking yet!]

"I'll consider things once you've finished speaking."

[Would you have any concerns? What concerns could you possibly have? You'd rush in without a second thought, fearless of death, with so many people around. What else could you possibly have to worry about?]

Xiang An snorted coldly: "Enough with the nonsense. Anyway, I'm dead now, and the mission is over. Send me back."

You're dreaming! You can't go back until the mission is complete!

A blinding white light flashed, and when Xiang An opened her eyes again, she was back in her original seat, a mysterious force pressing down on her, rendering her unable to move.

[This system will only say this once: Your sole objective in this journey is to become the Empress of the original kingdom. Completing this mission will allow you to return to your original world.]

[Considering the host's low intelligence, you will be given the opportunity to restart after death. Please note: the time and location of each restart are unknown, but the memories of all characters in the world will be erased.]

[If, due to unforeseen circumstances or insufficient system energy, the game cannot be restarted, and the host has still not completed the mission, you will perish.]

[Friendly reminder: The system will not provide any advice on becoming an empress; everything depends on the host's own efforts. Wishing you a pleasant journey, dear host! Goodbye!]

After a long, unresponsive monologue from the system, Xiang An slowly recalled the original owner's memories: Xiang An, female, the ninth daughter of the Emperor of the Yuan Kingdom, bestowed the title of Miankang by the late Emperor.

And then... it's gone.

"Damn system! This is a memory? Even an idiot knows more than she does. If you want me dead, just say so. What's with all this beating around the bush?!"

She was a fine young woman in modern society, living a timid and submissive life even in a time of gender equality, but she ended up in an ancient world where male chauvinism was prevalent and women were looked down upon.

Death is inevitable.

The work was tough, but she had to keep doing it; she needed to go home.

Moreover, judging from what just happened, if the hairpin were a little longer, killing the emperor wouldn't seem like a difficult task.

Ultimately, it all came down to the wrong tools; she needed a suitable knife.

She didn't know what the consequences would be for killing the emperor too many times. The system had already gone offline and couldn't respond to her. It left no message and was ruthless and heartless.

But she knew that sometimes the simplest and most direct approach was better.

The pressure on his body dissipated, and Xiang An no longer hesitated. He got up to find a knife, but then felt dizzy and unsteady on his feet, and fell straight to the ground.

A pair of hands appeared just in time to support her steadily. Xiang An quickly used the support to stand up, shook her head, but didn't feel any more awake; instead, she felt even more dizzy.

"Princess, you're drunk. Would you like to rest in a side hall?"

The person supporting her was a round-faced palace maid with round features; she seemed obedient.

Although it was clearly the first time I had seen this palace maid, my mind automatically matched her face with a name.

The original owner's memories? Uncertain.

Xiang An deliberately spoke vaguely, pretending to be drunk to verify: "Xiao Ru?"

"I'm listening," the round-faced palace maid replied softly.

It turns out it's not that I have no memory, it's that I have to unlock each face one by one.

Xiang An: "Hangover soup."

His limbs were so weak that he couldn't even stand steadily, let alone kill the emperor.

Xiao Ru helped Xiang An sit down: "This servant will go and get it right away."

Sitting in his seat, Xiang An rested his hand on the table, propped his chin up, and gazed at the emperor not far away, his alcohol-numbed mind slowly processing the situation.

The emperor sat on a very high platform, requiring five steps to ascend. Dozens of eunuchs and palace maids served him, while several ministers engaged in lively discussions on the steps. Dozens of armored imperial guards patrolled the area around the banquet.

With so many people around, no wonder she died so quickly. Killing her directly won't work; we'll have to use another method.

For example, a luxurious gift package containing a full set of highly poisonous substances such as arsenic and arsenic trioxide; just one sip of it would make even the most divine immortal bow and watch the emperor depart for the Western Paradise.

As Xiang An pondered intently, the emperor on the platform seemed to sense her and looked over. She remained calm and composed, smiling openly at the emperor with sincerity, as if she were not the one who had recently tried to kill him.

In fact, it was because the system had already erased everyone's memories that she was so at ease, unafraid of being exposed.

A moment later, Changfu, the emperor's personal eunuch, bowed and came over: "Your Highness, His Majesty summons you to come over."

Xiang An rubbed his temples, then swayed as he stood up, supporting himself on the table with both hands: "Okay."

Changfu, quick-witted, extended his arm for her to support him, saying, "Your Highness, please be careful."

"Ah."

He staggered slowly to the steps, bowed to An, and gave an unorthodox salute: "Your subject greets Your Majesty."

"Don't be so polite, it's too formal," the emperor waved his hand dismissively.

Upon hearing this, Xiang An quickly stood up, disgusted by her kneeling; she didn't want to kneel anyway, as her knees hurt.

Just now, I was so focused on killing him that I didn't get a good look at the emperor's features because I was far away. Now that I'm closer, I can see them clearly.

He had a face that looked to be in his forties, with neatly trimmed eyebrows, gentle facial features, and an air of refinement about him.

To be fair, this emperor was not like an emperor; he was more like a scholar.

From the top of the steps, the emperor beckoned to her: "Little Jiu, come here."

Xiang An climbed the steps and stood straight in front of the emperor. It was his first time meeting the emperor, and he really didn't know how to react, so he pretended to be drunk, with a blank and wooden expression, his eyes glazed over, and his cheeks flushed.

The emperor took her hand in one hand and touched her forehead with the other: "Are you drunk?"

Xiang An nodded blankly.

The emperor smiled gently: "In that case, how about we stay at the palace tonight instead of returning to the princess's residence?"

Staying in the palace would make it quite convenient to poison someone.

Just as Xiang An was about to agree, before she could even speak, a sudden, sharp pain shot through her temples, her head throbbing unbearably.

wrong!

It's not a headache, it's a piercing pain in my soul.

The aftereffects of being drunk? Residual consciousness in the body? Or did the original owner simply not want to live in the palace?