I fulfilled the female supporting role's wish and I succeeded

Hua Fei's eyes were as sharp as a hawk's as she scanned the newly promoted concubines before her. Her voice was filled with a hint of impatience, yet also a touch of arrogance:

"Which one is Wan Changzai and which one is Shu Changzai?"

An Lingrong slowly stepped forward and knelt before Concubine Hua along with Zhen Huan.

"I, your concubine, am here at An's, paying my respects to the Empress Hua."

As soon as she finished speaking, Concubine Hua's brows furrowed, and a hint of anger flashed in her eyes. She had indeed noticed the unusual standing position - according to palace rules, An Lingrong, Xia Dongchun, and Zhen Huan should have stood together, but at this moment, Zhen Huan was in the front row.

Hua Fei's voice suddenly turned cold, with a biting chill:

"Humph, the rules in Her Majesty's palace are getting worse and worse."

The Queen's smile froze instantly, and she took a deep breath: "Hua Fei, what do you mean by this?"

Concubine Hua slowly turned, her gaze sharp as a knife. A sneer curled her lips, her eyes gleaming with defiance. Her voice was low and menacing: "Our Great Qing has always prioritized the Manchus and Mongols over the Han. This is our ancestral rule." She pointed at Shen Meizhuang and Zhen Huan standing in the front row, her tone thick with sarcasm. "But these Concubine Shen and Concubine Wan have actually stepped over Concubine Fucha and Concubine Borjigit to stand in the front row."

Hua Fei's voice gradually rose, drawing the attention of the surrounding concubines. She continued, "If this gets out, how will the people view us?" Her gaze swept across everyone present, finally resting on the Empress. "Your Majesty, you are the head of the harem. Are you going to condone such an act of usurpation?"

The Queen's expression darkened, her brow furrowed slightly. Her gaze flickered between Concubine Hua and the newly appointed concubines, her mind calculating. She didn't want to punish Shen Meizhuang and Zhen Huan easily; instead, she hoped to see them fight Concubine Hua, allowing her to reap the benefits.

The Queen took a deep breath and forced herself to remain calm. She spoke slowly, her voice low and cold, "So, according to Concubine Hua, how should we handle this matter?"

When Concubine Hua heard this, a hint of pride flashed in her eyes. She straightened her back, raised her chin proudly, and glanced at Shen Meizhuang and Zhen Huan with a threatening look. Concubine Hua's voice was filled with obvious sarcasm and contempt:

"I think we should remove their green cards for three months and make them copy the palace rules twenty times. This punishment will not be too severe and will make them remember the rules."

After Hua Fei finished speaking, a sneer appeared on the corner of her mouth, and a gleam of victory flashed in her eyes.

The Queen frowned slightly, her eyes swept over Shen Meizhuang and Zhen Huan, and she thought for a moment:

"Three months of punishment may be too harsh." She paused, then continued, "Considering that this is your first offense, I will ground you for a month and make you copy the palace rules twenty times. This will serve as a warning to others."

After paying their respects, An Lingrong breathed a sigh of relief. She turned to look at Chunhua and whispered, "Let's hurry back to Jingyang Palace and don't stay here any longer."

Chunhua nodded in understanding and quickly left behind An Lingrong.

Not long after, Xiao Yanzi ran back, sweating profusely, holding onto the door frame, panting, with a panicked look on his face.

"My lady, something terrible has happened!" he gasped. "Mrs. Xia has been punished with a 'ten-foot slash' by Concubine Hua, and is currently being punished in the Imperial Garden!"

Chunhua was startled when she heard this, her body trembling slightly, and she immediately turned to look at An Lingrong. She saw that An Lingrong had a calm expression, and a hint of understanding flashed in her eyes.

Chunhua asked anxiously: "What's going on? Do you know why?" Her voice was full of anxiety, her brows were furrowed, and she stared at Xiao Yanzi with sharp eyes, waiting for his answer.

Xiao Yanzi took a deep breath and lowered his voice, saying, "I heard that Concubine Xia stopped Concubine Shen and Concubine Wan in the Imperial Garden. She was rude and mocked them for what they did in Jingren Palace. She also said that the two of them did not know the difference between respect and inferiority and did not understand the palace rules."

Xiao Yanzi continued, "Concubine Wan refuted her on the spot with sharp words. Concubine Xia was at a loss for words and became furious. Just as she was about to attack, Concubine Hua happened to pass by and witnessed the scene."

At this point, Xiao Yanzi couldn't help but shudder and patted his chest.

"Don't be afraid, just stay out of this," An Lingrong consoled. It seemed that even without her, Xia Dongchun would still have suffered a "scarlet death" and died.

An Lingrong narrowed her eyes, a sneer curling up at the corner of her mouth. Her fingers tapped lightly on the armrest of the chair, her thoughts racing.

"As for Zhen Huan," she whispered to herself, a hint of disdain in her voice, "I'm afraid this time, just like in her last life, she'll choose to feign illness to avoid favor."

A gleam of brilliance flashed in her eyes, and she leaned forward slightly. An Lingrong took a deep breath and made up her mind: "I have to prepare in advance. I can't let her plan go so smoothly."

She called the maidservant beside her and said, "Go, call Xiao Luzi. I have something important to tell you."

Qiuyue bowed respectfully and left quickly. Not long after, a thin eunuch trotted in, knelt down and kowtowed, "My lady, are you looking for me?"

An Lingrong's voice was low and serious. "Go and ask around to see if Concubine Wan is living in the main hall of Suiyuxuan like me." She paused, a hint of ill intent flashing in her eyes, and continued, "If so, find a way to reveal this to Concubine Hua."

Xiao Luzi looked up, a flash of surprise in his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure. He replied respectfully, "Yes, I understand."

An Lingrong nodded with satisfaction, a faint smile playing on her lips. She raised her delicate hand and waved gently, "Xiao Luzi, you can leave first."

Xiao Luzi bowed respectfully, tiptoed out of the room and closed the door gently.

An Lingrong slowly stood up and walked to the window. She pushed open the carved wooden window, letting in a gust of fresh air. In the distant garden, several butterflies fluttered among the flowers.

An Lingrong whispered softly, "Zhen Huan, oh Zhen Huan, you must be strong." Her voice was filled with hope, "Hua Fei and the Queen are not so easy to deal with. I hope you can hold on and don't collapse."