Beside the magnificent hot spring pool, surrounded by draped curtains, the steam rising from the surface of the water creates an atmosphere reminiscent of a fairyland.
With the help of her maid, Yi Shangyun slowly removed her layers of clothing, finally donning a delicate pink gauze dress as thin as a cicada's wing. She nodded slightly and strolled to the edge of the hot spring.
She slowly extended her jade-like toes and gently tested the temperature of the hot spring water, which was covered with colorful flower petals.
Then her gauze dress slipped down, revealing a graceful figure, and she gently stepped inside and sat down.
Instantly, the warm spring water washed over her entire body, giving her an indescribable feeling of pleasure, and she couldn't help but let out a low moan.
Warm liquid slowly flowed over her smooth, fair skin; her delicate hands, like snowflakes, brushed against her body.
She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, her soft, fragrant body feeling as if she were floating in a cloud.
A moment later, those peerless phoenix eyes slowly opened, and she looked down at her reflection in the water.
That familiar yet unfamiliar beautiful face is now flawless, and it seems to be rapidly becoming rosy.
A light veil flutters, casting a hazy, dreamlike glow.
With jade-like bones and icy skin, bathed in shimmering orchid-scented water, a gentle touch reveals a series of vivid and enchanting scenes.
After an unknown amount of time, a maid entered carrying a wooden tray with a set of gorgeous light blue silk dresses, as soft and smooth as mutton fat.
Yi Shangyun slowly rose from the pond, now resembling a delicate and pitiful bud just beginning to bloom, exuding a fragrant aura.
As soon as she came ashore, the maid was about to wipe off the remaining water stains and help her change her clothes, but she suddenly stood in front of her in astonishment, staring wide-eyed at her naked body, as if she couldn't even speak.
When Yi Shangyun caught a glimpse of the strange look the maid was giving her, she frowned and looked down in confusion, following the maid's gaze to the beautiful expanse of spring on her bare chest.
He suddenly realized what was happening and raised his head to glare angrily at the maid.
She snatched another gauze dress from his hand, twirled it in a perfect arc, and it just covered her beautiful body. Then she angrily scolded him, "What are you staring at?"
The maidservant quickly came to her senses and stepped forward to help her continue changing her clothes, saying with a puzzled look, "Huh, when I was undressing you just now, I didn't see anything wrong with you. But now, how come there's a scar on your shoulder?"
"Scars? What scars?" Yi Shangyun seemed to only then belatedly realize that she had misunderstood the maid. But she was also curious: how could scars appear on her body in just a short time while she was bathing?
At this moment, the maid scratched her head, frowned, and stepped forward to gently rub her shoulder twice with her fingertips, but the scar seemed to remain unchanged.
So she applied a little more pressure to her fingers and rubbed them against it again.
"Hiss!" Yi Shangyun gasped in pain, letting out a muffled groan.
The maid immediately stopped what she was doing and said apologetically, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. But this scar on you doesn't look like a scar at all, it looks more like a birthmark. I've used so much force, but I still couldn't move it at all."
As he spoke, he looked at it again with great suspicion, and suddenly exclaimed in a daze, "This...this birthmark looks like a...phoenix!"
"Phoenix?" Upon hearing this, Yi Shangyun felt a strange and complicated mix of emotions.
Because the birthmark was in a rather hidden location, even with all her strength, she could only vaguely see a tiny pinkish-red mark. But then, as if suddenly remembering something, she murmured, "Could it be... the guardian's phoenix mark?"
Back in the tent, with the help of a maid, they retrieved a bronze mirror. The two of them examined it carefully for a long time and finally confirmed that it was indeed a genuine phoenix mark.
"Could it be... that everything that appeared in my dream last night was real?!" For a moment, Yi Shangyun was clearly lost in the deep recollection of the incredible dream from last night.
The person with the exact same face as her, claiming to be her mother, said she wanted to restore her status as a guardian? Was she referring to the phoenix mark on her body? If so, doesn't that mean... she really is a descendant of the guardian of Western Qin?
Her chaotic and lingering thoughts spread endlessly, almost overwhelming her, and she felt as if even the surrounding air had frozen.
Before anyone knew it, the maid had already tidied everything up and quietly retreated. Yi Shangyun glanced at the empty surroundings, sighed heavily, and then leaned against the couch, looking weak and listless.
In an instant, the woman in her dream, who looked exactly like her but was either a seven-colored phoenix transformed from herself, or the seven-colored phoenix transformed from the woman, seemed to reappear before her, solemnly instructing her: "The mission that your mother failed to complete in her previous life, I entrust to you entirely: protect the Emperor of Western Qin..."
As she gently stroked the mark on her shoulder, lost in thought, she began to mutter to herself in a low voice, seemingly engrossed in her thoughts.
"The guardians are protecting the true Son of Heaven of the Western Qin Kingdom. Shall we go to the Western Qin Imperial Palace to investigate?"
Suddenly, as if she finally understood something, her beautiful phoenix eyes widened in shock.
"Could it be...could it be that Emperor Jing is not the true Son of Heaven of Western Qin? If so, this is truly unbelievable."
But a hint of hesitation quickly surfaced: "If he isn't the true chosen one, then who is?"
After thinking for a moment, he exclaimed in surprise, "Could it be..."
Seemingly afraid to think any further, she quickly covered her mouth tightly, shaking her head slowly and incredulously...
Meanwhile, the magnificent phoenix mark that appeared on the cloud-shaped shoulder of the garment was slowly emerging from the tip of a pen.
In the eastern part of this continent, in the palace of the incredibly wealthy Dongning Kingdom.
That night.
A crescent moon pierced the delicate corner tower, casting a hazy, dim light on both the imposing palace walls and the surrounding area, making everything appear mysterious and serene.
The two dragons on the eaves are so lifelike that they seem to be about to take flight.
In one of the courtyards, Xuan Yuan Yue, who had finally married the man she loved, stood in a corner of the magnificent palace courtyard, her beautiful clothes adding to the stillness of the night. She gazed silently at the lights still burning in Mei Zhi Xuan's study across the way.
After a long while, he exhaled a deep breath, as if he had finally mustered up his courage, and walked towards her together with Jinlan, the maid who was holding a lamp to light her way.
Inside the study.
Mei Zhixuan had just received a secret letter from Yi Junhao, the contents of which were all speculations about Yi Shangyun.
Furthermore, he has now secretly entered the territory of the Northern Lie Kingdom by following Xuan Yuanhan's army.
After reading the secret letter, his two sword-like eyebrows furrowed deeply. After pondering for a moment, he slowly got up and went to the candlelight, burning the letter to ashes.
He turned back and stood by the desk with one hand behind his back, staring blankly at the phoenix mark on his stepmother's body that he had just drawn based on his childhood memories. He didn't even notice someone coming in.
Xuanyuan Yue walked gently towards him, stood beside him, glanced at the exquisite phoenix painting, and then interrupted his thoughts, asking softly, "What were you thinking about so intently, Your Highness? You didn't even notice me coming in?"
Mei Zhixuan snapped out of his daze, turned to her with a faint smile, and asked in return, "It's so late at night, why aren't you asleep yet? What are you doing here?"
Xuanyuan Yue smiled and looked at his face, replying, "It's summer now, and I couldn't sleep, so I had Jinlan accompany me for a walk. I noticed that the light in Your Highness's room is still on, so I came to check on it."
As she spoke, she gently shifted her gaze to the phoenix painting on the table, picked it up, and examined it carefully while exclaiming, "By the way, Your Highness's phoenix painting is quite lifelike!"
Mei Zhixuan stood behind her, looking at the drawing in her hand, and said quietly with a long expression, "Yes, this phoenix mark is uniquely beautiful, but I'm afraid we'll never see it again in this lifetime!"
"The Phoenix Mark?" Upon hearing this, Xuan Yuan Yue's expression suddenly darkened, and her hand trembled as if she had suddenly remembered something.
She looked up at his face and unexpectedly met a pair of gentle eyes she had never seen before.
Mei Zhixuan was meeting her gaze for the first time; her beautiful eyes, which were now filled with tender affection, were instantly becoming more and more affectionate.
For a moment, the two of them gazed at each other intently, never before so close.
Since their wedding, the two have never had such an ambiguous moment.
Suddenly, they all came to their senses, and their eyes darted away in a panic.
After a moment, Xuan Yuan Yue composed herself and, still staring at the phoenix painting in her hand, asked, "What does Your Highness mean by this? Does Your Highness mean that this phoenix painting is a mark? And... that Your Highness has seen this phoenix mark with your own eyes before?"
Mei Zhixuan sighed softly and said at length, "This phoenix mark originally belonged to a woman whose wisdom and beauty were unmatched in the world, but... she is dead."
"This is... truly a phoenix mark that appeared on a woman?" Upon hearing this, Xuan Yuan Yue was immediately stunned.
She secretly recalled what her mother had told her about the guardians of Western Qin, all of whom bore an innate phoenix mark. Could it be that the descendants of those guardians had ended up in Eastern Ning Kingdom?
Just as he was still quite surprised by this, Mei Zhixuan suddenly came to his senses, as if he had just realized his slip of the tongue, and hurriedly explained apologetically, "You don't need to worry, this woman, she is actually..."
But before he could finish speaking, Xuan Yuan Yue interrupted him...
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