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

Yangxindian

Xiao Yunzi was dragged before the emperor by two guards, fell to his knees on the ground, trembling all over.

The emperor's eyes widened in anger, and his voice thundered: "Tell me! Who ordered you to do this?"

Xiao Yunzi rested his forehead on the ground, his voice choked with sobs: "Your Majesty, no one ordered me to do this. I was confused for a moment, and I just...just wanted to take revenge on Concubine Li. I know I was wrong, and I beg Your Majesty to spare my life."

The emperor frowned, a hint of suspicion flashing in his eyes: "What about Shupin? She didn't offend you, why do you want to take revenge on her?"

Xiao Yunzi remained silent, his clothes soaked with cold sweat.

The emperor slammed the table and shouted, "Since you refuse to tell the truth, you will be beaten with thirty sticks and imprisoned in the Ministry of Punishment!"

The guards dragged little Yunzi away, and her shrill screams penetrated the palace walls and echoed in the night sky.

The emperor sat in his study, his face shimmering in the candlelight. He took a deep breath and looked up at the chief eunuch standing beside him. "Send Concubine Wan to see me."

A moment later, Zhen Huan walked in slowly, her skirt brushing the ground. She bowed and said, "Your Majesty, your concubine greets you."

The emperor stared at her coldly, his voice filled with disappointment and anger: "Zhen Huan, I thought you were very intelligent, but I didn't expect you to do such a ridiculous thing."

Zhen Huan was shocked, but she remained calm: "Your Majesty, please explain. I don't know what I have done wrong."

The emperor stood up suddenly, his rage boiling. "Still feigning ignorance! You sent people dressed as ghosts to scare Concubine Shu and Concubine Li, stirring up trouble in the palace. I wanted to give you a chance to confess, but I didn't expect you to be so stubborn!"

Zhen Huan's face turned pale instantly, she knelt on her knees, and her voice trembled: "Your Majesty, please understand, this is absolutely not my fault!"

The emperor sneered, his eyes sharp as a knife: "How could I wrongly accuse you? Wanwan never does such a despicable thing, but you repeatedly disappoint me."

He turned his back to Zhen Huan, his tone filled with disappointment: "For the sake of your face, I will not banish you to the cold palace. But from today on, your title will be stripped and you will be demoted to a concubine."

Zhen Huan trembled all over, tears welling up in her eyes, her voice choked with sobs: "Your Majesty! I am wronged!"

The emperor waved his hand, no longer looking at her: "Go away, Zhen agreed. Take care of yourself."

Zhen Huan stumbled out of the imperial study, her legs weak and nearly falling. She clung to the cold palace wall, barely steadying herself. The night wind howled past, ruffling her hair and scattering her last shred of hope.

She took a deep breath, trying to calm her rapid heartbeat, but found that her chest felt as heavy as if a huge rock was pressing on it, making it difficult to breathe.

Zhen Huan closed her eyes, her mind replaying everything that had just happened in the imperial study. The Emperor's cold eyes, his stern questioning, and the words "I already know everything"—every word was like a sharp blade, piercing her heart.

She bit her lip, trying hard to hold back her tears.

She slowly straightened up and forced herself to calm down. Zhen Huan knew that now was not the time to collapse, she had to come up with a solution quickly.

She took a deep breath, straightened her messy clothes, and walked towards her bedroom.

Broken Yuxuan

As the night deepened, candlelight flickered in Zhen Huan's bedroom.

Zhen Huan was pondering her next plan when she suddenly heard hurried footsteps outside the door.

Huanbi hurriedly pushed the door open, a look of nervousness on her face: "My lady, Concubine Shen is here."

Zhen Huan was slightly startled, then regained her composure and nodded gently to signal Huanbi to let Shen Meizhuang in.

Shen Meizhuang walked quickly into the room, her brows slightly furrowed, her eyes flashing with concern and a hint of dissatisfaction.

She looked directly at Zhen Huan, her tone blaming her: "Sister Huan'er, why didn't you consult me ​​about such a big thing?"

Zhen Huan sat quietly, looking at Shen Meizhuang calmly. Her eyes were gentle but firm: "Sister Mei, it's not that I don't want to discuss this with you, it's that I don't want you to be involved in this storm."

Shen Meizhuang sighed softly, her tone filled with helplessness: "Huan'er, has the relationship between you and me reached the point where we need to be so cautious?"

"Huan'er, I have something to ask you." Shen Meizhuang looked straight into Zhen Huan's eyes with a serious tone.

Zhen Huan put down the scroll in her hand and frowned slightly: "Sister Mei, please speak."

Shen Meizhuang took a deep breath, her voice trembling slightly. "I have no objection to taking revenge on Concubine Hua, but why let Xiao Yunzi dress up as a ghost to scare An Lingrong? It's okay to scare Concubine Li, but An Lingrong is kind by nature and is pregnant. If something goes wrong..."

Her voice gradually became lower and a trace of regret flashed in her eyes.

Zhen Huan's heart ached, but her face remained calm. She knew that in this deep palace, even the closest people could not be fully trusted.

Zhen Huan's expression remained unchanged as she said calmly, "Why do you say that, Sister Mei?"

Shen Meizhuang slowly stood up, her body trembling slightly, and complex emotions flashed in her eyes.

She stared at Zhen Huan, her eyes flashing with complex emotions, disappointment and anger intertwined. Her hands trembled slightly, and her voice was low and hoarse:

"Huan'er, you and I were once as close as sisters, entering the palace together. Now you are so distant to me. Has the friendship we've shared all these years vanished into thin air?"

There was deep pain in her words, and every word seemed to hit Zhen Huan's heart like a heavy hammer.

Shen Meizhuang's eyes never left Zhen Huan's face, as if she was looking for the warmth of the past.

Her voice suddenly rose, with a trembling tone:

"I've checked everything." She clenched her fists, her nails digging deep into her palms. "Huan'er, you've changed. I almost can't recognize you."

Shen Meizhuang's words were like a sharp sword, piercing Zhen Huan's heart.

Her face was filled with pain and confusion, her brows were furrowed, and her lips trembled slightly.

Shen Meizhuang's brows were furrowed, and a hint of fatigue and disappointment flashed in her eyes.

Zhen Huan stood up and slowly walked to the window. The moonlight shone on her cold face, reflecting a bitter smile.

"Sister Mei," she whispered, "Do you really understand An Lingrong?"

Shen Meizhuang was stunned and didn't know how to answer.

Zhen Huan slowly turned around, the moonlight shining through the window lattice onto her face, illuminating the complex look in her eyes. She looked deeply at Shen Meizhuang, her voice low and firm:

"Sister Mei, in this deep palace, everyone has their own way of survival. Some things are not just about right or wrong."

Shen Meizhuang frowned, a hint of confusion and disappointment flashing in her eyes. She clenched her hands, her voice trembling slightly: "Sister Huan'er, do you think..."

Zhen Huan shook her head slightly, interrupting Shen Meizhuang's words. She walked to the window, looked out at the palace walls in the distance, and said softly, "Inside and outside these palace walls, everyone is struggling to survive. Sometimes, we have to make choices that seem immoral."

Shen Meizhuang stood up, her expression shifting from confusion to disappointment. She took a deep breath, a hint of coldness in her voice, "I see. It seems we have different perspectives on many things."

Zhen Huan turned around, wanting to explain something, but in the end she just sighed. The two of them sat in silence, and the atmosphere in the room became solemn and awkward.

"It's getting late. I'm leaving first." Shen Meizhuang said in a distant tone, then turned and left. The sound of her footsteps was particularly clear in the silent night.

Zhen Huan watched Shen Meizhuang's departing figure, a complex emotion flashing through her eyes. She gently closed the window, leaving only the flickering candlelight in the room, illuminating her lonely figure.