The Empress knew that without being ruthless, it wouldn't be so easy to test her resolve today.

As the Empress, she absolutely cannot be known for being harsh on the princes; she must be perfect and cannot be given a reputation for being virtuous.

The Empress said, "I am willing to use my power to assist in managing the six palaces to guarantee that I have never mistreated the Sixth Prince. To prove my innocence, I beg Your Majesty to do justice for me."

Yi Chenli sneered. After waiting for so long, the Empress has finally decided to offer some incentives.

He had been suppressed by the Empress for many years. The Empress always thought he was weak and easily bullied, otherwise she would not have given such a guarantee so hastily.

Without hesitation, Yi Chenli rolled up his sleeve in front of the Emperor.

Upon closer inspection, one can see countless needle marks on the arm.

How painful it must be to have a needle stuck in your arm!

The Empress shook her head frantically, incredulous. "This...it can't be true! It wasn't like this just a few days ago..."

The Emperor frowned and asked in a disapproving tone, "What was the Empress doing at Chenyang Palace a few days ago?"

"The evidence is irrefutable, yet the Empress still refuses to confess?"

The Emperor's patience had reached its limit, and his face revealed his disappointment in the Empress.

"No, no, there are definitely no needle marks on his body, this must be fake."

The Empress still didn't believe it, and somewhat frantically rushed forward to pull Yi Chen's clothes off.

Yi Chenli was wearing loose clothes, and since he didn't dodge, his clothes were torn, revealing large areas of needle marks on his chest. This situation was only slightly more serious than the injury on his arm.

The queen's eyes widened, and she collapsed to the ground.

"How could this be? How could this happen?"

At this moment, An Yuan'er burst into tears: "The Empress is so terrifying! She pricks people with needles! The Sixth Prince is so pitiful..."

The child is innocent. To outsiders, the empress should be a model of virtue and grace, but her current behavior has frightened the child to tears.

Yi Chenli wanted to comfort An Yuan'er and stop her crying. Just as he was about to speak, An Yuan'er secretly winked at him.

The two understood each other with just a glance.

Yi Chenli followed An Yuan'er's cries and said, "Please, Father, uphold justice for your son."

The emperor was greatly annoyed by the deafening cries.

The Emperor was furious: "As Empress, you have acted improperly, abused your young son, and repeatedly tried to justify yourself. How can you be worthy of being the Empress of Tiansheng?"

Upon hearing this, the Empress turned pale, completely losing her previous domineering demeanor.

The Emperor's words indicate that he believes the Empress harmed the Sixth Prince, and any further explanation from the Empress would be futile.

Du Ruo knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly: "Your Majesty, the Empress was just confused for a moment. Please consider that the Empress has served for many years, and the Murong family has fought for Tiansheng for many years. Even if they have not made any merits, they have still worked hard. Please reconsider, Your Majesty."

Having spent many years in the palace, Du Ruo was well-versed in its ways.

She cleverly brought up the long-standing friendship between the Emperor and Empress while also mentioning the Murong family.

General Murong is still fighting on the front lines, quelling internal strife. If the emperor were to depose the empress now, it would not only shake the inner palace, but also the court.

With the Murong family as her backing, this is why the Empress has become increasingly wicked and her influence has grown over the years.

The emperor did indeed hesitate.

However, it's impossible for an emperor not to have any thoughts after being controlled by the Murong family for so many years.

How could an emperor allow others to sleep soundly on his bed?

The Emperor's face darkened: "The Empress solemnly swore that she had not mistreated the Sixth Prince by using her power to assist in managing the inner palace. Now, I would like to help you, but I have no reason to do so!"