Ruling the Empire, Becoming a Phoenix

Could there really be such a coincidence in this world, two identical brands burned into memory? She was brought to his side carrying the memories of another “her.” She took her place, all to help carry out a scheme that had been secretly sanctioned... Long-buried memories tore open in the dark of night. The difference between good and evil was only a thought away. She said, “Everyone shuns me, slanders me, fears me, and wishes they could kill me with one stroke. Are you sure you want to make yourself my enemy?” He said, “I was born rebellious. My whole body is covered in scales, and there’s no cure for me.” The Imperial Preceptor said, “The heavens show strange signs, and a star of calamity is on the rise. This woman is an ill omen.” He said, “Then let her bring the four seas to ruin and wreak havoc upon the world.” Everyone said, “She harbors a demon within her. She’s bound to bring suffering to every living thing under heaven.” He said, “If this world cannot accept her, why shouldn’t I turn against it? If she lives, I live. Only then will my love be true.”