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

The emperor was already puzzled by the queen's frequent mentions of Yimeyuan, and now after hearing her say this, he became even more curious.

He stood up and laughed heartily, saying, "The Queen is absolutely right. I also want to go and see if the plum blossoms in Yimei Garden are really as gorgeous as the Queen said."

As he spoke, he walked to An Lingrong's side, took her hand, and said softly, "Rong'er, will you accompany me?"

An Lingrong was flattered and quickly stood up, shyly replying, "Your Majesty, I obey your command."

The emperor, accompanied by An Lingrong, led all the palace ladies and marched towards Yime Garden in a grand procession.

In the Yime Garden under the night sky, the fragrance of plum blossoms is surging, and the cool air is filled with a faint sweet aroma.

The moonlight is like water, pouring on the snow-white plum petals, reflecting a bright luster.

The emperor heard a low prayer from afar, with a slight tremor, which sounded particularly clear in the silent night.

He slowed down his pace and looked in the direction of the sound, only to see Zhen Huan in plain clothes, kneeling under a plum tree, with her hands clasped together, praying devoutly.

"I, Zhen, a believer, am without talent or virtue, and am unfit to care for the heir to the throne. I feel guilty and ashamed, and I cannot face His Majesty..."

Zhen Huan's voice was choked with sobs, carrying a hint of self-blame and helplessness.

"Here, I sincerely pray to my emperor, may he be blessed by heaven, live in peace and happiness, and enjoy eternal blessings..."

She paused, her voice deepening, "If your wish is granted, I will be a vegetarian for the rest of my life and never again accept favors from you."

The emperor frowned slightly, his eyes falling on Huanbi who was dancing beside Zhen Huan.

Huanbi was wearing a light red dance costume with long sleeves fluttering, her figure was graceful and her dance steps were light. It was a stunning dance.

The music is melodious and plaintive, interwoven with the fragrance of plum blossoms, making one intoxicated.

The emperor stared at Huanbi's dance, but felt an inexplicable annoyance in his heart.

The Queen's methods are too clumsy.

He said nothing and watched this carefully planned drama with cold eyes.

Zhen Huan's prayers stopped abruptly. She raised her head and looked at the emperor expectantly, but she only saw the emperor's cold eyes.

Her heart sank, and a chill ran from the soles of her feet to the top of her head.

The night wind blew, and the plum branches swayed gently, making a rustling sound, as if mocking her self-righteousness.

Zhen Huan knelt on the ground, shivering, her clothes soaked with cold sweat.

Concubine Jin suddenly spoke up, her tone startled: "Why does He Yingda's dance costume look so much like the ceremonial attire worn by concubines of the rank of Consort?"

She pointed at Huanbi's light red dance dress, a hint of sarcasm flashing in her eyes.

This dance costume is brightly colored and finely embroidered. The hem is embroidered with intricate patterns in gold thread. It is obvious at first glance that it is of great value.

How could a mere promise have such luxurious clothes?

Upon hearing this, the emperor turned his gaze to Huanbi.

Only then did he notice that Huanbi's clothes were not ordinary dance clothes, but were very similar to the auspicious clothes of a concubine that Queen Chunyuan wore when he first met her.

In my memory, when Empress Chunyuan wore this auspicious dress, she was as graceful as a startled swan and as elegant as a swimming dragon. Her every frown and smile was heart-warming.

But now, this dress is worn by a little concubine, and it looks out of place.

"How could Rouze have the auspicious attire of a consort back then?"

An Lingrong's lips curled up into an imperceptible sneer, and she thought to herself: The Queen and Zhen Huan, this play is really wonderful.

However, they probably never imagined that while the mantis stalks the cicada, there is an oriole behind it.

The emperor walked up to her and looked down at her with eyes as cold as ice.

"Good, very good, you are very brave."

His voice was low and contained a hint of warning.

Zhen Huan was so frightened that her whole body trembled and she kowtowed and begged for mercy.

"Your Majesty, please spare my life. I know I was wrong."

Zhen Huan kowtowed violently, causing her cloak to slip off.

Countless colorful butterflies poured out from under the cloak wrapped in cool night dew.

Some were already stiff, with broken wings, scattered on the ground like withered petals.

Some were still trembling slightly, but unable to fly. They flapped their wings in vain and struggled on the cold bluestone slabs.

This sudden change stunned everyone present.

The queen covered her mouth in shock, a trace of panic flashing in her eyes.

The emperor slowly leaned over, picked up a dying butterfly, and gently stroked its broken wings with his fingertips.

He raised his head, staring at Zhen Huan with cold eyes, and said in a low and dangerous voice: "What is this?"

Zhen Huan was trembling all over, and fear overwhelmed her like a tide.

She explained incoherently: "This... this is... your servant... your servant..."

"Butterflies?" The emperor's tone was cold, with a hint of sarcasm. "When did my Yimei Garden become a habitat for butterflies?"

Zhen Huan's face was pale, and sweat slid down her forehead and dripped onto the cold ground.

She opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

Concubine Jin's sharp voice rang out again: "Your Majesty, this is clearly someone doing it on purpose! This butterfly seems to have been smeared with some kind of fragrance to attract other butterflies."

She paused, then looked at Zhen Huan meaningfully, "I would venture to guess that this spice is probably the same scent as the one worn by Concubine Wan."

The emperor's gaze was like a sharp sword, piercing Zhen Huan.

"Su Peisheng," the emperor said in a cold, emotionless voice, "pass on my command."

Su Peisheng knelt down quickly and replied respectfully, "Your servant is here."

"Noble Lady Zhen Huan, ignorant of etiquette, lazy and undisciplined, and unrespectful, has been stripped of her title, demoted to the rank of concubine, and imprisoned in the Suiyu Pavilion, where she shall not be released unless she is dead."

The emperor's voice was exceptionally clear in the silent night, and every word was like a heavy hammer, striking Zhen Huan's heart.

"He promised to disrespect the late queen and was demoted to a commoner and banished to the cold palace."

Huanbi collapsed to the ground, her face as pale as paper.

She raised her head and looked at the emperor in despair, but only saw his indifferent back.

The emperor waved his hand and signaled everyone to disperse.

"Everyone go back."

No one dared to say anything more and bowed and left.

The air was filled with the fragrance of powder and the decaying smell of dead butterflies, which lingered for a long time.

The emperor returned to the Yangxin Palace.

He sat on the dragon throne, closed his eyes, and the image of Queen Chunyuan dancing in a light red auspicious dress kept appearing in his mind.

Also, Huanbi wearing similar clothes and dancing the stunning dance.

The two scenes overlapped, making him feel irritated and uneasy.

He suddenly opened his eyes, and a sharp light flashed in them.

"Xia Qie," the emperor called in a deep voice.

A secret guard in black appeared silently before the emperor, knelt on one knee, and replied respectfully, "Your servant is here."

"Go and investigate," the emperor said in a low voice, with a hint of suppressed anger, "Investigate the incident of Queen Chunyuan and my chance encounter that year, as well as what happened afterwards. Every detail must be thoroughly investigated."

Xia Qi accepted the order and retreated quietly.