Chapter 77 says, where is it!

Su Mingli, this name is almost engraved at the top of Xiao Jin's list of the people he hates the most.

This woman has been "practicing" in the National Temple for more than half a month.

Zhaixing Tower, her former residence, where the palace ladies were still staying.

Xiao Jin didn't say anything, but the Shanggong Bureau, which was in charge of the personnel affairs of the six palaces, did nothing and left these masterless palace servants to fend for themselves.

As you step into the Zhaixing Tower, a chill and desolation hit you in the face.

Twelve palace maids, like forgotten dust, huddled in the hall. Those with some connections wrapped themselves in old cotton-padded jackets, while the rest could only huddle around the only two charcoal fires, shivering.

It's depressing, bone-chilling, and a bit ridiculous!

Xiao Jin sat down in the main seat, his cold eyes sweeping over the palace maids kneeling below.

The cold air invaded, and he frowned and gestured, and the charcoal basin was immediately moved closer.

The heavy palace door slammed shut with a creaky sound, isolating the outside world and causing the air inside the palace to almost freeze.

"Speak." Xiao Jin's voice was low, but sharp as a blade tempered with ice. "Why are you stranded here? Why are you without clothes and food?"

The palace maids were silent as a mouse, their heads lowered even lower.

The deathly silence in the hall was not broken until Wu Lingyi from the Shanggong Bureau and Wang Yurong from the Shangfu Bureau hurried over.

“Bang!”

Xiao Jin slammed his palm on the table, causing the cups and plates to jump! "Explain!" His eyes flashed with a cold light, "Why don't the palace servants have cotton clothes to cover themselves? Why haven't they been resettled?!"

Despite the cold winter, cold sweat instantly seeped out of Wu Lingyi's forehead. "Your Majesty, calm down! It was I...I was stupid. I thought that Noble Su...Commoner Su might...maybe she would return, so I didn't dare to act rashly! I will assign them to the various palaces according to their respective strengths..."

Xiao Jin pinched his throbbing eyebrows and said in a cold tone: "If you do this again, your life as a Shang Gong will be over."

He knew every female official in the palace above the fifth rank like the back of his hand. His gaze pierced Wang Yurong like lightning. "Wang Yurong! Your father was a former imperial guard, and you've been in the palace for over ten years. What's the matter? You've been a female official for so long, you're used to being so high and mighty, and the lives of these palace servants are like grass in your eyes?!"

Wang Yurong shuddered all over. It was the first time that the emperor addressed her by her name! The rumors circulating in the streets—that the emperor had "mad soldiers" at his disposal and could kill people at will; that the emperor was a tyrant who grew up in the cold palace and was uneducated; that the emperor was just a puppet of the empress dowager, and that the real wise ruler was the King of Qin... instantly exploded in her mind. She usually pretended to obey but secretly disobeyed, flattering the powerful and bullying the weak, and these "lowly servants" in Zhaixing Tower? Now that their masters have fallen, wouldn't it be just right for them to freeze to death or starve to death! She hurriedly evaded responsibility: "Your Majesty...your Majesty was negligent! It must have been the oversight of the Clothing Department that didn't distribute the cotton clothes! I will immediately order the Clothing Department to reissue them!"

"Omission?" The murderous intent in Xiao Jin's eyes almost solidified into reality.

Zhang Fuan, who was standing aside, sighed in his heart: Tonight, there will be bloodshed in the inner palace!

Xiao Jin suppressed his anger and exhaled a breath of foul air: "Zhang Fuan! Send Siyi Wu Min! Since we have come to this, I must get to the bottom of this today! And—"

His cold gaze swept over the frail palace maids, "Didn't you just say you couldn't even fill your stomach? Invite Yun Zhao from the Imperial Food Bureau here as well! I want to ask what these fine ladies of mine are planning to do!"

Zhang Fuan bowed and replied "yes", then hurried out of the hall. He first sent someone to summon Wu Min, the steward of clothing, while he personally went to find Yun Zhao, the minister of food.

Wu Min was over thirty, had been in the palace for eighteen years, and had more experience than Wang Yurong. She arrived very quickly and knelt to greet him.

"Speak," Xiao Jin said straight to the point, no nonsense. "It's already been the beginning of winter, why are these palace servants still wearing thin clothes? Is it because they don't have enough cloth, or are they not giving enough silver?"

Wu Min quickly glanced at the pale-faced Wang Yurong and said loudly, "Your Majesty, the cloth and money have been fully allocated. The budget clearly states that each palace maid will receive two sets of cotton clothes!"

"What about the cotton coat?" Xiao Jin's voice became a little deeper.

"It was the Lady of Clothing!" Wu Min risked her life, pointing her finger at Wang Yurong. "She was the one who ordered that the clothes not be distributed! She kept saying that these 'lowly maids' should just freeze and starve to death, and wasted cloth and food! I once secretly sent a few cotton-padded clothes over, but this old palace maid—" She pointed at the plump palace maid kneeling in front of the palace maids, wearing a thick cotton-padded coat. "Zi Ye! It was her! She relied on the Lady of Clothing's trust to secretly keep the clothes! I am powerless and can do nothing!"

"You're slandering me!" Wang Yurong screamed in shock and anger. "When did I ever give such an order? It's clearly you who enriched yourself and neglected your duties! How dare you accuse me of this!"

"Slap!"

Xiao Jin tapped the tabletop coldly with his fingertips. "I haven't even asked you a question yet, how can you be so presumptuous and noisy?"

The young eunuch Wang Gui reacted quickly and stepped forward to grab Wang Yurong, "Pa pa pa pa..."

A series of crisp and loud slaps hit her face with such force that her cheeks were instantly swollen and blood oozed from the corners of her mouth, making her look miserable.

Xiao Jin turned to Wu Min: "Evidence?"

"All these palace maids can testify! There are many people in the Imperial Service Bureau who know about this!" Wu Min straightened her back and spoke faster. "I'm afraid this matter will also implicate Yun Shangshi. Under Yun Shangshi's rule, charcoal and fire have always been distributed according to regulations. But why are the palace maids still not getting enough to eat? It's all because of this old palace maid Ziye! She would rather throw away the good food than share it with these growing little palace maids! They are only in their teens, away from home, and yet they are treated so harshly..."

Zi Ye was so frightened that her fat body was shaking. Even a fifth-rank maid was beaten into a pig's head. How could she, an old palace maid without any rank, dare to say a word?

Xiao Jin glanced at the palace servants below who were silent as a cicada: "Is what Wu Min said true?"

The hall was dead silent, and no one dared to respond.

Just at this moment, the palace door opened again.

"Your Majesty, please forgive me for being late!" Grand Chef Yun Zhao hurried inside, her face livid. Her sharp gaze swept across the hall, pausing especially for the frail, frightened maids. Then, she bowed to Xiao Jin, her voice filled with suppressed anger. "I've heard that some people under the Imperial Chef's jurisdiction are starving! This is a grave dereliction of duty on my part!"

Seeing her coming, Xiao Jin's expression eased slightly. "I'm investigating. The responsibility for the Shangshi Bureau may not be yours. You've come at the perfect time."

[The Emperor believes me? But if I don't kill a few people tonight, if I don't redeem a batch of blood, there will never be peace in this harem!] Yun Zhao's mind raced, but his expression remained stern and murderous. "Your Majesty, please allow me to ask Zi Ye a question - why is she starving these growing children when she herself is so well-fed?"

"Okay." Xiao Jin nodded.

Yun Zhao took a step forward, with an imposing aura, and walked straight to Zi Ye, who was shaking like a sieve.

She suddenly leaned over, clamped Zi Ye's chin with one hand, forced her to look up, and said in a voice as cold as ice: "Tell me! Where did you throw the food away? Where did you waste the dishes that my Shangshi Bureau worked so hard to prepare?!"

Zi Ye was in so much pain that tears were streaming down her face, but she bit her lips tightly, with a hint of stubborn arrogance in her eyes.

"Don't tell me?" A fierce look flashed in Yun Zhao's eyes! In full view of everyone, she raised her leg without warning and kicked Zi Ye hard in the ribs!

"Ouch!" A shrill scream ripped through the deathly silence in the hall! Like a punctured ball, plump Zi Ye curled up on the ground, clutching her belly and wailing like a slaughtered pig! All the palace servants were terrified. Even Wang Yurong forgot the pain on her face and watched the scene in horror.

Zhang Fuan symbolically took a half step forward: "Shangshi Yun, calm down! You absolutely cannot..."

Yun Zhao turned a deaf ear to him, stepped forward and stepped hard on Zi Ye's wrist, and the bone made a teeth-grinding "crack" sound!

She looked down from above, her voice sounding like it came from the Netherworld. Every word she spoke struck Zi Ye's heart, and also struck the nerves of everyone in the hall:

"I'm going to ask you one last time—where did you dump the rice?! Where did you hide the cotton coat?!"