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

After the banquet, the emperor personally sent An Lingrong back to Jingyang Palace.

His eyes fell on her gently, his brows slightly furrowed, revealing concern. "Rong'er, are you tired today?"

Upon hearing the Emperor's question, An Lingrong bowed slightly, folding her hands before her stomach. She raised her head, a gentle glint in her eyes, a sweet smile playing on her lips. "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your concern. I'm not tired at all," she said softly, a touch shy. "I'm overjoyed to receive such kindness from Your Majesty." As she spoke, her eyes overflowing with admiration as she gazed directly at the Emperor.

The emperor was touched by her gaze and took an involuntary step forward. He reached out and gently stroked An Lingrong's cheek, feeling the softness of her skin. "You are pregnant now, so you must get enough rest." His voice was low and gentle, filled with unquestionable concern. "I will come to see you tomorrow."

An Lingrong's eyes flickered with surprise when she heard the emperor's words. She lowered her head slightly, folded her hands on her belly, and softly replied, "Your Highness, I respectfully bid you farewell." Then, she slowly bowed, her gaze following the emperor's departing figure with reluctance.

Only when the emperor's figure completely disappeared into the night did An Lingrong sigh softly and turn to walk towards the bedroom.

"Your Majesty, you look like you're worried about something?" Qiuyue came forward and asked with concern.

An Lingrong shook her head, frowning slightly, and replied softly, "Nothing, I just felt a little uneasy at the banquet today."

Chunhua stood aside and whispered to comfort her, "Your Majesty, don't worry too much. You are pregnant now, and the Emperor dotes on you. I'm sure the other concubines won't dare to act rashly."

After hearing this, An Lingrong gave a wry smile and turned to look at Chunhua: "That's why we have to be even more vigilant. In this harem, Concubine Hua is domineering and the Empress is vicious. Now I'm pushed to the forefront. Who knows what conspiracies and tricks are waiting for me?"

She sighed softly, her shoulders drooping slightly. "Chunhua, you have to be more careful. From tomorrow on, I have to pay extra attention to my diet and daily life. I must not let anyone take advantage of me."

Upon hearing this, Chunhua immediately took two steps forward and bowed her head respectfully, saying, "Yes, I understand. I will definitely conduct a thorough inspection of Jingyang Palace."

An Lingrong turned around, glanced at Chunhua and Qiuyue, and nodded slightly.

Gyeongin Palace

Inside Jingren Palace, the atmosphere was as heavy as lead. The Empress sat upright on the couch, her face grim and gloomy, the teacup in her hands creaking as she gripped it. She looked up suddenly, a fierce glint in her eyes.

"Jianqiu," the Queen suddenly spoke, her voice filled with anxiety and anger, "What do you think I should do?"

Jianqiu knelt on the ground and answered tremblingly, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. Those things have been sent to Jingyang Palace, but Shupin is still pregnant. Could it be that...she discovered something?"

The Queen stood up abruptly, her teacup slamming to the ground. She paced back and forth, her brow furrowed, a dangerous glint in her eyes.

"I underestimated her," the Queen said, her teeth gnashing. She clenched her fists, her nails digging deep into her palms. She stopped, turned, and stared at Jianqiu, her gaze sharp as a knife. "Go and investigate. Find out for me exactly where the problem lies!"

Jianqiu trembled all over and kowtowed in response.

The Queen snorted coldly and sat back on the couch, a sinister glint in her eyes. "This An Lingrong, I want to see how long she can keep her complacency!"

Jianqiu knelt on the ground, carefully looked up at the Queen, and whispered, "Your Majesty, An Lingrong is now pregnant, and the Emperor dotes on her. We might as well observe for a while and see how things develop before making any plans."

After hearing this, the Queen turned around abruptly, a cold glint in her eyes. "No, she must not be allowed to give birth to the child safely."

Jianqiu knelt on the ground, leaning forward slightly, and lowered her voice to a very low voice: "Your Majesty, we must proceed with caution in this matter. If the Emperor finds out, the consequences will be disastrous."

Upon hearing this, the queen stopped abruptly.

She turned and looked down at Jianqiu, a cold light flashing in her eyes, and a sneer appeared on the corner of her mouth: "Of course I know."

She slowly walked up to Jianqiu, leaned over, and said in a voice as cold as ice, "But if she 'accidentally' miscarried, what would the emperor say?"

Jianqiu breathed a sigh of relief, resting her forehead on the ground, and replied respectfully, "Yes, Your Majesty. I will act with caution and not let anyone notice."

Yikun Palace

Concubine Hua sat alone at her dressing table, staring blankly at herself in the bronze mirror, eyes filled with sadness and resentment. Her fingers unconsciously stroked the tabletop, as if searching for some comfort.

"Your Highness, it's getting late. You should rest." Songzhi cautiously stepped forward and gently reminded her. Her voice was filled with worry, and her eyes studied Concubine Hua's face anxiously.

Hua Fei suddenly came back to her senses, raised her hand and waved, her voice low and tired: "You go down first, I want to be alone." Her eyes were erratic, as if she was avoiding something.

Songzhi wanted to say something but stopped herself. In the end, she just bowed deeply and tiptoed out.

When Songzhi's footsteps faded, Concubine Hua's gaze fell on an exquisite box on her dressing table. Her fingers trembled slightly as she slowly reached out and carefully opened the box. Inside lay a tiny jade sculpture, a lifelike figure of a six-month-old baby.

Concubine Hua's breathing suddenly became rapid. She held the jade carving in her trembling hands, tears welling up in her eyes. "My child," she said in a choked voice, tears dripping onto the jade carving. "If you were still here, how old would you be now?"

She hugged the jade sculpture tightly, leaning forward slightly, as if to transfer all her warmth to the cold jade. Suddenly, a fierce look flashed in Hua Fei's eyes, and she growled through gritted teeth, "It's all that Concubine Duan's fault. If it weren't for her..." Her nails dug deep into her palms, leaving several bloody marks.

Memories flooded back, and Concubine Hua seemed to be back in that bloody night. She clearly remembered the pain of losing her child, and her own desperate cries. At that moment, her heart died.

Concubine Hua stood up abruptly, clutching the jade carving tightly in her hands. She strode to the window, gazing out at the moonlit courtyard, her eyes blazing with the fire of revenge. "Qi Yuebin," she whispered, her voice thick with hatred, "I will never let you off easy."

In the east side hall of Xianfu Palace, Shen Meizhuang sat alone in front of the window, staring out with a dull look.

"My lady, what are you thinking about?" Caiyue asked softly, approaching Shen Meizhuang cautiously.

Shen Meizhuang snapped back to her senses and turned to look at Caiyue. She forced a bitter smile, a glint of disappointment in her eyes. "I wonder why I can't be as lucky as An Lingrong?" Her voice was low and dejected.

Seeing this, Caiyue quickly took two steps forward and said in a gentle and comforting tone, "My lady, don't be discouraged. You are young and beautiful, there will always be a chance."

Shen Meizhuang slowly shook her head: "You don't understand. It is every concubine's dream to give birth to a child for the emperor."

"An Lingrong is not only favored by the Emperor, but she is also pregnant."

Caiyue bit her lower lip gently and whispered, "My lady, there's no need to be too envious. In the harem, the more favored one is, the more dangerous it is. I'm afraid An Lingrong isn't having an easy time either."

Upon hearing this, Shen Meizhuang sighed deeply, with a hint of loneliness in her eyes.

"You're right. But I still hope to have a child of my own. That way, even if I'm not favored, at least I'll have someone to rely on."