It's all ruined, who cares about the chastity arch

"Liang Guangxi, stop it!"

There was an anxiety and anger in Qin Nianxi's voice that was hard to conceal. The call of her full name seemed particularly abrupt and disrespectful in the palace, like a bolt of lightning breaking through the calm surface of a lake.

In a hurry, Qin Nianxi shouted out the full name of Emperor Xuan Liang Guangxi regardless of the consequences. The air froze instantly, and everyone's eyes were focused on this sudden challenge.

This was not just a calling of the name, but a direct confrontation with the imperial authority.

Emperor Xuan's pupils shrank slightly, and a hint of surprise and anger flashed in his eyes, but then he seized this fleeting opportunity and quickly turned his anger into action.

He glanced coldly at the eunuch beside him and ordered, "First teach me a lesson for this ignorant mouth!"

Although the voice was not loud, it revealed unquestionable majesty.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The two eunuchs heard the command and acted almost reflexively.

A thin eunuch nimbly grabbed Qin Nianxi's delicate chin with such force that she was forced to raise her head high, completely losing the ability to resist.

The other one stood still, and his rough big hand drew an arc in the air, with a whistling sound, and slapped Qin Nianxi's already red and swollen cheek fiercely.

The first slap was crisp and loud, like a thunderclap, and instantly echoed in the silent hall.

The pain pierced through the skin like a sharp arrow, and surged in like a tide, making Qin Nianxi's cheeks instantly become more red and swollen.

Snapped!

Then, the second, third, and fourth times...

Each slap landed accurately on the same spot, with such great force that everyone present could feel the irresistible force.

Qin Nianxi's face swelled and deformed rapidly, and there was even blood at the corners of her mouth, but there was an unyielding light in her eyes.

Su Wanyu sat on one side, taking a sip of the hot tea in the cup. Her sharp eyes slowly swept across Qin Nianxi's scarred face in the rising steam, and a complex emotion flashed in her eyes.

She thought to herself that these slaps that had once fallen on others' faces were now coming back upon her. Perhaps only the person involved knew the taste of this cycle of cause and effect best.

The two young eunuchs took turns waving their hands, and only stopped this cruel act after the 30th strike.

At this moment, Qin Nianxi's lips were swollen to the point of almost breaking, with blood dripping from the corners of her mouth. The pain made her unable to utter even the most basic words, let alone any resistance.

Seeing that Qin Nianxi finally fell silent, Emperor Xuan spoke again, with a hint of coldness in his tone: "Check her brand!"

As soon as the words fell, the guards immediately stepped forward, ignoring Qin Nianxi's struggle, roughly pulled her hands apart, and roughly tore open the sleeve of her right arm. In the snow-white skin, the skin that should have been branded with the word "slave" was so clean, without any trace.

This scene shocked everyone present.

The ministers began to discuss the matter, with voices of doubt rising one after another.

"Isn't this nothing?"

"Your Majesty, have you made a mistake?"

"That's right. Even if Concubine Pei has a thousand faults, she is still the concubine of the late emperor. How can we treat her so carelessly?"

"Your Majesty, this is hard to convince the public!"

There were even voices shouting, "Your Majesty, please do not blame the kind-hearted people. Although Concubine Pei is not the queen, she also has deep concerns for you!"

Pei Chi'an and Zhang Sanmei looked at each other, disbelief written all over their faces.

Especially Zhang Sanmei, her hands were shaking, and she repeatedly checked Qin Nianxi's arm, muttering: "Impossible, the 'slave' mark is clearly there, accompanied by a faint blue mark, there is no way it can disappear out of thin air!"

"Impossible! Jiao'er, what on earth are you playing at?"

Emperor Xuan's smile gradually faded, and a complex expression of confusion and anger appeared on his face.

At this moment, Qin Nianxi tilted her head slightly and looked at her arms which were as smooth as before. A strange smile appeared on her swollen lips, as if everything was under her control.

This smile, like the cold wind in winter, makes people's hearts shiver.

Her wrists were still spotless white, but the moment her sleeves were forcibly taken off, her resistance as if she was ready to die was actually a carefully designed trap, meant to provoke the emperor's anger and force him to take action himself.

However, the disappearance of the brand and the imposition of punishment suddenly changed the entire court. The officials began to question the emperor, accusing him of abusing his power and taking revenge on personal enemies.

Qin Nianxi's risky move seemed to be a desperate gamble, but it inadvertently turned the situation around.

However, even the most sophisticated calculations have flaws. The emperor slowly raised his lips to an extremely cold sneer, and his voice was as cold as a knife: "Sister, you have been in the business world for many years and have seen countless people. Why don't you help me solve this puzzle? How did this mark disappear without a trace?"

Su Wanyu gently put down the teacup in her hand, stood up, and walked slowly towards the center of the hall with each step steady and confident.

As she got closer, Qin Nianxi's smile widened, and her provocation and confidence were evident in her words.

When Su Wanyu stood in front of Qin Nianxi, she carefully examined the flawless white arm, gently stroked it with her fingers, and said with an elusive meaning: "Your foresight, Concubine, is really amazing."

Qin Nianxi's heart trembled. Although the pain in her body made her voice sound very labored, she still managed to squeeze out a few words: "You...what do you want to do?"

At this moment, Su Wanyu took out a small porcelain bottle from her arms slowly and calmly, as if she held some key secret and was about to uncover the final answer to the scene.

"Want to kill me?"

Qin Nianxi's swollen lips trembled slightly, and the pain was like a vine wrapped around her heart, causing fine beads of sweat to seep out of her forehead, flashing a fragile luster.

Su Wanyu slowly poured the transparent liquid from the bottle. Her movements were graceful and calm, as if she was performing an insignificant ritual.

"Don't be afraid, Toffee. It's just a bottle of oil."

Her voice was indifferent, yet carried unquestionable authority.

"Clean oil?"

Qin Nianxi's eyes suddenly widened, and a hint of disbelief flashed in her pupils.

The faint light reflected complex emotions in her eyes, and her body began to tremble involuntarily, as if even her soul was resisting the impending revelation.

The cool oil slid down the bottle and onto Qin Nianxi's trembling arms. Su Wanyu's technique was clean and neat, without any hesitation.

Qin Nianxi was shocked and struggled with all her might. Her questions, shouted at the top of her lungs, echoed in the air, but seemed to fall on deaf ears and no one responded.

After the oil was evenly covered, Su Wanyu took the delicate handkerchief handed to her by Siqi and wiped it gently.

As the film-like camouflage slowly fell off, the skin color originally hidden underneath was exposed in broad daylight and was clearly visible.