What does Esther 9:6 mean?

In the imperial center, Shushan the palace, the Jews kill five hundred men. Recording the number grounds the narrative in concrete terms and signals that opposition in the capital was significant but not insurmountable. The palace city had been the stage of Haman’s rise and decree; now it becomes the scene of his party’s undoing. The figure suggests organized resistance against the Jews persisted even where royal authority was strongest, yet the Jews prevailed under the protection of the counter-decree and the favor surrounding Mordecai. The capital’s outcome reassures Jews across the provinces: if safety stands here, it can stand anywhere.