The queen is sober in the world, and she is winning every step of the palace fight.

Gu Shuer stayed in her old room and yard for a while, then returned to the main courtyard of the Duke's Mansion.

On the way, I met the round-faced maid again. She was trimming flowers and plants in the garden at the backyard with several servants.

Seeing Gu Shuer and Fei Wan coming together, the maids all stepped aside and saluted.

Gu Shu'er smiled at the maid, and the maid's eyes followed Gu Shu'er, staring at her intently and full of desire.

"Zi Yan, come here and walk with me for a while." Gu Shuer said.

The maid hurried forward, pushed aside the maid beside Gu Shuer, and held her arm.

"Miss Shu, when will you come back next time? I really miss you."

"I don't know. Once you enter the palace, you're no longer free. I really envy you."

Zi Yan sighed: "We work all day long, why would Miss Shu envy me? Staying in this mansion is no different from staying in the palace. It's just like what Miss said before, it's like being in prison."

Gu Shu'er shook her head and said, "There is a time limit for imprisonment, and there will be a day when you will be released, but we are in prison for the rest of our lives."

Fei Wan reminded, "Be careful with your words."

Gu Shu'er's face changed, and she gathered her cloak and said, "My Royal Highness, if you are so cautious, please don't stay with me. My body is already trapped, and I don't want my mouth to be trapped too. I have to be careful with my words."

Fei Wan frowned: "I am ordered by the Queen to stay by your side."

"I don't deserve it! This harem garden is huge. Your Majesty can go wherever she wants to stroll. But if you always stay by my side, it makes me uncomfortable, and it makes you uncomfortable too. Why bother?"

Gu Shu'er's sarcastic tone made Fei Wan snort and walk away. She also reminded her, "Just walk around nearby, don't wander around. I'll come pick you up and take you to meet the Empress."

Gu Shu'er ignored Fei Wan and chatted animatedly with the maid Zi Yan.

Fei Wan, along with a group of palace maids, quickly turned around the flowers and trees and disappeared.

"Miss Shu's temper is still the same. She even dares to challenge you, the Imperial Concubine. You are amazing." Zi Yan praised in a low voice, her face full of admiration.

Gu Shu'er smiled helplessly and said, "Not really. I've changed a lot too. How can you do whatever you want in the palace? Look at me now, I've been demoted from a concubine to a noble lady. If it weren't for the need for some dignity before leaving the palace, the Empress and His Majesty would have suggested that I be restored to a concubine first. The clothes you see on me are even lower than they are now. What's so great about me now?"

Zi Yan was surprised.

"Is that so...it turns out that no one in this world can control their own destiny."

The two of them were chatting happily and walked a little further away without realizing it.

When they arrived at a pond, Zi Yan helped Gu Shuer sit on a stone bench and let her rest.

"The willow branches and orchids here are beautiful. I'll make a crown for Miss Shu."

Zi Yan went to pick branches.

Gu Shu'er had already sent the servants away and they were no longer following her.

She sat on a stone bench, her eyes following Zi Yan as she picked flowers and played with grass.

"Hey, the flowers over there are beautiful, pick some." She shouted, pointing to a bunch of orchids.

Zi Yan asked, "Is this it?"

"No, the one next to it!"

"this?"

"no!"

Gu Shu'er leaned forward, a little impatient, her whole attention focused on the orchid.

He had no idea that there was another person behind him.

He stretched out his hands and pushed her directly into the pond.

"what!"

Gu Shu'er screamed, but before she could finish her cry, she stumbled forward and slipped a few steps in the slippery grass and lost her balance.

Pfft!

Fall into the pool.

"save--"

She didn't even get to shout out the word "life" because water had already entered her mouth, blocking her voice.

He waved his hands around and swung his arms a few times before sinking into the water very quickly.

Zi Yan was stunned.

Holding a few willow branches, he stood stupidly on the shore, his mouth wide open in shock.

After Gu Shuer's entire body sank into the water and even her hands disappeared, she took a few trembling steps and uttered a low cry for help.

"Hurry, hurry up, someone come, Miss Shu fell into the water, Miss Shu..."

No one came over for a while.

The person who pushed Gu Shuer into the water had long disappeared.

Zi Yan stumbled and came to the place where Gu Shu'er fell into the water with weak legs and feet. She said to the water: "Miss Shu, don't be afraid, hold on, I will go and call for help -"

Then he ran away in great fear.

Only ripples remained on the water's surface, still spreading silently.

Zi Yan ran a long distance, looked around to see that no one was paying attention, and then stopped panting.

Squatting behind the bushes, she looked back at the place where Gu Shuer fell into the water.

Stayed for a long time.

Then he shivered and talked to himself.

"Miss Shu, don't, don't blame me. I didn't mean to hurt you... You can't help yourself, and neither can I. I... I'll burn more paper money for you, so you can go with peace of mind..."

"I gave you real money, and you only gave me some paper money. Does that make sense?"

I suddenly remembered Gu Shuer's voice behind me.

This startled Zi Yan.

Really jumped up.

He scurried out of the bushes like a rabbit.

"Ms. Shu, Miss Shu?!"

She couldn't believe her eyes as she fell to the ground.

why.

Didn't Miss Shu sink into the pond? How, how...

Looking at Gu Shu'er, soaked in water, standing among the flowers, she was horrified.

"I can't swim, and you teamed up with others to let me die in the water. You are so cruel! Even if I become a ghost, I will not let you go..."

Gu Shuer's smile suddenly turned sinister.

The ten fingers of his hands were like hooks, and he grabbed Zi Yan.

The way she walked was different from that of a human. She looked more like a ghost floating over.

Zi Yan was so frightened that she dared not move.

Subconsciously looking at the ground.

There was no sign of Gu Shuer.

"what--"

She let out a shrill cry.

His eyes rolled back and he fainted.

Gu Shuer: "..."

Don’t faint yet, I still have some questions to ask!

Fei Wan appeared from not far away with some people, held up a curtain in front of Gu Shuer, covered her, and asked her to change into clean clothes.

When leaving the palace, several sets of clothes were prepared and curtains were carried with them at all times, so that the concubines could be isolated from people outside the palace at any time, so it was convenient at this time.

Gu Shuer quickly changed her clothes, half-dried her hair, tied it into a loose bun, and drank half a bowl of hot soup that had just been served.

Her face was rosy, as if Fei Wan was assuring him that everything was fine.

Fei Wan held her wrist and roughly checked her pulse. "I didn't expect him to actually attack you in the mansion, and use the method of falling into the water. Fortunately, nothing happened."

Gu Shu'er touched her belly. "When I saw her taking me to the water's edge, I knew she had bad intentions. I was careful and broke off some hollow grass stems on the roadside so that my breathing wouldn't be affected after entering the water. She thought I couldn't swim like before, but I didn't expect that I had already come ashore from the other side."

There were many reeds planted beside the pond to add to the wildness, which served as a natural cover, allowing Gu Shuer to successfully take a detour back, which scared Zi Yan.