Amidst the chaos, Consort Li stood up and righteously rebuked Si Jin:
"Is the Empress Dowager now enraged and ready to commit murder in public?!"
"Angry?" Si Jin remained seated comfortably, finding her somewhat ridiculous.
"I am merely dealing with a madman who slandered the Empress Dowager and disrespected the Emperor. Why should I be angry? What is there to be angry about?"
"His Majesty did come to Renshou Palace yesterday, but that was because Consort Li was disrespectful to me yesterday, so His Majesty brought you here to apologize to me."
"However, Consort Li actually tried to harm me, so His Majesty took action against you and slapped your mouth hard."
"Later, His Majesty's hand hurt from slapping, so he went back to the palace to heal his wound."
"The imperial physician who treated His Majesty and Chief Eunuch Li can both testify. If you don't believe me, you can ask His Majesty yourselves."
"This is the truth. Why is Consort Li reacting so strongly? Could it be..."
Si Jin paused deliberately, her sharp gaze locking onto Consort Li, and spoke slowly and deliberately:
"You sent Consort Hui, didn't you?"
Upon hearing this, the hall immediately fell silent.
The relationship between Consort Hui and Consort Li was obvious to everyone in the harem.
Moreover, more than half of the concubines in the palace had been bullied by Consort Hui.
The Empress Dowager was weak and suffered the most bullying.
Sometimes, just when you finally get to eat a full meal, the bowl will be overturned by Consort Hui who suddenly visits.
The reason is simple: Consort Hui is Consort Li's person.
Consort Li disliked the Empress Dowager, and Consort Hui followed suit.
It is highly credible to say that Consort Hui was instructed by Consort Li to deliberately spread rumors at this moment.
While the concubines were still in a daze, Si Jin made another move.
A silver needle suddenly flew out of her hand, tearing through Consort Li's veil with unstoppable force.
As the veil fell off, the needle tip scratched Consort Li's face.
A small opening appeared.
At first, I didn't feel any pain, but after a short while, blood began to seep out and flow down my face.
As soon as the veil fell, Consort Li's swollen cheeks were instantly exposed to everyone.
The face was red, swollen, and bluish, with blood slowly flowing out; it looked extremely unsightly.
This was a tremendous humiliation for Consort Li, who was known for her beauty!
Upon seeing her like this, the usually outspoken concubines were the first to burst into laughter, unable to contain themselves any longer.
"Your Majesty believes me now. So it really was Your Majesty who injured Consort Li's hand. I've learned something new!"
"Hahaha, this is supposed to be the most beautiful woman in the capital? His Majesty must have gone to great lengths to beat her up like this."
"Some people are just too idle. Even in this state, they still try to spread rumors about the Empress Dowager. She is clearly the Empress Dowager's relative, but now they treat her like an enemy!"
"Some people have been bullying others for years, relying on the emperor's favor. They deserve what they have gotten themselves into!"
With so many concubines paying their respects, the scene was chaotic. Even if one of them said a few words, Consort Li couldn't find any fault with them or pinpoint who it was.
Therefore, all the concubines who usually disliked Consort Li spoke up and added insult to injury.
Since they couldn't openly defeat Consort Li, they would naturally take advantage of her downfall to kick her while she was down and out.
These words and comments amused Si Jin. He sat up slightly, withdrew the silver needles, and concluded with a smile:
"His Majesty is disciplining Consort Li on my behalf because of her behavior."
"Perhaps Consort Li is too shameless and hurt His Majesty's hand."
"When Your Majesty asked me to resign last night to recuperate, I was truly heartbroken."
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