The young ladies chattered amongst themselves, each offering their own opinion. She watched indifferently as her insecure self sat there, unable to write another word.

As I left the place where the poetry gathering was being held, I looked back and saw the Lin family's house. My body floated along, following the carriage. I, a thirteen-year-old, sat in the carriage and, as if possessed, lifted the curtain, only to see someone riding a horse beside me, escorting me.

The servants of the Prince's mansion allowed someone to approach her carriage. Before she could even laugh it off, Gu Chongxuan said, "Ah Jun, there's no need to be sad. Poetry can't represent everything. You're doing very well as you are."

He didn't say the poem was excellent because he knew it was written by Lin Xiuxue; he only said that the poem was excellent.

My heart was moved. I was thirteen years old that year, and my innocent heart was touched by this moment of protection and certainty.

She went through countless hardships and schemes to marry into the Gu family.

Suddenly, the scene shifted, and Zhao Shu's eyes narrowed sharply as she saw herself kneeling on the cold ground, thin, forlorn, and wretched, holding Hua Yao in her arms, covered in blood as if she had bled herself dry.

"Mother, you haven't avenged your daughter yet, Mother..." Hua Yao in her arms suddenly opened her eyes and cried, "Mother, I'm cold, cold, Mother."

"Hua Yao, my Hua Yao, don't worry, I will avenge you right away, right away, right away, okay?" She wanted to hold her daughter tightly, but found that her daughter was slowly turning into a celestial being in her arms and dissipating into the world.

"Mother, your daughter misses you." A voice, choked with sobs, came from the void, making her heart ache so much she felt like she could suffocate.

"Hua Yao, Hua Yao!" Looking at the empty sky, there was nothing there. Her Hua Yao, so small, where had she gone? Tears streamed down her face.

Suddenly, a letter of divorce was thrown on the ground. "Go, our marriage is over. From now on, we will go our separate ways and have nothing to do with each other!" The cold voice and the disgusted expression belonged to the husband who had once given her warmth and protection, the husband she had devoted herself to, cared for meticulously, and tried to please.

He slowly stood up, wiped away his tears, picked up the letter of divorce. The words on the letter were blurry, and he couldn't make out the contents. "If anyone wants to divorce you, it's not your turn." He slowly tore the letter to shreds and threw it away. The scraps of paper fluttered in the air and drifted away with the wind. "If anyone wants to divorce, it's me who will divorce you."

"Mother, Mother." A faint voice drifted from the sky again, "Mother, I miss you."

"Mother misses you too." She murmured to herself, turning her head fiercely, but she couldn't see Gu Chongxuan. He was nowhere to be seen. It was as if she was the only one left in the world, helpless, fearful, and heartbroken. Hua Yao's voice came from all directions, some crying, some laughing, sometimes making her tearful, sometimes making her laugh with joy.

But all that laughter and joy will eventually be replaced by Hua Yao's cold corpse. With his eyes closed, he is held in her arms. All the images and sounds, changing haphazardly, will eventually transform into him kneeling at the South Gate, holding Hua Yao.

After coldly observing the fragmented moments of her life, she didn't shed a single tear. Instead, she looked at the empty sky and said, "Mother misses you too. Mother will definitely avenge you."

With a sharp "snap," all the images vanished, and everything returned to calm.

"The princess has been unconscious for two days. People from the palace come to check on her every half hour. What should we do?" In her dazed state, Zhao Shu seemed to hear Bi Qiao's voice.

Looking back at the fragmented memories of that life in her dream, she sighed softly. The divorce in the dream was not real after all. What was even more regrettable and heartbreaking was that she was reborn, but Hua Yao was really dead.

"Physician Peng said that the princess cannot move, otherwise she will be trapped in a nightmare and may not wake up for a long time. But if she doesn't move, the princess will soon stink." It seemed to be Chu Chun speaking, her words full of anxiety.

The two fell silent for a long time before Bi Qiao said, "I don't know what Physician Peng has discovered, but he won't allow anyone to visit him, and only the two of us are allowed to guard him. There are such rumors outside, what should we do? If the news reaches the Prince's ears, I'm afraid something bad will happen."

"Oh, those people are so malicious! The princess is perfectly fine, yet they curse her like this. If I ever see them, I'll tear their mouths apart!"

The rumors circulating outside must be very unfavorable to her. Zhao Shu slowly opened her eyes and said, "I'm thirsty. Pour me a glass of water."

"Princess, you're awake!" The two women wept with joy, so excited they didn't know where to put their hands. "Princess, come and have some water." Bi Qiao was more composed and immediately went to pour water for Zhao Shu.

Helped to sit up, Zhao Shu took a sip of water. "What's wrong with me?"

"Doctor Peng said you were having a nightmare and couldn't move. If you moved, your soul wouldn't be able to find its way back and would get lost in the cycle of reincarnation. You've been unconscious for two days." Chu Chun spoke with extraordinary sincerity, as if it were a true story.

Two days? It feels like only a few hours. Moving her arms and legs, she felt a little sore. Fortunately, she exercises regularly, so she wouldn't be so weak after sleeping for two days. She chuckled and said, "Old Peng can also perform shamanistic rituals?" She believed the supernatural people from the Imperial Observatory, but Physician Peng? She could only shake her head with a laugh.

"Princess, are you hungry? I've already had breakfast prepared for you. Shall I bring it in?" Bi Qiao quickly changed the subject. What shamanistic ritual? If Old Master Peng knew that the princess had such an opinion of him, he would surely be heartbroken.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Shu realized she was starving and said, "Give me a wash."

Indeed, it stank, reeking of sweat.

After washing up, Bi Qiao instructed someone to report to the Empress Dowager that she was safe. Zhao Shu, while drinking her congee, listened to Xiao Zhuzi's report, "Princess, the Hermit Jiecao is still alive, but he is in Jiangnan. This servant also discovered something else." He lowered his voice, walked to Zhao Shu's side, and said in a voice that only the two of them could hear, "Empress Yide has a son who is still alive."

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