A maidservant held up a handkerchief with both hands and presented it to Emperor Jing, reporting earnestly, "Congratulations, Your Majesty, after examination, this woman..."
It seems that even the maid herself still can't believe it. The guardian has been lost for many years, and everyone thought that she was a legendary existence, but she is actually still alive in the world.
He paused for a moment, then composed himself before continuing, "After careful comparison and examination, this servant has confirmed that the woman is indeed a descendant of the guardians of my Western Qin Kingdom who have been lost for many years. This is the phoenix mark that I have taken from her body, which she was born with. Please take a look, Your Majesty."
For Emperor Jing, the only expectation that had existed in his heart for many years was something he thought he would never be able to achieve in his lifetime.
But by sheer chance, without any warning, she actually appeared.
At this moment, he had been waiting outside, trying his best to suppress his immense excitement. When he finally heard the maid's report, he was completely stunned.
His gaze was fixed on the handkerchief in the maid's hand.
After a long while, he slowly reached out and took the handkerchief from the maid.
He stared at the phoenix mark that the two people had just copied from Yi Shangyun's body—a mark he knew all too well.
That identical silhouette that he had longed for day and night, that he had dreamt of countless nights, and that he had dreamt of all night long.
In that instant, he instinctively felt as if everything before him was a dream.
When the handkerchief, a mark he had cherished and etched in his heart, appeared before his very eyes, he was stunned and stared blankly at it.
Looking back on my life, it seems that nothing has ever made me feel so incredibly surprised.
It wasn't until the eunuch, who was just as surprised as him, came to his senses and curiously approached to peer at the sacred pattern that he finally came to his senses.
Finally, his eyes widened, and he excitedly called out again and again beside him, "Your Majesty... Your Majesty, it's done! We've done it! It's really done! We've finally found the lost descendant of the Guardian!"
Emperor Jing then slightly moved his hands, which had been frozen for some time, and exclaimed in delight.
"It's done...it's done!"
"It really is true that heaven rewards those who persevere, and as the saying goes, 'You can search high and low without finding it, but it comes to you effortlessly.'"
"Guardian, you have finally returned to my side!"
"This is truly heaven's help! Heaven's help!"
"Hahaha...hahaha...hahahaha..."
For a moment, Emperor Jing became more and more excited as he thought about it, his heart surging with excitement, as if the entire world was already in his grasp.
His words exuded an air of overwhelming power.
"Now that the Guardians have returned, whoever possesses their power will rule the world. I want to see who will dare to challenge me from now on."
"From this day forward, every city my spear and sword point at, every mountain I wield, and every river I advance upon will become my kingdom. My royal army will be invincible wherever it goes..."
"Haha...hahaha...hahahahaha..."
In an instant, everyone in the hall knelt down and shouted in unison, "The Guardian has been found! Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations, Your Majesty! The unification of Lingkong is just around the corner! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"
Once Emperor Jing had calmed down a bit, the eunuch suddenly became somewhat worried.
After some hesitation, he finally asked, "The situation in Lingkong is currently unstable, and the Guardians are still the object of contention among various countries. Before we know the Guardians' intentions and whether they are truly loyal to the Emperor, we must not reveal their identities to the world. At this juncture, where should we secretly place the Guardians?"
Upon hearing this, Emperor Jing shared the same sentiment. After a moment's thought, he said, "What you said makes sense. Since Tuoba Hong was able to find his way here, he must already know about the existence of the Guardian's descendants. It seems that this villa is no longer safe."
The eunuch was considering a safer alternative location.
Emperor Jing suddenly blurted out, "The most dangerous place is also the safest place!"
The eunuch thought carefully for a moment, then speculated, "Does His Majesty mean... perhaps... that he wants to take her back to the palace?"
Emperor Jing remained silent, which was clearly an admission of his consent.
The eunuch listened, but his expression was somewhat troubled. He analyzed, "The palace... it's not entirely impossible. Fortunately, so far, only a few people in the palace know that she is the Guardian. But if she returns to the palace... what identity will she have when she enters? And how should she be settled? What should we say to the Empress and the Empress Dowager? If she can hide for a few days, that's fine, but if it goes on for a long time, I'm afraid something might happen..."
Emperor Jing couldn't think of a better solution for the time being. He never expected that he would actually find the descendant of the guardian who had been missing for so long.
But all that's done is bring him back. How will he get along with the Guardian? What kind of magical power does this Guardian possess? And how can he make her submit to him? All of this is something that can't be accomplished in a day or two.
With this thought in mind, Emperor Jing simply said, "I know everything... For now, let her stay by my side as a lady-in-waiting. As for the future... let's just see how things go..."
Upon hearing this, the eunuch pondered for a while longer, still looking worried, and said, "The people who are investigating her background haven't sent any news yet. It seems that this is the only way for now; there's no better solution. But... is His Majesty really comfortable keeping such a woman of unknown origin by his side?"
Emperor Jing said, "I am the Son of Heaven, how could I be afraid of a mere woman?!"
Seeing that he was clearly determined, the eunuch had no choice but to give up and then asked, "When does Your Majesty plan to return to the palace?"
Emperor Jing said, "Immediately... However... before returning to the palace, there is one more thing that I must personally handle!"
The eunuch looked at his face, which had suddenly turned murderous, and felt a chill run down his spine. He was filled with fear.
Little did they know, while everyone was talking behind the screen...
Yi Shangyun, who was lying unconscious on the bed, was enveloped by wisps of purple light emanating from the seven-colored gold and jade bracelet on her wrist.
Sunrise and sunset.
Another noisy, restless, uneasy, and magical night quickly passed.
The next morning, just as dawn was breaking.
As expected, Tuoba Hong reappeared in front of the villa.
He stopped abruptly, muttering to himself, "I wonder if she's made up her mind about whether or not to take that half-pill of the Resurrection Pill?"
In fact, from the moment he returned the remaining half of the pill to her, he felt a little regretful.
After much thought, I finally couldn't suppress my longing.
So he silently took out the gold medal he had hidden in his bosom, made up his mind, and stepped forward again.
Sure enough, just like yesterday, with this gold medal providing cover, no one stopped him.
Soon, he arrived at the door where Yi Shangyun was again, without any obstacles.
Just as he slightly raised the corners of his mouth and reached out to push the door open, the door was suddenly pulled open from the inside.
Immediately afterwards, two guards came out, one in front and one behind, carrying a wooden plank.
Upon seeing this, Tuoba Hong immediately changed his pace and began to retreat. He eventually leaned against a vermilion pillar, looked down at his feet, and stood to the side of the corridor to avoid the danger.
Just as the two men carried the plank past him, he suddenly noticed that there was a corpse covered with a white cloth on the plank.
Suddenly, an arm was shaken open and partially exposed, resting on the edge of the wooden board.
When Tuoba Hong saw the clothes, they seemed familiar. He thought that they were exactly the same as the ones he had seen wearing yesterday when he saw the clouds on the clothes.
In an instant, a sense of fear and unease gripped him as he exclaimed, "This...this could be..."
Looking at the cold wooden board, a very bad premonition quickly welled up in his heart.
But he immediately dismissed the idea, thinking, "Impossible. She was perfectly fine yesterday, how could she be like this today... Could she have really taken that half of the Resurrection Pill? But last time on the grassland, that half of the Resurrection Pill shouldn't have killed her. Impossible, this is impossible, absolutely impossible."
He vehemently denied it verbally, but the more he thought about it, the more frightened he became.
After much deliberation, he finally couldn't hold back any longer and hurried after them. He reached out and ripped off the white sheet covering the body, crying out, "Yun'er, I'm so sorry..."
The two guards who were moving the body were startled by his actions and angrily shouted at him, "How dare you! Who are you?"
Tuoba Hong couldn't care about anything.
He hurriedly examined the face on the wooden board carefully, then checked it several times before finally confirming that it was not Yi Shangyun. Only then did he apologize to the two of them: "I'm sorry, I mistook you for someone else."
"Are you sick? You scared us!" The two guards seemed genuinely frightened by his actions, so they glared at him fiercely, then continued moving Xing'er's body while cursing.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." Tuoba Hong repeatedly apologized to him.
Just then, a pair of eyes were secretly watching Tuoba Hong's every move.
The reason he deliberately dressed Xing'er in Yi Shangyun's clothes and chose to move at this time was because he was certain that Tuoba Hong would come to see Yi Shangyun again early the next day to carry out their next plan.
Tuoba Hong's actions just now proved that he was the one who came to see Yi Shangyun yesterday.
Seeing all this, the man in the shadows let out a sarcastic voice: "You really have the guts to come again! This time, I'll make sure you're caged and can't escape again!"
Tuoba Hong suddenly felt panicked, wondering what had happened in Yi Shangyun's room, that a corpse had been carried out.
Reason told him that he should leave quickly at this point.
However, he did not hesitate to turn back again.
Just as he stepped across the threshold, a gleaming sword was drawn from its sheath and placed against his neck from behind...
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